Kurosawa, Fellini, and Truffaut Are the Masters of Foreign Films

Foreign films are in vogue lately. Just tune into channels like Independent Film Channel (IFC) or Sundance, and you'll find a plethora of them. I'm no expert on foreign films, but I do enjoy directors like Francois Trauffaut and Akira Kurosawa.

What's interesting is the effect each of these directors has on American film. Take Kurosawa's masterpiece "Seven Samurai." Hollywood reworked it into "The Magnificent Seven," which the only thing I can remember is the fact that it wasn't close to being as good as the original.

What makes films like these so strong is the vivid characterization. Action isn't essential in "Seven Samurai," but it is there. The same could be said of Trauffaut's greatest film, "Shoot the Piano Player."

Both had action, but focused on characters. Hollywood should take note. Some directors have learned from the masters. Directors like Paul Thomas Anderson ("Magnolia") or Martin Scorsese ("Age of Innocence") do at times seem to understand that characters are often what make films great.

If one wanted the most known and famous of all foreign directors, Federico Fellini would likely be the choice. Films like "La Dolce Vita" and "8 ½" are always tops on best films ever lists. American filmmakers aren't always outdone. I recently watched the Japanese film "The Eye," and saw how a lot of Japanese horror has fallen into simple copycat stories. "The Eye" was very much like the "The Sixth Sense" in the way it was presented, in which a person was able to see the dead.

"The Eye" was released in 2003 and "The Sixth Sense" in 1999. These films together are a prime example of how movie ideas are constantly recycled in the major film markets. Independent films may have a better chance now than they used to, but Hollywood has opted away from character films for more action films which usually guarantee money.

Character stories are still used, but films by action stars like Tom Cruise and Arnold Schwar-zenegger usually make more money. Take "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines," Schwarzenegger's latest film, which ended up grossing over $400 million.