Introduction
I have always been slightly intimidated by people who, in stories or other sources, ask friends and acquaintances to recommend a movie because they can't choose one themselves. Firstly, I don't know what genres you watch and what to recommend. Secondly, there are publicly available lists of the best movies categorized by genre, year, box office, or views. Just choose the category that interests you and see what you like. That's exactly what I did; I chose a ranking of the most iconic and legendary films based on the international IMDb rating. This article will discuss that rating. Why did I choose this particular rating? Probably because it is global and lists all the classics of world cinema. I wanted to touch upon the classics and rewatch all these films. I took the list from Wikipedia, so the sorting of my list and the current list may differ slightly. To give you a heads-up, I can say that watching this list (I watched almost all 250 films) took over a year. Below is the complete list of films I watched, along with my ratings of how much I liked each film:
Red - did not like
Yellow - decent film
Light green - liked it
Dark green - really liked it
A few films without ratings remain unwatched.
| # | Title | Year | Director | Genre |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | Frank Darabont | Drama |
| 2 | The Godfather | 1972 | Francis Ford Coppola | Crime, Drama |
| 3 | The Godfather Part II | 1974 | Francis Ford Coppola | Crime, Drama |
| 4 | The Dark Knight | 2008 | Christopher Nolan | Action, Crime, Drama |
| 5 | 12 Angry Men | 1957 | Sidney Lumet | Crime, Drama |
| 6 | Schindler's List | 1993 | Steven Spielberg | Biography, Drama, History |
| 7 | The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King | 2003 | Peter Jackson | Adventure, Fantasy |
| 8 | Pulp Fiction | 1994 | Quentin Tarantino | Crime, Drama |
| 9 | The Good, the Bad and the Ugly | 1966 | Sergio Leone | Western |
| 10 | The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring | 2001 | Peter Jackson | Adventure, Fantasy |
| 11 | Fight Club | 1999 | David Fincher | Drama |
| 12 | Forrest Gump | 1994 | Robert Zemeckis | Drama, Romance |
| 13 | Inception | 2010 | Christopher Nolan | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 14 | The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers | 2002 | Peter Jackson | Adventure, Fantasy |
| 15 | Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back | 1980 | Irvin Kershner | Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| 16 | The Matrix | 1999 | Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Action, Sci-Fi |
| 17 | Goodfellas | 1990 | Martin Scorsese | Biography, Crime, Drama |
| 18 | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest | 1975 | Miloš Forman | Drama |
| 19 | Seven Samurai | 1954 | Akira Kurosawa | Adventure, Drama |
| 20 | Se7en | 1995 | David Fincher | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 21 | Life Is Beautiful | 1997 | Roberto Benigni | Comedy, Drama, War |
| 22 | City of God | 2002 | Fernando Meirelles, Kátia Lund | Crime, Drama |
| 23 | The Silence of the Lambs | 1991 | Jonathan Demme | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 24 | It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Frank Capra | Drama, Family, Fantasy |
| 25 | Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope | 1977 | George Lucas | Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| 26 | Saving Private Ryan | 1998 | Steven Spielberg | Drama, War |
| 27 | Spirited Away | 2001 | Hayao Miyazaki | Animation, Adventure, Family |
| 28 | The Green Mile | 1999 | Frank Darabont | Crime, Drama, Fantasy |
| 29 | Parasite | 2019 | Bong Joon Ho | Comedy, Drama, Thriller |
| 30 | Interstellar | 2014 | Christopher Nolan | Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi |
| 31 | Léon: The Professional | 1994 | Luc Besson | Action, Crime, Drama |
| 32 | The Usual Suspects | 1995 | Bryan Singer | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| 33 | Harakiri | 1962 | Masaki Kobayashi | Action, Drama, Mystery |
