Lists are often arbitrary and this one is no different. It springs from my tastes and my opinions and I won't be surprised if some visitors to this website feel strongly that I have overlooked movies they think should be included. In that regard, I welcome your suggestions but let's set some guidelines.

For me, the movies that populate my list are not those that contain extraordinary special effects or extended dolly or crane shots. Nor are they films that necessarily contain great acting though the blend of great visuals and admirable acting often do seem to go hand in hand. There have been many great movies over the years, of course, but only a small number I think are able to visually inspire a still photographer. In my opinion, the qualities of such movies include quality of light, first and foremost, but also fetching composition and, sometimes, camera effects. The most inspirational movies for still photographers often possess powerful and memorable scenes that make you wish you were there with a camera to capture some of the magic moments. Indeed, if I watch a movie and am left with an urge to go take pictures, it's one of the factors that make it a contender for my list of movies worth recommending. By the way, as my list suggests (lots of foreign movies), I'm not bothered by subtitles.

Most of the films listed below are available on DVD but some are admittedly hard to find. The Conformist, for example, cannot be found in my experience except through rare copies offered at high prices on Amazon.com. Likewise, Raise the Red Lantern can be hard to locate although the owner of my local video store got one in a week through a Hong Kong contact. The quality is excellent. Many of these films mentioned here are not available through your average video store. In bigger cities, you can usually find a specialty outlet that caters to more art-house tastes through rentals or sales. Of course, there is always Google and the chance to undertake some Internet sleuthing to locate a copy of your own.

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