The Ten Best Films of All Time

[ryuurui]

Originally Posted by Suki

You suggest that I'm "a hater" for saying the obvious which is that most of the people from this forum have not seen a 10th of the films that made history in one way or another and so -if they can't base their list on opinion- will have it hard to name 10 movies they think are the best of all time? How can someone make a list of the 10 best movies of all time when they have not even seen a single one of them?

not that this q. is addressed to me, but as your sig. goes "everything is relative and contradictory ".

[JohnBraden]

Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
Lawrence of Arabia
Platoon
Star Wars
Lost Horizon
Casablanca
The Manchurian Candidate
Raiders of the Lost Ark
It's a Wonderful Life

[Suki]

Originally Posted by myk

I was just f-in' around
You seem to know what you're talking about when it comes to movies, and I respect what you have to say about them, but I don't think you should discourage people from doing the very thing this thread was created for.

Discourage? I did not mean to discourage anyone. On the contrary, I encourage everyone to actually take their time to watch all of these movies, but the thing is people don't watch old movies unless they take a deep interest in cinema, which sadly is rare, or they have to watch them for college or something, which is my case. Take a guess at how many people here have seen Battleship Potemkin, or any Griffith's, or even any film from before the 60ies. I bet they've never even heard of Godard. That's why I'm saying it is unlikely they'll be able to make a list based on how influential they have been to other films and how they made a change in the film making pattern, because they don't have the knowledge that takes to determine what films belong in the Top 10, which is totally understandable unless they've been to film school or have had an education of some kind in Film Making (which is doubtful).

Originally Posted by ryuurui

not that this q. is addressed to me, but as your sig. goes "everything is relative and contradictory ".

It would be so if this was about people's favorite movies. But MMM asks for a list of best movies, and for that one has to actually be able to tell good from bad when it comes to filmmaking, and this is what I believe people won't be able to do if they have not seen a whole bunch of them and have not been taught what makes a film good and why.

And anyway, you think watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was a waste of time so I don't know why I even bother with you.

[ryuurui]

Originally Posted by Suki

And anyway, you think watching The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance was a waste of time so I don't know why I even bother with you.

It's ok, if it was 100 years ago you would not even had a chance to talk to me, giving that royal guards would most likely not let you through without a good reason.

As to the Valance, I judge movies from a different perspective, similarly to the way you would judge a calligraphy. Something pretty for you could be an absolute garbage, and usually that is the case. So, again, all is relative, is it not?

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Suki

You have to realize most of the people here have not seen enough movies to be able to answer this question. I find it really hard to make a list of what I consider to be the 10 best films of all time (personal taste aside), and I am soon to be a graduate in Film Studies and have seen about every movie that gets mentioned in any Film History book, so no offense but I don't think the people who'll be voting in the poll and posting in this thread have enough criteria to make this list.

With that said, here's a few I believe should be pretty high on that list:

the Godfather (I and II), Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, Vertigo, Citizen Kane, Fellini 8 1/2, E.T., Battleship Potemkin, Lord of the Rings trilogy, 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Lion King, Il Grido, Goodfellas, Psycho, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, City Lights.

I do realize most of the people here have not seen many of the movies students of film would consider the best or most important. That's part of the reason to make this thread... maybe it will inspire some people to see some of the movies they hadn't heard of, or hadn't given a chance before.

Of course, your personal taste should be a part of your list. People talk about Solaris as an important movie, but I just couldn't get into it, so regardless of how important it is, it wouldn't appear on my list. My film professor hated Blue Velvet, but it had enough of an impact for him to include it in our curriculum.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by Suki

people don't watch old movies unless they take a deep interest in cinema, which sadly is rare, or they have to watch them for college or something, which is my case. Take a guess at how many people here have seen Battleship Potemkin, or any Griffith's, or even any film from before the 60ies. I bet they've never even heard of Godard.

You'd be surprised. I think many young people only watch movies that are new and now, but I am proud to say I have brought a few younger over to the "black and white side" of Kurosawa, Mastroiani, Fellini, Godard, De Sica, etc. Once you see a movie like 400 Blows, High and Low, or La Dolce Vida, it is hard to watch movies again the same way.

