_The 100 Best Films of All Time (5-1): The Usual Suspects?
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Cast: Keir Dullea, Gary Lockwood, William Sylvester
Genre: Sci-Fi
Academy Awards: 1
Year: 1968
Imdb-Rating: 8.2
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): "2001" is probably the most original film ever made. It is so different from conventional films that, in fact, it may be a different art form altogether. Even the very best films, such as "Casablanca", "Rebecca" and "Chinatown" have formulaic elements. In contrast, "2001" is in its own world, as if all the movies made before had never existed. While director Stanley Kubrick has made even better films ("Dr. Strangelove" and "Barry Lyndon", and perhaps others I haven't yet seen), "2001" will always be the most impressive, just for its originality and audacity.
Director: Frank Capra
Cast: James Stewart, Donna Reed, Lionel Barrymore
Genre: Comedy
Academy Awards: 0
Year: 1946
Imdb-Rating: 8.5
Critic's opinion (James Berardinelli): Combine the characters, the story, the message, and the acting, and it's easy to see why IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE isn't just a holiday favorite, but a great movie by almost any standards. There are a few cynics who will disparage this film, but, in a "feel good" genre clogged with imitators and inferior features, IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE stands high above the rest. Whether you view this film in the middle of the summer or at Christmas, Capra's greatest film represents one of the most transcendent and joyful experiences any movie-lover can hope for.
03. Casablanca
Director: Michael Curtiz
Cast: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains
Genre: Drama
Academy Awards: 3
Year: 1942
Imdb-Rating: 8.8
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): "Casablanca" comes closer to perfection than any other film that I have seen, and is probably the best film ever made. "Casablanca" has everything: a great script, a great cast, and outstanding cinematography and direction.
02. Citizen Kane
Director: Orson Welles
Cast: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore
Genre: Drama
Academy Awards: 1
Year: 1941
Imdb-Rating: 8.7
Critic's opinion (Brian Koller): "Citizen Kane" has often been considered the best film ever made. While I don't believe this is true ("Casablanca", among others, is better) it comes close enough to validate such a strong judgment.
01. The Godfather
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Cast: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, Robert Duvall, Diane Keaton, James Caan, Talia Shire
Genre: Crime
Academy Awards: 3
Year: 1972
Imdb-Rating: 9.0
Critic's opinions:
- James Berardinelli: Rarely can it be said that a film has defined a genre, but never is that more true than in the case of THE GODFATHER. Since the release of the 1972 epic (which garnered ten Academy Award nominations and was named Best Picture), all "gangster movies" have been judged by the standards of this one (unfair as the comparison may be). If a film is about Jewish mobsters, it's a "Jewish GODFATHER"; if it's about the Chinese underworld, it's an "Oriental GODFATHER"; if it takes place in contemporary times, it's a "modern day GODFATHER."
- Brian Koller: By the time it finished its run, "The Godfather" had the biggest box office gross of all time. It would remain the highest-grossing film until "Jaws" three years later. Of all the films that have held that title, "The Godfather" may be the best. Unlike later title-holders like "Star Wars", "E.T." or "Titanic" that relied at least partly upon special effects, the success of "The Godfather" came from its script, story, and characters. Perhaps better than any other film, "The Godfather" combines outstanding production, conventional storytelling, and commercial success.
- Dragan Antulov: Those who like analysing movies to death would probably ask why THE GODFATHER kept its cult status through the quarter of century. There were many well-made, well-directed and well-acted movies produced in the years before and after, but it seems that only THE GODFATHER stood the test of time and kept the imagination of the future moviegoers. The reason might probably be in the universal subject of the movie; although it shows rather obscure and ethnically isolated phenomenon the messages of THE GODFATHER can be translated on all the worlds languages and applied to other systems in different times and places. The movie portrays both the society and individuals who lost their freedom because they were too insecure or unprepared for responsibility; same as the poor Italian immigrants had to rely on Mafia to overcome the difficulties of New World (like Bonasera in the opening sequence), Michael is forced to join the family because he, despite all his efforts, can't live in a insecure world outside his father's omnipotent shadow. And even when he actually becomes his father (in a brilliant and most memorable last shot), the freedom is lost - omnipotence and freedom are just illusion, because with the power comes both the responsibility and the never ending task of keeping. The story of this movie could have taken place everywhere in the world, and that explains why the people will associate with its characters for many decades to come.
- Steve Rhodes: THE GODFATHER is a seminal film in the American cinema. Examining the meaning of family, violence, love, betrayal, and loyalty just to name a few, its quality set a standard that few films have matched. An unforgettable motion picture, but one worth seeing again and again…I give this classic film my strongest recommendation and a full ****.
- John Ulmer: Quick, name ten films that completely altered the course of film history. I've got some: "Casablanca," "Citizen Kane," "Gone with the Wind," "The Third Man," "Psycho," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Star Wars," "JAWS," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and, of course, "The Godfather." All these films completely revolutized the film industry. And seeing a film like "The Godfather," beholding its majesty and splendor and watching it all unfold on the screen in such elegance . . . it's just no wonder that it is one of the most beloved of all films.