| 34 | The Lion King | 1994 | Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff | Animation, Adventure, Drama |
| 35 | Back to the Future | 1985 | Robert Zemeckis | Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi |
| 36 | The Pianist | 2002 | Roman Polanski | Biography, Drama, Music |
| 37 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | 1991 | James Cameron | Action, Sci-Fi |
| 38 | American History X | 1998 | Tony Kaye | Drama |
| 39 | Modern Times | 1936 | Charles Chaplin | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| 40 | Psycho | 1960 | Alfred Hitchcock | Horror, Mystery, Thriller |
| 41 | Gladiator | 2000 | Ridley Scott | Action, Adventure, Drama |
| 42 | City Lights | 1931 | Charles Chaplin | Comedy, Drama, Romance |
| 43 | The Departed | 2006 | Martin Scorsese | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 44 | The Intouchables | 2011 | Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano | Biography, Comedy, Drama |
| 45 | Whiplash | 2014 | Damien Chazelle | Drama, Music |
| 46 | Hamilton | 2020 | Thomas Kail | Biography, Drama, History |
| 47 | The Prestige | 2006 | Christopher Nolan | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| 48 | Grave of the Fireflies | 1988 | Isao Takahata | Animation, Drama, War |
| 49 | Once Upon a Time in the West | 1968 | Sergio Leone | Western |
| 50 | Casablanca | 1942 | Michael Curtiz | Drama, Romance, War |
| 51 | Cinema Paradiso | 1988 | Giuseppe Tornatore | Drama, Romance |
| 52 | Rear Window | 1954 | Alfred Hitchcock | Mystery, Thriller |
| 53 | Alien | 1979 | Ridley Scott | Horror, Sci-Fi |
| 54 | Apocalypse Now | 1979 | Francis Ford Coppola | Drama, War |
| 55 | Memento | 2000 | Christopher Nolan | Mystery, Thriller |
| 56 | The Great Dictator | 1940 | Charles Chaplin | Comedy, Drama, War |
| 57 | Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 | Steven Spielberg | Action, Adventure |
| 58 | Django Unchained | 2012 | Quentin Tarantino | Drama, Western |
| 59 | The Lives of Others | 2006 | Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | Drama, Thriller |
| 60 | Joker | 2019 | Todd Phillips | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 61 | Paths of Glory | 1957 | Stanley Kubrick | Drama, War |
| 62 | WALL·E | 2008 | Andrew Stanton | Animation, Adventure, Family |
| 63 | The Shining | 1980 | Stanley Kubrick | Drama, Horror |
| 64 | Avengers: Infinity War | 2018 | Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 65 | Sunset Blvd. | 1950 | Billy Wilder | Drama, Film-Noir |
| 66 | Witness for the Prosecution | 1957 | Billy Wilder | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 67 | Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse | 2018 | Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, Rodney Rothman | Animation, Action, Adventure |
| 68 | Oldboy | 2003 | Park Chan-wook | Action, Drama, Mystery |
| 69 | Princess Mononoke | 1997 | Hayao Miyazaki | Animation, Adventure, Fantasy |
| 70 | Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb | 1964 | Stanley Kubrick | Comedy, War |
| 71 | The Dark Knight Rises | 2012 | Christopher Nolan | Action, Adventure |
| 72 | Once Upon a Time in America | 1984 | Sergio Leone | Crime, Drama |
| 73 | Aliens | 1986 | James Cameron | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 74 | Your Name. | 2016 | Makoto Shinkai | Animation, Drama, Fantasy |
| 75 | Avengers: Endgame | 2019 | Anthony Russo, Joe Russo | Action, Adventure, Drama |
| 76 | Coco | 2017 | Lee Unkrich, Adrian Molina | Animation, Adventure, Family |
| 77 | American Beauty | 1999 | Sam Mendes | Drama |
| 78 | Braveheart | 1995 | Mel Gibson | Biography, Drama, History |
| 79 | 3 Idiots | 2009 | Rajkumar Hirani | Comedy, Drama |
| 80 | Das Boot | 1981 | Wolfgang Petersen | Adventure, Drama, Thriller |
