What is your favourite film?

[AJS]

Being faced with the prospect of a long, boring summer I foolishly agreed to write a series of film articles for a friend who is trying to put together a new magazine. This forum represent a very varied cross section of society from all areas of the world, so in order to try and get a grasp of current cinematic trends I would appreciate it if you could let me know what your favourite films are and why this is so.
To begin with, I would say that my vote for the greatest film I have ever seen goes to Ingmar Bergman's "Wild Strawberries." I have never understood why, for most people, the idea of "true" cinema is not synonomous with great entertainment, and for me this film bridges that gap admirably. As any film student will know, this is one of the first film's you study due to it's technical excellence and trend setting direction, but for me the true beauty of the film lies in the way Bergman was able to capture the complexity and nuances of the character's, and consequently the audience as a whole, life experiences, replete with the bitter disappointments of missed opportunity in a mere 90 minutes. Also, despite the typical sombreness that is Bergman's trademark, the film has a joyous, life affirming conclusion.

 

[Scotto]

Favorite foreign film: Kurosawa's "Ran"

Favorite domestic film: The Godfather

 

[moses]

Ok, this is way too hard.

Cheesy I know (as a selection, not as a film), but Casablanca gotta be up there. Great plot (and, no, it really isn't a love story), and amazing acting (mostly by Ingrid Bergman).

In a sufficiently dark mood, Apocalypse Now.

 

[Tito]

D: The Big Lebowski
Bottle Rocket

F: City of God

 

[Holyhabanero]

I have a ton of movies I love, but off the top of my head, here's my short list:

The Searchers
Rear Window
First Blood
The Princess Bride
Hamlet (1996 Kenneth Brannaugh version)
Better Off Dead
Lord of the Rings Trilogy (I count them as one)
Red Dawn
The Man From Snowy River
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Whale Rider
Au Revoir les Enfants
Ghandi
Life is Beautiful

 

[rschul2]

1) Casablanca
but a very close 2nd: It Happened One Night

 

[jfm]

Le Samourai, Citizen Kane, Red Beard (Akira Kurosawa, I like about anything he was involved with), Amelie, Casablanca, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Batman Begins. The thread that seems to run through movies I enjoy are cinematography and isolated (socially or otherwise) characters. Sorry for the laundry list, but I am addicted to film.

 

[ouch]

Foreign- El Topo
Domestic- The Producers


Lots of honorable mentions, starting with Clockwork Orange and Dr. Strangelove.

 

[mantic]

My Favorite Year
Star Wars

 

[AJS]

Interesting replies so far. When selecting a film to watch, does entertainment take precedence? Or does anybody here prefer to be challenged by their choice of viewing, and select films that they can spend weeks dissecting? I suppose really it is a matter of preference at the time, but like I said in my original post, I don't think that entertainment and great cinema are mutually exclusive.
Since everyone else provided a selection of films, I would add to my original choice the following films: The Legend of the Holy Drinker, The Keep, Shoot the Piano Player, Dazed and Confused, Out of the Past, La Belle Noiseuse (not just because Emmanuelle Beart spends the majority of the film naked ) and Lovers of the Arctic Circle.

 

[jmhUT]

Exceptionally difficult to narrow down to a single favorite. Your question regarding challenge vs. entertainment is one of many that could be used to declare a favorite. If I had to pick only one I would pick a challenge and weight the quality of writing and character development as the two key variables. With that in mind I would probably have to go with Pulp Fiction, a singularly unique film (at the time) that will likely make its way into film school curriculumns if it hasn't already. Writing, casting, acting, directing and structure were perfect.

I tend to appreciate cinematography and special effects in my "entertaining" films: The Matrix, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Lord of the Rings, etc. By entertaining I assume you do not mean simple (i.e. lightheated comedy, of which there are several gems) but rather those films where one is taken on a predetermined ride rather than asked to interpret for themselves.

Ultimately I am a dialogue fan. My favorite TV show is the 1st four seasons of The West Wing, when Sorkin was still writing. Two very nice movies for dialogue and characterization fans are "The Big Kahuna", starring Kevin Spacey, Danny Devito and Peter Facinelli; and "Tape", with Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard. Both films are little more than three people in a room. The acting in both cases is superb. Kevin Sapcey in particular is exceptional.

Finally, let us not overlook the flat out funny *** movies. Napoleon Dynamite, Dazed and Confused, American Pie, Anchorman, The 40 year old Virgin, etc. Laughter is critical.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[mrob]

One of my very faves is Being There with Peter Sellers as Chauncey Gardiner. Just a magical, dreamy kind of film--without which Forrest Gump never would have been dreamt of.

