The following list includes a selection of ten outstanding French crime films made from 1954-1966. Jean-Pierre Melville would continue to make films of this ilk, including several more classics (Le Samourai (1967); Le Cercle Rogue (1970); and Un Flic (1971)), but this period from mid-fifties to mid-sixties produced a number of gems from a selection of France’s top directors (Melville; Claude Sautet; Francois Truffuat; Jean-Luc Godard; Robert Bresson, and Jacques Becker). Outstanding work from actors like Jean Gabin; Lino Ventura; and Jean-Paul Belmondo, who all managed to combine a certain on-screen cool with the necessary gravitas to be convincing as hardened criminals; and writers, such as Jose Giovanni, who spent eight years in prison, and was responsible for some of the best screenplays of the period, contributed to a number of quality efforts. The French Crime Wave was of course related to, and perhaps even a sub set of, the French New Wave, which brought emerging directors like Truffuat and Godard to national fame and accord and influenced filmmakers the world over. The crime films included in this list stand up as some the best of the genre in the history of cinema.   

1. Bob Le Flambuer (Bob the Gambler) (1955). Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. Starring Roger Duschene.

2. Pickpocket (1959). Directed by Robert Bresson. Starring Martin LaSalle. 

3. A Bout de Souffle (Breathless) (1960). Directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo; Jean Seberg.

4. Le Trou (The Hole) (1960). Directed by Jacques Becker. Starring Marc Michel.

5. Classes Tous Risques (The Big Risk) (1960). Directed by Claude Sautet. Starring Lino ventura; Jean-Paul Belmondo. 

6. Le Deuxieme Souffle (Second Wind) (1966). Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. Starring Lino Ventura.

7. Band ‘a Parte (Band of Outsiders) (1964). Directed by Jean-Luc Godard. Starring Anna Karina.

8. Tirez Sur la Pianiste (Shoot the Piano Player) (1960). Directed by Francois Truffuat. Starring Charles Aznavour.

9. Le Doulos (The Finger Man) (1962). Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville. Starring Jean-Paul Belmondo; Serge Reggiani 

10. Touchez Pas au Grisibi (Don’t Touch the Loot) (1954) Directed by Jacques Becker. Starring Jean Gabin; Lino Ventura; Jeanne Moreau

The following list represents some of the most beautiful and alluring actresses of the past 40 years. All of these actresses essentially enjoyed a solid portion of their careers in the 60’s through to the present (all were born after 1933 and all but one are still living), thusly, many wonderful and beautiful actresses from previous periods were not included . Models who dabble in film, and those with few film credits (including actresses mainly known for TV work) or whose work is only in obscure foreign films were not included, although several younger actresses with newer careers are on the list. An attempt was made to create a list that represented world cinema as opposed to simply choosing American born actresses. 

TOP 40 Beautiful Cinema Actresses of the Past 40 Years

1. Brigette Bardot. Born 1934 in Paris, France. Credits include And God Created Woman (1956); A Very Private Affair (1962); Contempt (1963); Viva Maria (1965); Masculine-Feminine (1966). She became a top model at fifteen (appearing in Elle), and an actress soon after that. Married Roger Vadim at 18. She appeared in Vadim’s And God Created Woman (1956). The marriage (her first of four) ended the next year. She worked with Jean-Luc Godard in Contempt and Masculine and Feminine and Louis Malle in A Very Private Affair. Bardot became something of a phenomena in France, and in the U.S. Dubbed the “sex kitten,” she was for years hounded by the paparazzi. Never comfortable with the intense media scrutiny, this may have contributed to her retiring from acting in 1973 at age 39. 

2. Claudia Cardinale. Born Claude Josephine Rose Cardinale in Tunis, Tunisia in 1938. Discovered at a beauty pageant at age 17. Had a child that same year. Grew up speaking French. Her first Italian film at age 18 had to be dubbed by an Italian-speaking actress. Has been with the same man since 1975. Has had over 100 film and televison roles. Best known for Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958); Rocco and His Brothers (1960); Girl With a Suitcase (1961); 8 1/2 (1963); The Pink Panther (1963); The Leapord (1963); The Professionals (1966); Once upon a Time in the West (1968). 

3. Sophia Loren. Born Sofia Villani Scicolone (illegitimately) in Rome, Italy in 1934 (her father refused to acknowledge her). Grew up in poverty in Pozzuoli outside of Naples. Was a contestant in the Miss Italia contest of 1950. Became an actress that same year. Met her future mate, film producer Carlo Ponti, at age 16 (he was 22 years her senior and married at the time). Their union would cause major controversy in Italy. They were together until his death in 2007 and have two children. Credits include Gold of Naples (1954); Houseboat (1958) with Cary Grant; Two Women (1960), for which she won the Academy Award; El Cid (1961); Yesterday Today and Tomorrow (1963); and Marriage Italian Style (1964), for which she was nominated for an Academy Award.  Sophia Loren continues to act. 

