# What are the best movies from these listed...



## Fugue Meister

Look I get it, it's not an all encompassing list, but get over it. It's only 15 slots. Try and only vote for 3.


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## brotagonist

I'm not much of a movie watcher. I saw about ½ of these so many years ago that I'm not sure what they were about or whether I liked them. I'm mostly into spending my free time reading and listening to music. Movies take too much time and I rarely remember what they were about the following morning.

Casablanca was an old Clark Gable movie? I saw those on TV when I was a kid. I liked watching those old b/w movies. I think I likely saw The Godfather in the '70s. Al Pacino? I think it was pretty good. Seventh Seal and Vertigo: both Hitchcock? I like Hitchcock and have watched most, I think. Annie Hall is Woody Allen. I think I liked it. I sort of liked those subtle, quiet psychological comedies he did then. The Apartment? Was that a horror? If so, I think I saw it and I think it was good. Saving Private Ryan: Goldie Hawn? If so, I liked it. 8½? That doesn't sound familiar. Chinatown? Another Woody Allen? Something tells me I saw it and it was good, but I don't recall what it was about. Gangsters, maybe? I think I liked it. Raging Bull: Sylvester Stallone? It was a boxing film and I'm sure I liked it. Lawrence of Arabia is another one from my childhood, but I also saw a colourized version in the cinema in the '70s, I think. A classic. Rules of the Game means nothing to me. I doubt if I ever saw it or even heard of it. The Seven Samurai is a classic Toshiro Mifune film by Akira Kurosawa. I liked it a lot. It was based on a classic western, the name of which I forgot. I really like Toshiro Mifune and have seen a lot of his films and also Kurosawa's.

I wonder if I can watch any of these films for free online? I don't pay for media, unless I want to own it (eg., classical CDs, my DVD set of Have Gun Will Travel). I know the public library has a fair number of movies on DVD, but I also have a smart TV, so I should be able to get free films that way, non?


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## Fugue Meister

brotagonist said:


> I'm not much of a movie watcher. I saw about ½ of these so many years ago that I'm not sure what they were about or whether I liked them. I'm mostly into spending my free time reading and listening to music. Movies take too much time and I rarely remember what they were about the following morning.
> 
> Casablanca was an old Clark Gable movie? I saw those on TV when I was a kid. I liked watching those old b/w movies. I think I likely saw The Godfather in the '70s. Al Pacino? I think it was pretty good. Seventh Seal and Vertigo: both Hitchcock? I like Hitchcock and have watched most, I think. Annie Hall is Woody Allen. I think I liked it. I sort of liked those subtle, quiet psychological comedies he did then. The Apartment? Was that a horror? If so, I think I saw it and I think it was good. Saving Private Ryan: Goldie Hawn? If so, I liked it. 8½? That doesn't sound familiar. Chinatown? Another Woody Allen? Something tells me I saw it and it was good, but I don't recall what it was about. Gangsters, maybe? I think I liked it. Raging Bull: Sylvester Stallone? It was a boxing film and I'm sure I liked it. Lawrence of Arabia is another one from my childhood, but I also saw a colourized version in the cinema in the '70s, I think. A classic. Rules of the Game means nothing to me. I doubt if I ever saw it or even heard of it. The Seven Samurai is a classic Toshiro Mifune film by Akira Kurosawa. I liked it a lot. It was based on a classic western, the name of which I forgot. I really like Toshiro Mifune and have seen a lot of his films and also Kurosawa's.
> 
> I wonder if I can watch any of these films for free online? I don't pay for media, unless I want to own it (eg., classical CDs, my DVD set of Have Gun Will Travel). I know the public library has a fair number of movies on DVD, but I also have a smart TV, so I should be able to get free films that way, non?


Are you joking around because if you are its hilarious... If not oh..


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## hpowders

For me it's the Godfather and its sequel. Both, completely engrossing and electrifying. By the way is there any movie that has had a better sequel than Godfather 2?


