50 good films of French cinema.
by dr-mutallimov | created - 09 Oct 2020 | updated - 09 Oct 2020 | PublicHere 50 films of French cinema history.
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1. Breathless (1960)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama
A small-time crook, hunted by the authorities for a car theft and the murder a police officer, attempts to persuade a hip American journalism student to run away with him to Italy.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Van Doude, Jean-Luc Godard
Votes: 87,968 | Gross: $0.34M
2. Deadlier Than the Male (1956)
113 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
André Chatelin is a restaurant owner in Les Halles in Paris. One morning, a girl named Catherine asks to see him. She happens to be the daughter of his estranged wife, Gabrielle, that André... See full summary »
Director: Julien Duvivier | Stars: Jean Gabin, Danièle Delorme, Robert Arnoux, Liliane Bert
Votes: 1,694
3. Le Jour Se Leve (1939)
Not Rated | 93 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
After committing a murder, a man locks himself in his apartment and recollects the events that led him to the killing.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Jean Gabin, Jacqueline Laurent, Arletty, Jules Berry
Votes: 8,275 | Gross: $0.03M
4. The Cabbage Soup (1981)
102 min | Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
2 buddy farmers are visited by aliens who like their domestic cabbage soup.
Director: Jean Girault | Stars: Louis de Funès, Jean Carmet, Jacques Villeret, Claude Gensac
Votes: 9,583
5. The Red Circle (1970)
Not Rated | 140 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After leaving prison, master thief Corey crosses paths with a notorious escapee and an alcoholic former policeman. The trio proceed to plot an elaborate heist.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, Bourvil, Gian Maria Volontè, Yves Montand
Votes: 28,176 | Gross: $0.37M
6. Going Places (1974)
R | 117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Two thugs harass assault, steal, murder, Marie-Ange, a jaded, passive hairdresser, joins them as lover, cook, and mother confessor, on her own search for seemingly unattainable sexual pleasure.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Miou-Miou, Patrick Dewaere, Christian Alers
Votes: 9,957 | Gross: $0.77M
7. La haine (1995)
Not Rated | 98 min | Crime, Drama
24 hours in the lives of three young men in the French suburbs the day after a violent riot.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Vincent Cassel, Hubert Koundé, Saïd Taghmaoui, Abdel Ahmed Ghili
Votes: 196,613 | Gross: $0.31M
8. The Children of the Marshland (1999)
115 min | Comedy, Drama
A chronicle of a group of friends in rural France between the wars. Garris and Riton live in the marshlands along the banks of the Loire river. Riton is afflicted with a bad-tempered wife ... See full summary »
Director: Jean Becker | Stars: Jacques Villeret, Jacques Gamblin, André Dussollier, Michel Serrault
Votes: 3,142 | Gross: $0.32M
9. Cyrano de Bergerac (1990)
PG | 137 min | Comedy, Drama, History
Famed swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac is in love with his cousin Roxane. He has never expressed his love for her as he his large nose undermines his self-confidence. Then he finds a way to express his love to her, indirectly.
Director: Jean-Paul Rappeneau | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Anne Brochet, Vincent Perez, Jacques Weber
Votes: 25,956 | Gross: $15.14M
10. Crooks in Clover (1963)
105 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A dying mob boss hands over his business to an old friend, Fernand. The boss' assistants want to get rid of the latter. But are the Volfoni brothers and Théo real threats? Ensuing fights and shootouts are more comical than deadly.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Lino Ventura, Bernard Blier, Francis Blanche, Claude Rich
Votes: 6,595
11. Buffet Froid (1979)
Not Rated | 89 min | Comedy, Crime, Thriller
Alphonse lives in an empty building. Empty but for one neighbour, the police captain Morvandieu. When the man who have killed Alphonse's wife appears, the three men will be thrown in a serie of event in a surrealist world.
Director: Bertrand Blier | Stars: Gérard Depardieu, Bernard Blier, Jean Carmet, Denise Gence
Votes: 6,507
12. The Intouchables (2011)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama
After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.
