Robert the List's Top 100 films

→ in
Tools    





No reason why anyone should be the least bit interested, but I pretty much have my 100 ready. Just need to sort out some brief commentary and/or photos or whatever (something to make it look a bit interesting).

Looking at a couple of others, the standard method seems to be to do it 10 films at a time?

I've broadly used the following criteria:
-technical and innovation
-visual beauty
-emotional involvement/how engrossing the film is
-how otherwise absorbing/enjoyable it is



150 Fear Eats the Soul 1974 Germany Rainer Fassbender
150 Manhunter 1986 USA Michael Mann
149 In The Heat of the Night 1967 USA Norman Jewison
148 A Fistful of Dollars 1964 Italy Sergio Leone
147 Sunset Boulevard 1950 USA Billy Wilder
146 The Lives of Others 2006 Germany Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
145 Roma 2019 Mexico Alfonso Cuarón
144 Fish Tank 2009 UK Andrea Arnold
143 The Master 2012 USA Paul Thomas Anderson
142 Jackie Brown 1997 USA Quentin Tarantino
141 Whiplash 2014 USA Damien Chazelle
140 Inglourious B*sterds 2009 USA Quentin Tarantino
139 Drive 2012 USA Nicolas Winding Refn
138 Cinema Paradiso 1988 Italy Giuseppe Tornatore
137 Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 1989 USA Steven Spielberg
136 Way Down East 1919 USA DW Griffith
135 Palm Springs 2020 USA Max Barbakow
134 Aftersun 2022 UK Charlotte Wells
133 The Terminator 1984 USA James Cameron
132 State of Grace 1990 USA Phil Joanou
131 Sexy Beast 2000 UK Jonathan Glazer
130 Persona 1966 Sweden Ingemar Bergman
129 The Day of the Jackal 1973 France/UK Fred Zinnemann
127 Limelight* 1952 USA Charles Chaplin
126 Nightcrawler 2014 USA Dan Gilroy
125 Trees Lounge 1996 USA Steve Buscemi
124 Arrival 2016 USA Denis Villeneuve
123 Network 1976 USA Sidney Lumet
122 The Lady From Shanghai 1947 USA Orson Welles
121 Spoorloos The Vanishing 1988 France George Sluizer
120 The Others 2001 Spain Alejandro Amenábar
119 Once Upon a Time in the West 1968 USA Sergio Leone
118 Kuruneko/Black Cat 1968 Japan Kaneto Shindô
117 Oliver 1968 UK Carol Reed
116 The Leopard 1963 Italy Visconti
115 Embrace of the Serpent 2015 Colombia Ciro Guerra
114 Rebecca 1940 UK Alfred Hitchcock
113 Paris, Texas 1984 USA Wim Wenders
112 Sideways 2004 USA Alexander Payne
111 Walkabout 1971 UK/Australia Nicholas Roeg
110 City of God 2002 Brazil Fernando Meirelles
109 Crazy Heart 2009 USA Scott Cooper
108 A Night At the Opera 1935 USA Sam Wood
107 Django Unchained 2012 USA Quentin Tarantino
106 Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans 1927 USA Murnau
105 M 1931 Germany Fritz Lang
104 KES 1969 UK Ken Loach
103 The Cranes are Flying 1957 USSR Mikhail Kalatozov
102 Repulsion 1965 UK Roman Polanski
101 Au Hazard Balthazar 1966 France Robert Bresson