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## Varick

hpowders said:


> For me it's the Godfather and its sequel. Both, completely engrossing and electrifying. By the way is there any movie that has had a better sequel than Godfather 2?


A definitive NO! The closest sequel to being that good was "The Empire Strikes Back." Completely different genre, but all things considered Godfather 2 is the best sequel that I've ever seen. It was actually better than the first.

V


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## brianvds

I voted for the only three on the list that I have actually seen.


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## hpowders

Varick said:


> A definitive NO! The closest sequel to being that good was "The Empire Strikes Back." Completely different genre, but all things considered Godfather 2 is the best sequel that I've ever seen. It was actually better than the first.
> 
> V


The Italian restaurant scene with Michael doing his first "job", Sonny taking care of his sister's abusive husband and "getting it" at the toll booth, Don Corleone, keeling over while playing with his grandson; I could go on and on.


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## hpowders

brianvds said:


> I voted for the only three on the list that I have actually seen.


Yes and we all know which those were.


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## brotagonist

Fugue Meister said:


> Are you joking around because if you are its hilarious... If not oh..


I don't know what you mean. Are you astonished that I don't know most of these movies?


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## Vaneyes

hpowders said:


> For me it's the Godfather and its sequel. Both, completely engrossing and electrifying. By the way is there any movie that has had a better sequel than Godfather 2?


Some for consideration. :tiphat:

Hannibal
The Dark Knight
The Bourne Supremacy
The Bourne Ultimatum
The Matrix Reloaded


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## Vaneyes

I voted for 5. My 3 from the list would be...

1. Lawrence of Arabia
2. The Godfather
3. Chinatown


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## mirepoix

As far as sequels go, the Godfather 2 probably just tips it. However, a nod to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.


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## GreenMamba

Annie Hall, Chinatown and Raging Bull for me. 

I'm pleased to see The Apartment as an option, but I might have actually voted for Some Like it Hot.


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## GreenMamba

Vaneyes said:


> Some for consideration. :tiphat:
> 
> Hannibal
> The Dark Knight
> The Bourne Supremacy
> The Bourne Ultimatum
> The Matrix Reloaded


Hannibal?!

I will put in a good word for Aliens though. Toy Story 2 wasn't bad either.


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## Vaneyes

GreenMamba said:


> Hannibal?!
> 
> I will put in a good word for Aliens though. Toy Story 2 wasn't bad either.


Yes, Hannibal, and if Titanic had a sequel, I would've voted for it, too. So, there.


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## violadude

I haven't seen any of these movies except 2001, actually.

I just saw Dawn of the Planet of the Apes yesterday though and that was pretty awesome.


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## Skilmarilion

violadude said:


> I haven't seen any of these movies except 2001, actually.


And you won't need to.


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## shangoyal

I haven't seen around 5 of them, but 8 1/2 is my favourite from the rest. If anybody has not seen it, they are missing a phenomenal piece of cinema.


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## Guest

I've not seen 81/2 or Raging Bull or Seventh Seal. I was given Rules of the Game for Christmas - good movie, but I'm not quite sure why it's so feted. Seven Samurai too was a good watch, but it doesn't do the same for me that three that I voted for. Annie Hall (yawn) Chinatown (OK) Vertigo (not my favourite Hitchcock, which is Psycho).

What prompted this 15 rather than another?


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## amfortas

So I'm the first to vote for Rules of the Game? Really? That's just . . . depressing.

Vertigo and Seven Samurai round out my three. But *nobody's* voted for The Seventh Seal???

You people spend too much time on music.


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## sabrina

My favourite movies are from Giuseppe Tornatore...Cinema Paradiso, La sconosciuta, Malena, Baaria, La leggenda del pianista sull'oceano, L'uomo delle stelle and others.
I also love 2 German movies: Das Boot, and Der Untergang.
Yes, The Godfather is a classic, wonderful movie. So it's Laurence of Arabia, or Casablanca


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## mirepoix

^^^ Tornatore - we watched 'La migliore offerta' (The Best Offer) fairly recently, and while it was a little derivative we both enjoyed it very much.


