I just finished teaching a class of senior film students and we entered into a terrific debate about their choices for the greatest film ever made. These were not regular students of mine. Another instructor had taught them film history, but being aware of my work as a historian and writer, they were excited for the chance to debate.
It was shocking to me that not a single film they mentioned was made before 1980. Not one. My God…not even “Raging Bull.” Now in fairness it could be a fluke and this is a class not willing to challenge themselves by studying in depth the films of the past. I have taught classes that dove right in and came away loving the work of Chaplin, or Renoir, for instance, without being exposed to it in the past.
I challenged them in the next week to go and view some of the films on my personal 10 best list in the hopes their eyes would be opened to the great works of the past. Every film unseen is a new release, right?
Though home entertainment, video and DVD has allowed for entire new generations to become better educated cinematically, I now wonder if that is actually happening? These students have been hammered with film history and film theory, they have screened “Citizen Kane,” “On the Waterfront” and “Lawrence of Arabia,” so they are certainly aware of them. Yet the film most often chosen as the greatest was “Pulp Fiction.”
I do not personally share the opinion that “Citizen Kane” is the greatest film ever made. There was a time when perhaps it was, and while it remains the most innovative film of its time, other endeavors have now surpassed it in my opinion, and at least one made before it was always better.
Is film history being preserved? Are the great films from years gone by being remembered for the sublime works of art that they were? Are young people aware that many films of today are homages to the films of the past? It is among my greatest fears that the generations to come will lose touch with the great films of yesteryear.
As a critic, I see my job to celebrate the great films and render an opinion of the pictures I see, but as an educator it goes much deeper than that. Film students should live, breathe sleep and eat cinema. I did. I am stunned when a student puts up his or her hand when I ask who hasn’t seen “The Godfather.” It is a fact I cannot simply not fathom that students making the decision to create films for the rest of their life come to a college and are not aware of the classics.
I do my best to instill that love. My office is a regular hang out for kids wanting to talk film, wanting an opinion, or hoping for a recommendation. I would not have it any other way. If one or two students per term leaves having seen the films I asked them to see, understood them, understand further why they are historically significant…I am confident I have done my job and my part to keep film history alive. Nothing pleases me more than turning today’s students onto something like the Universal monster legacy and having them come back amazed at the films…it is a thrill.
For the record, my ten greatest North American films are in order of preference:
1. “The Godfather Part II”
2. “The Godfather”
3. “Lawrence of Arabia”
4. “The Wizard of Oz”
5. “Schindler’s List”
6. “Raging Bull”
7. “The Searchers”
8. “On the Waterfront”
9. “Apocalypse Now”
10. “The Treasure of the Sierra Madre”
What about you? What are your top 10 films of all time — the age-old question.
Comments
44 responses to “Greatest film? Ever changing, ever evolving…”
Not exactly film school inspired, but my personal top 10.
1. Apocalypse Now
2. 2001
3. Bladerunner
4. Citizen Kane
5. Field of Dreams
6. The Godfather Part II
7. To Kill a Mockingbird
8. It’s a Wonderful Life
9. Saving Private Ryan
10. The Shootist
10. Casablanca
10. American Graffiti
10. The Godfather
The Godfather is definitely better than Part II. Watch them back-to-back and it becomes clear. Love the sequel, but the first installment combines the expert craftsmanship with a heart that Part II couldn’t have by nature of the narrative. And that makes all the difference.
Oh, and my top 10 is a rotating list including the following:
Citizen Kane
Once Upon a Time in the West
Network
12 Angry Men
The Godfather
Apocalypse Now
The Thin Red Line (1998)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Dr. Strangelove
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
And in this case, I’m sorry, but the cliche is true. “Citizen Kane” is the greatest film ever made…in my opinion.
1. Barry Lyndon
2. Chinatown
3. Goodfellas
4. Heat
Yes, Heat!
I agree 100% with Kris: Godfather is better than its still phenomenal sequel. It has such perfection and is such a powerful, ultimate portrait of humanity. It’s sequel does not share these qualities (nor any other film, for that matter).
