Mouchette (1967) *Possible spoilers*
This may have been discussed before or may sound clichéd, but did anyone else notice the vast similarities between this masterpiece and Bresson's brilliantly composed Mouchette? Both (Edmund and Mouchette) are struggling for the survival of their families and live in extremely poor conditions. Edmund's father is about to die and Mouchette's mother is about to die; throughout the film, we see both of them lying on bed. Both characters do anything possible to bring money, food and love despite the hardships of their surrounding environments. The situations of both characters get worse when they encounter a person of bad intentions (with Edmund, it is the pedophile teacher; with Mouchette, it is the poacher of the village). Both young leads suffer the same fate at the end. Even both movies have short lengths (less than 80 minutes).
And, of course, both are marvellous contributions to celluloid history.
Oh, and in case anyone else noticed, could you mention which movie you prefer? Although both are equally powerful and sublime to me, I'd pick Germania Anno Zero by a margin of nothing.
http://www.imdb.com/mymovies/list?l=8636185