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## SimonNZ

Seen all. I'd say eight of those are masterpieces, but 8 1/2 beats damn near anything.


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## Fugue Meister

brotagonist said:


> I don't know what you mean. Are you astonished that I don't know most of these movies?


Im not shocked you don't know most of them, just that you'd post your recollections of what you thought they were so incorrectly.. I'm not trying to be a jerk about it though I just thought some of them were funny. Here's what I mean:

"Casablanca" is a Humphrey Bogart film... No Clark Gable that's probably "It Happened One Night" you're thinking of. 
"Vertigo" is Hitchcock, "The Seventh Seal" is not it's Ingmar Bergman the Swedish director. 
"The Apartment" is not a horror it's a drama comedy by Billy Wilder (won best picture in 1960).
"Chinatown" is a drama by Roman Polanski not a Woody Allen picture.
(My personal favorite of yours) "Saving Private Ryan" the Steven Spielberg directed WWII film not "Private Benjamin" with Goldie Hawn. 
"Raging Bull" is a boxing film from Martin Scorsese and staring Robert De Niro not Sylvester Stallone, that would be "Rocky". 
"Lawrence of Arabia" is a classic but there was no reissued colorized version, it was filmed in color to begin with.
"The Seven Samurai", is an Akira Kurasawa film starring Toshiro Mifune, but it is not based on another film however there is another film based on it; "The Magnificent Seven", the American western starring Yul Brynner.

Again I'm not picking at you just showing you where you were mistaken also for others sake. I don't care if your not into movies, I get it CM is a much better way to spend your time anyway.


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## SixFootScowl

I might have seen one of the listed movies, Vertigo. I know I saw a couple of Hitchcock movies and that may have been one of them, but it was a long time ago, probably the 1970s. Haven't gone to the movie theater since 1989 and don't take out movie videos other than I saw Mary Poppins and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with the kids back about 10 years ago. Those are about the only movies they ever saw.


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## norman bates

I'm a bit baffled by the number of votes taken by Lawrence of Arabia, to me is after Saving private Ryan by far the worst on the list. Not that I consider it a bad movie, but it's strange to see a movie like The apartment with two votes and Lawrence of Arabia with ten, the comedy of Wilder is a masterpiece, something that I would not say for the other one.


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## PetrB

As a friend of mine said, for a certain generation, _Starwars_ is what they think of as a really old film; any film in black and white is off their radar, or considered as if from an alien planet and culture


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## Guest

norman bates said:


> I'm a bit baffled by the number of votes taken by Lawrence of Arabia, to me is after Saving private Ryan by far the worst on the list. Not that I consider it a bad movie, but it's strange to see a movie like The apartment with two votes and Lawrence of Arabia with ten, the comedy of Wilder is a masterpiece, something that I would not say for the other one.


The Apartment and Lawrence are such wild(er)ly different films that they hardly bear comparison. Personal taste plays a much bigger part in selection than any sense of what might be agreed as a 'masterpiece'.


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## norman bates

MacLeod said:


> The Apartment and Lawrence are such wild(er)ly different films that they hardly bear comparison. Personal taste plays a much bigger part in selection than any sense of what might be agreed as a 'masterpiece'.


every movie is a different movie, but I guess it's still possible to say if a movie is bad, good, great or exceptional independently from the genre. I remember the Apartment as one of the best comedies ever, while I remember Lawrence as those hollywoodian "big movies", like Ben Hur or Gone with the wind, good and entertaining, but not my idea of great cinema. Obviously it's just my opinion, and I confess I have seen it many years ago.