| 81 | Toy Story | 1995 | John Lasseter | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 82 | High and Low | 1963 | Akira Kurosawa | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 83 | Amadeus | 1984 | Miloš Forman | Biography, Drama, History |
| 84 | Capernaum | 2018 | Nadine Labaki | Drama |
| 85 | Inglourious Basterds | 2009 | Quentin Tarantino | Adventure, Drama, War |
| 86 | Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi | 1983 | Richard Marquand | Action, Adventure, Fantasy |
| 87 | Taare Zameen Par | 2007 | Aamir Khan, Amole Gupte | Drama, Family |
| 88 | Reservoir Dogs | 1992 | Quentin Tarantino | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 89 | Good Will Hunting | 1997 | Gus Van Sant | Drama, Romance |
| 90 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | 1968 | Stanley Kubrick | Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 91 | Requiem for a Dream | 2000 | Darren Aronofsky | Drama |
| 92 | Vertigo | 1958 | Alfred Hitchcock | Mystery, Romance, Thriller |
| 93 | M | 1931 | Fritz Lang | Crime, Mystery, Thriller |
| 94 | Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind | 2004 | Michel Gondry | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi |
| 95 | Dangal | 2016 | Nitesh TiWari | Action, Biography, Drama |
| 96 | The Hunt | 2012 | Thomas Vinterberg | Drama |
| 97 | Citizen Kane | 1941 | Orson Welles | Drama, Mystery |
| 98 | 1917 | 2019 | Sam Mendes | Drama, War |
| 99 | Full Metal Jacket | 1987 | Stanley Kubrick | Drama, War |
| 100 | Bicycle Thieves | 1948 | Vittorio De Sica | Drama |
| 100 | Bicycle Thieves | 1948 | Vittorio De Sica | Crime, Drama |
| 101 | The Kid | 1921 | Charlie Chaplin | Comedy, Drama, Family |
| 102 | Singin' in the Rain | 1952 | Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | Comedy, Musical |
| 103 | A Clockwork Orange | 1971 | Stanley Kubrick | Sci-Fi, Crime, Drama |
| 104 | North by Northwest | 1959 | Alfred Hitchcock | Adventure, Mystery, Drama |
| 105 | Snatch | 2000 | Guy Ritchie | Crime, Thriller |
| 106 | Scarface | 1983 | Brian De Palma | Crime, Thriller, Drama |
| 107 | Taxi Driver | 1976 | Martin Scorsese | Drama, Thriller |
| 108 | Ikiru | 1952 | Akira Kurosawa | Drama |
| 109 | Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 | David Lean | Adventure, Drama, Biography |
| 110 | Amélie | 2001 | Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance |
| 111 | Toy Story 3 | 2010 | Lee Unkrich | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 112 | The Sting | 1973 | George Roy Hill | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
| 113 | Metropolis | 1927 | Fritz Lang | Sci-Fi |
| 114 | A Separation | 2011 | Asghar Farhadi | Drama |
| 115 | Incendies | 2010 | Denis Villeneuve | Drama |
| 116 | For a Few Dollars More | 1965 | Sergio Leone | Western |
| 117 | Come and See | 1985 | Elem Klimov | Drama, War |
| 118 | The Apartment | 1960 | Billy Wilder | Romance, Comedy, Drama |
| 119 | Double Indemnity | 1944 | Billy Wilder | Crime, Film-Noir, Thriller |
| 120 | To Kill a Mockingbird | 1962 | Robert Mulligan | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 121 | Up | 2009 | Pete Docter | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 122 | Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | Steven Spielberg | Adventure, Action |
| 123 | L.A. Confidential | 1997 | Curtis Hanson | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 124 | Heat | 1995 | Michael Mann | Crime, Thriller, Drama |
| 125 | Die Hard | 1988 | John McTiernan | Action, Crime, Thriller |
| 126 | Monty Python and the Holy Grail | 1975 | Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones | Adventure, Comedy |
| 127 | Rashomon | 1950 | Akira Kurosawa | Drama |
| 128 | Yojimbo | 1961 | Akira Kurosawa | Action, Crime, Drama |
| 129 | Batman Begins | 2005 | Christopher Nolan | Action, Crime, Drama |
| 130 | Green Book | 2018 | Peter Farrelly | Biography, Comedy, Drama |
| 131 | Downfall | 2004 | Oliver Hirschbiegel | Biography, Drama, History |
| 132 | Children of Heaven | 1997 | Majid Majidi | Drama, Family |
| 133 | Unforgiven | 1992 | Clint Eastwood | Drama, Western |
