NYT- 25 Best Films of the 21st century

[JasonEvans]

As you might expect from the NY Times haughty critics, the list is full of films (http://nofilmschool.com/2017/06/new-york-times-25-best-movies-21st-century) that most of us have not seen. The "artsy" ones here that I have seen are often borderline unwatchable and are mad, I think, only to please critics, not audiences.

What an arrogant, pseudo-intellectual list.

1. There Will Be Blood (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
2. Spirited Away (Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2002)
3. Million Dollar Baby (Dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004)
4. A Touch of Sin (Dir. Jia Zhangke, 2013)
5. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Dir. Cristi Puiu, 2006)
6. Yi Yi (Dir. Edward Yang, 2000)
7. Inside Out (Dir. Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, 2015)
8. Boyhood (Dir. Richard Linklater, 2014)
9. Summer Hours (Dir. Olivier Assayas, 2009)
10. The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)
11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013)
12. Timbuktu (Dir. Abderrahmane Sissako, 2015)
13. In Jackson Heights (Dir. Frederick Wiseman, 2015)
14. L’Enfant (Dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2006)
15. White Material (Dir. Claire Denis, 2010)
16. Munich (Dir. Steven Spielberg, 2005)
17. Three Times (Dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2006)
18. The Gleaners and I (Dir. by Agnès Varda, 2000)
19. Mad Max: Fury Road (Dir. by George Miller, 2015)
20. Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016)
21. Wendy and Lucy (Dir. Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
22. I’m Not There (Dir. Todd Haynes, 2007)
23. Silent Light (Dir. Carlos Reygadas, 2008)
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Dir. Michel Gondry, 2004)
25. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Dir. Judd Apatow, 2005)

-Jason "more later, but I am just shocked that the unwatchable Terrence Malik film, Tree of Life, isn't on here" Evans

[JNort]

As you might expect from the NY Times haughty critics, the list is full of films (http://nofilmschool.com/2017/06/new-york-times-25-best-movies-21st-century) that most of us have not seen. The "artsy" ones here that I have seen are often borderline unwatchable and are mad, I think, only to please critics, not audiences.

What an arrogant, pseudo-intellectual list.

1. There Will Be Blood (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007)
2. Spirited Away (Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2002)
3. Million Dollar Baby (Dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004)
4. A Touch of Sin (Dir. Jia Zhangke, 2013)
5. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (Dir. Cristi Puiu, 2006)
6. Yi Yi (Dir. Edward Yang, 2000)
7. Inside Out (Dir. Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, 2015)
8. Boyhood (Dir. Richard Linklater, 2014)
9. Summer Hours (Dir. Olivier Assayas, 2009)
10. The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, 2009)
11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013)
12. Timbuktu (Dir. Abderrahmane Sissako, 2015)
13. In Jackson Heights (Dir. Frederick Wiseman, 2015)
14. L’Enfant (Dir. Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardenne, 2006)
15. White Material (Dir. Claire Denis, 2010)
16. Munich (Dir. Steven Spielberg, 2005)
17. Three Times (Dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien, 2006)
18. The Gleaners and I (Dir. by Agnès Varda, 2000)
19. Mad Max: Fury Road (Dir. by George Miller, 2015)
20. Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016)
21. Wendy and Lucy (Dir. Kelly Reichardt, 2008)
22. I’m Not There (Dir. Todd Haynes, 2007)
23. Silent Light (Dir. Carlos Reygadas, 2008)
24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Dir. Michel Gondry, 2004)
25. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Dir. Judd Apatow, 2005)

-Jason "more later, but I am just shocked that the unwatchable Terrence Malik film, Tree of Life, isn't on here" Evans
I think I've seen 2 of these (Mad Max and 40 year old virgin) and neither would make it for me. Mad Max I recall discussing on here before and I hated it. Just awful.

[gus]

I love this description for "Spirited Away":


Del Toro: "As a young adult, I saw My Neighbor Totoro and it moved me to tears. I mean, I basically couldn’t stop crying at the beauty and the enormous feat of capturing the innocence of being a child. I immediately chased down everything he had done."

So, uh - what about the movie actually on the list?

I don't get why Mad Max is there. I mean, I thought it was a good movie, but I wouldn't have included among the best in the year it came out, let alone the entire (young) century.

[davekay1971]

I love this description for "Spirited Away":



So, uh - what about the movie actually on the list?
.

Maybe he's politely pointing out that Totoro is a better movie, which it is. Totoro is a sweet poignant journey into the imagination and angst of children. Spirited Away is creepy and nightmare inducing.

[Olympic Fan]

This is just an astonishingly pretentious list. I honestly don't think I would consider any film in the NYT's top 25 in my top 50.

When you are talking greatness, doesn't a great film have to connect with an audience? Maybe not initially - there are great films that took a while to find their audience -- but eventually. A film that's so high-brow that it's only seen by a few critics cannot in my mind be even considered a great film.

[YmoBeThere]

So, what do you think of this list? Did we already discuss it here?

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films

(http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films)


