greatest movie ever made?????

[Rick Blaine]

Александр Невский

Alexander Nevsky (1938)

 

[Spitfire]

Every time one of these polls pops up there is an overwhelming number of responses for films made in the USA. It would be interesting to know what the non-US members of the Lounge believe to be the [subjective] best films of all time. Some of the finest work ever by actors, directors, cinematographers, and other disciplines has come from France, Italy, Sweden, Japan, Germany, Great Britain, and other nations.

Are we cognizant of the societal influences on and of truly great films? To fail to recognize and at least attempt to understand the milieu from which a great film arises is akin to viewing with one eye closed. Depth perception is lost. Perepherial vision is halved. We see but do not comprehend. We seek to be entertained rather than enlightened. We deny ourselves the bounty that is offered by the truly great practicioners of the cinematic art form.

Reading some of our responses, by and large, I'd say an appreciation for the art of the cinema is rapidly disappearing from the USA. Where is the appreciation for nuance, texture, shade, layering, and the infinite possibilities of the medium? For those who attend institutions of higher learning, does anyone even take film appreciation classes anymore? Are they offered? Or have we finally become the great cultural wasteland so often spoken of and written about for decades?

Some of the films mentioned are or will become classics. Others are dreck. Of course, this is just my humble opinion.

I would like to take you up on that Carter.
Of GREAT non-us movies I would mention:
RAN and 7 Samurai (Japan)
A bout de souffle (Breathless) (France)
Amelie from Montmatre (France)
Two women (Italy)
A very special day (Italy)
Pelle the Conqueror (Denmark)
Ådalen (Sweden)
...there are propably many, many more. Especially from UK.
Tom Jones, The Duelists, The Man who would be King, Ipcress File....?
The list goes on.

 

[MissAmelina]

Raiders of the Lost Ark is perfect in every way.:eusa_clap

 

[p51]

I can't say what greatest means, but my two favorite films of all time are:

• Twelve O'Clock High
• The Wind and the Lion

:eusa_clap

 

[Kermez]

Highlander

It won the Academy Award for "Best Movie Ever Made" - it's a fact, look it up.

 

[dahliaoleander]

It Happened One Night

The Smiling Lieutenant.

Odd, rare... FUN!

 

[Akubra Man]

It is so difficult to choose only one. Should it be a drama, suspense or horror or mystery, comedy or action or adventure? My nominations for greatest movie in no preferential order: first Gone With The Wind. second Sorcerer third Lord Of The Rings the trilogy followed by Raiders of the Lost Arc but no other Indy films and finally for the 5th nomination Jurassic Park.

 

[John in Covina]

"It's A Gift" W.C. Fields 1934
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0025318/

 

[Panache]

The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938

Best

Movie

Ever

.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[SamMarlowPI]

Highlander

It won the Academy Award for "Best Movie Ever Made" - it's a fact, look it up.

yukyukyukyukyuk...

what ish dish highlanderrrr?? lol

 

[WinoJunko]

I'm going to have to say that I think the Godfather was the best movie ever made. But just because its so hard to pick just one film I'm going to throw in Saving Private Ryan as well. Actually its more of a favourite then anything else but I'll still stand by it, haha.

 

[Sertsa]

This is tough. I'm tempted to third, I think, North by Northwest. Every scene, every spoken word and every plot element comes together perfectly.

But, for different reasons, I also have to consider (and second) The Best Years of Our Lives, because it's incredible, but also it shows, very effectively, how difficult it is to return to society after being in war.

And there's Gentleman's Agreement. It's hard not to discuss this movie without breaking into a political discussion, but it shows how differently a person (and his family) is treated just by adding a few letters to his surname.

 

[Imahomer]

Mr. Showbiz's CRITICS' Picks:
The 10 Best Movies of All Time

The films chosen for this list were limited to English language films made since the birth of the talkies.

Casablanca (1942), dir. Michael Curtiz
The Godfather Part II (1974), dir. Francis Ford Coppola
North By Northwest (1959), dir. Alfred Hitchcock
Citizen Kane (1941), dir. Orson Welles
Lawrence of Arabia (1962), dir. David Lean
Manhattan (1979), dir. Woody Allen
Gone With The Wind (1939), dir. Victor Fleming
Chinatown (1974), dir. Roman Polanski
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962), dir. John Ford
City Lights (1931), dir. Charles Chaplin

Mr. Showbiz's READERS' Picks:
The 100 Best Movies of All Time

Visitors were asked to vote for their Ten Best Movies of All Time, and the responses were tabulated.

Star Wars (1977), dir. George Lucas
The Godfather (1972), dir. Francis Ford Coppola
Pulp Fiction (1994), dir. Quentin Tarantino
Casablanca (1942), dir. Michael Curtiz
Gone With The Wind (1939), dir. Victor Fleming
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), dir. Steven Spielberg
Schindler's List (1993), dir. Steven Spielberg
Citizen Kane (1941), dir. Orson Welles
The Empire Strikes Back (1980), dir. Irvin Kershner
It's A Wonderful Life (1946), dir. Frank Capra

 

[Lauren]

Super long and not my favorite movie, but I think I have to say Gone With the Wind.
My personal favorite is Raiders of the Lost Ark.

 

[SamMarlowPI]

i'll whatever-th the godfather...and part II...and even part III...

 

[KY Gentleman]

I'll suggest "American Graffiti". I have to watch this one just about three or four times a year.

"Jeremiah Johnson" was a less heralded Western-type flick but the story, music and the Northwestern scenery was really spectacular.

 

[Elizabeth.F]

One of my all-time favorite film makers has to be Jacques Tati, so I have to mention "Mon Oncle", "Playtime" and "Mr Hulot's Holiday".

 

[byronic]

'A matter of life and death'- i think the U.S. release title was/is 'Stairway to heaven'. a Powell & Pressburger fantasy about life, death and everything in between. stunning special effects for its day (1945) and they still hold up well today.

 

[MEDIUMMYND]

Bad Day at Black Rock

 

[Grant Fan]

Casablanca, Gone With The Wind, The Philadelphia Story, My Favorite Wife, It's a Wonderful Live, His Girl Friday, The Wizard Of Oz, Gilda and Titanic