Directors: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano | Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot
Votes: 930,075 | Gross: $13.18M
13. Second Wind (1966)
Not Rated | 150 min | Crime, Drama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Lino Ventura, Paul Meurisse, Raymond Pellegrin, Christine Fabréga
Votes: 6,638
14. Jean de Florette (1986)
PG | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
A greedy landowner and his backward nephew conspire to block the only water source for an adjoining property in order to bankrupt the owner and force him to sell.
Director: Claude Berri | Stars: Yves Montand, Gérard Depardieu, Daniel Auteuil, Elisabeth Depardieu
Votes: 27,553 | Gross: $4.94M
15. Delicatessen (1991)
R | 99 min | Comedy, Crime
Post-apocalyptic surrealist black comedy about the landlord of an apartment building who occasionally prepares a delicacy for his odd tenants.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Marie-Laure Dougnac, Dominique Pinon, Pascal Benezech, Jean-Claude Dreyfus
Votes: 90,079 | Gross: $1.79M
16. A Monkey in Winter (1962)
105 min | Comedy, Drama
Albert is an inn owner who vowed never to drink again if he and his wife survived the war. They did, and the reformed alcoholic keeps his vow. But times have changed and soon after the war,... See full summary »
Director: Henri Verneuil | Stars: Jean Gabin, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Suzanne Flon, Gabrielle Dorziat
Votes: 3,313
17. The Crimson Rivers (2000)
R | 106 min | Crime, Mystery, Thriller
A murder detective must follow the footsteps of a brutal killer within the secrets of a classist college.
Director: Mathieu Kassovitz | Stars: Jean Reno, Vincent Cassel, Nadia Farès, Dominique Sanda
Votes: 65,666 | Gross: $0.63M
18. 8 Women (2002)
R | 111 min | Comedy, Crime, Musical
A man is murdered in an isolated chalet, and the eight female residents are all suspects; their secrets are revealed as they try to determine who is guilty.
Director: François Ozon | Stars: Fanny Ardant, Emmanuelle Béart, Danielle Darrieux, Catherine Deneuve
Votes: 34,350 | Gross: $3.08M
19. Betty Blue (1986)
Unrated | 119 min | Drama, Romance
A lackadaisical handyman and aspiring novelist tries to support his younger girlfriend as she slowly succumbs to madness.
Director: Jean-Jacques Beineix | Stars: Jean-Hugues Anglade, Béatrice Dalle, Gérard Darmon, Consuelo De Haviland
Votes: 23,354 | Gross: $2.00M
20. The Wages of Fear (1953)
Not Rated | 131 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
In a decrepit South American village, four men are hired to transport an urgent nitroglycerine shipment without the equipment that would make it safe.
Director: Henri-Georges Clouzot | Stars: Yves Montand, Charles Vanel, Peter van Eyck, Folco Lulli
Votes: 66,608
21. Belle de Jour (1967)
R | 100 min | Drama, Romance
A frigid young housewife decides to spend her midweek afternoons as a prostitute.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Jean Sorel, Michel Piccoli, Geneviève Page
Votes: 49,083 | Gross: $0.03M
22. Greed in the Sun (1964)
122 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A rough trucker assigns his new truck and its mysterious cargo to his newest employee, only to see it hijacked by one of his experienced drivers. Now, his friends are after him to retrieve the goods. Are 100,000 dollars worth dying for?
Director: Henri Verneuil | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Lino Ventura, Reginald Kernan, Bernard Blier
Votes: 2,720
23. 36th Precinct (2004)
Not Rated | 111 min | Action, Crime, Drama
2 cops are promised by the retiring chief of the Paris police that the one, getting the violent gang robbing armored trucks, will get his job. The 2 will do whatever it takes to get the promotion, even if it means breaking the law.
Director: Olivier Marchal | Stars: Daniel Auteuil, Gérard Depardieu, André Dussollier, Valeria Golino
Votes: 18,271
24. Amélie (2001)
R | 122 min | Comedy, Romance
Despite being caught in her imaginative world, Amelie, a young waitress, decides to help people find happiness. Her quest to spread joy leads her on a journey where she finds true love.
Director: Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Audrey Tautou, Mathieu Kassovitz, Rufus, Lorella Cravotta
Votes: 794,504 | Gross: $33.23M
25. The Lovers on the Bridge (1991)
R | 125 min | Drama, Romance
Alex, who's homeless and addicted to alcohol, and Michèle, who's losing her sight, form a relationship while sleeping rough on Paris's Pont-Neuf bridge.
