5. "The Seventh Seal"
No "best films ever" list would be complete without a foreign film. I actually just watched "The Seventh Seal" for the first time a month ago ... and then again 2 weeks ago ... and I want to watch it again very soon.
Directed by Ingmar Bergman in 1957, "The Seventh Seal" has lost none of its edge. It takes place during the middle ages and is about a medieval knight who challenges death to a game of chess. While this is happening, the black plague is ravaging much of the country. If this isn't the most badass plot of all time, I don't know what is.
4. "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy"
I was late on the Tolkien Train. I grew up in the Wizarding World of Hogwarts, so for some reason, I never got around to seeing the LOTR trilogy until I was in high school.
Since then, I've seen the theatrical versions a few times and the extended editions several times (and yes, I consider the trilogy one long film).
There's nothing like spending a weekend watching over 11 hours of great cinema. The world of Middle Earth is so engrossing and imaginative, it's hard not to keep coming back to it. The plot is taken seriously, the performances are universally great, and the special effects, combining practical with CGI, are masterful.
If I had to pick the greatest score in film history, I'd have to vote for Howard Shore. I saw the first film live with a 100+ piece orchestra/choir and it was incredible.
3. "Jaws"
Released in 1975, Steven Spielberg's "Jaws" is now known as the first summer blockbuster.
Its production was a nightmare. The mechanical shark was extremely difficult to manage, especially since Spielberg insisted upon shooting on the open ocean. Thankfully, its greatest success came from its failure. It forced Spielberg to hold showing the shark back until the end.
"I enjoy playing the audience like a piano." - Alfred Hitchcock
Spielberg evoked the great Hitchcock by teasing the shark throughout the film. As Hitchcock also said, the terror isn't in the bang, it's in the anticipation of it. Utilizing John Williams' all-time great score, I've seen no film that has built up suspense as well as "Jaws."
The beauty of "Jaws" is the human characters are interesting by themselves. There's never a moment "all-right, wrap it up, get back to the shark!" In fact, one of the best scenes is when the characters drunkenly sing "show me the way to go home I'm tired and I want to go to bed." At this moment, the shark almost becomes an afterthought.
"Jaws" is a film with endless replay value. If I ever catch a glimpse of it on television, it's hard not to get sucked in.
2. "2001: A Space Odyssey"
Directed by Stanley Kubrick, "2001: A Space Odyssey" is the ultimate science-fiction film. Released in 1968 (just turned 50!), the visual effects are so good, there is a conspiracy theory that Kubrick helped fake the moon landing a year later.
"2001" is my favorite kind of film. Ambitious, abstract, and effective. Its story spans millions of years, from the dawn of man to the demise of man. The dialogue is sparse, as large sections of the film are purely visual, and utilizing music from Strauss to what I'd imagine hearing at the gates of hell, it's often an assault on the senses.
1. "Citizen Kane"
For years, I saw "Citizen Kane" on every list of must-see films. Made in 1941? I was ready to be disappointed by it. Thankfully, when I watched it in my Intro to Film course, I was completely blown away by it. For one, it is the definition of a "tour de force."
Orson Welles' directed, starred, and wrote it when he was 26. It was his first film production. A debut of this magnitude will never be topped.
Technically, it's one of the finest directed films I've ever seen. Welles basically wrote the book on the technique known as the "deep focus." Deep focus is when there are three layers to a shot: foreground, middle-ground, and background, and they are all in focus.
The character of Charles Foster Kane is tragic, on the level of a great, Shakespearian tragedy. After watching "Citizen Kane," you will never forget the name "Rosebud."