1
Mulholland Dr.
David Lynch
2001


2
In the Mood for Love
Wong Kar-wai
2000


3
There Will Be Blood
Paul Thomas Anderson
2007


4
Spirited Away
Hayao Miyazaki
2001


5
Boyhood
Richard Linklater
2014


6
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
Michel Gondry
2004


7
The Tree of Life
Terrence Malick
2011


8
Yi Yi: A One and a Two
Edward Yang
2000


9
A Separation
Asghar Farhadi
2011


10
No Country for Old Men
Coen brothers
2007


11
Inside Llewyn Davis
Coen brothers
2013


12
Zodiac
David Fincher
2007


13
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuaron
2006


14
The Act of Killing
Joshua Oppenheimer
2012


15
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
Cristian Mungiu
2007


16
Holy Motors
Leos Carax
2012


17
Pan's Labyrinth
Guillermo del Toro
2006


18
The White Ribbon
Michael Haneke
2009


19
Mad Max: Fury Road
George Miller
2015


20
Synecdoche, New York
Charlie Kaufman
2008


21
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Wes Anderson
2014


22
Lost in Translation
Sofia Coppola
2003


23
Caché
Michael Haneke
2005


24
The Master
Paul Thomas Anderson
2012


25
Memento
Christopher Nolan
2001


26
25th Hour
Spike Lee
2002


27
The Social Network
David Fincher
2010


28
Talk to Her
Pedro Almodóvar
2002


29
WALL-E
Andrew Stanton
2008


30
Oldboy
Park Chan-wook
2003


31
Margaret
Kenneth Lonergan
2011


32
The Lives of Others
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
2006


33
The Dark Knight
Christopher Nolan
2008


34
Son of Saul
László Nemes
2015


35
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Ang Lee
2000


36
Timbuktu
Abderrahmane Sissako
2014


37
Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2010


38
City of God
Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund
2002


39
The New World
Terrence Malick
2005


40
Brokeback Mountain
Ang Lee
2005


41
Inside Out
Pete Docter
2015


42
Amour
Michael Haneke
2012


43
Melancholia
Lars von Trier
2011


44
12 Years a Slave
Steve McQueen
2013


45
Blue Is the Warmest Colour
Abdellatif Kechiche
2013


46
Certified Copy
Abbas Kiarostami
2010


47
Leviathan
Andrey Zvyagintsev
2014


48
Brooklyn
John Crowley
2015


49
Goodbye to Language
Jean-Luc Godard
2014


50
The Assassin
Hou Hsiao-hsien
2015


51
Inception
Christopher Nolan
2010


52
Tropical Malady
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2004


53
Moulin Rouge!
Baz Luhrmann
2001


54
Once Upon a Time in Anatolia
Nuri Bilge Ceylan
2011


55
Ida
Paweł Pawlikowski
2013


56
Werckmeister Harmonies
Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky
2000


57
Zero Dark Thirty
Kathryn Bigelow
2012


58
Moolaadé
Ousmane Sembène
2004


59
A History of Violence
David Cronenberg
2005


60
Syndromes and a Century
Apichatpong Weerasethakul
2006


61
Under the Skin
Jonathan Glazer
2013


62
Inglourious Basterds
Quentin Tarantino
2009


63
The Turin Horse
Béla Tarr and Ágnes Hranitzky
2011


64
The Great Beauty
Paolo Sorrentino
2013


65
Fish Tank
Andrea Arnold
2009


66
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring
Kim Ki-duk
2003


67
The Hurt Locker
Kathryn Bigelow
2008


68
The Royal Tenenbaums
Wes Anderson
2001


69
Carol
Todd Haynes
2015


70
Stories We Tell
Sarah Polley
2012


71
Tabu
Miguel Gomes
2012


72
Only Lovers Left Alive
Jim Jarmusch
2013


73
Before Sunset
Richard Linklater
2004


74
Spring Breakers
Harmony Korine
2012


75
Inherent Vice
Paul Thomas Anderson
2014


76
Dogville
Lars von Trier
2003


77
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
Julian Schnabel
2007


78
The Wolf of Wall Street
Martin Scorsese
2013


79
Almost Famous
Cameron Crowe
2000


80
The Return
Andrey Zvyagintsev
2003


81
Shame
Steve McQueen
2011


82
A Serious Man
Coen brothers
2009


83
Artificial Intelligence: A.I.
Steven Spielberg
2001


84
Her
Spike Jonze
2013


85
A Prophet
Jacques Audiard
2009


86
Far From Heaven
Todd Haynes
2002


87
Amélie
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
2001


88
Spotlight
Tom McCarthy
2015


89
The Headless Woman
Lucrecia Martel
2008


90
The Pianist
Roman Polanski
2002


91
The Secret in Their Eyes
Juan José Campanella
2009


92
The Assassination of Jesse James by Coward Robert Ford
Andrew Dominik
2007


93
Ratatouille
Brad Bird
2007


94
Let the Right One In
Tomas Alfredson
2008


95
Moonrise Kingdom
Wes Anderson
2012


96
Finding Nemo
Andrew Stanton
2003


97
White Material
Claire Denis
2009


98
Ten
Abbas Kiarostami
2002


99
The Gleaners and I
Agnès Varda
2000


100
Carlos
Olivier Assayas
2010


100
Requiem for a Dream
Darren Aronofsky
2000


100
Toni Erdmann
Maren Ade
2016




And don't get me wrong, I have issues with both lists. But both polls rate Spirited Away very highly. And Totoro certainly wouldn't have been eligible for this list...
(http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films)

[brevity]

So, what do you think of this list? Did we already discuss it here?

http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20160819-the-21st-centurys-100-greatest-films

We have. (http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?38321-100-best-movies-of-the-21st-century)

I said what I had to say about these kinds of lists in that thread, and would only add 2 thoughts:

1. If groups of critics want to define cinema as more of a global creation than the American box office would indicate, I have no problem with that.

2. I question the ability to properly process a recent film and put it any kind of pantheon. Back when I cared about such things, I would implement a Hall of Fame rule and make a film (or TV show, or song) ineligible for 2 years so that I could assess it after it has aged somewhat. For example, a lot of people were into that Boyhood vs. Birdman debate about 2 years ago because of The Oscars, but upon reflection, both films have diminished in value for me. I'm a little surprised that Boyhood still places so highly; I would find it very hard to revisit. As for TV, Mad Men had its finale a little over 2 years ago, and I've had time to think about the show as a whole rather than piecemeal -- it always struck me as a novel in TV form -- and in my mind it's changed some. As for music, I know what I like, and a song ages better over those 2 years if I hear it less. I really liked only 2 songs that received a radio release in 2015; I still like both, but I miss one of them more.

[YmoBeThere]

How quickly I forget...

[El_Diablo]

#6 and #18 weren't even released in the 21st century. But thanks for playing, NYT.

[rsvman]

#6 and #18 weren't even released in the 21st century. But thanks for playing, NYT.

Ha! Love it.

As for the list, I thought Boyhood was pretty good. Eternal Sunshine I love. Most of the others I haven't seen.

[MartyClark]

I'm surprised to see Million Dollar Baby rated so high. I loved it. Most of my friends didn't. IIRC it won the Oscar for best picture that year but I though it got lukewarm reviews from the higher critics.

[Indoor66]

I'm surprised to see Million Dollar Baby rated so high. I loved it. Most of my friends didn't. IIRC it won the Oscar for best picture that year but I though it got lukewarm reviews from the higher critics.

Higher critics don't buy the tickets.😎

[Blue in the Face]

I'm surprised to see Million Dollar Baby rated so high. I loved it. Most of my friends didn't. IIRC it won the Oscar for best picture that year but I though it got lukewarm reviews from the higher critics.
It got exceedingly good reviews.

[Devilwin]

Saw three of the list, was not impressed too much with any of them. And since "American Sniper" was not on the list then it's garbage anyway. Just my opinion, don'tcha see.:confused:

[JasonEvans]

Wanna know how pretentious the list is?

I see everything... I am talking like 80+ movies a year.. and I have only seen 12 of the films on this list. I would submit that if a truly avid moviegoer who sees more than 1 movie a week has not seen half the films on your list (in many cases, I have not even heard of these films), then your list is pretty much #!%^!%^!@.

[-jk]

Wanna know how pretentious the list is?

I see everything... I am talking like 80+ movies a year.. and I have only seen 12 of the films on this list. I would submit that if a truly avid moviegoer who sees more than 1 movie a week has not seen half the films on your list (in many cases, I have not even heard of these films), then your list is pretty much #!%^!%^!@.

C'mon, Jason: Tell us what you really think!

(And do you agree with any of them?)

-jk

[Mabdul Doobakus]

Seems silly to get upset with people over what kinds of movies they like. It should be understood that these lists are inherently subjective. You might say...why even make such a list? Well, it generates clicks and gets people talking. Case in point.

Personally, I've only seen 10 movies on that list, and of the ones I haven't seen, there's only 2 more I've even heard of: There Will Be Blood and Llewelyn Davis. I can't imagine either one not being boring, but I've been wrong before...