I probably have some unpopular opinions, but…
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. The Godfather
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
4. Schindler’s List
5. The Godfather Part II
6. Lawrence of Arabia
7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
8. Star Wars
9. Rear Window
10. Heat
Nice, Kris, I also have OUATITW on my list
Seven
Pulp Fiction
Godfather
Godfather 2
2001
Once Upon A Time In the West
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
Lord of The Rings (I will count all 3 as 1 for now)
Star Wars
1. The Godfather
2. Seven Samurai
3. The Godfather: Part II
4. There Will Be Blood
5. Pulp Fiction
6. No Country for Old Men
7. The Shawshank Redemption
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
10. Taxi Driver
Oh, this list is ever changing since I am still discovering so many gems, but there’s some that will likely last (in random order except the first):
1. LotR (It changed my life)
2. Gladiator
3. Million Dollar Baby
4. The Wild Bunch
5. Rear Window
6. The Godfather II
7. JFK
8. Goodfellas
9. Jaws
10. There Will Be Blood
10. Some Like it Hot (1959)
9. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975)
8. City Lights (1931)
7. Pulp Fiction (1994)
6. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
5. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
4. Chinatown (1974)
3. Casablanca (1942)
2. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
1. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Most of the usual suspects (Citizen Kane/Godfather 1/2) are in my top 25:
25. Blazing Saddles (1974)
24. Citizen Kane (1941)
23. His Girl Friday (1940)
22. Amadeus (1984)
21. The Godfather (1972)
20. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
19. North By Northwest (1959)
18. Barton Fink (1991)
17. Mulholland Drive (2001)
16. Manhattan (1979)
15. The Godfather Part II (1974)
14. Sleuth (1972)
13. Bringing Up Baby (1939)
12. High and Low (1963)
11. The Good the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
1. Once (2007)
2. The Godfather (Parts I and II)
3. Raiders of the Lost Ark
4. Return of the Jedi
5. It’s a Wonderful Life
6. Sunset Boulevard
7. 12 Angry Men
8. On the Waterfront
9. The Dark Knight
10. Good Will Hunting
I always like to dsitinguish strongly between what are my “favourites” of all time and what I consider to be the “best”. For instance I love Dumb & Dumber and Big Trouble in Little China but I’m not exactly going to say they are the best films just because I get some fun or nostalgic experience out of them.
Here is my top 10 FAVOURITE films of all time:
10. Rear Window
9. Oldboy
8. Psycho
7. Mulholland Drive
6. The Big Lebowski
5. The Shawshank Redemption
4. Reservoir Dogs
3. Fight Club
2. Donnie Darko
1. Pulp Fiction
But what I consider to be the 10 BEST films are:
10. Goodfellas
9. Once Upon A Time In The West
8. Citizen Kane
7. City of God
6. Rear Window
5. Pulp Fiction
4. Psycho
3. Seven Samurai
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
1. The Shawshank Redemption
Of course those are at this point in time, films could interchange from week to week, day to day….
Others I would think would come into play at some point would be:
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
Vertigo
Blue Velvet
12 Angry Men
Blade Runner
Raging Bull
Taxi Driver
The Godfather
Alien
A Clockwork Orange
The Shining
1927’s Metropolis pops into my list from time to time as well.
(not in order)
2001: space odyssey
godfather
aguirre: wrath of god
network
vertigo
once upon a time in the west
ran
citizen kane
clockwork orange
apocalypse now
@Kris,
I have yet to see Metropolis actually. I have it at home but I haven’t gotten around to it yet, although I’m definitely looking forward to it.