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## sabrina

Voting, at least for me, is sometimes subjected to mistakes. For example, when I checked the listed movies, I couldn't remember where do I know about 7 Samurai, only later I realized it is Kurosawa movie and I loved it, like all other Kurosawa movies. Amazing director...


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## Guest

norman bates said:


> every movie is a different movie, but I guess it's still possible to say if a movie is bad, good, great or exceptional independently from the genre. I remember the Apartment as one of the best comedies ever, while I remember Lawrence as those hollywoodian "big movies", like Ben Hur or Gone with the wind, good and entertaining, but not my idea of great cinema. Obviously it's just my opinion, and I confess I have seen it many years ago.


You say every movie is a different movie, but then go on to say how The Apartment as one of the best comedies while LOA is just like all those other Hollywood epics. _I _wouldn't put LOA in the same category as GWTW or BH, though I can see why one might. Some of the movies in the list might have in common only that they are 'great' and 'foreign' - Seventh Seal, Seven Samurai, Regles du Jeu - and watched by those who fancy themselves as film buffs - while others were mainstream.


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## OldFashionedGirl

I haven't seen Annie Hall, 8 1/2, Saving Private Ryan, Raging Bull and The Rules of Games.

Among the films of the list I have seen my faves are:
The Seveth Seal
Lawrence of Arabia
The Godfather
Touch of Evil


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## Xaltotun

The Rules of the Game is certainly the best of this bunch. Oh, and Saving Private Ryan is pretty much the worst film I've seen in my entire life!


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## brianvds

Vaneyes said:


> Yes, Hannibal, and if Titanic had a sequel, I would've voted for it, too. So, there.


Titanic II: Jack and the Little Mermaid in Atlantis

Now I wonder: which film should one consider to be the sequel to Hannibal? They didn't make the movies in the same order as the books, or did they? The books themselves don't follow Hannibal's story in chronological order anyway. But the book version of Hannibal was so much better than the film that they can't even be compared. In Hannibal Rising they kept closer to the book (perhaps because the book is shorter and thus easier to keep to?). Red Dragon wasn't half bad either. But none of the films came anywhere close to Silence of the lambs, I would think.


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## violadude

brianvds said:


> Titanic II: Jack and the Little Mermaid in Atlantis
> 
> Now I wonder: which film should one consider to be the sequel to Hannibal? They didn't make the movies in the same order as the books, or did they? The books themselves don't follow Hannibal's story in chronological order anyway. But the book version of Hannibal was so much better than the film that they can't even be compared. In Hannibal Rising they kept closer to the book (perhaps because the book is shorter and thus easier to keep to?). Red Dragon wasn't half bad either. But none of the films came anywhere close to Silence of the lambs, I would think.


I think Hannibal is the last one of the series. It goes Hannibal Rising, The Red Dragon, Silence of the Lambs and then Hannibal.


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## Guest

And _Manhunter _?


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## violadude

MacLeod said:


> And _Manhunter _?


I think Manhunter is a separate movie from the rest of them. Manhunter came out earlier, and then Silence of the Lambs came out as a reboot or redo of that series, not a direct sequel.


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## Fugue Meister

Manhunter was the original "Red Dragon", it was made before "Silence of the Lambs" and Brian Cox played the "Hannibal Lecture" character so they had to remake it with Anthony Hopkins.


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## Crudblud

Fugue Meister said:


> Manhunter was the original "Red Dragon", it was made before "Silence of the Lambs" and Brian Cox played the "Hannibal Lecture" character so they had to remake it with Anthony Hopkins.


The Hannibal Lectures #1: On the Correct Preparation of Human Liver


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## PetrB

Crudblud said:


> The Hannibal Lectures #1: On the Correct Preparation of Human Liver


Whatever it is, adding a little bacon makes it better


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## Varick

Xaltotun said:


> The Rules of the Game is certainly the best of this bunch. Oh, and Saving Private Ryan is pretty much the worst film I've seen in my entire life!