For what it's worth, Eternal Sunshine and Spirited Away are two of my Top 5 all time. And A Separation, which I'm shocked isn't on this type of list, may be in my top 10. Also surprised something like The Lives of Others isn't on here. That movie was the bomb.

Or WALL-E (which I think is Pixar's best and probably in my Top 10 as well).

[JasonEvans]

C'mon, Jason: Tell us what you really think!

(And do you agree with any of them?)
Here are the ones I have seen and a quick comment on each --

1. There Will Be Blood (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) - I appreciate the film for the acting and some amazing individual scenes, but it dragged and the plot was muddled. No way it would be among my Top 25 of the century.

3. Million Dollar Baby (Dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004) - A great film that has surprisingly not really held up all that well. I have not seen it since 2004. I do recall thinking it was a deserving Best Pic winner. I doubt it would be a real consideration for my Top 25 of the century though.

7. Inside Out (Dir. Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, 2015) - Fabulous, remarkable animated flick. It would be a contender for my Top 25 of 2000s

8. Boyhood (Dir. Richard Linklater, 2014) - While I appreciate what Linklater accomplished, I found the plot too disjointed and the film overly long (not much happened). I thought it was really overrated by critics. No chance at my top 25.

10. The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, 2009) - Very good film that I still thought was a tad overrated. I enjoyed Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty more. Not near my Top 25.

11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013) - I usually like the Coens but this was pretentious and meandering. I enjoyed some scenes, but the whole movie turned me off.

16. Munich (Dir. Steven Spielberg, 2005) - Again, portions of it were good, but I found this to be one of Spielberg's most disjointed stories.

19. Mad Max: Fury Road (Dir. by George Miller, 2015) - Fabulous film with some of the best action scenes this century. It would certainly be a strong contender to be in my top 25 of 2000s.

20. Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016) - A wonderful, emotional film. I doubt it would be among my top 25 of the century, but it is deserving of praise.

22. I’m Not There (Dir. Todd Haynes, 2007) - Pretentious, dull, and very hard to follow/enjoy. This film fits perfectly into the genre of movies that haughty critics love to praise but audiences cannot stand.

24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Dir. Michel Gondry, 2004) - It has been years since I saw it, but this is a deserving member of this list. It is a wonderful look at how the mind works.

25. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Dir. Judd Apatow, 2005) - A fabulous comedy with so much heart, amazingly funny cast, holds up incredibly well... yeah, I could see this on a top 25 list. I'm impressed the NYT pretentious crew managed to include it.

-Jason "films they did not include that would be strong contenders for my top 25 of the 2000s: The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, Children of Men, Room, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Spotlight, Argo, LOTR: The Two Towers, Brokeback Mountain, The Descendants, Moneyball, Lincoln... and a few more" Evans

[pfrduke]

22. I’m Not There (Dir. Todd Haynes, 2007) - Pretentious, dull, and very hard to follow/enjoy. This film fits perfectly into the genre of movies that haughty critics love to praise but audiences cannot stand.



But a killer soundtrack!

[Jeffrey]

Here are the ones I have seen and a quick comment on each --

-Jason "films they did not include that would be strong contenders for my top 25 of the 2000s: The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, Children of Men, Room, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Spotlight, Argo, LOTR: The Two Towers, Brokeback Mountain, The Descendants, Moneyball, Lincoln... and a few more" Evans

What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s?

[JasonEvans]

What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s?

I really have not thought about it... but, without a lot of forethought or analysis, I would probably say:

1900s - The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Ten Commandments, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Sting

Ohmygod, did I just leave out Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, Chinatown, The Marathon Man, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Network, Psycho, Apocalypse Now, The Big Chill, Ghandi, ET, Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense??!?!?!

2000s - Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, Kill Bill, Slumdog Millionaire, Inception, LOTR: The Two Towers, Lincoln, The Hangover

-Jason "ask me in 10 minutes and I could probably give you a completely different list, especially the 2000s list" Evans

[Jeffrey]

I really have not thought about it... but, without a lot of forethought or analysis, I would probably say:

1900s - The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Ten Commandments, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Sting

Ohmygod, did I just leave out Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, Chinatown, The Marathon Man, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Network, Psycho, Apocalypse Now, The Big Chill, Ghandi, ET, Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense??!?!?!

2000s - Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, Kill Bill, Slumdog Millionaire, Inception, LOTR: The Two Towers, Lincoln, The Hangover

-Jason "ask me in 10 minutes and I could probably give you a completely different list, especially the 2000s list" Evans

Thank you! Unlike the people creating the previous mentioned lists, I have great respect for your opinion. I'm going to purchase/watch all of the ones on your list I have yet to see.

[JasonEvans]

Thank you! Unlike the people creating the previous mentioned lists, I have great respect for your opinion. I'm going to purchase/watch all of the ones on your list I have yet to see.

I'm honored and flattered. Please, let me know which ones you have not seen and what you think of them when you get a chance to see them. I think you will find all of them to be thoroughly enjoyable moviewatching experiences.

[chris13]

Here are the ones I have seen and a quick comment on each --

1. There Will Be Blood (Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) - I appreciate the film for the acting and some amazing individual scenes, but it dragged and the plot was muddled. No way it would be among my Top 25 of the century.

3. Million Dollar Baby (Dir. Clint Eastwood, 2004) - A great film that has surprisingly not really held up all that well. I have not seen it since 2004. I do recall thinking it was a deserving Best Pic winner. I doubt it would be a real consideration for my Top 25 of the century though.

7. Inside Out (Dir. Pete Docter and Ronnie del Carmen, 2015) - Fabulous, remarkable animated flick. It would be a contender for my Top 25 of 2000s

8. Boyhood (Dir. Richard Linklater, 2014) - While I appreciate what Linklater accomplished, I found the plot too disjointed and the film overly long (not much happened). I thought it was really overrated by critics. No chance at my top 25.

10. The Hurt Locker (Dir. Kathryn Bigelow, 2009) - Very good film that I still thought was a tad overrated. I enjoyed Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty more. Not near my Top 25.

11. Inside Llewyn Davis (Dir. Joel and Ethan Coen, 2013) - I usually like the Coens but this was pretentious and meandering. I enjoyed some scenes, but the whole movie turned me off.

16. Munich (Dir. Steven Spielberg, 2005) - Again, portions of it were good, but I found this to be one of Spielberg's most disjointed stories.

19. Mad Max: Fury Road (Dir. by George Miller, 2015) - Fabulous film with some of the best action scenes this century. It would certainly be a strong contender to be in my top 25 of 2000s.

20. Moonlight (Dir. Barry Jenkins, 2016) - A wonderful, emotional film. I doubt it would be among my top 25 of the century, but it is deserving of praise.

22. I’m Not There (Dir. Todd Haynes, 2007) - Pretentious, dull, and very hard to follow/enjoy. This film fits perfectly into the genre of movies that haughty critics love to praise but audiences cannot stand.

24. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Dir. Michel Gondry, 2004) - It has been years since I saw it, but this is a deserving member of this list. It is a wonderful look at how the mind works.

25. The 40-Year-Old Virgin (Dir. Judd Apatow, 2005) - A fabulous comedy with so much heart, amazingly funny cast, holds up incredibly well... yeah, I could see this on a top 25 list. I'm impressed the NYT pretentious crew managed to include it.

-Jason "films they did not include that would be strong contenders for my top 25 of the 2000s: The Dark Knight, Inception, Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, The Incredibles, Monsters Inc., Inglourious Basterds, Kill Bill, Children of Men, Room, The Grand Budapest Hotel, Spotlight, Argo, LOTR: The Two Towers, Brokeback Mountain, The Descendants, Moneyball, Lincoln... and a few more" Evans


On Jason's seen list I really loved Inside Out, Eternal Sunshine, Moonlight and 40 Year Old Virgin. Spirited Away is a masterpiece and deserves to be on a Top 25 list. Kill Bill is my favorite Tarantino movie by far. WALL*E was also a great one. The Descendants made Hawaii look even more amazing that you would expect Hawaii to look.

[Olympic Fan]

I really have not thought about it... but, without a lot of forethought or analysis, I would probably say:

1900s - The Princess Bride, The Godfather, Jaws, Star Wars, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Ten Commandments, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Shawshank Redemption, and The Sting

Ohmygod, did I just leave out Fiddler on the Roof, A Clockwork Orange, Chinatown, The Marathon Man, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Network, Psycho, Apocalypse Now, The Big Chill, Ghandi, ET, Goodfellas, Field of Dreams, Silence of the Lambs, The Wizard of Oz, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, and The Sixth Sense??!?!?!

2000s - Memento, Whiplash, The Departed, WALL*E, Kill Bill, Slumdog Millionaire, Inception, LOTR: The Two Towers, Lincoln, The Hangover

-Jason "ask me in 10 minutes and I could probably give you a completely different list, especially the 2000s list" Evans

Jason, I expect your opinion, but c'mon, you just gave a list of the top movies of the 20th Century and didn't include a black and white film?

What about Citizen Kane, Casablanca, King Kong, Stagecoach, The Searchers, Gone with the Wind (the last two in color)? Throw in Duck Soup, Bringing Up Baby, Sullivan's Travels, High Noon, Vertigo, Notorious, The Thief of Baghdad, Spartacus, They Were Expendable, Red River, City Lights, The Best Years of Lives, It's a Wonderful Life, North by Northwest (I know a few are in color) ... more recently, Schindler's List, Blade Runner, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Raging Bull, Annie Hall, Saving Private Ryan and Taxi Driver. And as a musical, you pick Fiddler on the Roof? Really? Instead of Singin' in the Rain or West Side Story or Showboat or The Music Man or Guys and Dolls or Hair or Sweeny Todd?

I could add dozens more that are more significant -- and better -- films than The Princess Bride or The Sting (and I liked both movies)

And is there no place for foreign films? Personally, I could construct a top 10 from Kurosawa alone -- Ikiru, Red Beard, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Stray Dog, High and Low, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress (a HUGE influence on Star Wars), Throne of Blood, Ran -- but, wait, I have to include a couple of Renoir -- Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. Add Korda's The Four Feathers and his version of The Thief of Baghdad. Add The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes. For the highbrow, add Tokyo Story ... for the lowbrow, add Godzilla.

These are not obscure foreign films that are only loved by film critics, they are films that found a vast audience in the United States and were beloved by millions.

I know you did this off the top of your head and it's easy to leave a few great films off (I'm sure I left some great ones off too). But there were great films in black and white and great foreign films that deserve inclusion on any list of the great 20th century films.

[JasonEvans]

You are 100% right, Oly. I didn't really think about B&W or foreign films. I mostly went with stuff that I remember being in awe of when I saw it in theaters (there are a couple exceptions but almost every film I listed I saw in a theater). I am simply not old enough to really have that kind of connection to the remarkable B&W or Foreign films of the 20th century.

My list was not meant to be complete or definitive or anything like that. Leaving off Schindler's List was a terrible oversight and it would be in my top 10, probably knocking out The Sting.

Anyway, I would hope that even with my omissions and faults, my list if more accessible than the pretentious dreck that the NY Times served up. Jerks...

[dudog84]

You are 100% right, Oly. I didn't really think about B&W or foreign films. I mostly went with stuff that I remember being in awe of when I saw it in theaters (there are a couple exceptions but almost every film I listed I saw in a theater). I am simply not old enough to really have that kind of connection to the remarkable B&W or Foreign films of the 20th century.

My list was not meant to be complete or definitive or anything like that. Leaving off Schindler's List was a terrible oversight and it would be in my top 10, probably knocking out The Sting.

Anyway, I would hope that even with my omissions and faults, my list if more accessible than the pretentious dreck that the NY Times served up. Jerks...

First fake news and now this!?!?!

For Shame!

[jimmymax]

I've only seen a handful of the NYT's list of films and I can't say any are likely in my top 25 -- though I've never compiled such a list. I can't speak to the unwatchableness of the films I haven't seen but they could have selected more foreign films. And most Americans won't sit through (let alone pay for) a subtitled film. Would that have been more pretentious? I find the annual DBR "box office winner" thread equally pointless. It's not as if the films that attract the most popcorn-munching-talk-through-the-film-like-you're-in-your-living-room ticket buyers somehow make them worth seeing. Or maybe the idea to measure advertising success and I'm missing the point.

[Jeffrey]

Jason, I expect your opinion, but c'mon, you just gave a list of the top movies of the 20th Century and didn't include a black and white film?

What about Citizen Kane, Casablanca, King Kong, Stagecoach, The Searchers, Gone with the Wind (the last two in color)? Throw in Duck Soup, Bringing Up Baby, Sullivan's Travels, High Noon, Vertigo, Notorious, The Thief of Baghdad, Spartacus, They Were Expendable, Red River, City Lights, The Best Years of Lives, It's a Wonderful Life, North by Northwest (I know a few are in color) ... more recently, Schindler's List, Blade Runner, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Raging Bull, Annie Hall, Saving Private Ryan and Taxi Driver. And as a musical, you pick Fiddler on the Roof? Really? Instead of Singin' in the Rain or West Side Story or Showboat or The Music Man or Guys and Dolls or Hair or Sweeny Todd?

I could add dozens more that are more significant -- and better -- films than The Princess Bride or The Sting (and I liked both movies)

And is there no place for foreign films? Personally, I could construct a top 10 from Kurosawa alone -- Ikiru, Red Beard, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Stray Dog, High and Low, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress (a HUGE influence on Star Wars), Throne of Blood, Ran -- but, wait, I have to include a couple of Renoir -- Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. Add Korda's The Four Feathers and his version of The Thief of Baghdad. Add The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes. For the highbrow, add Tokyo Story ... for the lowbrow, add Godzilla.