1. City Lights
2. There Will Be Blood
3. Leon
4. Pulp Fiction
5. Buffalo ’66
6. The King of Comedy
7. The Bicycle Thief
8. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
9. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
10. My Neighbor Totoro
1. Apocalypse Now
2. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
3. Rocky
4. Citizen Kane
5. Pulp Fiction
6. Manhattan
7. The Godfather
8. Paper Moon
9. A Clockwork Orange
10. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
1. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
2. LOTR: Return of the King
3. Heat
4. The Empire Strikes Back
5. Schindler’s List
6. The Silence of the Lambs
7. Star Wars
8. Saving Private Ryan
9. The Shawshank Redemption
10. L.A. Confidential
Well, I have never done a list of my favorite films, but it’s something like this:
American beauty
Who’s afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Clockwork orange
The wizard of Oz
All about Eve
The shining
The talented mr. Ripley
Mulholland Drive
The war of the Roses
West side story
My fair lady
Vertigo
Finding Nemo
Ordinary People
Todo sobre mi madre
The machinist
Wit
Gosford Park
Shallow grave
A fish called Wanda
I think those are my top 20. I didn’t include: The hours, Atonement, Blue velvet and The others.
1. The Thin Red Line
2. 2001: a space odyssey
3. Schindler’s List
4. Citizen Kane
5. Magnolia
6. The New World
7. Persona
8. Forrest Gump
9. The Lord of the Rings
10. The Rules of the Game
1. Heat
2. GoodFellas
3. Die Hard
4. Raging Bull
5. The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
6. A History of Violence
7. Fight Club
8. Traffic
9. Michael Clayton
10. The Incredibles
I have every reason to expect The Dark Knight to make an appearance in this list in the future, but I’m giving it some time. For now, I’ll make it #11. Also, I think Wall-E may have been better than the Incredibles, but I’ve only seen it once.
11. The Dark Knight
12. Seven
13. The Insider
14. Memento
15. Seven Samurai
16. Unforgiven
17. The Deer Hunter
18. The Silence of the Lambs
19. Magnolia
20. Raiders of the Lost Ark
For me, as brilliant and as perfect as “The Godfather” is, “The Godfather Part II” is darker, more complex, displays the reach of the crime organization (“we’re bigger than U.S. Steel”) and the better directed (if that is possible). I love the arc of the Pacino character and watching Vito become who he will be. For me the second is a better film, but indeed, by just a hair.
1. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
2. The Thin Red Line
3. Chinatown
4. Dead Man
5. 2001
6. The Pianist
7. The Last Picture Show
8. Paths of Glory
9. Short Cuts
10. Network
Not necessarily the best, most meticulously-crafted and heart-breakingly brilliant films ever, but here’s my top ten I couldn’t possibly do without. I can never decide on the order, apart from the first.
Paths of Glory
Broadcast News
Dog Day Afternoon
Three Colours Red
The Double Life of Veronique
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang
Out of Sight
Ace in the Hole
Children of Men
As a 25 year old who went to Communications school because Puerto Rico still does not have 1 proper film school, I think I’ve done well enough watching the classics, trying to aexpand my film knowledge by trying to see movies from all times and places.
Yet I could not say what my favorite film of all time is. There are some that I know would feature in my top 20, like The Lion in Winter, Casablanca, Ran, Sunset Boulevard, Citizen Kane, Thelma & Louise, Children of Men, Mujeres al borde de un ataque de nervios, Ace in the Hole, Rashomon, Gosford Park, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Fargo, Amélie, The Insider, The English Patient, All About Eve, etc.
Yet there is so much still left to see and as you said, every film unseen is a new release. I honestly think my love for film goes far and wide enough that I won’t be done watching all the movies I’d like to see in this lifetime.
““The Godfather Part II†is darker, more complex, displays the reach of the crime organization (â€we’re bigger than U.S. Steelâ€) and the better directed (if that is possible).”
Three of those things don’t make one film better than another. And we’d just have to agree to disagree on the direction, though not by a lot. Even on the days I’d say Coppola did a better job crafting Part II as a director, I’d still say Part I is the better film.