[myk]

Originally Posted by Suki

Discourage? I did not mean to discourage anyone. On the contrary, I encourage everyone to actually take their time to watch all of these movies, but the thing is people don't watch old movies unless they take a deep interest in cinema, which sadly is rare, or they have to watch them for college or something, which is my case. Take a guess at how many people here have seen Battleship Potemkin, or any Griffith's, or even any film from before the 60ies. I bet they've never even heard of Godard. That's why I'm saying it is unlikely they'll be able to make a list based on how influential they have been to other films and how they made a change in the film making pattern, because they don't have the knowledge that takes to determine what films belong in the Top 10, which is totally understandable unless they've been to film school or have had an education of some kind in Film Making (which is doubtful).

I think as long as one uses specific criteria then a decent list can be put together. As for only older movies being considered the best, I think that's sort of an elitist attitude. I agree that most movies these days are millions of dollars worth of special effects-driven crap, but that isn't true for all of them. Gotta keep an open mind.

[MMM]

Originally Posted by myk

I think as long as one uses specific criteria then a decent list can be put together. As for only older movies being considered the best, I think that's sort of an elitist attitude. I agree that most movies these days are millions of dollars worth of special effects-driven crap, but that isn't true for all of them. Gotta keep an open mind.

To exclude or include any movie simply because of its age is not a good criteria.

I will include my list soon, but in my opinion, what makes a movie great is oftentimes the director. A movie like Citizen Kane could not be made today, as it is almost the last time a director had complete control over every aspect of production. After that, studios clamped down. Then next time was probably The Phantom Menace.

Citizen Kane is like the Pauls Boutique of cinema... impossible to make again, because it changed the system against itself.

[Suki]

Originally Posted by MMM

I do realize most of the people here have not seen many of the movies students of film would consider the best or most important. That's part of the reason to make this thread... maybe it will inspire some people to see some of the movies they hadn't heard of, or hadn't given a chance before.

Okay then.

Originally Posted by myk

I think as long as one uses specific criteria then a decent list can be put together. As for only older movies being considered the best, I think that's sort of an elitist attitude. I agree that most movies these days are millions of dollars worth of special effects-driven crap, but that isn't true for all of them. Gotta keep an open mind.

And you are saying this to me? Have you not read my list of favorite movies I posted in the Inception thread? All of them are super new, like from the last 20 years, cept for maybe The Godfather. I'm not saying black and white and 16mm makes a film better, BUT for reasons I have come to learn most of the best films ever made are pretty old, maybe because back then most directors put a lot of thought into making their movies and were keen on trying things nobody had ever tried before, and today this spirit is kinda lost. That's why I put the Lord of the Rings in all of my lists, cause they were bold enough to put all their efforts into creating something new and that is what makes History, pushing technology to the limit and seeing what comes out of it. To me that's what makes a movie worthy of being in the Top 10, taking risks and creating new paths to achievement. I think both Orson Welles and Chaplin would agree with me on this one.

Originally Posted by MMM

A movie like Citizen Kane could not be made today, as it is almost the last time a director had complete control over every aspect of production.

Woody Allen, Peter Jackson, Spielberg... maybe even James Cameron...?

[BobbyCooper]

I think another reason on why we almost always see the usual suspects in those list (like in the poll from MMA) and on various top 10 lists throughout the decades.. is, that those movies have achived a status because over so many years, so many generations have included them into the top 10 or close to the top 10.

I go out on a limb and say that some of these won't ever leave there places anymore and can't leave them anymore because there are already brainmarked from years over years as a must top 10.

Like Casablance for example. An awesome example to that rule! Almost everbody you ask will say that Casablanca is a classic, which of course it is even though the story and cinematography is really just old.. it just belongs there because so many people over decades now considering it to be a top 10.

I hope you understand the point I am trying to make here^^ kinda hard for me to explain now.

Some movies will never lose their spot and can't lose their spot on such lists anymore in my eyes because people are like "brainwashed" to have these movies in the top 10.

Just take a look at the list from Quentin Tarantino. It's such a facinating and unique list he put out there with his top 15 movies of all time.

I think we should be more free to finally replace boring movies like Casablanca and 2001 finally..

no matter what they did for the cinema.. 2001 is an old space movie and we have seen 100 better once already!

Just saw that Tarantinos list had a time frame too.