These are not obscure foreign films that are only loved by film critics, they are films that found a vast audience in the United States and were beloved by millions.

I know you did this off the top of your head and it's easy to leave a few great films off (I'm sure I left some great ones off too). But there were great films in black and white and great foreign films that deserve inclusion on any list of the great 20th century films.

That's a lot of films! What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s? To be honest, I'm much more interested in your (and, Jason's) top 10 of the 1900s!

[Olympic Fan]

I've only seen a handful of the NYT's list of films and I can't say any are likely in my top 25 -- though I've never compiled such a list. I can't speak to the unwatchableness of the films I haven't seen but they could have selected more foreign films. And most Americans won't sit through (let alone pay for) a subtitled film. Would that have been more pretentious? I find the annual DBR "box office winner" thread equally pointless. It's not as if the films that attract the most popcorn-munching-talk-through-the-film-like-you're-in-your-living-room ticket buyers somehow make them worth seeing. Or maybe the idea to measure advertising success and I'm missing the point.

I don't understand you -- a large percentage of films on the NYTs list ARE foreign films.

Believe me, there is a big difference between foreign films (whether subtitled or dubbed) and the kind of pretentious foreign cr*p that litters the NYT's list.

I doubt that anybody on this board admires foreign films as much as I do -- Kurosawa is probably my favorite all-time filmmaker. Renoir is not far behind (and I liked his French films more than I do his Hollywood efforts). But the selection of obscure, little-seen (except by a handful of critics) films on the NYT's list is what bothers many of us.

Believe me, I'm not locked into box office success as a measure of a film. I laugh when I see such films as Star Wars and LOTRs included as great films. But to be a truly great film, a film must find an audience. To call a never-seen film -- whether foreign or domestic -- one of he great films of the century is a joke.

[YmoBeThere]

But to be a truly great film, a film must find an audience. To call a never-seen film -- whether foreign or domestic -- one of the great films of the century is a joke.

I would contend that you have argued against yourself here. The films on that list did find an audience. It may be a small one.

FWIW, any list of 20th Century films that doesn't at least give an honorable mention to Patton is suspect to me. The greatest acting performance by a man in the century. But then I grew up an Army brat...YMMV.

[Jeffrey]

Jason, I expect your opinion, but c'mon, you just gave a list of the top movies of the 20th Century and didn't include a black and white film?

What about Citizen Kane, Casablanca, King Kong, Stagecoach, The Searchers, Gone with the Wind (the last two in color)? Throw in Duck Soup, Bringing Up Baby, Sullivan's Travels, High Noon, Vertigo, Notorious, The Thief of Baghdad, Spartacus, They Were Expendable, Red River, City Lights, The Best Years of Lives, It's a Wonderful Life, North by Northwest (I know a few are in color) ... more recently, Schindler's List, Blade Runner, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Raging Bull, Annie Hall, Saving Private Ryan and Taxi Driver. And as a musical, you pick Fiddler on the Roof? Really? Instead of Singin' in the Rain or West Side Story or Showboat or The Music Man or Guys and Dolls or Hair or Sweeny Todd?

I could add dozens more that are more significant -- and better -- films than The Princess Bride or The Sting (and I liked both movies)

And is there no place for foreign films? Personally, I could construct a top 10 from Kurosawa alone -- Ikiru, Red Beard, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Stray Dog, High and Low, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress (a HUGE influence on Star Wars), Throne of Blood, Ran -- but, wait, I have to include a couple of Renoir -- Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. Add Korda's The Four Feathers and his version of The Thief of Baghdad. Add The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes. For the highbrow, add Tokyo Story ... for the lowbrow, add Godzilla.

These are not obscure foreign films that are only loved by film critics, they are films that found a vast audience in the United States and were beloved by millions.

I know you did this off the top of your head and it's easy to leave a few great films off (I'm sure I left some great ones off too). But there were great films in black and white and great foreign films that deserve inclusion on any list of the great 20th century films.

Try again..... That's a lot of films! What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s? To be honest, I'm much more interested in your (and, Jason's) top 10 of the 1900s!

[Olympic Fan]

Try again.... That's a lot of films! What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s? To be honest, I'm much more interested in your (and, Jason's) top 10 of the 1900s!

Sorry, I'm out of town. I should return Thursday night. Give me a day or two to do this. I'll offer a top 10-20 of the 21st Century. I don't have enough great films of the 21st Century to give you as list there.

[cspan37421]

Obligatory xkcd
https://xkcd.com/386/
7494

[sagegrouse]

Jason's list is closer to what I would expect to see:

-Jason "films they did not include that would be strong contenders for my top 25 of the 2000s:
The Dark Knight,
Inception,
Memento,
Whiplash,
The Departed,
WALL*E,
The Incredibles,
Monsters Inc.,
Inglourious Basterds,
Kill Bill,
Children of Men,
Room,
The Grand Budapest Hotel,
Spotlight,
Argo,
LOTR: The Two Towers,
Brokeback Mountain,
The Descendants,
Moneyball,
Lincoln...

Heck, I've seen a lot more of Jason's 20 than of the 50 films in the NYT list.

Kindly,
Sage
'I also have a soft spot for "Cars," given that I saw it with my young grandson and the model for Sue is the lovely owner, Dawn, of the Rock Cafe in the tiny Oklahoma town where I go frequently on business'

[chriso]

What are your top 10 of the 1900s and top 10 of the 2000s?

My 2 cents. 2000's.Gladiator. Inception. Fellowship of the Ring. Sean of the Dead. Dark Knight. Interstellar. Casino Royale. The Descent. A Beautiful Mind. Social Network.
90's. Dances with Wolves. Shawshank. The Matrix. Forrest Gump. Resovoir Dogs. Goodfellas. Fugitive. Usual Suspects. 7. Beauty and the Beast.

[Jeffrey]

Sorry, I'm out of town. I should return Thursday night. Give me a day or two to do this. I'll offer a top 10-20 of the 21st Century. I don't have enough great films of the 21st Century to give you as list there.

Thanks!

[Olympic Fan]

Tough to condense a 100 years of film (well 97 years after the first true story film – 1903’s The Great Train Robbery). Do you list the most innovative and important developmental films – the Great Train Robbery, Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer?

I’ve tried to stick to films that have found an audience beyond their initial popularity. The Jazz Singer was a monumental breakthrough in film technology, but nobody watches it today (except film students). Obviously opinions vary as the great films – if you want different takes on the great films of the 20th Century, try the AFI’s 1997 list of the top 100 American Films:

http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx

Of for a different take, try Sight and Sound’s 2012 survey of the world’s greatest films (I’ve linked the director’s list, not the critics):

http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/directors

Note: It’s interesting, but just four of the top 100 are from the 21st Century and none are ranked higher than No. 67 (In the Mood for Love).

