These are the films that I think are the best, in all senses of the word. Without some of these, the film industry as we know it would not exist. Without some, the world might be a little worse than it is with it. Whatever the reason, these films are not only monumental landmarks by the filmmakers, and not just great pieces of entertainment, they are important. These films needed to be made, because if they hadn't been, who knows where we'd be today.
I could (and am going to) make a huge list (say... 200) of the best films ever made, but this is just my Top 10. I do want to include just a few, not a whole other list or anything, of some that I wish could be listed above, because they deserve it. (Listed alphabetically, not in order).
Casablanca
The films in the Top 10 should speak for themselves, and even if you don't put them in the same order, they all belong "up there." These, I'll explain why I singled them out.
Casablanca: I'm not gonna explain why I DID choose it but why I DIDN'T put it in the Top 10. I think the film is incredible, it's just I think The Maltese Falcon is the better Bogey classic. That's all it is. They are both excellent, I just end up for some reason comparing the two with each other because he's in both of 'em. I know I shouldn't, but I do.
Chinatown: Because Polanski is one of the greatest directors to ever live, and this is his masterpiece. It's one of the best examples of film noir, and it came out about 30-40 years after the film noir period ended. It's one of the most well crafted and well balanced mysteries out there, with perfection written all over it.
Dumbo: The reason I included this and not Snow White and the Seven Dwarves is because, though that was the first, and a marvel of animation considering it was THE first of its kind, it just doesn't have the range of emotions that Dumbo has. In fact, very few films made before or since have, and I'm not just talking about animated films. There's more emotion in the scene with Dumbo and his mom (you know the one, cause you cried too) than in almost every single other film EVER MADE. And these are cartoons for Christ's sake! Who'd have thought that a cartoon talking flying elephant would be one of the greatest actors to ever grace the silver screen.
Raging Bull: Speaking of great actors... De Niro. There aren't many names that can conjur up such diverse and equally brilliant images in your head. This is his best performance... hands down. Taxi Driver was awesome, but this is his best, and one of Scorsese's best, too, though it's hard for me to choose a number one Scorsese film (based soley on Scorsese's directing, Matt). The electricity, the passion, the... well, rage... it's just incredible.
A Streetcar Named Desire: Of course, I'm talking about the Brando one. No one else can play this like Brando. They've tried, they've failed. Because Brando created the way people act in films. It's weird to think about that, since films had been around for probably 50 years in some form or another, and then one single person, in pretty much this single performance changes the way it's done. Just like that, audiences realized that every other performance they'd seen in a film was flat, over acted... Suddenly the greatest screen presence in the history of film walks on-camera and WHAM! knocks 'em on the head with a dose of reality. Real emotions, real passion, real anger, real tears, this wasn't pretending. This was it. He wasn't even Brando, he was Stanley Kowalski. And so, a legend is born and a great film is made.
Chinatown
Dumbo
Raging Bull
A Streetcar Named Desire
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