10 International Movies Martin Scorsese Wants You to Watch

Although many of us consider ourselves movie experts, our knowledge is often limited to U.S. and British productions, completely ignoring creators from around the world. Knowing this, Martin Scorsese, in response to a young filmmaker named Colin Levy, created a list of 39 international films that you must see.

While 39 may seem like a lot, you can always start with 10 that other people considered the best. Here is the list of the top 10 Martin Scorsese recommendations, according to IMDb rating.

10. Ugetsu monogatari (1953) – 8.2/10
Country: Japan

Set in a rural area during Japan's civil war, this movie follows Genjuro and Tobei, two men driven by the need to make money for their families. Ignoring the signs and possessed by their greed, they make enough to feed everyone but bring devastation and destruction as their punishment.

9. Umberto D. (1952) – 8.2/10
Country: Italy

Umberto D. Ferrari is a retired government clerk living in Rome and struggling to make ends meet. Threatened with eviction from the room he rents, he tries to find a way to make money with no one but a poor housemaid and his faithful dog at his side. The film is sad and realistic, even more so because of a cast of non-professional actors.

8. Il sorpasso (1962) – 8.2/10
Country: Italy

Tired of his own lack of self-confidence, law student Robert takes a trip with his idol, Bruno. Successful, vibrant and perfectly content with his life, Bruno takes the boy under his wing and on a two-day trip from Rome to Tuscany, where he teaches him all about the greatest pleasures in life.

7. Metropolis (1927) – 8.3/10
Country: Germany

Now recognized as one of the most influential films of all time, Metropolis is a two and a half hour sci-fi dystopian drama about two lovers who try to break the boundaries of their class to be together. Although the story is impressive, the movie is much more interesting from a technical point of view and has very advanced sets.

6. Ikiru (1952) – 8.3/10
Country: Japan

There are many people who don't appreciate the beauty of life while they have it, but as soon as it ends, it becomes obvious. After spending more than 30 years at a boring job, wasting his life on nothing, Kanji Watanabe is determined to find the meaning of life while battling a terminal illness.

5. Ladri di biciclette (1948) – 8.3/10
Country: Italy

This movie offers a glimpse into the post-war state of Europe and the people who have to build their lives from scratch, with little or no money, but full of hope and dreams. When a man's bicycle is stolen, he finds himself on the verge of losing his job. So he and his son embark on a journey to find it.

4. Les enfants du paradis (1945) – 8.3/10
Country: France

Set far away from the horrors of war, in the 1830s, the movie follows the lifelong story of an unrequited love between the frail and silent mime Baptiste and the courtesan Garance. Knowing full well that they can never be together, he watches as she embarks on one romance after another, only to be proven that she will never belong to any man.

3. Tengoku to jigoku (1963) – 8.4/10
Country: Japan

Another one of Akira Kurosawa’s cinematic masterpieces, this film is more of a thriller than just a drama. The viewers along with the characters will have to live through the shock and pain of having someone close to them kidnapped, and then through the struggle of every step of twisted investigation.

2. Sanshô dayû (1954) – 8.4/10
Country: Japan

When a feudal lord is banished from his own land, his loyal wife and children embark on a great journey into the unknown to rejoin him. But the cruel reality around them won't let the two parts of a broken family meet, forcing the wife to struggle and the children to grow up in constant oppression.

1. Shichinin no samurai (1954) – 8.6/10
Country: Japan

This three-and-a-half hour film by Akira Kurosawa was supposed to capture the life of a samurai from the moment he wakes up to the moment he puts his head to bed, but the director felt he didn't have enough factual evidence. Instead, he decided to look at different samurai going through some of the toughest battles.