I’ve tried to center my list on the greatest films of the 20th Century, not necessarily my favorites. And as I noted in an earlier post, I could have picked 10 Kurosawa films …. But I’ve tried to limit the number of films from the same creator (that’s usually the director). My list changes day to day, but it always starts with the same film:

1. Citizen Kane (1941): When Bill James attempted to rank the greatest baseball players in history in his Baseball Abstract, he said he wanted to come up with a fresh name, just to be different. But he couldn’t honestly escape the fact that Babe Ruth was the greatest player who ever lived. I feel the same way about Welles’ masterpiece. I’d love to pick another movie No. 1, but no film has established its reputation over the decades. The thinly disguised biography of William Randolph Hearst is a bravura work of filmmaking and the story of an American autocrat grasping for control of everything around him still resonates (not to get political, but didn’t we just elect a version of Charles Foster Kane Pesident?)

2. The Rules of the Game (1939): The most expensive French film ever made at the time of its release, Renoir’s masterpiece was scorned by critics and audiences when released. In October, it was banned by the French government as a bad influence on the young. It was later banned by the Nazis and by the Vichy French. What infuriated those three governments? The original print was thought destroyed by Allied bombing. In 1956, an almost complete print was rediscovered and premiered at a 1959 film festival, where it was an immediate sensation. Since then, It’s always been rated on the greatest films ever made. It’s a lovely story of a weekend house party to honor an American flier (a Lindbergh-like character). Great performances by Marcel Dalio and by Renoir himself. A searing look at French society in the summer before WWII. See this film and you understand why the French Republic collapsed like a house of cards.

3. Casablanca (1942): The directors and critics have always snubbed this film (it didn’t make the most recent Sight and Sound top 100), but it’s probably the most beloved movie ever made. It’s important too – it’s astonishing how cosmopolitan the cast and crew are. Just three of the actors appearing on screen (Bogart, Dooley Wilson and in a small part, Joy Page) are Americans. The rest are all Europeans – many of them real refugees from Nazi Europe. Take Conrad Veidt, the evil Nazi Major Strassor. Veidt, a huge star in Germany (he headlined the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), fled the Nazis and landed in Hollywood, where he wanted to play evil Nazis – that was his contribution to the war effort. Bogey, of course, represents the United States – disillusioned by the past (as most Americans thought they were betrayed by the Allies after WWI), who finds a reason to rejoin the fight for freedom. Also a great love story …

4. Seven Samurai (1954). Kurosawa’s greatest success – it inspired Sturges “The Magnificent Seven, but this is a deeper, more complex story. The seven professional fighters recruited to save a village from bandits – and a rumination on the role of the professional military in society – a pretty sympathetic take for a Japanese director less than a decade after the military had led his nation to ruin.

5. The Searchers (1956). The greatest western ever made. Period. End of debate. And considering that the western has been at the heart of American film since the Great Train Robbery, that’s saying a lot. Wayne’s performance of the complex, flawed Ethan Edwards is his greatest performance in a long career.

6. The Godfather (1972)/The Godfather, Part 2 (1974). You have to take them together (and try to forget that Part 3 ever happened). Scorcese’s epic story of a mafia chief and his son is at the heart of American history in the 20th Century. And the acting – Brando, Pacino and DeNiro all deliver historic performances.

7. The General (1926). Both silents and comedies usually get shortchanged on these lists. I didn’t want to do that – silents made up more than a quarter or 20th Century film history and comedy, well, I’ll bet more people have seen comedies than drama or action films. Chaplin usually tops these lists, but I prefer Keaton – and I think this is his masterpiece, by a hair over Steamboat Bill Jr. and Sherlock Jr.

8. The Wizard of Oz (1939): The great American musical. It’s funny, but people don’t usually consider this a musical … but it its driven by the songs and the dance numbers. Judy Garland’s Dorothy Gale is one of the great screen creations. The story has taken a deep root in American society.

9. M (1931): Fritz Lang’s story of the criminals of Berlin getting together to story a serial killer who molests and murders little girls is haunting. Peter Lorre as the psychotic killer is amazing – the moment when he pleads for his life “I can’t help myself!”. The film also captures the breakdown of German society in the days just before Hitler filled the vacuum.

10. Dr. Strangelove (1964): I always thought this was one of the bravest films ever made – Kubrick looks into the face of our greatest fear – nuclear Armageddon – and laughs. And this film is one of the great comedies ever made – laugh out loud funny.

A real quick look at the second 10:

11. Schindler’s List (1993)
12. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
13. Some Like It Hot (1959)
14. King Kong (1933 – much superior to any rermake)
15. Ikiru (1952)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Nashville (1975)
18. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
19. Duck Soup (1933) or A Night at the Opera (1935)
20. The Thief of Bagdad (1924) – the 1940 Korda version is also a great film

This is my personal list today, but it might be very different tomorrow. And there are literally dozens of GREAT movies that didn’t make the list. I can't believe that I left off It's a Wonderful Life or Raging Bull or It Happened One Night or Sullivan's Travels or Saving Private Ryan or the Best Years of Our Lives or Grand Illusion or The 39 Steps or Safety Last or Bringing up Baby ...

As for the 21st Century, I really couldn’t hive you a top 10. My choice as the best movie of this century is an eccentric choice. I hope that like Blade Runner (which just missed my top 20 of the 20th century) and Rules of the Game, that Tomorrowland will eventually find its audience.

I’m sure many of you will disagree with this list – that’s okay – but I hope you guys will try and see as many of these films as possible.

[Udaman]

My Take:

Most underrated: Peter Pan (great version of classic), Fantastic Mr. Fox, Tangled, Edge of Tomorrow, Cabin in the Woods, Drive, Children of Men, Zombieland

Honorable Mentions: Shrek, Napoleon Dynamite, A History of Violence, The Simpsons Movie, Iron Man, Avatar, Superbad, Bridesmaids, Scott Pilgrim V the World, Inception, X-Men Days of Future Past, Crazy Stupid Love, The Descendants, The Lego Movie, Silver Linings Playbook, Inside Out, Mad Max: Fury Road, Moana, La La Land, Moonlight

25. Wedding Crashers. First R rated that was huge. And funny as hell.
24. The Hangover. Wouldn't have happened without Wedding Crashers. Also funny as hell.
23. Training Day. Denzel at his absolute best.
22. Memento. So amazingly unique.
21. It Follows. Fantastic horror movie.
20. Kill Bill (1&2). Quinton at his absolute best. So much to love about both segments.
19. American Hustle. Three great performances.
18. Guardians of the Galaxy. Marvel Comic Book story with tremendous humor and action
17. Deadpool. Back to back Marvel. Raunchy and so different from any of the other in this genre.
16. 40 Year Old Virgin. Made Steve Carrell a star.
15. The Fighter. One of the best performances of century from Bale.
14. Ex Machina. Three amazing leads...and a gut punching theme: In order to be truly human, you have to care only about yourself.
13. The Avengers. So much hype....and had to pull all the other storylines together. Did so tremendously.
12. Lars and the Real Girl. Best movie about mental health I think I've ever seen.
11. No Country for Old Men. Bardem might be best villain ever.
10. Incredibles (and Up). Yes I'm putting in two....but both were so great, and so different.
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel. So well acted and directed.
8. 12 Years a Slave. Powerful - in every way.
7. Get Out. Most recent movie and an allegory to the benefits of white privilege.
6. Manchester by the Sea. Casey Affleck was simply outstanding in this movie.
5. The Dark Knight. Heath as The Joker....just amazing.
4. Birdman. Keaton should have won the Oscar. And the construction of the movie was incredible.
3. Toy Story 3. Amazing movie about growing old, hanging on, facing death, and finding second chances.
2. Whiplash. Best movie I've ever scene about the drive for (and cost of) achieving perfection.
1. Hell or High Water. Best movie of last 17 years. At least IMHO.