Just curious as to why you say _"Saving Private Ryan is pretty much the worst film I've seen in my entire life!"_

V


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## Morimur

Saving Private Ryan is pure artifice; soul-less and formulaic. For a great war film, watch 'Come and See' (1985) directed by Elem Klimov.


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## Xaltotun

Varick said:


> Just curious as to why you say _"Saving Private Ryan is pretty much the worst film I've seen in my entire life!"_
> 
> V


Well, Lope de Aguirre said it. It's the only time that I've considered walking out of the theatre before the film stops; however, I resisted and remained civil. I felt that I was severely underestimated as a viewer.


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## Xaltotun

I am not generally a fan of war films, but my absolute favourite is Renoir's _La Grande Illusion_.


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## Varick

Xaltotun said:


> Well, Lope de Aguirre said it. It's the only time that I've considered walking out of the theatre before the film stops; however, I resisted and remained civil. I felt that I was severely underestimated as a viewer.





Xaltotun said:


> I am not generally a fan of war films, but my absolute favourite is Renoir's _La Grande Illusion_.


I will check out both movies.

I must say that I didn't feel Private Ryan was artifice at all nor did I feel "underestimated" as a viewer. I found it powerful, moving, and extremely well executed. I thought the horrors of war, the realism of surreal moments in war, and the "you gotta be kidding me" moments in war, were all well delivered.

I'm not saying that either of you believe this, but do I detect a hint of, "Oh, it's Hollywood big budget therefore I *HAVE TO* HATE IT otherwise I might be considered 'one of the masses'" mentality here? Is it cynicism?

I do find it fascinating though how two people can see, hear, taste, or smell the exact same thing, yet come away with two completely different takes on it. But hey, that's what makes a ball game. What a boring world it would be if we all agreed on everything.

Thank you for the recommendations. I will watch both (it may take some time), and give you my impressions of each.

V


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## revdrdave

This is easy. _Seven Samurai_ The greatest film by one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Many of the directors of other films on the list--Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas--have acknowledged Kurosawa (and, in the case of George Lucas, _Seven Samurai_ in particular) as a significant influence on their work. If you've never seen _Samurai_ watch it ASAP, preferably the version available through the Criterion Collection which is as close to an uncut version of the film as exists.


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## Guest

revdrdave said:


> This is easy. _Seven Samurai_ The greatest film by one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Many of the directors of other films on the list--Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas--have acknowledged Kurosawa (and, in the case of George Lucas, _Seven Samurai_ in particular) as a significant influence on their work. If you've never seen _Samurai_ watch it ASAP, preferably the version available through the Criterion Collection which is as close to an uncut version of the film as exists.


The greatest film by Kurosawa, maybe, but not necessarily the greatest film by anyone ever. I watched it quite recently. I enjoyed it, sort of. But I have less desire to watch it again than I have to watch _Oh! Mr Porter_ for the umpteenth time (the greatest film by one of the greatest music hall comedians turned film star in the history of cinema!)


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## norman bates

revdrdave said:


> The greatest film by one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema


isn't it possible to say the same for many movies in this list?
By the way considering Kurosawa I prefer other movies of him like Ran and Rashomon.


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## norman bates

Xaltotun said:


> Well, Lope de Aguirre said it. It's the only time that I've considered walking out of the theatre before the film stops; however, I resisted and remained civil. I felt that I was severely underestimated as a viewer.


As I've said I consider it the worst on the list, but if it's the worst movie you ever seen you've been very lucky.
And the first sixteen minutes are powerful.


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## Andreas

hpowders said:


> For me it's the Godfather and its sequel. Both, completely engrossing and electrifying. By the way is there any movie that has had a better sequel than Godfather 2?


I think as far as sequels go, I'd go with Terminator 2.

Off the list, I picked 2001, 8 1/2 and Vertigo.


