One often finds lists of the “essential” films, the most important films, the Top 100, etc. Sometimes the rankings will take you from the bottom of the list to the top (100, 99, 98…..4, 3, 2, 1); others lists make you wonder how film number 88 could deserve to be so far away from the top 10.
I have set aside any estimate of the film’s comparative worth to other films other than to insist that the following films should be viewed by anyone who wants to have an understanding of how cinema has: a) shaped the social imaginary; and (b) had its reproductions of social life mutated by ideological imperatives far removed from the ticket booth window. My recommendation is that any young person just beginning to learn about cinema should watch the following films in alphabetical order. The advantage is that will be forced to shift one’s intellectual and emotional moodalities to fit the film’s temperamental poetics.
One will note a much larger percentage of comedies in this list than is usually featured. These kinds of lists all too often attempt to establish their cultural gravitas by invoking the most solemn aspects of human awareness. In canonical assessments, laughter is regarded as self-indulgence. I have further pushed against the expectations of this kind of listing by including films that are “pop” culture fare. In doing so, sI remember a book by Anthony Burgess in which he didn’t hesitate to include Ian Fleming as among the authors that he would include in a top 100 novelists survey.
I like to think that the late Elmore Leonard would enjoy reading my list, even if he would not be willing to sit through all, or even most of, these films. No doubt he would wonder why “Seven Samurai” isn’t on the list. The default list that shadows mine should be fairly obvious to anyone who knows cinema as well as I know poetry. I don’t pretend to be an expert on the history of cinema or even to possess more than an amateur appreciation of this art form. I can already hear the hoots of disdain for many of my choices. All the better! You are indeed entitled to jeer if you, in turn, can finish reading the list and then immediately provide me — without consulting any books or referring to any other lists — with the titles of three films as different as “Little Fugitive”; “Mare’s Tale”; and “Freeze, Die, Come to Life.” The three films must come from three different decades. If you can do that, then send me your list and I will post it in my blog. I reserve the right to post a list, even if you can’t meet that criteria, so send along your choices.
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Airplane!
Aguirre, The Wrath of God
Ali: Fear Eats the Soul
Apollo 13
Au Hasard Balthasar
Bad Sleep Well, The
Battle of Algiers, The
Bed, The (1968; James Broughton)
Being John Malkovich
Belle et La Bete, La
Best Years of Our Lives, The
Bicycle Thieves
Birdman
Black Panther
Black Stallion, The
Bladerunner
Blazing Saddles
Blue (1993; directed and written by Derek Jarman)
Blue Angel, The
Burmese Harp, The
Casino Royale (remake, with Daniel Craig)
Children of Paradise
Citizen Kane
Contempt
Dark Crystal, The
Defending Your Life
Dîner de Cons, Le (Dinner Game, The)
Do the Right Thing
Don’t Look Now
Don’t Look Up
Dr. Strangelove
Escape from Alcatraz
Fargo
Field of Dreams
Fish Named Wanda, A
Flashdance
French Connection, The
Freeze, Die, Come to Life
Get Out!
Godfather, The (Part One)
Godfather, The (Part Two)
Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, The
High Noon
Hoosiers
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (the first version)
Jules and Jim
Killer of Sheep
King of Masks
L.A. Confidential
La Dolce Vita
L’ATALANTE (Jean Vigo, who also directed Zero du Conduit)
Little Fugitive
Lucky
Man in the Moon, The
Man with a Movie Camera
Mare’s Tale
Midnight Cowboy
Mighty Aphrodite
Millions
My Life as a Dog
Napoleon
Nebraska
Network
Nine to Five
Onion Field, The
Only the Lonely
Open City
Over the Edge
Pee-Wee’s Great Adventure
Passion of Joan of Arc, The
Pickpocket
Player, The
Resurrection
Salt of the Earth
Seance on a Wet Afternoon
Shame
Sleepless in Seattle
Some Like It Hot
Sopranos, The
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring
Station Agent, The
Straight Outta Compton
Sullivan’s Travels
Sunrise
Sunset Blvd.
Taxi Driver
Terminator, Part I
Terminator, Part 2
Truman Show, The
Usual Suspects, The
Wanda
Wizard of Oz
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FIRST POST-SCRIPT
Kevin Opstedal sent me the titles of some films to add to this list this morning, and I am wasting no time in doing so. Thank you, Kevin. “Repo Man” was a title I thought of adding shorting after I posted the list, and I heartily second his nomination. In Kevin’s iteration, he suggests watching them as trilogies.
Three films/Two sets (nominated by Kevin Opstedal)
1
Cisco Pike (1972)
The Wages of Fear (1953)
Down By Law (1986)
2
The Long Goodbye (1973)
Repo Man (1984)
The Killing (1956)
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Taryn Boyle nominated:
Tampopo – Juzo Itami
Cria Cuervos – Carlos Saura
The Mirror – Tarkovsky
Our Little Sister – Hirokazu Kore-eda
Léon: The Professional – Luc Besson
About Bill Mohr