[Jeffrey]

I’m sure many of you will disagree with this list – that’s okay – but I hope you guys will try and see as many of these films as possible.

Thank you, very much, I will certainly make a point of watching any of your top 20 I have not already seen. Juggling meetings today, but I will completely digest your list over the weekend. I hope Criterion has Bluray releases of most of the ones from your list I have not seen. I hope the same for Jason's top picks.

I really appreciate Jason and you spending considerable time & energy on your lists!

[Udaman]

Olympic Fan has a great list! Seen lots of them. Love the Marx Brothers.

By the way....if I were pulling a top list of all times....one movie I would have at or near the very top would be Cinema Paradiso. It's a foreign film, and it's beautiful. A testament to the power and wonder of movies. And the most powerful ending to a movie I have ever seen.

[jimmymax]

I'm no connoisseur, and am sure many folks here have seen far more movies that I have and can speak more eloquently about them, but if going back to 1900, the lists to date seem kind of lightweight and heavily slanted to the last 20 years (40 tops). I didn't read all the lists carefully but Olympic Fan's seems the most thoughtful thus far. I'm sure there are older nuggets out there someone will recommend. I would have expected to see some/more Chaplin/Keaton/Marx Bros/John Wayne/Bogart/Hepburn/Cary Grant/Sellers/Woody Allen. But it's all so subjective. For example, with a few exceptions I won't see superhero/comic-book/SNL actor/Spielberg/Lucas or sequel films. But there are a lots of movies others may find pointless that hit me at a moment in life and made a huge impression. I don't have a formal list but some that jump to mind that may/not have been listed (in no particular order and again prob none are 50 years old) include The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Apocalypse Now, Gallipoli, Mad Max (1st), The Terminator (1st), Atlantic City, Repo Man, Strange Brew, Dazed and Confused, Buckaroo Banzai, Bourne (1st), High Fidelity, Best In Show, Office Space, The Usual Suspects, Good Will Hunting.

[Olympic Fan]

I'm no connoisseur, and am sure many folks here have seen far more movies that I have and can speak more eloquently about them, but if going back to 1900, the lists to date seem kind of lightweight and heavily slanted to the last 20 years (40 tops). I didn't read all the lists carefully but Olympic Fan's seems the most thoughtful thus far. I'm sure there are older nuggets out there someone will recommend. I would have expected to see some/more Chaplin/Keaton/Marx Bros/John Wayne/Bogart/Hepburn/Cary Grant/Sellers/Woody Allen. But it's all so subjective. For example, with a few exceptions I won't see superhero/comic-book/SNL actor/Spielberg/Lucas or sequel films. But there are a lots of movies others may find pointless that hit me at a moment in life and made a huge impression. I don't have a formal list but some that jump to mind that may/not have been listed (in no particular order and again prob none are 50 years old) include The Graduate, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Apocalypse Now, Gallipoli, Mad Max (1st), The Terminator (1st), Atlantic City, Repo Man, Strange Brew, Dazed and Confused, Buckaroo Banzai, Bourne (1st), High Fidelity, Best In Show, Office Space, The Usual Suspects, Good Will Hunting.

I appreciate the kind words and was interested to see your list. It does contain some films that certainly deserve consideration as all-time great movies (such as The Graduate, Apocalypse Now and Butch Cassidy)

But it also contains a problem that always comes up when we try to talk about the greatest films ... we include our personal favorites, which are more like guilty pleasures that truly great films.

Look, I also love Buckaroo Banzai and Strange Brew (LOVE the MacKenzie brothers), but while both are entertaining and amusing films, neither is a great film. I'll add Big Trouble in Little China, Bubba Ho-tep and Funny Bones as personal favorites. For the time being, I'd put Tomorrowland in that category, until I convince enough people that it's a great movie.

[Edouble]

Tough to condense a 100 years of film (well 97 years after the first true story film – 1903’s The Great Train Robbery). Do you list the most innovative and important developmental films – the Great Train Robbery, Birth of a Nation, The Jazz Singer?

I’ve tried to stick to films that have found an audience beyond their initial popularity. The Jazz Singer was a monumental breakthrough in film technology, but nobody watches it today (except film students). Obviously opinions vary as the great films – if you want different takes on the great films of the 20th Century, try the AFI’s 1997 list of the top 100 American Films:

http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx

Of for a different take, try Sight and Sound’s 2012 survey of the world’s greatest films (I’ve linked the director’s list, not the critics):

http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/sightandsoundpoll2012/directors

Note: It’s interesting, but just four of the top 100 are from the 21st Century and none are ranked higher than No. 67 (In the Mood for Love).

I’ve tried to center my list on the greatest films of the 20th Century, not necessarily my favorites. And as I noted in an earlier post, I could have picked 10 Kurosawa films …. But I’ve tried to limit the number of films from the same creator (that’s usually the director). My list changes day to day, but it always starts with the same film:

1. Citizen Kane (1941): When Bill James attempted to rank the greatest baseball players in history in his Baseball Abstract, he said he wanted to come up with a fresh name, just to be different. But he couldn’t honestly escape the fact that Babe Ruth was the greatest player who ever lived. I feel the same way about Welles’ masterpiece. I’d love to pick another movie No. 1, but no film has established its reputation over the decades. The thinly disguised biography of William Randolph Hearst is a bravura work of filmmaking and the story of an American autocrat grasping for control of everything around him still resonates (not to get political, but didn’t we just elect a version of Charles Foster Kane Pesident?)

2. The Rules of the Game (1939): The most expensive French film ever made at the time of its release, Renoir’s masterpiece was scorned by critics and audiences when released. In October, it was banned by the French government as a bad influence on the young. It was later banned by the Nazis and by the Vichy French. What infuriated those three governments? The original print was thought destroyed by Allied bombing. In 1956, an almost complete print was rediscovered and premiered at a 1959 film festival, where it was an immediate sensation. Since then, It’s always been rated on the greatest films ever made. It’s a lovely story of a weekend house party to honor an American flier (a Lindbergh-like character). Great performances by Marcel Dalio and by Renoir himself. A searing look at French society in the summer before WWII. See this film and you understand why the French Republic collapsed like a house of cards.