4. Raquel Welch. Born Jo Raquel Tejada in 1940 in Chicago, Illinois, but moved to San Diego, California at age 2. Of Irish American and Bolivian descent. Married 4 times. Mother of actress Tahnee Welch (Cocoon). Credits include Bedazzled (1967); Last of Sheila (1973); Mother, Jugs, and Speed (1976); Tortilla Soup (1991). Singer and dancer with Broadway credits. Still acting. 

5. Monica Belluci. Born 1964 in Umbria, Italy. Married to French actor Vincent Cassel. Credits include L’Apartment (1996); Malena (2000); Irreversible (2002); Passion of the Christ (2004).  

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1. Munich (USA)

2. Brokeback Mountain (USA)

3. Capote (USA)

4. Syriana (USA)

5. The Beat That My Heart Skipped (FR)

6. 2046 (CHI/HK/FR)

7. The Sea Inside (SP)

8. Good Night, Good Luck (USA)

9. Head-On (GE)

10. Murderball (USA) (doc)

11. The Squid and the Whale (USA)

12. Paradise Now (ISR/FR/GE)

13. Look at Me (FR) 

14. The Three Burials of Mequiades Estrada (USA/FR)

15. The Constant Gardner (USA)

16. Man Push Cart (USA)

17. Junebug (USA)

18. The New World (USA)

19. Best of Youth (IT)

20. Pride and Prejudice (UK/USA) 

21. Memory of A Killer (FR)

22. Kings and Queen (FR)

23. Cache (FR/GE)

24. A History of Violence (USA)

25. Grizzly Man (USA/CA)

26. Me You and Everyone We know (USA)

27. Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (USA) (doc) 

28. Downfall (GE)

29.  The World (CHI)

30. Hustle and Flow (USA)

31. Walk The Line (USA)

32. March of the Penguins (USA/FR) (doc)  

33. Nine Lives (USA)

34. Millions (BRIT)

35. Oldboy (S KOR)

36. In Her Shoes (USA)

37. Last Days (USA)

38. North Country (USA)

39. Nobody Knows (JAP)

40. Wild Parrots of Telgraph Hill (USA) (doc)

1. The Death of Dr. Lazerescu (ROM)

2. L’Enfant (FR)

3. Three Times (TAIW)

4. Half Nelson (USA)

5. Children of Men (BRIT/USA)

6. Flags of Our Fathers/Letters from Iwo Jima (USA)

7. Volver (SP)

8. United 93 (BRIT/FR/USA)

9. The Queen (BRIT)

10. A Scanner Darkly (USA)

11. Borat (USA)

12. Road to Guantanamo (BRIT)

13. Sherrybaby (USA)

14. Tristam Shandy (BRIT)

15. Pan’s Labyrinth (MEX/SPAN/USA)

16. The Science of Sleep (USA)

17. The Good Shephard (USA)

18. Apocalypto (USA)

19. Babel (USA)

20. Infamous (USA)

21. The Ground Truth (doc) (USA)

22. Jesus Camp (doc) (USA)

23.  An Inconvenient Truth (doc) (USA)

24. Tsotsi (AFR/FR)

25. Bubble (USA)

26. The Heart of the Game (doc) (USA)

27. Clean (FR)

28. Little Children (USA) 

29. Why We Fight? (USA)

30. Old Joy (USA)

31. Dave Chapelle’s Block Party (doc) (USA)

32. 49 and Up (doc) (BRIT)

33. Fast Food Nation (USA)

34. Marie Antoinette (USA)

35. Iraq in Fragments (doc) (USA)

36. The Notorious Betty Page (USA)

37. Mutual Appreciation (USA)

38. Who Killed the Electric Car? (doc) (USA)

39. Friends With Money (USA)

40. Stranger Than Fiction (USA)

1. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days (ROM)

2. No Country for Old Men (USA)

3. Juno (USA)

4. No End in Sight (doc) (USA)

5. The Savages (USA)

6. The Assassination of Jesse James (USA)

7. Away From Her (CAN) 

8. Into The Wild (USA)

9. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (FR)

10. Syndromes and a Century (THAI)

11. Once (IRE)

12. The Lives of Others (GE)

13. There Will Be Blood (USA)

14. Margot at The Wedding (USA)

15. La Vie en Rose (FR)

16. A Mighty Heart (USA)

17. The Zodiac (USA)

18. Eastern Promises (CAN)

19. Crazy Love (doc) (USA)

20. Starting Out the Evening (USA)

21. In the Valley of Ellah (USA)

22. 12:08 East of Bucharest (HUNG)

23. Charlie Wilson’s War (USA)

24. The Kite Runner

25. Things We Lost in the Fire (USA)

26. Lars and the Real Girl (USA)

27. Knocked Up (USA)

28. Superbad (USA)

29. 2 Days in Paris (FR)

30. Control (BRIT)

31. Waitress (USA)

32. Lust, Caution (CHI)

33. Edge of Heaven (GE)

34. Michael Clayton (USA)

35. Black Book (GE/BEL/NETH)

36. Bourne Ultimatum (USA)

37. Rescue Dawn (USA)

38. Atonement (BRIT/FR)

39. Terror’s Advocate (FR) (doc)

40. Snow Angels (USA)