As the famed Oscars is almost upon us (also known as the female Super Bowl) I thought it would be fitting to create my Top Ten list. This is not a list of my favorite movies but it is a list of what I consider to be the greatest movies of all time.
To qualify my considerations, each movie must fall into these categories.
1. Box Office Success - I do not think movies can be considered great unless they have enjoyed a certain amount of box office success. Though this falls into subjective territory, the goal of every great movie should be to attain some form of viewer response. Great movies illicit great response which leads to multiple viewings and great word of mouth (Citizen Kane is the only exception I can think of).
2 Impact on cinema for years to come - Like music, great movies influence other artists and create/change genres and styles. This is one of the great reasons the Beatles are considered the greatest band ever.
3. Cultural Ripples - Great movies impact culture by creating great characters, dialogue, memorable performances, surpris endings, etc...(you fill in the blank)
Here is my list...enjoy. Let me know yours.
10. On the Waterfront - An amazing story of redemption. Brando is awesome in what I think is his best role.
9. Rocky - The greatest sports movie of all time (though Hoosiers is still my favorite). The character of Rocky has become an icon in film history. It is a picture of the will of the human spirit. Life is not about winning; it is about "going the distance." Also, if you haven't seen Rocky Balboa, rent it. I think it is the second best Rocky film made.
8. Pulp Fiction - This movie redefined how postmodern films are made. Breaking up normal linear storytelling, Tarantino created a masterpiece with his second film. I can think of 50 movies that have come out since Pulp Fiction that would not have been made without this film. Guy Ritchie owes a big thank you to Tarantino.
7. The Graduate - This was one of the the first movies that took a popular musical artist and used their songs to help tell a story. If you have ever been at the crossroads of life, this movie is for you.
6. Citizen Kane - This is my least favorite of all the movies on the list. It did the smallest amount of box office and did not win many awards. However, this movie taught us how to make movies. It was so far ahead of its time that no one thought it was any good. It is the "Pete Maravich" of the film world.
5. Jaws - The first bona fide "blockbuster" film, this movie frightened people out of taking showers. Masterfully shot and edited, keeping the antagonist hidden for most of the movie, Jaws is the ultimate in horror. Many will cry that Psycho deserves this spot, and I am definitely biased, but I think Jaws has had a larger influence in cinema. It definitely has a better score.
4. The Godfather II - The greatest sequel ever made (just in front of Shrek II). "I know it was you, you broke my heart." Continues the story of the great fall of Michael Corleone (and then the great fall of the franchise with Godfather III).
3. Casablanca - Great storytelling and acting. The thing I love about Casablanca is it didn't feel like it had to end happy and the dialogue is unforgettable. This film is a masterpiece. Rent it.
2. Star Wars - I do think that Empire is a better movie, but it is impossible to not recognize the brilliance and impact that Star Wars has not only had on cinema but on American life. What would Halloween be like without Star Wars? Sci/Fi and Fantasy never were the same.
1. The Godfather - From the costume, acting, color, screenplay, music, and authenticity, this movie is the greatest of all time (in my humble opinion). I have read stories where Mafia gangsters walked out of the Godfather shocked at how accurately their lives were portrayed. The Godfather symbolizes all the worldly desires that we long for, the chance to get something for nothing, to beat the system, and to settle the score. Brando, Pacino, Duvall, and Caan will always have a special place in my heart.
That is my list. Love to know yours. Enjoy the female super bowl Sunday.
3 comments:
Two Godfather movies in the Top Ten!? Dude- rent more movies.
OK, Siskel (you are too skinny to be Ebert), now give us the list of those that SHOULD have been in the Top 10 if it were not for the shallow American consumer mind (which means they failed your Box Office hurdle)? That will be interesting...Kiss your bride for me and come see us.
Timmy
One of the movies you need to find a space for is "Schindler's List." It is a movie that had to be made so all the people who deny the horror of the holocaust can be silenced. With most survivors dying out, this movie lives on to remind us how unrestrained sin in man can enable "normal" people to do incredible evil. It is arguably the best redemption movies ever made. I cannot stop crying during the car scene when Oscar Schindler holds up items and says he could have saved one more life. It is an unbelievable moment in an unbelievable movie. Maybe the best of all time.
Dad
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