Director: Leos Carax | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Denis Lavant, Klaus-Michael Grüber, Marion Stalens
Votes: 15,451 | Gross: $0.12M
26. Casque d'Or (1952)
Not Rated | 94 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Three gangsters and an ex-con carpenter all fall for the same beautiful golden-haired woman in Belle Époque France.
Director: Jacques Becker | Stars: Simone Signoret, Serge Reggiani, Claude Dauphin, Raymond Bussières
Votes: 6,221
27. The Sucker (1965)
111 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Criminals have chosen an ordinary man to carry drugs and jewels in his car across the border. The problem is that this man turned out too much ordinary.
Director: Gérard Oury | Stars: Bourvil, Louis de Funès, Venantino Venantini, Henri Génès
Votes: 8,051
28. Don't Look Now... We're Being Shot At! (1966)
G | 132 min | Adventure, Comedy, War
Several ordinary Frenchmen go on an epic voyage through the occupied country to the free zone as they help British pilots avoid German captivity.
Director: Gérard Oury | Stars: Bourvil, Louis de Funès, Claudio Brook, Andréa Parisy
Votes: 20,233
29. The Fifth Element (1997)
PG-13 | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
In the colorful future, a cab driver unwittingly becomes the central figure in the search for a legendary cosmic weapon to keep Evil and Mr. Zorg at bay.
Director: Luc Besson | Stars: Bruce Willis, Milla Jovovich, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm
Votes: 506,606 | Gross: $63.54M
30. The Professional (1981)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Victim of a plot which has resulted in his imprisonment in a Central African jail for two years, a French secret agent arrives in Paris to settle accounts.
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Desailly, Cyrielle Clair, Marie-Christine Descouard
Votes: 17,278
31. The Law Is the Law (1958)
95 min | Comedy
Assola is an imaginary village on the border between Italy and France and the borderline crosses the village itself. The French customs agent Ferdinand is always trying to catch the Italian... See full summary »
Director: Christian-Jaque | Stars: Totò, Fernandel, Nino Besozzi, Noël Roquevert
Votes: 1,067
32. The Well-Digger's Daughter (1940)
Approved | 142 min | Comedy, Drama
A rural maiden's two suitors go off to war, leaving her pregnant.
Director: Marcel Pagnol | Stars: Raimu, Fernandel, Josette Day, Line Noro
Votes: 690
33. Pasha (1968)
TV-MA | 90 min | Crime, Drama
Six months before his retirement from the criminal police, inspector Joss finds his colleague Gouvion dead, in a poorly faked suicide attempt. Joss loses his temper, and investigates on his... See full summary »
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Jean Gabin, Dany Carrel, Jean Gaven, André Pousse
Votes: 1,490
34. A Trip to the Moon (1902)
TV-G | 13 min | Short, Action, Adventure
A group of astronomers go on an expedition to the Moon.
Director: Georges Méliès | Stars: Georges Méliès, Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet
Votes: 55,818
35. One Deadly Summer (1983)
R | 133 min | Drama, Mystery
A young woman who oozes sensuality arrives in a small town and marries the local mechanic. Was it love at first sight? What links her enigmatic presence to the family's piano? Is it curiosity or is it something far more sinister?
Director: Jean Becker | Stars: Isabelle Adjani, Alain Souchon, Suzanne Flon, Jenny Clève
Votes: 5,361
36. The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe (1972)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Mystery
A hapless orchestra player becomes an unwitting pawn of rival factions within the French secret service after he is chosen as a decoy by being identified as a super secret agent.