100 For a Few Dollars More 1965 Italy Sergio Leone
99 Shanghai Express 1932 USA Josef von Sternberg
98 Voices Through Time 1996 Italy Franco Piavoli
97 Le Mepris 1963 France Jean Luc Godard
96 Laura 1944 USA Otto Preminger
95 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 USA Elia Kazan
94 Panique 1946 France Julien Duvivier
93 Pierrot Le Fou 1965 France Jean Luc Godard
92 On the Waterfront 1954 USA Elia Kazan
91 Out of the Past 1947 USA Jacques Tourneur
90 Fatal Attraction 1987 USA Adrian Lyne
89 Mean Streets 1973 USA Martin Scorsese
88 Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 USA Steven Spielberg
87 Bay of Angels 1963 France Jacques Demy
86 The Talented Mr Ripley 1999 USA Anthony Minghella
85 Withnail & I 1987 UK Bruce Robinson
84 Homecoming 1984 Hong Kong Yim Ho
83 The Commitments 1991 Ireland Alan Parker
82 Port of Shadows 1938 France Marcel Carné
81 The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 USA Michael Curtiz
80 The King of Comedy 1982 USA Martin Scorsese
79 Badlands 1973 USA Trevor Malick
78 Taxi Driver 1976 USA Martin Scorsese
77 Gladiator 2000 USA Ridley Scott
76 Seven 1995 USA David Fincher
75 Ghostbusters 1984 USA Ivan Reitman
74 Donnie Darko (Director's cut) 2004 USA
73 Cabaret 1972 USA Bob Fosse
72 The Remains of the Day 1993 UK James Ivory
71 My Darling Clementine 1946 USA John Ford
70 Saving Private Ryan 1998 USA Steven Spielberg
69 The Blue Angel 1930 Germany Josef von Sternberg
68 Dog Day Afternoon 1975 USA Sidney Lumet
67 Let the Right One in 2008 Sweden Tomas Alfredson
66 Touch of Evil 1958 USA Orson Welles
65 The Birds 1963 USA Alfred Hitchcock
64 Last Year at Marienbad 1961 France Alain Resnais
63 Scarface 1932 USA Howard Hawks
62 Soy Cuba 1964 USSR Mikhail Kalatozov
61 12 Angry Men 1957 USA Sydney Lumet
60 Pulp Fiction 1994 USA Quentin Tarantino
59 Blackmail 1929 UK Alfred Hitchcock
58 Rome, Open City 1945 Italy Roberto Rossellini
57 Chinatown 1974 USA Roman Polanski
56 Closely Watched Trains 1966 Czech Jirí Menzel
55 Entre Nous 1983 France Diane Kurys
54 Days of Being Wild 1990 Hong Kong Wong Kar-Wai
53 Alien 1979 USA Ridley Scott
52 The Roaring Twenties 1939 USA Raoul Walsh
51 In the Mood for Love 2000 Hong Kong Kar-Wai Wong
50 Key Largo 1948 USA John Huston
49 Bob the Gambler 1956 France Jean-Pierre Melville
48 La Notte 1961 Italy Michaelangelo Antonioni
47 E.T. The Extra Terrestrial 1982 USA Steven Spielberg
46 When Harry Met Sally 1989 USA Rob Reiner
45 The Lighthouse 2019 USA Robert Eggers
44 Wall-E 2008 Japan/US Andrew Stanton
43 Il Postino 1996 Italy Michael Radford
42 Argo 2012 USA Ben Affleck
41 Journey to Italy 1954 Italy Roberto Rossellini
40 There Will be Blood 2008 USA Paul Thomas Anderson
39 Once Upon a Time in Anatolia 2011 Turkiye Nuri Bilge Ceylan
38 The Colour of Pomegranates 1969 USSR/Armenia Sergey Paradzhanov
37 Blue Velvet 1986 USA David Lynch
36 The Godfather 1972 USA Francis Ford Copolla
35 The Umbrellas of Cherbourg 1964 France Jacques Demy
34 Meshes of the Afternoon 1943 USA Maya Deren
33 McCabe and Mrs Miller 1971 USA Robert Altman
32 The Player 1992 USA Robert Altman
31 Apocalypse Now 1979 USA Francis Ford Copolla
30 The Passenger 1975 Italy/Spain Michelangelo Antonioni
29 The Music Room/Jalsaghar 1958 India Satyajit Ray
28 High and Low 1963 Japan Akira Kurosawa
27 L.A. Confidential 1997 USA Curtis Hanson
26 Lola 1961 France Jacques Demy
25 Point Blank 1967 USA John Boorman
24 No Country for Old Men 2007 USA Joel and Ethan Cohen
23 Jaws 1975 USA Steven Spielberg
22 North by Northwest 1959 USA Alfred Hitchcock
21 Rear Window 1954 USA Alfred Hitchcock
20 Don't Look Now 1973 UK Nicholas Roeg
19 The Passion of Joan of Arc 1928 France Carl Theodor Dreyer
18 Onibaba 1964 Japan Kaneto Shindô
17 The Third Man 1949 UK Carol Reed
16 Barry Lyndon 1975 UK Stanley Kubrick
15 The Wizard of Oz 1939 USA Victor Fleming
14 Lawrence of Arabia 1962 UK David Lean
13 Distant/Uzak 2002 Turkiye Nuri Bilge Ceylan
12 The Sound of Music 1965 USA Robert Wise
11 Mulholland Drive 2001 USA David Lynch
10 Psycho 1960 USA Alfred Hitchcock
9 Bridge On The River Kwai 1957 UK David Lean
8 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968 UK Stanley Kubrick
7 The Graduate 1967 USA Mike Nichols
6 Blade Runner (Director’s Cut) 1982 USA Ridley Scott
5 Vive L'Amour 1994 Taiwan Tsai Ming-liang
4 Blow-up 1966 UK/Italy Michelangelo Antonioni
3 La La Land 2016 USA Damien Chazelle
2 Day of Wrath 1943 Denmark Carl Theodor Dreyer
1 The Naked Island 1960 Japan Kaneto Shindô



A system of cells interlinked
Fun list, even if it doesn't contain many surprises. Would be curious to hear a defense of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, which I feel falls in the bottom tier of Spielberg films.
__________________
“It takes considerable knowledge just to realize the extent of your own ignorance.” ― Thomas Sowell



Fun list, even if it doesn't contain many surprises. Would be curious to hear a defense of E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, which I feel falls in the bottom tier of Spielberg films.
Target audience = kids.
For kids it's pure magic.



