51st Greatest American Film

Conversation regarding 'The Philadelphia Story' carried on from Billboard Bulletins:

Okay Joe, much more suitable forum for what can possibly be a lengthy discussion...

So, what would you list as your Greatest Films, American or otherwise...

I must admit that I certainly have different expectations of American films than I do of others, and will often dismiss a film not from America as being 'Too American'.

I must admit my list of Greatest films would probably include 'Seven Samurai' (or maybe even 'Yojimbo' or 'Rashomon')

So: question to people give us your top three (to make it easier) on the followinglists:

Greatest Films
Best Films
Most Favourite Films

(And yes, if you think about it, they should all be three different lists...)

Here is my list...

Greatest Films-

Citizen Kane (US)
La Regle du Jour (France)
Battleship Potemkin (Odessa Staircase Massacre) (USSR)

Best Films-

Grand Illusion (France)
Our Hospitality (US)
Singing in the Rain (US)

Most Favourite Films-

2001: A Space Oddysey (UK/US)
Dr Strangelove (UK/US)
The Third Man (UK)

I would have thought that 'Greatest' and 'Best' were the same though.

Paul Treasure wrote:
>
> Greatest Films
> Best Films
> Most Favourite Films
>
> (And yes, if you think about it, they should all be three
> different lists...)



I'm still thinking about how hard it is to define 'Greatest' or 'Best'.....but what's stumping me is how are you distinguishing the two?


(And is 'Most Favourite' a tautology?)

Cheers,
Craig

[%sig%]

crgwllms wrote:
>
> Paul Treasure wrote:
> >
> > Greatest Films
> > Best Films
> > Most Favourite Films
> >
> > (And yes, if you think about it, they should all be three
> > different lists...)
>
>
>
> I'm still thinking about how hard it is to define 'Greatest'
> or 'Best'.....but what's stumping me is how are you
> distinguishing the two?
>
>
> (And is 'Most Favourite' a tautology?)
>
> Cheers,
> Craig
>

Well, here's how I'm defining it:
Greatest implies a certain life outside the actual film, either it has developed a certain social context (i.e. Star Wars) or has influenced other filmmakers, or something like that... Need not therefore actually be GOOD

Best implies the pinnacle of the art of filmmaking regardless of its outside social or artistic context.

Favourite is more your guilty pleasure sort of thing...

Can't think who financed it but why hasn't anyone (yet) mentioned "Lawrence of Arabia"

I'd put it in all three categories myself.

Thou warped common-kissing malt-worm!

Paul Treasure wrote:

> Greatest implies a certain life outside the actual film,
> either it has developed a certain social context (i.e. Star
> Wars) or has influenced other filmmakers, or something like
> that... Need not therefore actually be GOOD

King Kong (1933).

> Best implies the pinnacle of the art of filmmaking regardless
> of its outside social or artistic context.

Time Bandits.

> Favourite is more your guilty pleasure sort of thing...

Re-Animator.



peace, y'alls...
the meddoes.

Greatest Films:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Lawrence of Arabia
7 Samurai

Best Films:
La Dolce Vita
The ice Storm
Network

Favourite Films:
Barbarella
The Princess Bride
The Poseidon Adventure

Greatest: Apocalypse Now (US), Space Oddessy 2001 (US), Das Boot (German)
Best: Full Metal Jacket (US), Donnie Darco (US), Heavenly Creatures (NZ)
Most Favourite: Reservoir Dogs (US), Clerks (US), Braindead (NZ) / Evil Dead II (US)

I cheated;)

Greatest:
Empire strikes Back
Lawrence of Arabia
Pulp Fiction

Best:
Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
Pi
Animatrix


Favourite:
Bram Stokers Dracula
Interview with the Vampire
Ravenous/Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels/High Fidelity

Greatest -
Star Wars (original trilogy)
Ben Hur
Clockwork Orange

Best -
City of God
Shawshank Redemption
The Usual Suspects

Favourites -
Spaceballs
Evil Dead trilogy
The Castle

Just my opinion...
Jones.

I don't know if I could categorically state my favorites (/best/greatest/etc) in anything. My favourite thing is variety, and so my lists are constantly changing depending on the frame of reference I'm thinking in at the time.

According to your guidelines, though, some 'Best' candidates include all of Quentin Tarantino's, for the way he reinvented several genres into what's now 'his' genre, and for his character dialogue, and his excellent non-linear storytelling.

'Memento', as well - for amazing reverse-linear storytelling.


I know they're not American, but Monty Python's 'Holy Grail' and 'Life of Brian' are films that would be in my 'Greatest' category by your definition...because of the percentage of the English-speaking population who can still quote virtually every scene, word for word. Not high art but certainly far-reaching in influence.



And possibly my 'favourite' group are the Christopher Guest films 'Spinal Tap', 'Waiting For Guffman', 'Best In Show' and 'A Mighty Wind'....because of the incredible ensemble of actors he works with, and the fact that virtually all dialogue is improvised comedy.


I'm sure I'll think of others...

But while I do, what about a 'Worst' category? 'Welcome to Woop Woop' would get my vote there, straightaway. (Although I love the soundtrack)


Cheers,
Craig

[%sig%]

" Well, here's how I'm defining it:
Greatest implies a certain life outside the actual film, either it has developed a certain social context (i.e. Star Wars) or has influenced other filmmakers, or something like that... Need not therefore actually be GOOD"

Surely one of the most influential films of the last ten years has to be 'The Matrix'. Hell, even I've ripped it off.

Melissa

cat on a hot tin roof
on the waterfront
sound of music (ok pretty much any julie andrews...)
saturday night fever
moulin rouge
matrix
rear window
some like it hot
empire records/dazed and confused
grease
wizard of oz

this is way to hard!