| 134 | Ran | 1985 | Akira Kurosawa | Action, Drama, War |
| 135 | Some Like It Hot | 1959 | Billy Wilder | Comedy |
| 136 | Howl's Moving Castle | 2004 | Hayao Miyazaki | Animation, Adventure, Fantasy |
| 137 | A Beautiful Mind | 2001 | Ron HoWard | Drama, Biography |
| 138 | All About Eve | 1950 | Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 139 | Casino | 1995 | Martin Scorsese | Biography, Crime, Drama |
| 140 | The Great Escape | 1963 | John Sturges | Adventure, Drama, History |
| 141 | The Wolf of Wall Street | 2013 | Martin Scorsese | Biography, Comedy, Crime |
| 142 | Pan's Labyrinth | 2006 | Guillermo del Toro | Fantasy, Drama, Mystery |
| 143 | Anand | 1971 | Hrishikesh Mukherjee | Drama, Musical |
| 144 | The Secret in Their Eyes | 2009 | John J. Campanella | Drama, Mystery, Romance |
| 145 | Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels | 1998 | Guy Ritchie | Crime, Thriller |
| 146 | Raging Bull | 1980 | Martin Scorsese | Drama, Biography, Sport |
| 147 | My Neighbor Totoro | 1988 | Hayao Miyazaki | Animation, Adventure, Family |
| 148 | There Will Be Blood | 2007 | Paul Thomas Anderson | Drama |
| 149 | Judgment at Nuremberg | 1961 | Stanley Kramer | Drama, History, War |
| 150 | The Treasure of the Sierra Madre | 1948 | John Huston | Adventure, Drama, Western |
| 151 | Rear Window | 1954 | Alfred Hitchcock | Crime, Thriller, Mystery |
| 152 | Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri | 2017 | Martin McDonagh | Comedy, Crime, Drama |
| 153 | Chinatown | 1974 | Roman Polanski | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 154 | The Gold Rush | 1925 | Charles Chaplin | Comedy, Adventure, Family |
| 155 | Father and Son | 2005 | Çağan Irmak | Drama |
| 156 | Shutter Island | 2010 | Martin Scorsese | Drama, Thriller, Mystery |
| 157 | No Country for Old Men | 2007 | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 158 | V for Vendetta | 2006 | James McTeigue | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller |
| 159 | The Seventh Seal | 1957 | Ingmar Bergman | Drama, Fantasy |
| 160 | Inside Out | 2015 | Pete Docter | Animation, Comedy, Drama |
| 161 | Warrior | 2011 | Gavin O'Connor | Action, Drama |
| 162 | The Elephant Man | 1980 | David Lynch | Biography, Drama, History |
| 163 | The Thing | 1982 | John Carpenter | Sci-Fi, Horror, Mystery |
| 164 | The Sixth Sense | 1999 | M. Night Shyamalan | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| 165 | Trainspotting | 1996 | Danny Boyle | Crime, Drama |
| 166 | Jurassic Park | 1993 | Steven Spielberg | Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 167 | Vikram Vedha | 2017 | Pushkar-Gayathri | Action, Crime, Thriller |
| 168 | Gone with the Wind | 1939 | Victor Fleming | Drama, Romance, War |
| 169 | The Truman Show | 1998 | Peter Weir | Comedy, Drama |
| 170 | Wild Strawberries | 1957 | Ingmar Bergman | Drama |
| 171 | Finding Nemo | 2003 | Andrew Stanton | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 172 | Blade Runner | 1982 | Ridley Scott | Sci-Fi, Thriller, Drama |
| 173 | Stalker | 1979 | Andrei Tarkovsky | Drama, Sci-Fi |
| 174 | Kill Bill: Vol. 1 | 2003 | Quentin Tarantino | Action, Thriller, Crime |
| 175 | The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 | David Lean | Adventure, Drama, War |
| 176 | Room | 2015 | Lenny Abrahamson | Drama |
| 177 | Fargo | 1996 | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Crime, Thriller, Drama |
| 178 | Memories of Murder | 2003 | Bong Joon Ho | Drama, Mystery |
| 179 | Tokyo Story | 1953 | Yasujirō Ozu | Drama |
| 180 | The Third Man | 1949 | Carol Reed | Film-Noir, Thriller, Mystery |
| 181 | Gran Torino | 2008 | Clint Eastwood | Drama |
| 182 | On the Waterfront | 1954 | Elia Kazan | Crime, Drama |
| 183 | Wild Tales | 2014 | Damián Szifron | Comedy, Drama, Thriller |
| 184 | The Deer Hunter | 1978 | Michael Cimino | Drama, War |