Director: Yves Robert | Stars: Pierre Richard, Bernard Blier, Jean Rochefort, Mireille Darc
Votes: 9,253 | Gross: $0.40M
37. Air of Paris (1954)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama, Sport
The story of Andre Menard, a promising young amateur boxer from an impoverished background who is mentored by former pro Victor Le Garrec, and whose career path takes a nosedive when he falls for the wealthy Corinne.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Jean Gabin, Arletty, Roland Lesaffre, Marie Daëms
Votes: 710
38. Dandelions by the Roots (1964)
95 min | Comedy
Jockey Jack has a bill open with a gangster just released from jail. He somehow manages to parry the gangster's knife attack backstage at a theatre and the latter ends up dead being put ... See full summary »
Director: Georges Lautner | Stars: Michel Serrault, Maurice Biraud, Louis de Funès, Mireille Darc
Votes: 684
39. The City of Lost Children (1995)
R | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon
Votes: 71,690 | Gross: $1.51M
40. Welcome to the Sticks (2008)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Romance
A French public servant from Provence is banished to the far North. Strongly prejudiced against this cold and inhospitable place, he leaves his family behind to relocate temporarily there, with the firm intent to quickly come back.
Director: Dany Boon | Stars: Kad Merad, Dany Boon, Zoé Félix, Lorenzo Ausilia-Foret
Votes: 44,975 | Gross: $1.48M
41. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)
Not Rated | 91 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
A young woman separated from her lover by war faces a life-altering decision.
Director: Jacques Demy | Stars: Catherine Deneuve, Nino Castelnuovo, Anne Vernon, Marc Michel
Votes: 31,369 | Gross: $0.03M
42. The Baker's Wife (1938)
Not Rated | 133 min | Comedy, Drama
A small village rejoices at the arrival of a new baker. But when his young wife runs off with another man, he is unable to keep baking and the village is thrown into disarray.
Director: Marcel Pagnol | Stars: Raimu, Ginette Leclerc, Fernand Charpin, Robert Vattier
Votes: 2,397
43. The Visitors (1993)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Fantasy
A medieval knight and his servant ask a familiar wizard to move them back in time to prevent father-in-law's accidentally killing. Instead, they fly away to the 20th century.
Director: Jean-Marie Poiré | Stars: Christian Clavier, Jean Reno, Valérie Lemercier, Marie-Anne Chazel
Votes: 37,993 | Gross: $0.70M
44. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Paul Frankeur, Bulle Ogier
Votes: 46,857 | Gross: $0.20M
45. Time Masters (1982)
78 min | Animation, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Piel, a 7 or 8 year old boy, is alone on the desert planet Perdide, only survivor of an attack by giant hornets. Calling for help, Piel's father's friend Jaffar keeps contact with the kid and hurries across space toward Perdide.
Director: René Laloux | Stars: Jean Valmont, Michel Elias, Frédéric Legros, Yves-Marie Maurin
Votes: 6,120
46. Comment réussir... quand on est con et pleurnichard (1974)
90 min | Comedy
Antoine Robineau is a beverage marketer. He succeeds in all his sales while whining about his fate.
Director: Michel Audiard | Stars: Jean Carmet, Stéphane Audran, Jane Birkin, Jean-Pierre Marielle
Votes: 455
47. A Man and a Woman (1966)
Approved | 102 min | Drama, Romance
A widow and a widower find their relationship developing into love, but their past tragedies prove hard to overcome, causing them to proceed with utmost delicacy.
Director: Claude Lelouch | Stars: Anouk Aimée, Jean-Louis Trintignant, Pierre Barouh, Valérie Lagrange
Votes: 11,811
48. The Grand Illusion (1937)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama, War
During WWI, two French soldiers are captured and imprisoned in a German P.O.W. camp. Several escape attempts follow until they are eventually sent to a seemingly inescapable fortress.
Director: Jean Renoir | Stars: Jean Gabin, Dita Parlo, Pierre Fresnay, Erich von Stroheim
Votes: 38,870 | Gross: $0.17M
49. Day for Night (1973)
PG | 116 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A committed film director struggles to complete his movie while coping with a myriad of crises, personal and professional, among the cast and crew.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Jacqueline Bisset, Jean-Pierre Léaud, François Truffaut, Valentina Cortese
Votes: 24,795 | Gross: $0.02M
50. Taxi (I) (1998)
Not Rated | 89 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
To work off his tarnished driving record, a hip taxi driver must chauffeur a loser police inspector on the trail of German bank robbers.
Director: Gérard Pirès | Stars: Samy Naceri, Frédéric Diefenthal, Marion Cotillard, Manuela Gourary
Votes: 89,441 | Gross: $0.27M
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