A system of cells interlinked
Target audience = kids.
For kids it's pure magic.
I guess I would ask why it would end up in your favorite films of all time with that reasoning, but fair enough. I loved it when I was a kid - I walked to the theater 4 times in one week to see it, scrounging whatever money I could find for a ticket - but after a recent viewing, I felt it didn't hold up. That said, my daughter loved it.



100 For a Few Dollars More 1965 Italy Sergio Leone


99 Shanghai Express 1932 USA Josef von Sternberg


98 Voices Through Time 1996 Italy Franco Piavoli


97 Le Mepris 1963 France Jean-Luc Godard


96 Laura 1944 USA Otto Preminger


95 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951 USA Elia Kazan


94 Panique 1946 France Julien Duvivier


93 Pierrot Le Fou 1965 France Jean Paul Goddard



92 On the Waterfront 1954 USA Elia Kazan


91 Out of the Past 1947 USA Jacques Tourneur


90 Fatal Attraction 1987 USA Adrian Lyne


89 Mean Streets 1973 USA Martin Scorsese


88 Raiders of the Lost Ark 1981 USA Steven Spielberg


87 Bay of Angels 1963 France Jacques Demy


86 The Talented Mr Ripley 1999 USA Anthony Minghella


85 Withnail & I 1987 UK Bruce Robinson


84 Homecoming 1984 Hong Kong Yim Ho


83 The Commitments 1991 Ireland Alan Parker
Attachments
Click image for larger version

Name:	Screenshot (21103).jpg
Views:	113
Size:	111.6 KB
ID:	99758   Click image for larger version

Name:	Screenshot (21120).jpg
Views:	139
Size:	101.5 KB
ID:	99761  



The trick is not minding
71/100

E.T. Is probably my favorite Spielberg film. I watch it quite often. Good pick.

Many of these other titles I haven’t seen yet are all on my watch list and will be watched in due time.



Out of the 20 in the countdown list (much more exciting to me), Laura and Out of the Past have been in my top 100 before. They both made it when I first saw them, but they've been slowly kicked off by other movies. Still, highly respectable choices that should be talked about by more than just the film buff community.



Trouble with a capital "T"
Once again you have beautiful screen shots. You really have a good eye for choosing images. I'll commit on only the movies that you posted with an image.

100 Oliver 1968...Damn good musical. If more people watched it, it would make the upcoming MoFo Top 100 Musical Countdown.

99 The Leopard 1963...Visually stunning, especially those interior shots of Italian villas. But the film didn't do much for me story wise.

98 For a Few Dollars More 1965...I'm not a fan of spaghetti westerns but this is a good one.

97 Shanghai Express 1932...Stunning set designs, glad to see this get some recognition.

94 Laura 1944...Currently in my top 10...One of the best screenplays I've seen, great cast too.

93 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951...Brando was on fire in the 50s and this is one of his strongest performances.

91 Pierrot Le Fou 1965...Worth seeing as a fine example of French New Wave and for Anna Karina

90 On the Waterfront...Love this one.

89 Out of the Past 1947...One of my favorite noirs, Mitchum is good here and Jane Greer beautifully evil

86 Sideways...Liked it when it came out, but haven't seen it since.

83 The Roaring Twenties 1939...Love this one it's such a well written movie with multiple character stories.

81 The Commitments 1991...Didn't do much for me.



82 Port of Shadows 1938 France Marcel Carné


81 The Adventures of Robin Hood 1938 USA Michael Curtiz


80 The King of Comedy 1982 USA Martin Scorsese


79 Badlands 1973 USA Trevor Malick


78 Taxi Driver 1976 USA Martin Scorsese


77 Gladiator 2000 USA Ridley Scott


76 Seven 1995 USA David Fincher


75 Ghostbusters 1984 USA Ivan Reitman


74 Donnie Darko (Director's cut) 2004 USA


73 Cabaret 1972 USA Bob Fosse



Once again you have beautiful screen shots. You really have a good eye for choosing images. I'll commit on only the movies that you posted with an image.

