Wittenberg University

Movies in English

NOTE:  NEWEST ADDITIONS ARE AT THE END, AND NOT LISTED ALPHABETICALLY.

All pictures and text from www.amazon.com unless otherwise noted.

	1   Babel 2006 With Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett		2 Blood Diamond 2006 With Leonardo DiCaprio and Djimon Hounsou
An American touring Morocco with his wife becomes the focus of an international incident also involving a Moroccan farmer, a San Diego nanny, and a deaf-mute Japanese teen. It is perhaps not surprising that a gun is the device that ties these people together. Yet Babel isn't merely about violence. It's about the tragic consequences resulting from the stereotypes linked to terrorism and immigration.		In parts of Africa, diamond mining fuels civil warfare, killing thousands of innocents and drafting preteen children as vicious soldiers. A white African soldier-turned-diamond-smuggler who gets wind of a large raw jewel found by a native Mende fisherman and makes a deal with him.  Drawn into this web of exploitation is a journalist who wants the details of how conflict diamonds make their way into the hands of the corporations who sell them to the Western world.
	3 The Last King of Scotland 2006			4   Memoirs of a Geisha  2005
Powerfully illustrating the terrible truth that absolute power corrupts absolutely, this fictionalized chronicle of Ugandan dictator, Idi Amin's despotic reign of terror is viewed through the eyes of a Scottish doctor who arrives in Uganda in the early 1970s to serve as Amin's personal physician. Initially impressed by Amin's calculated rise to power, the doctor grows increasingly prone to exploitation because of his naiveté.  Amin is both seductive and horribly destructive, sometimes in the same breath.   --Jeff Shannon		An experienced geisha chooses to adopt a scullery maid as an apprentice and to use as a pawn against her rival.  The young maid, who was bound to her duties to pay off a family debt, finds her newfound "freedom" as a geisha to be another form of entrapment, as men are allowed to bid on everything from her time to her virginity. Relying on determination and wits, she uses her skills as a geisha to turn the tables and free herself to finally become a woman allowed to love.
	5 Crash 2005			6 The Boy in the Striped Pajamas 2005
A politically nervous district attorney and his high-strung wife get car-jacked by an oddly sociological pair of young black men; a rich black T.V. director and his wife get pulled over by a white racist cop and his reluctant partner; a detective and his Latina partner and lover investigate a white cop who shot a black cop--these are only three of the interlocking stories that reach up and down class lines. Interlocking the lives of a dozen Los Angeles residents--black, white, latino, Asian, and Persian.		Bored and restless in his new home, Bruno, an innocent and naive eight year old, ignores his mother and sets off on an adventure in the woods. Soon he meets a young boy, and a surprising friendship develops. Set during World War II, this remarkable and inspiring story about the power of the human spirit will capture your heart and engage your mind.
	7 Private 2004 In Arabic, Hebrew, and English			8 Paradise Now   2005
Mohammad, his wife and their five children live in a large, isolated house located mid-way between a Palestinian village and an Israeli settlement. Viewed as a strategic lookout point, the house is forcefully taken over by Israeli soldiers, who confine Mohammad and his family to a few rooms. Against his wife's wishes, Mohammad keeps his family together in the house until the soldiers move on, creating division and a precarious relationship with the soldiers. A powerful and haunting psychological thriller.		Two men, best friends from childhood, are summoned to fulfill their agreement to be suicide bombers for the Palestinian cause. Khaled and Said believe fervently in their cause, but having a bomb strapped to your waist would raise doubts in anyone--and once doubts have arisen, they respond in very different ways. Paradise Now is gripping enough while the men are preparing for their mission, but when the set-up goes awry and Khaled and Said are separated, it becomes almost excruciatingly tense. The movie passes no judgment on these men; this is a work of remarkable compassion and insight, given the shape and sharpness of a skillful thriller. Its psychological portrait goes beyond the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and resonates with fanaticism and oppression throughout the world, be it related to a religious, nationalist, or tribal cause. A stunning film from writer/director Hany Abu-Assad. --Bret Fetzer
	9 Hotel Rwanda 2005			10 The Stone Merchant   2006
One man's brave stance against savagery during the 1994 Rwandan conflict. As his country descends into madness, five-star-hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina (Cheadle) sets out to save his family. But when he sees that the world will not intervene in the massacre of minority Tutsis, he finds the courage to open his hotel to more than 1,200 refugees. Now, with a rabid militia at the gates, he must use his well-honed grace, flattery and cunning to protect his guests from certain death.		Ludovico is a precious stone merchant who trades between europe & the middle east. On the surface ludovico is a charming & charismatic man underneath lies a secret: ludovio is a christian converted to islam for whom terrorism is a religious duty of the highest order.
