10 Great Movies

In response too a post made on the Castaways movie board, I have made this list, which I now re-post here for your enjoyment and edification:



Here are what I consider to be 10 of the greatest films ever made. They are not meant to be viewed as a "top 10", as there is no chronological order implied. The list is not meant to be definitive, either. These are just the ones I could think of on the spur of the moment. No doubt I have left something out that is every bit as good as the one's I listed, but there you go...I only have so much time to kill.

"The Seventh Seal'...Ingrid Bergman's acknowledged masterpiece is a disturbing meditation on faith and doubt in a world that seems to have been abandoned by God. I don't claim to comprehend all of it's symbolism, but what I DO get is very thought-provoking. There are so many layers in this film that a person could watch it time after time after time again and still not get all it has to offer.

"Once Upon a Time in the West"...forget all of Sergio Leone films with Clint Eastwood. As good as they are, they don't hold a candle to this one. A sprawling tribute to the western film genre and the period in history that inspired them, Leone whips out every cliche in the book and somehow makes them all seem fresh and vital. It is so much more than a "western". Plus, it's downright scary to see Henry Fonda in the role of a bad guy, especially such a heartless bastard as the one in this movie.

"The Deer Hunter"...One of the first movies to realistically and sincerely tackle the Vietnam war and the effects it had on the American soldiers who fought it. Some would likely prefer "Apocalypse Now" or "Platoon", but those films are more about the fighting and the war itself, whereas this one is much more concerned with the people, who they were before going to war and how the experience changed them. DeNiro and Walken shine.

"The Godfather 1 & 2"...It's been too long since I watched these...honestly I have been planning to rent all three of them to refresh my memory. This could be Marlon Brando's best performance in his entire career. A movie about power, family and and the inner workings of organized crime, "The Godfather" will stand the test of time well.

"Star Wars"...I, personally, do not care for the "Star Wars" movies. I've watched them and I can't for the life of me see what the big deal is. But if this list is to be about greatest movies of all time and not "my favorite movies" then I think it would be a crime to leave this one off, because it had such an impact on so many. Joseph Campbell, in his book "The Power of Myth", suggests that "Star Wars" remains so popular because of the ingenious manner in which George Lucas allegorized the mythology that has been fundamental to civilization.

"Dracula" (the Bela Lugosi version)...One of the all-time classic Universal fright films, made around the same time as "Frankenstein" and "The Wolfman". It's hard to pick "Dracula" over "Frankenstein"...they are both have layers of symbolism that make them so much more than just typical horror movies. They both tackle weighty subjects like the after-life and man's limitations (among others). I give "Dracula" the edge because it spawned so many vampire movies, some of them actually quite good ("The Lost Boys", for instance).

"The Maltese Falcon"..Bogart is riveting, Bergman is beautiful. That's enough.

"The Exorcist"...What power this film has. Once again, to view this movie as if it were a "horror film" is to miss the point completely. Yeah, it turns very frightening, but I sincerely doubt that writer William Peter Blatty and director William Friedkin were shooting for that. Faith, the loss of it, the adherence to it and the absence of it are what drives this one. People have such a visceral reaction to "The Exorcist" and part of it, IMO, is because it cuts to the core of what EVERYONE believes, faithful and faithless, and challenges you to examine it for what it is...

"The Wizard of Oz"...As I was growing up it was a yearly ritual with my family to watch "The Wizard of Oz". It was one of those things where you knew they'd show it once a year and I was always excited at the opportunity to see it again. I don't know if they still show it once a year, what with DVDs and all (maybe they do, I don't watch TV enough anymore to know), but it does reward repeated viewings. The Sci-Fi channel's remake of the Wizard, "Tin Man", helped me remember just how cool the concept behind it is.

"2001: A Space Odyssey"...I don't think I'm as crazy about this one as are the millions of critics who make a point of putting it on their lists. But that said, it is a phenomenal movie. The look of the film seems very out-dated, but something about it remains fresh. There are prophetic moments during it's second half, but my favorite part is the whole section at the beginning with evolution of the human in it's infancy and the discovery of weaponry.