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## Xaltotun

Varick said:


> I'm not saying that either of you believe this, but do I detect a hint of, "Oh, it's Hollywood big budget therefore I *HAVE TO* HATE IT otherwise I might be considered 'one of the masses'" mentality here? Is it cynicism?


I think it's not cynicism; it's the Internet. Communicating one's intent through the bitstream is hard. I can assure you that I could list dozens of Hollywood big budget films that I love. I just genuinely hate hate hate this particular film.


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## Radames

Instead of putting 2001 on the list there are much better Kubrick films. I would pick Dr. Strangelove - best nuclear holocaust film of all time. I still voted for it along with most of the list. But I think Casablanca is one of the most overrated films of all time.


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## Guest

Radames said:


> But I think Casablanca is one of the most overrated films of all time.


In what way(s) does it fail to live up to its rating?


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## Radames

MacLeod said:


> In what way(s) does it fail to live up to its rating?


I always saw it as a war propaganda film with schlocky romanticism. With Bogart badly miscast in the romantic lead. I'm not saying it's a bad film, just not one of the best ever.


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## Lukecash12

Kudos to the OP for mentioning a classic Kurosawa film, and if I could vote for Saving Private Ryan 100 times I would. We won't ever really appreciate what those young men did to save the world when they shipped out across the channel or were left on some god forsaken island like Peliliu or Iwo Jima. I remember when the film came out that the people who made it said that veterans might have to leave the theater, and I can clearly remember a few vets leaving pretty early in the film.

Of course, we'll never be able to capture the real thing in a movie. Nor would I want to watch such a film. I've heard enough of my uncle Sanders screaming in his sleep, that's for sure. He told me a few things that really sunk deep, and I think they're worthy of our generation and the next remembering.

For one, he told me that on D-day and in great terrible battles like they had at Bastogne, the worst part wasn't actually the combat. It was trying to sleep that night. He would dig himself a hole to have somewhere safe to sleep and listen to hundreds, even thousands of men crying for their mothers. Suffice to say that he didn't get any sleep at all those nights. And he said when he got back home there were a few times that he walked into a bar and heard some drunkards talking about combat in a cavalier manner, and he walked right back out because he knew in that instant that they hadn't been there.

Saving the free world had an inestimable cost. When my uncle Ray Sanders (just one of the numerous WWII vets in the family I've had the privilege to know) got back from the war, he had been awarded by then four purple hearts, a navy cross, a bronze medal and a silver medal. I asked him about them and he took them out of a box and showed me, but he said he never wanted to look at them again. When I asked him why, he said that all of the real heroes were the men he buried, and all of the men he heard dying. I didn't have anything to say to that because what can anyone add to that, what do you say to that man? Nothing.


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## science

Without a poll to limit my options, I would've taken: 

- The Seventh Seal
- Children of Heaven 
- The Third Man


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## science

The opening scenes of _Saving Private Ryan_, showing the landing at Normandy, was phenomenal. The rest of the movie was mediocre, except the ending, which was disgusting.


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## hpowders

After my Bar Mitzvah film, my next favorite film of all time is Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring.

Unforgettable!


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## Guest

Radames said:


> I always saw it as a war propaganda film with schlocky romanticism. With Bogart badly miscast in the romantic lead. I'm not saying it's a bad film, just not one of the best ever.


Funny that. I saw a perfect cast - great ensemble - in a romance with a wartime heart, classic lines in a dry script, touching (you played it for her) and stirring (Marseillaise) scenes, waggish characters (Capt Renault). And Humphrey Bogart to boot!


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## Lukecash12

science said:


> The opening scenes of _Saving Private Ryan_, showing the landing at Normandy, was phenomenal. The rest of the movie was mediocre, except the ending, which was disgusting.


Dunno if I'd use the word phenomenal to describe that. It was more painful than anything. I mean, sixteen year old boys were buried that day. But they sure did capture it as well as I guess one could hope to. Personally, I find it much more intense when I'm watching an interview from, say, a member of the 101st airborne.