| 185 | Klaus | 2019 | Carlo Grante, Sergio Pablos, Marcin Podolec | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 186 | In the Name of the Father | 1993 | Jim Sheridan | Biography, Drama, Thriller |
| 187 | Mary and Max | 2009 | Adam Elliot | Adventure, Comedy, Drama |
| 188 | Gone Girl | 2014 | David Fincher | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| 189 | The Grand Budapest Hotel | 2014 | Wes Anderson | Comedy |
| 190 | Hacksaw Ridge | 2016 | Mel Gibson | Biography, Drama, History |
| 191 | Andhadhun | 2018 | Sriram Raghavan | Crime, Thriller |
| 192 | Before Sunrise | 1995 | Richard Linklater | Drama, Romance |
| 193 | Catch Me If You Can | 2002 | Steven Spielberg | Biography, Crime, Drama |
| 194 | The Big Lebowski | 1998 | Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Comedy, Crime, Mystery |
| 195 | Persona | 1966 | Ingmar Bergman | Drama, Fantasy |
| 196 | To Be or Not to Be | 1942 | Ernst Lubitsch | Comedy, War |
| 197 | Prisoners | 2013 | Denis Villeneuve | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 198 | Eşkıya | 1996 | Yavuz Turgul | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 199 | Sherlock Jr. | 1924 | Buster Keaton | Action, Comedy, Romance |
| 200 | The General | 1927 | Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton | Comedy, Romance |
| 201 | How to Train Your Dragon | 2010 | Chris Sanders, Dean DeBlois | Animation, Adventure |
| 202 | Ford v Ferrari | 2019 | James Mangold | Sport, Biography, Drama |
| 203 | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington | 1939 | Frank Capra | Drama |
| 204 | 12 Years a Slave | 2013 | Steve McQueen | Biography, Drama, History |
| 205 | Barry Lyndon | 1975 | Stanley Kubrick | Drama, Romance, War |
| 206 | Mad Max: Fury Road | 2015 | George Miller | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi |
| 207 | Million Dollar Baby | 2004 | Clint Eastwood | Drama, Sport |
| 208 | Stand by Me | 1986 | Rob Reiner | Adventure, Drama |
| 209 | Network | 1976 | Sydney Lumet | Drama |
| 210 | Cool Hand Luke | 1967 | Stuart Rosenberg | Crime, Drama |
| 211 | Dead Poets Society | 1989 | Peter Weir | Comedy, Drama |
| 212 | Ben-Hur | 1959 | William Wyler | Action, Adventure, Drama |
| 213 | Hachi: A Dog's Tale | 2009 | Lasse Hallström | Drama, Family |
| 214 | Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 | 2011 | David Yates | Fantasy, Adventure, Action |
| 215 | Platoon | 1986 | Oliver Stone | Action, Drama, War |
| 216 | Into the Wild | 2007 | Sean Penn | Adventure, Biography, Drama |
| 217 | Logan | 2017 | James Mangold | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi |
| 218 | The Wages of Fear | 1953 | Henri-Georges Clouzot | Adventure, Drama, Thriller |
| 219 | Monty Python's Life of Brian | 1979 | Terry Jones | Comedy |
| 220 | Rush | 2013 | Ron HoWard | Biography, Drama, Sport |
| 221 | The Handmaiden | 2016 | Park Chan-wook | Drama, Romance, Thriller |
| 222 | The Passion of Joan of Arc | 1928 | Carl Theodor Dreyer | Biography, Drama, History |
| 223 | The 400 Blows | 1959 | François Truffaut | Crime, Drama |
| 224 | Andrei Rublev | 1966 | Andrei Tarkovsky | Biography, Drama, History |
| 225 | Hotel Rwanda | 2004 | Terry George | Biography, Drama, History |
| 226 | Spotlight | 2015 | Tom McCarthy | Biography, Drama, History |
| 227 | Amores Perros | 2000 | Alejandro González Iñárritu | Drama, Thriller |
| 228 | La Haine | 1995 | Mathieu Kassovitz | Drama |
| 229 | Rififi | 1955 | Jules Dassin | Crime, Drama, Thriller |
| 230 | Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind | 1984 | Hayao Miyazaki | Drama, Adventure, Post-apocalypse |
| 231 | Rocky | 1976 | John G. Avildsen | Sport, Drama, Romance |
| 232 | Gangs of Wasseypur | 2012 | Anurag Kashyap | Action, Crime, Drama |
| 233 | Monsters, Inc. | 2001 | Pete Docter, David Silverman | Animation, Comedy |
| 234 | Rebecca | 1940 | Alfred Hitchcock | Mystery, Romance, Thriller |
| 235 | Rang De Basanti | 2006 | Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra | Drama, History |
| 236 | Before Sunset | 2004 | Richard Linklater | Drama, Romance |