- Max Scheinin: The Godfather runs 2:31. This length would have been far too long for a normal film, but The Godfather is no normal film. It is truly one of the greatest films ever made. I saw it with my good friend and movie lover Micah on a big screen and we were both stunned. On a big screen ( where you should make an effor to see it ) there is no intermission and, to the film's eternal credit, you won't even want one. It's a goregous and haunting movie.
- Richard A. Zwelling: The Godfather truly is a film unlike any other. Some films make good epics, some good character studies, some good tragedies, some good action or suspense films, and some good historical dramas. It is hard make a single great film in any of these categories. The Godfather does it in all of them.
- Walter Frith: 'The Godfather' is one of the pioneering films that will carry the film industry into the next century and its important legacy is a testament not only to the talent of its cast, filmmakers and their crews but it's a film that will undoubtedly stand the test of time and is one of those classics that simply cannot be remade better than the original.
That's all, folks! Puh, what a marathon! Thanks to all of you for your interest. What about these 5 movies, and especially #1? Surprised? Agree?
I'm not really surprised, no.
And satisfied with them?
well, yes and no... I enjoyed the critic accompanying 2001 though.
no suprise here. It's a Wonderful Life is a slight suprise but otherwise the usual.
No surprises, all good choices. :) Deserving films, all of them.
I agree. No surprises (except It's a Wonderful Life), but I find it interesting that Citizen Kane didn't make it to #1.
welldone 1922, you made it! all the way through 100. was it fun making the lists?
Yeah, I liked it quite a lot. It was interesting to see which film would make #1, and which movies would not be at all in the final list!
pleasantly surprised by 2001 and it's a wonderful life... the rest as i expected.
although none of these would make it to my top 5... in my mind 3 through 5 would crush the hell out of 1 and 2
i agree with chum here. though i have only seen one of them - The Godfather - alot of them that have appeared throughout wouldn't really make it into my top *favourites*. it's strange, i think sometimes media crushes free choice and opinon and sometimes movies that are considered to be "The Greatest" are really just what they want you to think is the greatest. but i maybe just talking no sense
i think you may be right... my guess is that citizen kane was so highly regarded back in the 40's that it would almost be blasphemous to downplay how great it is... must be rule 1 in the film critic profession... 1. when all else fails, state that Kane is the best simply because it was ahead of it's time... i mean really, does anyone think that if citizen kane was made exactly the way it was in 1992 instead of 1942 it would have been any more than one of the better films of the 90's? you know, beside the fact that it really wasn't ahead of it's time at all, but thats another mystery all in itself.
Actually, Citizen Kane wasn't very highly regarded back in the 40s. We know Kane as the film that tops every critic list, including those Sight and Sound polls that are released every ten years, and while Kane has topped 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, and 2002, do you know it didn't even appear on 1952's top ten? In addition, the only Academy Award it won was Best Original Screenplay - kinda like those quirky independent films that win the award today. It took a good 15 years for critics to really realize the impact Citizen Kane had. Though I do agree that it's pretty boring to call Kane #1 at this point, especially because I'm sure many film critics don't understand why it's #1.
And actually, I found Citizen Kane's story very interesting, and Welles's performance to be fantastic, so I think it would have still achieved loads of acclaim if it were made in the 90s. Not as much as it currently has, of course, since we've removed it from its place in history, but I still think it would be on the top 20 of one of these lists. If you didn't like the script / acting, we'll just have to agree to disagree.
AJ's right. In fact, since so much of the media was owned by Hearst, the reception was often hostile. The film did not even get to show in most towns, and the screenplay Oscar was largely interpreted as a pity award for down-on-his-luck Herman Mankiewicz.
I think the film holds up wonderfully. I love it for what it is, not for what it did (or what it did first). I can understand if you do not dig it as much as I do, but I assure you, many of us fans love it for being a terrific movie, not just for being an influential one.
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
i guess its like The Shawshank redemption. not popualr at all no its release but became a Classic after a nomination and through word of mouth
That's probably a pretty good comparison, although I do think it took Citizen Kane a little longer to build up its reputation, and it grew with critics and such more than with the general population.
That is a quite good comparison, Rushmore!
Shalom, y'all!
L. Bangs
oh i love citizen kane, it's a great movie with a great story and the acting is overall pretty good, but it just doesn't hit me as a top 5 movie, but i think the same about godfather.
Is this list your personal top 100 or someone elses?
No, actually I composed this out of many critics' lists about 'The 100 Best Films of All Time'. You certainly know these articles, and following a strict point system I came to this result.
Hi, 1922. Do you have a document that has your entire top 100 list? If so, can you e-mail it to me? Thanks (m.trencher@comcast.net)
Thanks for your interest. You can find the entire list here. The problem is that, for the moment, I've got some problems with my e-mail. Therefore I'd suggest that you just print the list. If there are any typos or other mistakes in it, just let me know, and I'll change it, so that you can print a correct article. Ok?