Ten Essential Films Part 2
The last list was in black and white, this time they will all be in color.
B/W really is the preferred mode for film because the contrast is so high that it allows our eyes to focus on details that color obscures, film should be viewed as a B/W medium with color being a choice. That being said there are some incredible films in color.
The Godfather. This is the greatest color film ever made. Gordon Willis’ cinematography is so drenched in darkness that he manages to accomplish almost the same thing that b/w cinema does though. There’s really nothing else to say about this film that hasn’t been said, it’s incredible from beginning to end. The script, acting, production and direction are all incredible. If you dig this one go ahead and follow it up with Part II, which is arguably even better.
Vertigo. Hitchcock’s masterpiece. Arguably the greatest film noir, it’s a dark tragic tale of obsession and weakness. A wild ride that feels like it’s about to go off the rails at any moment but somehow it stays grounded. The ending remains shocking to this day.
Rear Window. Hitchcock’s most delightful film. It’s funny and weird and as always is the case with Hitch, about murder. All done on one big set there’s never really been a movie like this before or since. The tension is high and the artfulness is unbelievable, especially for such an entertaining movie.
North by northwest. The best bond film that isn’t a bond film, in fact it’s better than all the other bond films combined (Skyfall notwithstanding). Cary Grant has never been cooler or given more fun material to work with. This movie does not let up until the end.
El Dorado. Howard Hawks is too oft forgotten when it comes to discussions of the great directors, and this film is rarely brought up when his best movies are discussed but I think it’s his best western. It’s a remake of Rio Bravo which was made as a response to High Noon, but this one is better. Dean Martin is in Rio Bravo, but Robert Mitchum replaces him. Mitchum is one of the great actors from classic Hollywood. John Wayne is great as always here, but his character is given a physical weakness which requires him to do things as a performer he usually wasn’t asked to do.
Jaws. An essential film no matter how you look at. The robot shark looks fake but it barely worked so it’s not in the film that much. Aside from that this movie is incredible. While it’s technically horror it’s not very scary anymore. The tension is high and it’s incredibly entertaining. The USS Indianapolis speech is one of the great moments in cinema history. It’s also Moby Dick with a shark.
The Sting. You’ll never have more fun at the movies than you will with this gem. Paul Newman, Robert Redford, and George Roy Hill return from their incredible work on Butch Cassidy and possibly out do themselves.
The African Queen. Bogart and Hepburn, two of the greats, directed by John Huston. Entertaining, thrilling and heart warming.
The Verdict. Sidney Lumet may be the most underrated filmmaker of all time. He quietly produced classic after classic for decades. This may be his greatest achievement. It’s also some of Paul Newman’s best and most suitable work. The courtroom part of this courtroom drama seems a bit underwhelming but it’s everything else around that which makes the film so powerful. A one of a kind.
Raiders of the lost Ark. Indiana Jones is a one of a kind. He’s pure pulp but brought to life so convincingly by Harrison Ford that you always believe he’s in grave danger. The whole series is worth watching, especially last crusade and dial of destiny, but it was never quite as good as this first one. Spielberg and Lucas have done done pretty cool stuff, but with this one they really outdid even themselves.