| 237 | Portrait of a Lady on Fire | 2019 | Céline Sciamma | Drama, Romance |
| 238 | In the Mood for Love | 2000 | Wong Kar-wai | Drama |
| 239 | Paris, Texas | 1984 | Wim Wenders | Drama |
| 240 | It Happened One Night | 1934 | Frank Capra | Comedy, Romance |
| 241 | Drishti | 2015 | Nishikant Kamat | Drama, Mystery, Thriller |
| 242 | The Invisible Guest | 2016 | Oriol Paulo | Crime, Drama, Mystery |
| 243 | The Princess Bride | 1987 | Rob Reiner | Adventure, Comedy, Family |
| 244 | The Help | 2011 | Tate Taylor | Drama |
| 245 | The Circus | 1928 | Charles Chaplin | Comedy, Romance |
| 246 | The Battle of Algiers | 1966 | Gillo Pontecorvo | Crime, Drama, History |
| 247 | The Terminator | 1984 | James Cameron | Sci-Fi, Action |
| 248 | Aladdin | 1992 | John Musker, Ron Clements | Animation, Adventure, Comedy |
| 249 | Winter Sleep | 2014 | Nuri Bilge Ceylan | Drama |
| 250 | A Silent Voice | 2016 | Naoko Yamada | Animation, Drama, Family |
About the Cover
Initially, when I wanted to select films for the cover, I chose those that I liked the most (dark green). I gathered over 60 such films. Then I also wanted to add some films that I simply liked (green). The list grew even larger, making the selection extremely difficult. I should also note that the films chosen for the cover are not necessarily my all-time favorites; otherwise, I would have definitely included "The Theory of Everything," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "The Suicide Shop," and others. This list consists solely of some interesting films for me from the IMDb rating currently (the first half of 2021). However, even from this list, some amazing films, such as "Platoon," did not make the cut. Therefore, the selection was tough. So, let's briefly review everything: 32 films from left to right, then the second row, third, and fourth.
- A Clockwork Orange (1971, UK/USA) — Stanley Kubrick
- Apocalypse Now (1979, USA) — Francis Ford Coppola
- Hotel Rwanda (2004, UK/USA/Italy/SA) — Terry George
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991, USA) — Jonathan Demme
- City of God (2002, Brazil/France) — Fernando Meirelles
- The General (1927, USA) — Buster Keaton
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, USA) — Miloš Forman
- Gone with the Wind (1939, USA) — Victor Fleming
- 12 Angry Men (1957, USA) — Sidney Lumet
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994, USA) — Frank Darabont
- Rush (2013, USA/Germany/UK) — Ron Howard
- Scarface (1983, USA) — Brian De Palma
- Hacksaw Ridge (2016, USA/Australia) — Mel Gibson
- Shutter Island (2010, USA) — Martin Scorsese
- The Green Mile (1999, USA) — Frank Darabont
- Howl’s Moving Castle (2004, Japan) — Hayao Miyazaki
- Schindler’s List (1993, USA) — Steven Spielberg
- Paths of Glory (1957, USA) — Stanley Kubrick
- Modern Times (1936, USA) — Charlie Chaplin
- Inception (2010, USA/UK) — Christopher Nolan
- The Deer Hunter (1978, USA/UK) — Michael Cimino
- Seven Samurai (1954, Japan) — Akira Kurosawa
- The Big Lebowski (1998, USA) — Coen Brothers
- In the Name of the Father (1993, UK) — Jim Sheridan
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966, Italy/Spain/Germany) — Sergio Leone
- Rang De Basanti (2006, India) — Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
- Some Like It Hot (1959, USA) — Billy Wilder
- Your Name (2016, Japan) — Makoto Shinkai
- Mary and Max (2009, Australia) — Adam Elliot
- Barry Lyndon (1975, UK/USA) — Stanley Kubrick
- City Lights (1931, USA) — Charlie Chaplin
- Drishyam (2015, India) — Nishikant Kamat
How I Watched the Movies
I couldn't always watch a film from start to finish in one sitting, but that didn't prevent me from concentrating on the movies. After each viewing, I would jump onto YouTube to watch film analyses, searching for hidden meanings and things I might have missed during the viewing. For the first 100-150 films, I regularly did this, after which I began to notice the small details and nuances on my own.
Details and Nuances
Over time, I started paying attention to certain nuances in films. Often, these became decisive in establishing my ratings. I will try to list them all or almost all:
- Resolution of All Plot Lines. Often, in addition to the main plot line, there are several others. For example, in the film "Home Alone," there was the janitor whom the main character feared, and who had a long-standing conflict with his family. Besides the main line (can the boy protect his home), at least one more is added (will the grandfather mend his relationship with his family). The more secondary plot lines there are, the more interesting the film becomes. It’s especially intriguing at the end to see if all of them were resolved.
- Cover and Description. Before watching a film, I almost always read the description (a brief summary of the plot), and I also try to look at the cover as if I have already seen the film. Of course, I always pay attention to the film's director and recall what else they have directed.
- First and Last Frame. Often, the first frame is very important for the film as it sets the tone and mood for the entire work. It's interesting to know what exactly the director chose to present in the very first moment of the viewer's acquaintance with their film. The last frame can also say a lot. There are cases when the first and last frames coincide.
- Film with or without Music. There are films that are entirely built without music. In these cases, all the most climactic episodes are shot in such a way that emotions are effectively conveyed even without music.
- Crime Resolution. In films where a crime is committed, it usually gets resolved. But what about films where this doesn't happen? For example, in the film "Visibility," the police never uncover the mystery of the young man's disappearance.
- Camera Positioning. Is the camera directed from above looking down at the character, or from below looking up (to show their insignificance or power)? Are the characters sitting or standing (or is one standing while the other is sitting)? All of this is related to the psychological superiority of one over the others. This is clearly seen, for example, in "The Silence of the Lambs."
- Lighting of the Frame and the Film as a Whole. Often, light conveys the mood; this factor is not new and is known to many. One can recall the film "Stalker" and its gray tones throughout the film.
- Number of Cuts in a Scene. It is practically impossible to find an action scene lasting 20-30 seconds without a single cut from one camera. Thus, when such scenes occur, they are particularly valuable. There are many such lengthy scenes, for example, in the film "Heat."
- A Slightly Opposite Point to the Previous One. In some films, the plot is constructed as a retelling of one event by different people. Such scenes involve shooting the same scenes from different angles and with different cameras. One must pay attention to how accurately details and the positioning of objects are maintained. The film "Vantage Point" comes to mind (which, unfortunately, is not on this list).
- Especially Interesting Films. Some films have moments or individual episodes that can completely change the viewer's perception of the film, usually for the better. The film "Witness for the Prosecution" immediately comes to mind.
- Pacing of Events. It is also interesting to observe how quickly events unfold in a film. For example, in just 5 minutes of "In the Mood for Love," a lot happens. At the same time, these events are well absorbed and do not require extra concentration.
- Unpredictable Events. Sometimes, unpredictable events occur in the middle of films, creating a twist in the predictable plot. For instance, Alfred Hitchcock cast the well-known star and beauty Janet Leigh in "Psycho" (possibly because audiences wanted to see her), and then the director removes her from the film midway. Despite this, the quality of the film and the plot do not suffer.
- Focusing. It's interesting to observe how the camera focuses on elements within the frame. For example, in Hollywood, it's common to focus solely on the main object while blurring the background elements. Ridley Scott did this as early as 1979 when he filmed "Alien." In contrast, Bollywood doesn't hesitate to include a larger crowd and put effort into the background, which makes the shot feel more realistic.
Learning from Movies
Watching films has not only provided an opportunity to discuss favorite movies with others and approach film evaluation more professionally, but it has also sparked an interest in history. For example, here are some topics I found myself googling more after watching certain films:
- The American Civil War? And who were called "Yankees"?
- The history of the American West.
- The history, course, and outcome of the Vietnam War.
- Who are lepers?
- The history of Joan of Arc.
- Why was bloodletting used in ancient medicine?
- What is the Holy Grail?
- The history of Algeria's liberation from France.
- The rivalry between car manufacturers Ferrari and Ford (Le Mans 24).
- The competition in Formula 1 between Niki Lauda and James Hunt.
- The independence of the United States.
- Who was Alexander Hamilton?
Additionally, it was interesting to observe in films how modern civilization arrived more quickly in Western countries and the U.S. For instance, the emergence of the first credit cards in England or video doorbells in France.
Of course, by watching films, you inevitably learn about the history of cinema and understand that from 1920 to 1935, almost all films were without sound (as they had not yet figured out how to incorporate microphones into costumes and synchronize audio and video tracks). These films resembled something between a GIF image and a slideshow presentation, where text would occasionally appear. Later, films with sound emerged, but until around the 1960s to 1970s, most of them were black-and-white. It was only after that that films began to be widely shot on color film.