I think that you complain about students not seeing older movies and yet you, as an american, has only made a list with your country’s productions. Ignoring the rest of the wonderfull works of artists like: Bergman, Antonioni, Godard, Renoir, Fellini, Wong Kar Way and many others… so, if you talk about complete studies, please don’t make it partial…
1. Raging Bull
The rest is in chronological order:
The Seven Samurai
Dr. Strangelove
2001: A Space Odyssey
Annie Hall
The Deer Hunter
Paris, Texas
Blue Velvet
Unforgiven
There Will Be Blood
I also love Psycho, The Godfather Part II, Dog Day Afternoon, Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, Aguirre the Wrath of God, Fargo and La Caza (Carlos Saura)
Solid list, John, but why just North American films? It’s not as if non-American cinema is a separate genre that needs to be ghettoised or judged under different criteria.
Anyway, my ten, ever flexible (and I can’t do rankings):
Apocalypse Now
Bonnie and Clyde
Cria Cuervos
Gone With the Wind
Hannah and Her Sisters
Persona
Raging Bull
The Red Balloon
The Spirit of the Beehive
Three Colours Red
Glad to see Dan put The King of Comedy on his list, as that’s always been, in my opinion, by far Scorsese’s most underrated movie and it’s truly one of my favorites of his.
My list is definitely not a “greatest ever made” type, it’s more of a favorite. But sometimes they are one in the same. I wrote some things on the first several of them, because why not, I like to hear myself talk.
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey
Despite the above preface, I will go to the grave fighting that 2001 is the best ever made in addition to being my favorite ever. Having spent all of last semester in a film class (I’m an Acting major) writing my term paper on and watching it constantly, it’s become clear to me. If one movie has ever changed my life, this’d be it. This movie stretches so far beyond what any other film, for me, can do and has done with what it says and how the filmmaking supports it.
2. Raging Bull
De Niro is in my top 5 but he’s near the bottom in terms of my favorite actors of all time, but it is he who gives the best performance I’ve ever seen in my life. He is at all times haunting, painful, and mesmorizing to watch. And that’s not even to mention the filmmaking clinic that Scorsese puts on. Also one of the best edited movies I’ve seen, and that’s never been something I have that great an eye for.
3. American Psycho
This will probably get a lot of flack for being as high as it is. But come on, Bale gives the performance of a lifetime (he seems to have several of those) in an environment that make his actions as equally deplorable as they are hilarious and uniquely prideful.
4. Manhattan
I’ve been loving the Woody-fest on the site lately, as Woody’s collection of movies were probably the ones that got me into film in the first place. He didn’t start out as the filmmakers filmmaker, but one can’t deny the craftsmanship of this movie, the wonderful shots of the greatest city in the world (I’m a New Yorker, I’m biased, sue me). Filled with scary truths about love and peoples inability to be happy, it’s left a resonance with me that I still carry to this day and probably will for as long as I live.
5. Psycho
6. Casablanca
7. Annie Hall
8. There Will Be Blood
Hard to put one so recent up here, but this chilled me to the bone, so much so that for the first time in my life I bought a ticket right after seeing it in the afternoon for a screening later that night. The ultimate ambition of the movie and its main character connect to me on a very deep level, and it’s filled with ballsy performances and even ballsier filmmaking.
9. Gattaca
My favorite line in any movie ever is in this one, when Vince and Anton decide to go for one last swim. The dialogue combined with the grandeur of outer space, dreams, and science I can’t help but love the hell out of movies like this. This is the type of movie I’d love to be in.
10. Hook
I bet nobody expected this to be on anybody’s list seriously. Just hear me out. Is it one of Spielbergs best? No. In fact in the grand scheme of his movies, (including my #11 that just missed the cut, Schindler’s List), it’s arguably his worst. But this is the movie I watched practically every day when I was a child, and it was the performances and the fun the actors seemed like they were having that first guided me to my career path in the first place. The movies, first and foremost, are all ultimately here to entertain us. I never fault a movie that doesn’t pretend it’s something it’s not and just is what it is, and this is no different. I can still watch this now and still have just as much fun as I did as a child watching it, and it reminds me of what I love in life.
