Betty Blue

59th Academy Awards: Best Foreign Film Nominee
Betty Blue (37°2 le matin)
1986
France
Color
Directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix

Plot: Zorg is a handyman working at in France, maintaining and looking after the bungalows. He lives a quiet and peaceful life, working diligently and writing in his spare time. One day Betty walks into his life, a young woman who is as beautiful as she is wild and unpredictable. After a dispute with Zorg's boss they leave and Betty manages to get a job at a restaurant. She persuades Zorg to try and get one of his books published but it is rejected which makes Betty fly into a rage. Suddenly Betty's wild manners starts to get out of control. Zorg sees the woman he loves slowly going insane. Can his love prevail even if it comes to the worst? (Written by Mattias Pettersson)

Theme: Drama, Romance

Links: imdb | Wikipedia

Poster:

The Assault

59th Academy Awards: Best Foreign Film Winner
The Assault (De Aanslag)
1986
The Netherlands
Color
Directed by Fons Rademakers

Plot: In January 1945, during the 2nd world-war, the Dutch resistance kills a collaborator in the street where the 12 year old Anton Steenwijk lives. The man was shot in front of his neighbours house, but is moved by them to the house of the family Steenwijk. Because of this, his father, mother and brother are killed by the Germans, and there house is set to fire. During his life, Anton meets several people that tell him more about what really happened on the night of the assault. (Written by Anonymous)

Theme: WWII, Drama

Links: imdb | Wikipedia

Poster:

The Decline of the American Empire

59th Academy Awards: Best Foreign Film Nominee
The Decline of the American Empire (Le Déclin de l'empire américain)
1986
Canada
Color
Directed by Denys Arcand

Plot: Four very different Montreal university teachers gather at a rambling country house to prepare a dinner. Remy (married), Claude (a homosexual), Pierre (involved with a girlfriend) and Alain (a bachelor) discuss sex, the female body and their affairs with them. Meanwhile, their four female guests, Louise (Remy's wife of 15 years), Dominique (a spinster), Diane (a divorcée) and Danielle (Pierre's girlfriend) are spending the time at a downtown health gym. They also discuss sex, the female body and, naturally, men. Later in the evening, they finally meet at the country house and have dinner. The discussion? Well, you can guess it... However, a ninth guest, named Mario, who used to know Diane, drops in on the group for some talk and has a surprise of his own. (Written by Mattias Thuresson)

Theme: Drama

Links: imdb | Wikipedia

Poster: