They're pretty, Nothern European, Black and White...

Slow moving, subtitled, impassive - Award winning. "Art house cinema" always has a certain flair. Perhaps the flair is having none to speak of. Characters are rarely developed - at least not with their voices raised too much. Austerity and the chill of what Baltic winters must feel like define these movies. Also, they attract all kind of pretentious intellectual ass-holes.

Typical foreign art-film goer

There's something engrossing about films that never cease to be phenomenally beautiful though. Brilliant cinematography, gorgeous, unparalleled mise-en-scene, and density of symbolism combine and are what make these movies win awards. They may not make you feel anything, but they will make you remember them.

My recommendations for a cold day:

Ingmar Bergman - Wild Strawberries
A stuck up aging man reminisces on his life and reconnects with the world through a series of surreal, bizarre encounters. He is provoked to think by a young, vivacious hitch-hiker. Very much a film on the road with lots of beautiful countryside.

Trailer




Knife in the Water - Roman Polanski


Polanski of recent sexual-abuse fame's first feature film. A couple picks up a hitch hiker and take him out on their boat. A, for a very long time non physical, battle over the woman ensues, until an unexpected climax. Gorgeous shots of the sea, fog, reeds and jazz music interspersed with playing on the sail boat make you want to have a friend in the Polish boat owning bourgeoisie.

Get a feeling for the film


The Seventh Seal - Ingmar Bergman
The movie that I, and many others, consider Bergman's best. The Seventh Seal is the story of a medieval knight who encounters death, and gives him chase. Most famous for the chess scene (the knight plays death in a game of chess - and wins by tricking him), this film is choc full of stoic and christian religious imagery from a time when christianity was all grim. The knight encounters a parade of flagellants and the burning of a woman. All extremely well shot. The whole thing is very dramatic and full of (mostly religious) symbolism.

Trailer



Ivan's Childhood - Andrei Tarkovsky
My favorite of this genre isn't even Northern European. Tarkovsky is Russian...
The only movie I've seen that deserves the platitude "every shot could be photograph." Every shot could be a photograph.
Ivan is a child spy in World War II, and no one knows exactly how he became a spy. Somehow he keeps himself on the frontlines and sneaks around during the night a lot. On to the visuals...
Gorgeous actors. So much well placed shadow and inventive cinematography. Extensive shooting of characters slowly wading through water accompanied by very very smooth camera motion makes this film magic. A healthy dose of surrealism as well.

Telling on war, childhood, obsession and hate.

Also a birch forest with all its leaves shed makes for an odd forced love scene.

It is impossible to describe Ivan's Childhood.
Opening Scene



Many of these films are available legally for free online. Because they are so visual though high quality is important. Get all your Northern European cinema, and support independent film. Go to Videotheque! http://www.vidtheque.com/