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## SimonNZ

hpowders said:


> After my Bar Mitzvah film, my next favorite film of all time is Ingmar Bergman's The Virgin Spring.
> 
> Unforgettable!


Ahh...this clears up the puzzling directorial decision to use Medieval costume and Swedish dialect in the former.


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## sabrina

I've just watched The Best Offer. Wow, amazing movie. I was happy to find it on DVD. The other one is called Siamo tutti bene...this one was not as lucky, as it is no DVD in N America. Amazon sells this movie in region 2/PAL. So I watched it on you tube. Not easy as it was Italian with some Neapolitan, and Spanish subtitles. It worked for me as I am sort of basic/intermediate in both languages.
Tornatore is my favourite living director by far.


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## mirepoix

sabrina said:


> I've just watched The Best Offer. Wow, amazing movie. I was happy to find it on DVD. The other one is called Siamo tutti bene...this one was not as lucky, as it is no DVD in N America. Amazon sells this movie in region 2/PAL. So I watched it on you tube. Not easy as it was Italian with some Neapolitan, and Spanish subtitles. It worked for me as I am sort of basic/intermediate in both languages.
> Tornatore is my favourite living director by far.


We've watched 'The Best Offer' twice now over the past month or so - the second time through wiser eyes... We both loved it. And Sylvia Hoeks is that rarity, a pretty face who can actually act. Not the most original tale (and with a definite nod to Hitchcock) but probably worth a watch for those who haven't seen it.


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## Wood

norman bates said:


> As I've said I consider it the worst on the list, but if it's the worst movie you ever seen you've been very lucky.
> And the first sixteen minutes are powerful.


I didn't get past the first 16 minutes...


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## Blancrocher

Even if you don't enjoy the opening of Saving Private Ryan, you have to appreciate the thought, effort, and--perhaps--the luck that went into it.

[video]http://www.theonion.com/video/the-onion-looks-back-at-saving-private-ryan,36211/[/video]


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## SimonNZ

science said:


> Without a poll to limit my options, I would've taken:
> 
> - The Seventh Seal
> - Children of Heaven
> - The Third Man


Is Children Of Heaven the Iranian one, or Les Enfants Du Paradis?

The Third Man would be one of my top ten also.


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## Lukecash12

Blancrocher said:


> Even if you don't enjoy the opening of Saving Private Ryan, you have to appreciate the thought, effort, and--perhaps--the luck that went into it.
> 
> [video]http://www.theonion.com/video/the-onion-looks-back-at-saving-private-ryan,36211/[/video]


I love the Onion News, but them making light of D-day just isn't funny.


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## Crudblud

Lukecash12 said:


> I love the Onion News, but them making light of D-day just isn't funny.


How are they making light of D-Day?


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## Lukecash12

Crudblud said:


> How are they making light of D-Day?


Here's a quote from it:

"The shot of Ryan looking down, looking straight ahead, slowing down..." It shows the opening scene where Ryan walks to the graveyard and touches the tree over and over, and then the comedian talks about how many days it took to do that scene and how much it cost. He keeps going on and on when the scene is about a veteran visiting the graveyard, which I just don't find funny. Imo, there just isn't much of anything funny about a WWII veteran visiting a graveyard in Normandy. That's like someone laughing at a veteran getting teared up at the flag-raising site on top of Iwo Jima. People died horribly there.


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## science

SimonNZ said:


> Is Children Of Heaven the Iranian one, or Les Enfants Du Paradis?
> 
> The Third Man would be one of my top ten also.


I mean the Iranian one. I know most people probably wouldn't put it that high, but it's very good, and it was my introduction to grown-up story telling.