 

[AJS]

Exceptionally difficult to narrow down to a single favorite. Your question regarding challenge vs. entertainment is one of many that could be used to declare a favorite. If I had to pick only one I would pick a challenge and weight the quality of writing and character development as the two key variables. With that in mind I would probably have to go with Pulp Fiction, a singularly unique film (at the time) that will likely make its way into film school curriculumns if it hasn't already. Writing, casting, acting, directing and structure were perfect.

I tend to appreciate cinematography and special effects in my "entertaining" films: The Matrix, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, The Lord of the Rings, etc. By entertaining I assume you do not mean simple (i.e. lightheated comedy, of which there are several gems) but rather those films where one is taken on a predetermined ride rather than asked to interpret for themselves.

Ultimately I am a dialogue fan. My favorite TV show is the 1st four seasons of The West Wing, when Sorkin was still writing. Two very nice movies for dialogue and characterization fans are "The Big Kahuna", starring Kevin Spacey, Danny Devito and Peter Facinelli; and "Tape", with Ethan Hawke, Uma Thurman and Robert Sean Leonard. Both films are little more than three people in a room. The acting in both cases is superb. Kevin Sapcey in particular is exceptional.

Finally, let us not overlook the flat out funny *** movies. Napoleon Dynamite, Dazed and Confused, American Pie, Anchorman, The 40 year old Virgin, etc. Laughter is critical.
Cheers,
Jeff

You raise some very interesting points there. With the idea of dialogue and characterisation being as important as technical accomplishment, how do the actors effect the quality of the final product? Obviously, the acting has a definite effect on the "entertainment" value, but when discussing great cinema I have always found the emphasis is placed upon the director and his style, little consideration is ever given to the actors. For example, Asphalt Jungle (another one of my favourites) is often spoken of as a direct influence on Reservoir Dogs due to the structure and the cinematography, yet no one seems to fully appreciate the strength Sterling Hayden's performance brings to the movie.

 

[moses]

I can certainly see how a movie can be interesting, at least from an analytical point of view, based on the strength of a director alone. To me, however, I really fail to see how a movie can be anything approaching really great cinema without truly great acting. And a good enough actor giving a good enough performance can carry a movie that would likely otherwise have been a flop. (Anyone seen Dog Day Afternoon).

 

[Shane]

Foreign Films
1. M
2. The City Of Lost Children

Domestic Films
1. Mr. Smith Goes To Washington (too bad our elected leaders don't have that kind of spine anymore)
2. Wonder Boys

 

[teamacacia]

So hard to really narrow down. My DVD collection tends to have all of my favorites including:
Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Pirates of the Caribbean
Band of Brothers
Saving Private Ryan
Gladiator
Bourne Identity and Supremecy
Top Gun
Memento
Fight Club
Sixth Sense
The Others
and many more!!!

 

[jmhUT]

Indeed, Film is most definately a director's medium. I really don't think that can be argued. As such, films will always be judged amongst their own based on the percieved merits of their directors. IMO this is why Citizen Kane is still considered to be one of the best movies ever made (another film school favorite).

However without the story there is no movie. Kind of like it doesn't matter what your business is, without sales nothing else matters. Ultimately we are talking aobut storytelling and writing (in this case dialogue) is therefore critical. It is not, however, visual. The skillset required to transform word to screen is unique and not typically among a writer's talents.

I think actors are most appreciated by the audience because they provide the tangible link between them and the director. It's really difficult not to fall in love with a talented actor/actress.

Stength in only one of these three areas is necessary for GOOD film. Dog Day Afternoon is a great example of this. Strength in all three is quite rare and awe-inspiring. I suspect we see so few of these because they tend to not make any money.
What a nice topic for a lazy (boss is out of town) Thursday afternoon.
Cheers,
Jeff

 

[Harkonnendog]

My favorite film is Die Hard. I have never understood why, for most people, the idea of "true" cinema is not synonomous with great entertainment, and for me this film bridges that gap admirably. As any film student will know, this is a great film to study due to it's technical excellence and trend setting direction, but for me the true beauty of the film lies in the way McTiernan was able to capture the complexity and nuances of the character's, and consequently the audience as a whole, life experiences during times of high stress, replete with the bitter disappointments of missed opportunity in a mere 91 minutes. Also, despite the violence, the film has a joyous, life affirming conclusion.

 

[MJB]

Dr. Strangelove.

Kubrick--Sellers...what's not to love?

MJB

 

[tonyespo]

I guess from what I'm reading XXX films are not allowed?

Oh well, I guess I'll keep my favorites a secret.

Tony Espo