	11 Life is Beautiful 1998			12 The Reader   2008
An inspired motion picture masterpiece, LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL was nominated for 7 Academy Awards(R) -- winning 3 Oscars, including one for Best Actor Robert Benigni. In this extraordinary tale, Guido (Benigni) -- a charming but bumbling waiter who's gifted with a colorful imagination and an irresistible sense of humor -- has won the heart of the woman he loves and created a beautiful life for his young family. But then, that life is threatened by World War II ... and Guido must rely on those very same strengths to save his beloved wife and son from an unthinkable fate! Honored with an overwhelming level of critical acclaim, this truly exceptional, utterly unique achievement will lift your spirits and capture your heart!		In postwar Germany, young schoolboy Michael meets and begins a tender romance with the older, mysterious Hanna (Kate Winslet), yet their true intimacy comes as Michael reads aloud to Hanna in bed.  Years later, the two cross paths again, during a war crimes trial where Hannah is accused of horrify acts. The accused at one point asks the panel of prosecutors: "Well, what would you have done?" It is that question--as one German professor says later: "How can the next generation of Germans come to terms with the Holocaust?"--that is both heartbreaking and unanswerable. The Reader dares to present that unnerving premise, without offering an easy solution. --A.T. Hurley
	13 The English Patient 1996			14 The King of Hearts 1967
During World War II, a mysterious stranger is cared for by American allies unaware of his dangerous past. Hana, a nurse (Juliette Binoche), tends to an archaeologist (Ralph Fiennes) who has been burnt beyond recognition in a plane crash. As their relationship intensifies, he flashes back to his overwhelming passion for a married woman.  Meanwhile, Hana begins a new romance with a man who defuses bombs. As the mystery of the patient’s identity is revealed, an incredible tale of passion, intrigue, and adventure unfolds.		One of the most popular foreign films of all time, this movie played continuously in some theatres for over five years.  Bumbling Scottish Private Plumpick (Alan Bates) is sent to a village in the French countryside during World War I on a suicide mission to detonate explosives set by the retreating German army. The village, soon to be blown sky-high, has been abandoned by its inhabitants and replaced with escapees from the local insane asylum. Now, Plumpick must decide to carry out his deadly mission or else join the ranks of the blissfully ignorant who know nothing about war. King of Hearts is subtle, visually striking and, in short, the "ultimate display of madness" (Life)!
	15 Reds 1981			16 The Unbearable Lightness of Being 1988
Warren Beatty's lengthy 1981 drama about American Communist John Reed and his relationships with both the Russian Revolution and a writer named Louise Bryant (Diane Keaton) is a compelling piece of little-known history told in a uniquely personal way. Beatty plays Reed as a visionary likely to die before anyone fully recognizes the progressiveness of his vision, including those who are supposed to be on the same page. Jack Nicholson plays fellow intellectual Eugene O'Neill, and the late author Jerzy Kosinski--himself a refugee from then-Soviet-controlled Poland--makes a strong impression as Reed's problematic Russian liaison. --Tom Keogh		Let others in 1968 Prague fret over liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Prague surgeon and avowed womanizer Tomas is focused on the happiness of pursuit. He's determined to live with a lightness of being unfettered by things like commitment and Communism. Daniel Day-Lewis stars as Tomas, the happily irresponsible Czech lover of Milan Kundera's novel, which is set during the Soviet invasion.  Tomas’ decision to flee persecution in Prague for an article he wrote --and then to return and take a stance--has profound consequences on his life and on that of the two vastly different women who occupy his attention, played by Lena Olin and Juliette Binoche.
	17 Walk on Water   2005			18 To Die in Jerusalem   2007
This enthralling award-winning film by internationally-acclaimed director Eytan Fox explores the motives, strengths, and, ultimately, the humanity of an Israeli assassin sent to rectify a wrong committed five decades earlier. Eyal is a top assassin in the Israeli secret service. He has killed terrorists before, but this time he is sent to eliminate an aging former Nazi war criminal. During his mission, Eyal meets his target’s granddaughter and grandson, who inadvertently help him uncover his own troubled history and face his demons, while they discover the ugly truth their family has hidden from them for decades. What began as a straightforward mission, has suddenly escalated in intensity and complexity – thrusting three very different people into a thrilling triangle of murder, friendship and fate.		To Die In Jerusalem recounts the heart-wrenching story of two teenage girls - 17-year-old Israeli student Rachel Levy and her killer, 18-year old Palestinian suicide bomber Ayat al-Akhras -- who died together at a Jerusalem market in 2002. The horrific incident ignited international outrage and set in motion one mother's journey to meet the mother of her daughter's killer. More than four years later, they finally meet in an emotionally charged encounter that underscores the deep roots of the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