100 Oliver 1968...Damn good musical. If more people watched it, it would make the upcoming MoFo Top 100 Musical Countdown.

99 The Leopard 1963...Visually stunning, especially those interior shots of Italian villas. But the film didn't do much for me story wise.

98 For a Few Dollars More 1965...I'm not a fan of spaghetti westerns but this is a good one.

97 Shanghai Express 1932...Stunning set designs, glad to see this get some recognition.

94 Laura 1944...Currently in my top 10...One of the best screenplays I've seen, great cast too.

93 A Streetcar Named Desire 1951...Brando was on fire in the 50s and this is one of his strongest performances.

91 Pierrot Le Fou 1965...Worth seeing as a fine example of French New Wave and for Anna Karina

90 On the Waterfront...Love this one.

89 Out of the Past 1947...One of my favorite noirs, Mitchum is good here and Jane Greer beautifully evil

86 Sideways...Liked it when it came out, but haven't seen it since.

83 The Roaring Twenties 1939...Love this one it's such a well written movie with multiple character stories.

81 The Commitments 1991...Didn't do much for me.
Thanks very much for the comments

So pleased that you also like so many of these.

Yes, Jane Greer and Anna Karina were both very beautiful.

I can't work out really what happened with Greer's career. It seems that someone put the poison down for her and may have stopped her from working.

Anna Karina has a very interesting story. I'll share some of what I have on her from my 200 greatest actors document below.

Thanks everyone else for the comments, reactions and interest in my list too.


She made numerous attempts to run away from home and an abusive step-father, trying to find boats that would take her to Sweden or America. (from Denmark)
She left school at 14 and began her professional career singing in cabarets in Denmark. She was spotted in the street and cast as the lead in a forty-minute short film The Girl and The Shoes (released 1959), which won a prize at Cannes.
In the summer of 1958, aged 17, Karina hitchhiked to Paris. With almost no money and unable to speak French, she struggled to find a place to stay and had to ask neighbourhood priests for somewhere to sleep. While wandering through Paris a woman approached her and asked her if she would be willing to do some photographs for the French newspaper Jours de France. She began to work as a model and eventually became successful, posing for several magazines, including Elle, and meeting Pierre Cardin and Coco Chanel.
Karina has said that when she met Chanel on the set of the Elle photoshoot, Chanel told her: “I believe you want to be an actress… You need to learn French. What’s your name little girl?” “Hanne Karin Bayer.”, Karina replied. And Chanel said: “No: Anna Karina – call yourself that.
She also appeared in commercials. She sat in movie theaters and watched French movies to teach herself the language.
Jean-Luc Godard first saw Karina in a Palmolive advert in which she posed in bathtubs. He offered her a role in The Little Soldier/Le Petit Soldat.
While working together on Le Petit Soldat, Godard wrote a note to Karina, saying: “I love you, come and meet me at midnight in a café called Café de la Prez.” She had already fallen in love with Godard so she ended her existing relationship. They married in 1961.
One Godard film from this period which does not feature Karina, Contempt (1963) starring Brigitte Bardot wearing a black wig which resembles Karina's dark hair, is said to be based on their difficult relationship . The couple divorced in 1965. Karina was an icon of 1960s cinema.



72 The Remains of the Day 1993 UK James Ivory


71 My Darling Clementine 1946 USA John Ford


70 Saving Private Ryan 1998 USA Steven Spielberg


69 The Blue Angel 1930 Germany Josef von Sternberg


68 Dog Day Afternoon 1975 USA Sidney Lumet


67 Let the Right One in 2008 Sweden Tomas Alfredson


66 Touch of Evil 1958 USA Orson Welles


65 The Birds 1963 USA Alfred Hitchcock


64 Last Year at Marienbad 1961 France Alain Resnais


63 Scarface 1932 USA Howard Hawks




I can't work out really what happened with (Jane) Greer's career. It seems that someone put the poison down for her and may have stopped her from working.

It seemed to go down the tubes after she left RKO. Maybe Howard Hughes had something to do with it.



62 Soy Cuba 1964 USSR Mikhail Kalatozov


61 12 Angry Men 1957 USA Sydney Lumet


60 Pulp Fiction 1994 USA Quentin Tarantino


59 Blackmail 1929 UK Alfred Hitchcock


58 Rome, Open City 1945 Italy Roberto Rossellini


57 Chinatown 1974 USA Roman Polanski


56 Closely Watched Trains 1966 Czech Jirí Menzel


55 Entre Nous 1983 France Diane Kurys


54 Days of Being Wild 1990 Hong Kong Wong Kar-Wai


53 Alien 1979 USA Ridley Scott