The myth of American exceptionalism has unfortunately shaped much more than foreign policy decisions in the United States. While it has obviously left a deep geopolitical footprint, its impacts have also permeated the entertainment sphere. American exceptionalism is the belief that the United States is inherently better than other nations and is therefore morally obligated to spread its moral principles of democracy and capitalism to the rest of the world. This obsession with America’s greatness can potentially reduce foreign films to a genre, and strip them of any characteristics other than their exoticism, which permanently relegates them to a class of entertainment that is subpar to American cinema.
Despite the phenomena of American exceptionalism, American films are not exceptional. They are simply just films and shouldn’t be regarded as more or less important foreign films. Every movie is an opportunity to empathize with someone else’s perspective. They are vessels to explore universal struggles and a love letter to the ubiquity of the human condition. As such, foreign films must not be compartmentalized into one genre. Whatever gaps in distance and culture may exist, they will never transcend the universal human experience.
However, the intentions and overall danger of American exceptionalism are becoming clear. In an Axios study, Brad Grossman, founder of Zeitguide states, “As ‘American exceptionalism’ has become less of a truth geopolitically, the same goes for entertainment.” Since 2019, there has been a large demand for foreign content. The same article confirms that “[in] 2020, non-U.S. shows accounted for nearly 30% of demand in the U.S.”
Whether due to increased accessibility from technological advancements, streaming services’ attempts at globalization, or Parasite (2019)’s Best Picture victory, foreign films occupy more space in the conversations in American cinema culture than ever before. For example, in 2021, films like Drive My Car (2021) and The Worst Person in the World (2021) received consideration for several Academy Awards outside of the foreign film category. To commemorate the decline of American exceptionalism in film, this article recommends 7 notable foreign films that fans of similar American classics might enjoy.
Fight Club (1999) // Kontroll (2003)
While often cast into “red-flag cinema,” which are films associated with the glorification of toxic masculinity and misogyny, David Fincher’s Fight Club has made an indelible impact on American culture. Between its iconic plot twist and carefully curated aura of suspense, Fight Club offers a detailed portrait of a man locked in battle with himself. Comparably, Nimrod Antal’s Hungarian film, Kontrol, creatively blends genres and styles to deliver one of the greatest representations of a man trapped in his own mind and imprisoned by his own persona. Set exclusively in the labyrinthian underground subway system of Budapest, it utilizes a claustrophobic and cold aesthetic alongside a boisterous set of characters to illustrate the life of a man who is consistently crushed by the pressures of the world. This movie showcases his retreat into his own mental prison, and his journey to escape.
The Virgin Suicides (1999) // Mustang (2015)
Sofia Coppola’s 1999 dark triumph The Virgin Suicides remains one of the most significant coming-of-age stories to come from Hollywood. In comparison, Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang is reminiscent of The Virgin Suicides’ melancholy atmosphere, juxtaposing the playfulness of youth with the loss of innocence, and examining a community’s obsession with gender expectations and sexuality. While both films are easily comparable on a surface level, as both are centered around a group of five sisters raised in religious environments, the settings of the midwest in the seventies and modern-day Turkey is vastly different in nature. While The Virgin Suicides is told from the perspective of a group of boys and Mustang comes from the perspective of the sisters themselves, both films showcase the same struggles of religion being misinterpreted and used to uphold the patriarchy. The similarities and contrast of these films’ premises accentuate the universality and timelessness of the pitfalls of human nature.
Ocean’s Eleven (2001) // Nine Queens (2000)
Steven Soderbergh’s Ocean’s Eleven is smart and magnetic, just like Fabián Bielinsky’s Nine Queens, a roller coaster that follows two clever con artists working towards a massive score. The Argentinian Nine Queens offers an adrenaline-inducing tale of two con artists undertaking a slick and meticulously planned heist, just like its American counterpart.
Snatch (2000) // In China They Eat Dogs (1999)
In his stylized chaotic crime thriller, Snatch, Guy Ritchie demonstrates his ability to fully immerse his audience into his stories. Ritchie’s film introduces a number of eccentric characters and a melange of plots that branch in different directions throughout 102 minutes, all converging gracefully in the climax. Similarly, Lasse Spang Olsen’s In China They Eat Dogs offers a familiar style in its comedic chaos and a fascinating resolution that provides commentary on morality. The film was so popular in Denmark, it sparked a prequel film.
American Animals (2016) // Bad Genius (2017)
Bart Layton’s American Animals and Nattawut Poonpiriya’s Bad Genius are both based on true stories, the former from America and the latter from Thailand. The stories center around unlikely alliances of high schoolers, the classic archetypes of jock and nerd working together to undertake a massive heist. The films both feature a messy caper that exposes the pitfalls of the education system while blending the genres of thriller, action, and coming-of-age.
Kill Bill (2003) // Kung-Fu Hustle (2004)
One of Quentin Tarantino’s most iconic works, Kill Bill has numerous elements that define Tarantino’s style, which include: abundant profanity, cartoonish violence, beautiful set-pieces, and iconic characters. Relatively, Stephen Chow cements his own iconic style with the absurdly comedic and beautiful Kung-Fu Hustle. Outside of the exaggerated violence emulating video game boss battles, both films serve as a beautiful and fun homage to the karate films of the seventies. Despite the distance, both of these films work so well in tandem that Tarantino himself spearheaded a considerable amount of the distribution of Chow’s classic work from China in America.
Do the Right Thing (1989) // La Haine (1995)
This pairing is perhaps the most seminal on this list, being that almost every analysis of both of these works contains a reference to the other. Both Spike Lee and Mathieu Kassovitz’s films exist in an almost timeless version of their respective cities, muting distractions and forcing our focus on carefully curated interactions between the leads. Both of these films were also inspired by real-life injustices–the oppression of minorities at the hands of the police. In the same way that the human condition is universal, oppression is global. Despite distance and time, the police system’s abuse has remained a constant factor, which inspired the creation of both of these influential works.
With a better understanding of the nuances of American exceptionalism, American audiences are becoming more receptive to foreign films. “Foreign films” are not a genre, they simply portray different perspectives from American ones and are a universal reminder of the uniqueness and ubiquity of the human struggle.
Great job Ali!
amazing recommendations and critiques!