 

Movies in English, Listed with a Specific Language

		Before Night Falls (Antes Que Anochezca)    2000 In Spanish and English, with English, Spanish, and French subtitles Listed as # 2 with the Spanish Movies					The Crime of Padre Amaro  2002 In Spanish and English, with English subtitles Listed as # 7 with the Spanish Movies
The late Cuban poet Reinaldo Arenas (Johnny Depp) is victimized by a government that banned his books and jailed him for a crime he didn’t commit.  Fleeing to America, he continued to fight for personal expression.  Before Night Falls is a tribute to the liberating power of art... and one mans undying passion for life.						A recently ordained priest is sent to help an aging priest run a small parish church in rural Mexico.  Upon arriving at his new post, he meets a beautiful young woman with a religious passion that borders on obsession.  Quickly, her passion for her faith becomes helplessly entangled in a growing attraction to the new priest, who finds  himself torn between the divine and the carnal, the righteous and the unjust. (from DVD jacket) Contains graphic content.
		The Diamond Arm 2002 In Russian, French, and English, with subtitles in English, Russian, etc. Listed as # 30 with the Russian Movies						Doctor Zhivago 2003 In English Starring Keira Knightly   Listed as # 8 with the Russian Movies
One of the most beloved Russian comedies, this eccentric farce from celebrated director Leonid Gaidai (based on a newspaper article) concerns a criminal operation which smuggles gold and diamonds inside a plaster arm cast. Modest economist Semyon Gorbunkov and a swindler named The Count embark on a wild series of smuggling adventures, peppered with comic dialogue which spawned several popular catchphrases.						This British mini-series is based on Boris Pasternak's novel of a Russian physician-poet whose comfortable life is upended by the Revolution. The torment of Zhivago as he must choose between his well-bred childhood sweetheart and the tragically beautiful Lara (Keira Knightley, from Pirates of the Caribbean) remains compelling.
					Evita 1997      In English Listed as # 14 with the Spanish Movies		For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story     2000 In English and Spanish; Eng., French and Spanish subtitles Listed as # 16  with the Spanish Movies
Lavish musical drama, based on the hit stage production by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice, telling the life story of Eva Duarte (Madonna) who leaves her rural home for Buenos Aires in the company of Latin singer Agustin Magaldi, eventuallybecoming the wife of President Juan Peron and a heroine to the people of Argentina.						For Love or Country provides a harsh depiction of revolutionary Cuba, its outmoded lifestyle, and the restrictions placed on its people. The same regime his wife embraces forces Grammy-winning trumpet player Arturo Sandoval to play government-imposed music instead of the jazz that he loves, forcing him into a cruel decision. --Mindy Ruehmann
				Frida   2002 In English and French; Spanish subtitles Listed as # 17  with the Spanish Movies					Heart of a Dog 1988 In Russian and English, with Russian and English subtitles  Listed as # 12 with the Russian Movies
"Frida" chronicles the life Frida Kahlo (Salma Hayek) shared unflinchingly and openly with Diego Rivera (Alfred Molina), as the young couple took the art world by storm. From her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor and husband to her illicit and controversial affair with Leon Trotsky, to her provocative and romantic entanglements with women, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.  (www.amazon.com) Contains graphic content.						This tale is about a doctor who transforms a dog into a man with darkly amusing consequences.  Meanwhile, you see the soviet system closing in around Dr. Preobrazhensky, who has no time for it as he tries to keep his foul-mouthed new creation reined in.   Review by James Ferguson (www.amazon.com)
			In the Time of the Butterflies   2000 In English and German, with English, French, and Spanish subtitles Listed as # 47 with Spanish Movies				Nightwatch   2004 In Russian, English, Spanish, and French, with English Spanish and French subtitles Listed as # 20 with the Russian Movies
