Ever seen a movie that changed your life? Not just in a superficial way, like "wow, I just saw a movie that I like more than all others!" No, I mean one that really changes the way you see the world.
It's hard to find a better list of films that are so unbelievably watchable, and yet say more about all those topics listed above. These movies will literally change your life.
#5: Riefenstahl's Disturbing Masterpiece, Triumph of the Will.
If you want to understand war films, and films that glorify things (be it anything -- war, a country, a person), this is the film to have in your repertoire when you need to think about it. Not because the subject of the film is wonderful or because Riefenstahl is a genius, but because of what this movie says about spectacle.
#4: Bicycle Thieves.
If you ever need to be reminded of the power contained in simple, straightforward stories, this is your film. It's entirely of its place -- set in post-war Rome when Italy was rife with poverty and hardship -- but it's also eternal. Proof that beautiful narratives can be made from anything and anywhere, if you're good enough.
#3: Polanski Figures Out Corruption in Chinatown.
If you don't feel like going through all the old film noir movies of the 30s and 40s, watch Chinatown instead. Not only is it a ridiculously good homage to all of those, but it arguably does 40s Hollywood better than 40s Hollywood did itself. This is one of those movies you can come back to, literally hundreds of times over.
#2: Vertigo is the Summation of Everything Hitchcock Did.
There is no other film that tricks the viewer into thinking they are watching just a normal (albeit extremely brilliant) thriller, while simultaneously deconstructing everything about what an actual film director does on set. If you ever need to see a film that can have so much going on all at once without seeming overcrowded, this is it.
#1: Coppola's Godfather Hits Heights Most Films Dream About.
It doesn't matter that this film is about the mafia -- it's actually about family, power, children, America, crime, and politics. It's also told so unbelievably well that sometimes you literally cannot believe it doesn't have a bad moment. Which it doesn't. The ultimate example of film's completely unique cultural position.
It's hard to find a better list of films that are so unbelievably watchable, and yet say more about all those topics listed above. These movies will literally change your life.
#5: Riefenstahl's Disturbing Masterpiece, Triumph of the Will.
If you want to understand war films, and films that glorify things (be it anything -- war, a country, a person), this is the film to have in your repertoire when you need to think about it. Not because the subject of the film is wonderful or because Riefenstahl is a genius, but because of what this movie says about spectacle.
#4: Bicycle Thieves.
If you ever need to be reminded of the power contained in simple, straightforward stories, this is your film. It's entirely of its place -- set in post-war Rome when Italy was rife with poverty and hardship -- but it's also eternal. Proof that beautiful narratives can be made from anything and anywhere, if you're good enough.
#3: Polanski Figures Out Corruption in Chinatown.
If you don't feel like going through all the old film noir movies of the 30s and 40s, watch Chinatown instead. Not only is it a ridiculously good homage to all of those, but it arguably does 40s Hollywood better than 40s Hollywood did itself. This is one of those movies you can come back to, literally hundreds of times over.
#2: Vertigo is the Summation of Everything Hitchcock Did.
There is no other film that tricks the viewer into thinking they are watching just a normal (albeit extremely brilliant) thriller, while simultaneously deconstructing everything about what an actual film director does on set. If you ever need to see a film that can have so much going on all at once without seeming overcrowded, this is it.
#1: Coppola's Godfather Hits Heights Most Films Dream About.
It doesn't matter that this film is about the mafia -- it's actually about family, power, children, America, crime, and politics. It's also told so unbelievably well that sometimes you literally cannot believe it doesn't have a bad moment. Which it doesn't. The ultimate example of film's completely unique cultural position.
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