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## science

Lukecash12 said:


> Here's a quote from it:
> 
> "The shot of Ryan looking down, looking straight ahead, slowing down..." It shows the opening scene where Ryan walks to the graveyard and touches the tree over and over, and then the comedian talks about how many days it took to do that scene and how much it cost. He keeps going on and on when the scene is about a veteran visiting the graveyard, which I just don't find funny. Imo, there just isn't much of anything funny about a WWII veteran visiting a graveyard in Normandy. That's like someone laughing at a veteran getting teared up at the flag-raising site on top of Iwo Jima. People died horribly there.


It's making fun of the way the scene was portrayed in the movie, not of any actual veterans visiting actual graveyards. Just because the subject is sacred doesn't mean the presentation is.


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## Guest

Lukecash12 said:


> Here's a quote from it:
> 
> "The shot of Ryan looking down, looking straight ahead, slowing down..." It shows the opening scene where Ryan walks to the graveyard and touches the tree over and over, and then the comedian talks about how many days it took to do that scene and how much it cost. He keeps going on and on when the scene is about a veteran visiting the graveyard, which I just don't find funny. Imo, there just isn't much of anything funny about a WWII veteran visiting a graveyard in Normandy. That's like someone laughing at a veteran getting teared up at the flag-raising site on top of Iwo Jima. People died horribly there.


I didn't see it that way. I'm not sure whether they're making fun of Spielberg, or cinema critics (or both) but I don't see it as making light of D-Day. I don't even see it as making light of _Saving Private Ryan._


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## Lukecash12

science said:


> It's making fun of the way the scene was portrayed in the movie, not of any actual veterans visiting actual graveyards. Just because the subject is sacred doesn't mean the presentation is.


You're absolutely right. All I meant was that it wasn't funny to me. It just didn't do it for me because of the subject matter. While I get it, the fact of what it's depicting is sobering because I have a number of family members that were there.


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## SimonNZ

I thought they were just riffing on one simple joke: that the "famous opening scene" isn't actually the literal opening scene.


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## Guest

SimonNZ said:


> I thought they were just riffing on one simple joke: that the "famous opening scene" isn't actually the literal opening scene.


Yes, the thought had crossed my mind that this be all it is...as you say, one simple joke. I crack jokes like that at home sometimes. My wife pulls a face and suggests I don't give up the day job.

Actually, what I thought the clip drew attention to is how fond Spielberg is of certain shots. Doubtless there's a technical term, but it's where a character walks towards the camera as the camera pushes in on the character. I'm sure he's not the only director to do it, but he uses it so often, at points of 'revelation' to the character.

My god, a mothership.
My god, a real T Rex.
My god, the graves of my fallen comrades

I like Spielberg's movies and I like SPR, but like all movies and their directors, there are flaws!


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## Levanda

My best films should be 
Long road to the dunes 1980 made in USSR. Film tell about truth love of fisherman with Latvian girl. This film make me cry. Music so moving.


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## Lukecash12

revdrdave said:


> This is easy. _Seven Samurai_ The greatest film by one of the greatest directors in the history of cinema, Akira Kurosawa. Many of the directors of other films on the list--Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas--have acknowledged Kurosawa (and, in the case of George Lucas, _Seven Samurai_ in particular) as a significant influence on their work. If you've never seen _Samurai_ watch it ASAP, preferably the version available through the Criterion Collection which is as close to an uncut version of the film as exists.


Hmmm... Seven Samurai isn't actually my favorite Kurosawa film. It's honestly hard to pick a favorite with Seven Samurai, Samurai Rebellion, Sanjuro, Yojimbo, Rashomon, and Ran.

Now, the main reason I might give Seven Samurai the edge is the composer who wrote incredibly appropriate, most importantly *Japanese* themes from tea ceremony and folk music for the film.










Man, I love Fumio Hayasaka's compositions. But then you turn around and here's Takemitsu writing some amazing music for Ran:










If you thought Takemitsu's music was tense and atmospheric, just watch the film Ran.


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## Giordano

I picked _2001 A Space Odyssey_.
I like all the movies listed, except for _Vertigo_ and _Annie Hall_.


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