I’m exhausted now. I think I’ll have a lie down.
Rafael: John is Canadian, actually, and he said at the start that it was the list of the 10 best North American films.
There’s only one foreign film in my top 25, Kurosawa’s High and Low. I’ve seen many great ones, but somehow, none quite crack it. The Seventh Seal and The Virgin Spring are well in my top 100 from Bergman. Ditto Persona. Fellini’s La Dolce Vita is as well. Also, Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress and Yojimbo. Still need to see Ran/Smiles of a Summer Night/Fanny and Alexander/Scenes from a Marriage/Amarcord but those are the only major releases from those 3 I’ve yet to see. Two of Renoir’s make my top 100, neither top 25. I have no Godard in my top 100, though I like a couple. Wong Kar has yet to make a truly GREAT film in my opinion, he’s shown flashes but has yet to put it all together in one film. In the Mood for Love is excellent, he made my best picture and director lineup for it, but its not a truly great film, just a very very good one. I admittedly have a lot to see from Antonioni but don’t assume just because you don’t see something its because they haven’t seen it.
In response to the comments about being just a North American list — the course I was teaching was North American cinema — keep watching for a list of great foreign language cinema. Of course, OF COURSE not all great films are American. And by the way, I am Canadian.
If it’s limited to 10 Best North American then…
1. The General (Keaton)
2. Vertigo
3. Annie Hall
4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
5. Paths of Glory
6. The Apartment
7. The Lady Eve
8. The Maltese Falcon
9. Chinatown
10. Taxi Driver
If it were opened up to world cinema Ikiru, Seven Samurai, and Nights of Cabiria would elbow their way onto the list.
1. Raiders of the Lost Ark
2. Taxi Driver
3. Amadeus
4. Schindler’s List
5. Apocalypse Now
6. Once Upon a Time in the West
7. The Godfather Part II
8. Pulp Fiction
9. Heat
10. Sunset Blvd.
10.
I can’t believe Singin’ in the Rain hasn’t made a single list. It’s joy in celluloid form.
By the way, John, may I raise a slight objection to you claiming “Lawrence of Arabia” as an American film? I realise there was US financial involvement and it was distributed by Columbia, but come on… Lean, Bolt, O’Toole… it’s British to the core.
1. All That Jazz
2. Psycho
3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (yes, seriously)
4. Mulholland Drive
5. Rebel Without a Cause
6. Days of Heaven
7. The Breakfast Club (yes, seriously)
8. Manhattan
9. East of Eden
10. Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
…or something like that.
And, seriously, I know what point you were trying to make, but “Raging Bull” isn’t everybody’s favourite Scorsese.
However Guy…on Lawrence it was a Columbia film and Columboa is a US company…I see your point, but it was a US picture.
Raging Bull is not even my favourite Scorsese, but it is his best work. I would rather watch Goodfellas or The Last Temptation of Christ or The Departed, but still believe Raging Bull is his best work…just so freakin’ bleak…
Fair enough, but this is why I don’t like separating films into categories by nationality! I would classify it in terms of creative spirit rather than production circumstances, and therefore think of LoA as quintessentially British.
But what the hell. A great film is a great film is a great film… it belongs on any list.
Looking forward to seeing your international “best of” list… or maybe a merged one?
@John Foote,
completely agree with what you said. Would rather watch Goodfellas or Taxi Driver but Raging Bull is Scorsese’s technically best work.
I’ll get massacred for this because there are flaws but I loved the film so much I have always stuck to my guns and called it the greatest film ever made. It’s sorta like saying your wife is the most beautiful girl in the world because you love her that much…
1. Braveheart
2. Good Will Hunting
3. Chinatown
4. Raging Bull
5. The Deer Hunter
6. Heat
7. The Godfather
8. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
9. Apocolypse Now
10. Pulp Fiction
[…] thought I’d respond to some harking in a recent post about my tendency to lean toward domestic cinema. The assumption seems to be that I don’t […]