An idealistic young woman wages a daring struggle for freedom against a murderous dictator in this moving thriller that, "with brutal simplicity, dramatizes the personal toll of political tyranny" (San Francisco Chronicle). For generations, General Rafael Trujillo has ruled the Dominican Republic with a mixture of terror and savagery until Minerva Mirabal (Hayek) dares to oppose him. Inspired by her love for a rebel leader, Minerva and her sisters, known as Las Mariposas ("The Butterflies") endure unimaginable hardships in a battle for the very soul of a nation. But as their acts of bravery gain notoriety, Trujillo's forces close in, determined to put an end to Minerva's heroics.						A fantasy-thriller set in present-day Moscow where the respective forces that control daytime and nighttime do battle.
	The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil 2006 In English Listed as # 33 with Spanish Movies						Real Women Have Curves   2002 In English and Spanish Listed as # 34 with Spanish Movies
Documentary.  In May, Pat Murphy and Faith Morgan attended the second meeting of The Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas, a European group of oil geologists and scientists who predicted that mankind was perilously close to using up half of the world's oil resources. When they learned that Cuba underwent the loss of over half of its oil imports and survived,  the couple wanted to see for themselves how Cuba had done this.   http://www.communitysolution.org/cuba.html						Set in East Los Angeles, this comedic drama takes a familiar subject--a bright teenager struggling to define her identity--and turns it into an authentic celebration of feminine and cultural empowerment. Eighteen-year-old Ana has scholarship potential, but her mom insists that she work in her sister's dressmaking sweatshop, continuing a family tradition that can only break her spirit. But Ana defies this fate with proud tenacity ... --Jeff Shannon
		The Soul of Mexico / El Alma de México   1978 In English and Spanish Listed as # 36 with Spanish Movies					Total Eclipse   1995 In English Listed as # 36 with the French Movies
The immense, rich cultural variety of Mexico is presented in this series of five one-hour chapters.  (from the back cover). The chapters are:  1)  The Dawn of Mesoamerica 2)  Landscape of Pyramids 3)  The Lords of the Sun 4)  From Conquest to Revolution 5)  Living Heritage						This biographical account of the tempestuous, taboo-shattering love affair between poets Verlaine and Rimbaud (Leonardo DiCaprio)-- begins in 1870 when the newly married Verlaine is 24 and Rimbaud is 17. The volatile combination of their reckless passions is a recipe for disaster--and l'amour fou-culminating in a two-year prison term for Verlaine after he shoots Rimbaud in the wrist.
		White Sun of the Desert   1973 In Russian, English, French and Arabic, with English, subtitles Listed as # 28 with the Russian Movies					Dresden     2006 In German and English, with English subtitles Listed as # 28 with the German Movies
A soldier of the Red Army named Sukhov has been fighting in the Russian Civil War in Russian Asia for many years. Just as he is about to return home to his wife, Sukhov is chosen to guard and protect the harem of a guerilla leader (Abdulla).   Abdulla is wanted by the Red Army and left his harem behind because the women hindered him.  Sukhov's task proves to be more difficult than he imagined...						January, 1945. In the uncertain days leading up to the Allied bombings of Dresden, Anna discovers Robert Newman, an injured British pilot, hiding in a hospital cellar. Torn between loyalty and desire, the young nurse risks everything to help him recover. As Anna struggles to keep his true identity a secret and Robert battles to survive behind enemy lines, a catastrophic fate descends upon the city.
		Dead Man's Memories (Der Glaserne Blick) 2003 In German, Portuguese, and English; with English, German, and Portuguese  subtitles Listed as #27 with the German movies
A man's body washes ashore on the Portuguese coast and inspector Pinto is placed in charge of the investigation. Searching his body, Pinto discovers a video containing footage of a young woman (Testud), whom he realizes is a visiting music student from France. But even though she presents Pinto with a strong lead in the case, her testimony and the other clues just obscure the case further. http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1808643722/info

 

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