3. Casablanca (1942): The directors and critics have always snubbed this film (it didn’t make the most recent Sight and Sound top 100), but it’s probably the most beloved movie ever made. It’s important too – it’s astonishing how cosmopolitan the cast and crew are. Just three of the actors appearing on screen (Bogart, Dooley Wilson and in a small part, Joy Page) are Americans. The rest are all Europeans – many of them real refugees from Nazi Europe. Take Conrad Veidt, the evil Nazi Major Strassor. Veidt, a huge star in Germany (he headlined the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari), fled the Nazis and landed in Hollywood, where he wanted to play evil Nazis – that was his contribution to the war effort. Bogey, of course, represents the United States – disillusioned by the past (as most Americans thought they were betrayed by the Allies after WWI), who finds a reason to rejoin the fight for freedom. Also a great love story …

4. Seven Samurai (1954). Kurosawa’s greatest success – it inspired Sturges “The Magnificent Seven, but this is a deeper, more complex story. The seven professional fighters recruited to save a village from bandits – and a rumination on the role of the professional military in society – a pretty sympathetic take for a Japanese director less than a decade after the military had led his nation to ruin.

5. The Searchers (1956). The greatest western ever made. Period. End of debate. And considering that the western has been at the heart of American film since the Great Train Robbery, that’s saying a lot. Wayne’s performance of the complex, flawed Ethan Edwards is his greatest performance in a long career.

6. The Godfather (1972)/The Godfather, Part 2 (1974). You have to take them together (and try to forget that Part 3 ever happened). Scorcese’s epic story of a mafia chief and his son is at the heart of American history in the 20th Century. And the acting – Brando, Pacino and DeNiro all deliver historic performances.

7. The General (1926). Both silents and comedies usually get shortchanged on these lists. I didn’t want to do that – silents made up more than a quarter or 20th Century film history and comedy, well, I’ll bet more people have seen comedies than drama or action films. Chaplin usually tops these lists, but I prefer Keaton – and I think this is his masterpiece, by a hair over Steamboat Bill Jr. and Sherlock Jr.

8. The Wizard of Oz (1939): The great American musical. It’s funny, but people don’t usually consider this a musical … but it its driven by the songs and the dance numbers. Judy Garland’s Dorothy Gale is one of the great screen creations. The story has taken a deep root in American society.

9. M (1931): Fritz Lang’s story of the criminals of Berlin getting together to story a serial killer who molests and murders little girls is haunting. Peter Lorre as the psychotic killer is amazing – the moment when he pleads for his life “I can’t help myself!”. The film also captures the breakdown of German society in the days just before Hitler filled the vacuum.

10. Dr. Strangelove (1964): I always thought this was one of the bravest films ever made – Kubrick looks into the face of our greatest fear – nuclear Armageddon – and laughs. And this film is one of the great comedies ever made – laugh out loud funny.

A real quick look at the second 10:

11. Schindler’s List (1993)
12. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
13. Some Like It Hot (1959)
14. King Kong (1933 – much superior to any rermake)
15. Ikiru (1952)
16. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
17. Nashville (1975)
18. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
19. Duck Soup (1933) or A Night at the Opera (1935)
20. The Thief of Bagdad (1924) – the 1940 Korda version is also a great film

This is my personal list today, but it might be very different tomorrow. And there are literally dozens of GREAT movies that didn’t make the list. I can't believe that I left off It's a Wonderful Life or Raging Bull or It Happened One Night or Sullivan's Travels or Saving Private Ryan or the Best Years of Our Lives or Grand Illusion or The 39 Steps or Safety Last or Bringing up Baby ...

As for the 21st Century, I really couldn’t hive you a top 10. My choice as the best movie of this century is an eccentric choice. I hope that like Blade Runner (which just missed my top 20 of the 20th century) and Rules of the Game, that Tomorrowland will eventually find its audience.

I’m sure many of you will disagree with this list – that’s okay – but I hope you guys will try and see as many of these films as possible.

Could have sworn Francis Ford Coppola was the mastermind behind The Godfather films.

[chriso]

Could have sworn Francis Ford Coppola was the mastermind behind The Godfather films.

No you're confused. Coppola did Raging Bull and Goodfellas. :cool:

[OldPhiKap]

Oly's list is painfully lacking the great portfolio of Paulie Shore films. Other than that, though, very solid list.

[Olympic Fan]

Could have sworn Francis Ford Coppola was the mastermind behind The Godfather films.

Good catch ... I knew I would screw something up.

[Devilwin]

Jason, I expect your opinion, but c'mon, you just gave a list of the top movies of the 20th Century and didn't include a black and white film?

What about Citizen Kane, Casablanca, King Kong, Stagecoach, The Searchers, Gone with the Wind (the last two in color)? Throw in Duck Soup, Bringing Up Baby, Sullivan's Travels, High Noon, Vertigo, Notorious, The Thief of Baghdad, Spartacus, They Were Expendable, Red River, City Lights, The Best Years of Lives, It's a Wonderful Life, North by Northwest (I know a few are in color) ... more recently, Schindler's List, Blade Runner, Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Raging Bull, Annie Hall, Saving Private Ryan and Taxi Driver. And as a musical, you pick Fiddler on the Roof? Really? Instead of Singin' in the Rain or West Side Story or Showboat or The Music Man or Guys and Dolls or Hair or Sweeny Todd?

I could add dozens more that are more significant -- and better -- films than The Princess Bride or The Sting (and I liked both movies)

And is there no place for foreign films? Personally, I could construct a top 10 from Kurosawa alone -- Ikiru, Red Beard, The Seven Samurai, Kagemusha, Stray Dog, High and Low, Rashomon, The Hidden Fortress (a HUGE influence on Star Wars), Throne of Blood, Ran -- but, wait, I have to include a couple of Renoir -- Grand Illusion and The Rules of the Game. Add Korda's The Four Feathers and his version of The Thief of Baghdad. Add The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes. For the highbrow, add Tokyo Story ... for the lowbrow, add Godzilla.

These are not obscure foreign films that are only loved by film critics, they are films that found a vast audience in the United States and were beloved by millions.

I know you did this off the top of your head and it's easy to leave a few great films off (I'm sure I left some great ones off too). But there were great films in black and white and great foreign films that deserve inclusion on any list of the great 20th century films.

How about "Animal Crackers", and "Arsenic and Old Lace"? Two of my favorite oldies..

[Jeffrey]

But it also contains a problem that always comes up when we try to talk about the greatest films ... we include our personal favorites, which are more like guilty pleasures that truly great films.


IMO, a person's vantage point is also a significant factor. For example, a friend of mine is a successful artist and his favorite works are frequently different than mine.

[lotusland]

Oly's list is painfully lacking the great portfolio of Paulie Shore films. Other than that, though, very solid list.

Yeah and Porky's 1, 2 and Porky's revenge is also missing - wth????

[lotusland]

I'm not sure I've seen 20 movies at a theater this century so I'm not about to make a list but I did watch WALL-E on video when one of my kids rented it and I cannot imagine how it made any good list. That movie is unwatchable as far as I'm concerned. I'd be tempted to watch it again to see what I missed but I couldn't make it through the first time.