(not in any order)
Amacord
Fellini remembers his childhood in a small Italian town in the 1930's.
Lone Star
Who did kill Sheriff Charlie Wade in the small Texas border town?
Five Easy Pieces
Robert Dupea (Jack Nicholson) is a gifted pianist who drops out to work in the southern California oil fields.
Casablanca
Jean de Florette/Manon of the Spring (two movies but one story)
Jean de Florette (Gerard Depardieu) inherits a farm but loses it (and his life) to greedy neighbors when they secretly plug up his only water well. Years later, his beautiful, grown daughter Manon gets her revenge and the farm back.
High Noon
Marshall Will Kane (Gary Cooper) faces the bad guys alone, except of course, with his new pacifist bride (Grace Kelley).
American Graffiti
I remember where I was in '62.
A Very Long Engagement
A young woman (Audrey Tautou) searches the entire movie for her fiancée, who is MIA during World War I.
Days of Heaven
Two transient workers Bill (Richard Gere) and his girlfriend Abby (Brooke Adams) flee a murder in Chicago to the Texas Panhandle, where Abby fakes her love for a rich, dying farmer (Sam Shepard), hoping she will inherit his wealth. Things get complicated when Abby falls in love with the farmer, and his health suddenly improves. Academy Award for Best Cinematography.
Honorable Mention
The Secret of Roan Inish and other movies by by John Sayles (who also directed Lone Star)
Shawshank Redemption
Gates of Heaven, Vernon, Florida, and other documentaries by Errol Morris
And Now My Love (Toute une vie in France)
A petty, lovable criminal searches the entire movie for what he has been told will be his true love, a girl who uses three lumps of sugar in her coffee.
Bread and Chocolate
Nino (Nino Manfredi) endures loneliness and prejudice when travels from southern Italy to Switzerland to work as a migrant "guest worker," to earn money for his family back home.
Fargo, Blood Simple, Barton Fink, and other movies by the Coen brothers
Grizzly Man, Fitzcarraldo (Werner Herzog)
Food movies: Tampopo, Babette's Feast
Chinatown
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Unforgiven
Macbeth (Roman Polanski's version)
Soldier of Orange
When the Germans invade the Netherlands in 1940, six university students make different choices: resistance fighter, Nazi collaborator, soldier, and student (thus avoiding the war altogether). A story of courage, betrayal, heroism, idealism, and survival. Directed by Paul Verhoeven (who also did RoboCop in the US).
Guilty Pleasures (in memory of the Siskel & Ebert show)
A Fistfull of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More, High Plains Drifter
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Terrific list, John. A lot of them I haven't seen, but need to add to my watch list. After this week I might have some extra time to catch up! :)
ReplyDeleteHow come Good,Bad,Ugly isn't down there with the guilty pleasures? I must know...
ReplyDeleteDixie, Dixie, Dixie:
ReplyDeleteOn the IMDB chart of the best 250 films of all time, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" shows up as number 4; "A Few Dollars More" is number 123; and "A Fistful of Dollars" and High Plains Drifter" don't show up at all. Why? Eli Wallach? The more compelling story line? The epic battle scenes? The hypnotic musical score? The Civil War as a backdrop? "The Good, the bad, and the Ugly" had a profound effect on Westerns, movies in general, and movies scores. Oh my goodness!!!
Men!
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