In this list, there are quite a few films from countries like Iran, Turkey, India, and Japan, which allows for a better and closer understanding of the cultures of these nations. Moreover, these are quite interesting films in terms of their concepts. One popular myth can also be debunked: Bollywood has learned to make good films with captivating plots, and most importantly—without songs and dances or superheroes capable of catching bullets with their hands or stopping trains with their palms. And not just because Denis Dorokhov has arrived there. :)
New Directors and Actors
In addition to the directors I was already familiar with, like Christopher Nolan and Martin Scorsese, I discovered Charlie Chaplin, Stanley Kubrick, Akira Kurosawa, the Coen Brothers, Alfred Hitchcock, and Sergio Leone. I also got to know Steven Spielberg, Quentin Tarantino, and James Cameron a little better, having only heard their names before. The number of actors I discovered after watching films has significantly surpassed that of directors. Besides my favorites Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, I can confidently add the master of crime films Joe Pesci, the cool hero of the Wild West and westerns Clint Eastwood (who is also a decent director), thriller actor Kevin Spacey, versatile actor Christopher Walken, another living legend of thrillers Jack Nicholson, and even the star of Indian films Aamir Khan. I didn't overlook the creative names that everyone knows, such as Marilyn Monroe, Marlon Brando, Buster Keaton, and of course, Charlie Chaplin.
Our Movies
In the list of legendary films, there are at least three Soviet films as well. At the 120th position is the war film "Come and See" from Belarusfilm and Mosfilm. Just below that are two films by Tarkovsky: "Stalker" and "Andrei Rublev."
And More…
Not long ago, I re-watched all parts of "The Lord of the Rings." The paradox was that I hadn't seen it in a long time and had practically forgotten the entire plot, as if the Men in Black had wiped my memory. Nevertheless, I didn't regret re-watching this cult film at all. Additionally, I revisited two parts of "The Terminator" and was somewhat disappointed with the films due to their overly contrived plots, and most importantly—the violation of basic laws of physics regarding time travel, which was not an issue in "Back to the Future." Similarly, I recently watched "Alien" and "Aliens" for the first time, which, although they had many inconsistencies from an astronomical perspective, I really enjoyed overall due to their interesting plots. Moreover, credit must be given to these films, as the first part was made back in 1979. And I must admit, it was well-made. The first well-known Soviet film about aliens (albeit more humorous) was "Kin-dza-dza!" which was released around the same time as the second part of "Aliens," directed by Cameron. The result of comparing advanced technologies between us and Hollywood, unfortunately, yields nothing but a schematic. Nevertheless, when watching, I always gave old films some leeway considering that it was much more challenging to make movies back then, as there was no advanced computer equipment for editing and mixing, modern cameras, drones, and so on. Speaking of films that I have yet to see, those would be "Harry Potter" and "Star Wars." Yes, I am the person who has not seen a single part of either. There is a good chance that I will watch them someday, but that’s another story altogether.
Film Festivals and Ceremonies
At some point, I became curious about what film festivals and ceremonies exist. Besides the Oscars and the Cannes, Venice, and Berlin (not the patient) film festivals, I hadn't heard much about others. A search on the internet revealed that there are many more. However, I have no plans to delve deeper or become a dedicated viewer of such events.
Conclusions
I don't regret at all that I went through this entire journey and spent over a year watching these films, as well as later reviewing them and searching for hidden meanings in some of them. I don't claim to be a film expert, but I can say that I understand films a bit better now than I did a couple of years ago. Nowadays, I probably won't go to the cinema until I know the director of the film and read its description. Of course, I will also check the cast if possible. As I mentioned earlier, in the context of education, films are a good way to learn about the biographies of certain individuals as well as to study history in general. My fascination with watching films doesn't end here. I may watch them a bit less, but there are still several lists I would like to explore, such as "Kinopoisk" — at least 100 films. Additionally, I want to check out the top 100 films from various genres. In the future, I think I will return and re-watch some films from the IMDb rating. I will also look into other films by my favorite directors that are not included in this list. Perhaps I will also pay attention to musicals, as while watching films on IMDb, I came across the musical "Hamilton." I must admit, I enjoyed it, even though it was something new and strange for me. In other words, I still have plenty to watch and explore in the realm of classic world cinema.
