Was there a "classic period" to non-US film?

For those of you who read up on the history of non-US film: do movie buffs in Europe, Japan, etc. recognize an identifiable "classic period" in their film history? American classic film has strong markers for it's beginning and end such as the Hays Code, the Studio System, Anti-trust and contract rights court decisions, etc. Were such characteristics present for film makers in other nations? If not, is there really any difference in the subject matter limits, restrictions, and production methods used in non-US film from 1930 to the present? If they weren't banned from making certain types of movies, or scenes and didn't have monopolistic vertical control over distribution to break up, is the only difference over time just film making style?