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The following movies are my choices for great
movies. Essentially these are my favorite films and I would willingly see each
again, especially in a theater with a really big screen and comfortable seats. I
would go in the company of a friend or friends who know how to watch a film.
People who know how to watch a film never talk during the movie and never ask
questions until the movie is over. They also sit and wait until the credits are
over. Afterward we would go to a late night cafe,
order coffee and dessert, and talk about the movie long into the night.
Going to the movies, like life, should be an experience shared with interesting
friends.
By the way, if any movie recommended here is rated R, please see it only
with your parent or guardian's permission.
The Philadelphia Story - 1940
Starring Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart, Ruth Hussey
Directed by George Cukor
This is a witty, wry romantic comedy starring three Hollywood legends at
their best. The story, by James M. Barrie, focuses on Tracy Lord (Katherine
Hepburn) who is about to marry for the second time after a disastrous
marriage to C. Dexter-Haven (Cary Grant). The Lord family is blackmailed
into allowing two reporters from a gossip scandal sheet (Jimmy Stewart
and Ruth Hussey) cover the wedding. There is an interesting theme developed
about the difference between an idealized love or an intellectual love
contrasted with down-to-earth human love. There is also a curiously disturbing,
almost mythic, father-daughter relationship described by Tracy's father
in the presence of her mother that includes a rationalization of the father's
philanderings that is strangely placed in the story. Thematic studies aside,
it is the humor and romance developed in the story that carry the day.
This is sophisticated romantic comedy at its best. Back
to Top
Casablanca (1942)
Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains
Directed by Michael Curtiz
If you have not seen this movie, you have missed one of Hollywood's great
films. It has wit, humor, drama and romance. It has Humphrey Bogart. Most of
my students do not know who Humphrey Bogart is. What a pity. He was the epitome
of the strong, capable hero. Here in Casablanca, he plays a mysterious
man with a past that no one quite knows. He is quick witted and willing to go
it alone. When Bogart is on the screen, you know he is the smartest man in the
scene. How cool is he? He was a guy named Humphrey and no one ever made
fun of his name.
I got the chance to see this film on the big screen and, though it is still
great on a television, it showed what was magical about Hollywood.
Starring Marlon, Brando, Eva Saint Marie, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger,
Lee J. Cobb
Directed by Elia Kazan
For an in depth look at the symbols and themes found in this movie, please
click on the title.
It is said that Elia Kazan, who testified to the House Committee on Un-American
Activities about communism in Hollywood, used this film to justify his
actions.
The Godfather - 1972
Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Richard Castellano, Robert
Duval, Diane Keaton, Talia Shire
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
This is a compelling story of the corruption of the American dream. Told
from the point of view of the members of an organized crime family, it
portrays them as if they were an independent rebel kingdom of their own,
playing by the rules of their own culture within the laws of the greater
society. Seen in this fashion, the characters seem almost sympathetic as
they attempt to maintain their family's values (no pun intended) in a world
that would seek their destruction. It is in Marlon Brando's final scene
that the director reminds the audience of what a monster Don Vito Corleone
truly is.
This is Al Pacino's finest performance. Watch for his scene where he transforms
from a civilian of the outer world and a weaker younger brother to a solid,
formidable soldier in his father's army. It happens in one long shot set
in the father's study right before the eyes of the camera. Look also at
the baptismal scene that contrasts the appearance of a religious ceremony
dedicated to God with the reality of Pacino's character immersing himself
in evil. These are not sympathetic characters after all, but the damned.
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Starring Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Robert Duval, Diane Keaton, Talia
Shire
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola
The story continues. Though this was not well received by some critics,
especially the New York Times, The Godfather, Part II won
Best Picture like its predecessor. Juxtaposing the development of the the
father, Vito Corleone, with his son, Michael, the movie displays the roots
of the destruction of Michael's life, values, and family. Evil, even when
done for seemingly justified purposes, begets more evil. Vito seems to
have reasons for choosing his way of life, but it causes the ultimate destruction
of those around him. This is a powerful movie about the effects of one
life on many others. Back to Top
To Kill a Mockingbird - 1963
Starring Gregory Peck, Mary Badham, Philip Alford
Directed by Robert Mulligan
Rarely is the movie as good as the book, but in this case the movie is
the equal of one of my favorite novels. Atticus Finch is my fictional hero. The
film was so well cast and set that to this day there are scenes in the book that
I swear I saw in the movie but were never there. One of the most poignant scenes
in the movie has Scout talking to Jem about their deceased mother. Jem is the
only one who now remembers her. Scout asks her brother if her mother was pretty,
did her mother love her, did Scout love her mother. The scene becomes even
sadder when you realize Atticus is on the porch listening to it all. It is one
of the few hints of the private life of Atticus that the children never
see. Back
to Top
Field of Dreams - 1989
Starring Kevin Costner, Amy Madigan Ray Liotta, James Earl Jones and
Burt Lancaster
Directed by Phil Alden Robinson
Field of Dreams is a story of redemption, my favorite theme. Please watch
this film to see a fantasy that works because it is true to the mystical world
that it creates for the viewer. Everything that is in any way magical in the
film is proportional to its outcome. It has no false steps.
Amy Madigan plays one of the great Hollywood
wives. She must have been modeled after my own.
Starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Evertt Sloan
Directed by Orson Welles
Sure I know that Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever made, but
this is my list. One of the reasons Kane goes to the eighth
spot is that I have seen it so many times. It might even drop lower as
I get older. But always remember this: Citizen Kane deserves all
the attention it gets. Just having seen this movie makes you a smarter
person. I guarantee that you will see or hear five references to this movie
per year for the rest of your life. As a matter of fact, if you see this
movie because I told you to, you are to put aside one dime for every reference
you see or hear over five times a year and at the end of every five year
period, you are to mail me the accumulation. I do accept checks. Address
all remunerations to Masconomet High School c/o me.
P. S.: Click on the title and see my notes on the movie! There are some minor
notes about this movie that I have never seen anywhere else so you and I will be
the only ones to talk about them and people will say we are smart. (Or they will
say you are
smart if you forget to mention me. Just don't forget the dime.)
It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
Starring James Stewart, Donna Reed, Ward Bond
Directed by Frank Capra
Some people call this movie cynical, because of how many people are corrupted
if George Bailey (James Stewart) never lived. I don't think so. I believe
it is simply a reminder that this is a difficult life and a person who
can be a kind,, gentle influence can have the power to save a life or a
soul. If Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird is my literary
hero, George Bailey is my cinematic hero. Back to Top
The Crucible (1996)
Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Winona Ryder
Screenplay by Arthur Miller
Directed by Nicholas Hytner
This is a marvelous adaptation of Arthur Miller's play about the Salem witch
trial and, by extension, what happens when society goes mad and the majority
begins to persecute the minority. John Proctor (Daniel Day-Lewis) is the
ordinary man who wrenchingly discovers his own dignity in the "crucible"
of social pressure. This is a truly stirring movie. Back
to Top
The Lion in Winter (1968)
Starring Peter O'Toole, Katherine Hepburn, Anthony Hopkins.
Directed by Anthony Harvey
This is one of my tests for prospective English teachers (not that there are a
lot of them). If you don't love this movie, find another line of work. You don't
love the subject enough. This is a magnificent play turned into a movie. There's
not a lot of action. It is all talk. But what wonderful talk. The dialogue and
the performances are extraordinary. Enjoy them.
The Great Escape (1963)
Starring Steve McQueen, James Garner, Richard Attenborough, James
Donald, Charles Bronson
Directed by John Sturges
Screenplay by James Clavell
The Great Escape is an adventure movie that most men of my age and a
bit older will willingly see over and over again. I will hand it over to my
children as part of their inheritance. The premise is based on a true story.
During World War II, the Germans place several hundred Allied prisoners of war
who have made escape attempts into the same camp in order to watch them more
closely. As soon as the men get together, they begin to plan one very big
escape. The film has unforgettable characters and an unforgettable score by
Elmer Bernstein along with a sense of humor to go along with the
drama.
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Body Heat
North by Northwest (1959)
Stalag 17
Notorious
The Third Miracle (1999)
Shakespeare in Love (1998)
A Man for All Seasons
Silence of the Lambs
Starring Anthony Hopkins, Jodie Foster
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Silence of the Lambs is one of the most frightening movies I have
ever seen in the theater. Much of the thrill of watching this movie comes
from Anthony Hopkins portrayal of Hannibal Lecter, but most of the sheer
terror inspired by the film is due to the direction. In watching the film
for the first time, people are afraid of Lecter before he ever appears
on the screen. That is the creative setup of an excellent director. By
the time Lechter makes his move in the movie, the audience is convinced
of the danger that this one person can cause. The army of heavily armed
police use mirrors on extensions to see around walls and down elevator
shafts and we believe that this is the only sane way to go after this person.
What does this film lack? Substantial sense of theme. A climax that is
greater than the anti-climax. An out in front conflict between the two
principals. A sense of mystery that could be shared by the audience. These
are significant faults. Yet to the film's credit, we don't feel the lack,
because of the gift of horror brought about by the collaboration of Hopkins
and Demme.
Miracle on 34th Street
Starring Edmund Gwenn, Maureen O'Hara, John Payne, Natalie Wood
Miracle on 34th Street is what fantasy is all about. There is just
enough hint at the supernatural to give one pause. There is just enough
charm to make the audience want to suspend their disbelief. By the
end of the film, you will believe in Santa Claus.
Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O'Connor
Mary Poppins
Cool Hand Luke
Starring Paul Newman, George Kennedy, Strother Martin.
This film is the account of a drifter who ends up in a Southern workfarm
(a kind of prison). This film is famous for its anti-authority theme and
the line delivered by the warden played by character actor Strother Martin,
"What we have here is a failure to communicate." Those of you who have
taken my class Archetypes and Motifs in Literature and Cinema should see
the savior motif here quite clearly. If you
do not, take a retroactive 'F.'
Annie Hall
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
Psycho
Night of the Hunter
The Day the Earth Stood Still
Chinatown
Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, John Huston
Directed by Roman Polanski
See the movie and answer the obvious question: Why is the movie called
"Chinatown"? The answer is central to the theme of the movie.
King Kong
Frankenstein
Rear Window
Shane
Starring Alan Ladd, Van Heflin, Jean Arthur, Brandon de Wilde, Jack
Palance
Directed by George Stevens.
This story is about a drifting gunfighter who helps hold together a group
of homesteaders who are battling a rancher who sees his range being cut
off. For another view on the this theme, take a look at Clint Eastwood's
Pale
Rider which, though it gives no credit to Jack Schaefer's novella,
is the same story as Shane. Eastwood's film highlights the savior
motif where in Shane it left underplayed (though present). Here in
Shane the point of view is told from little Joey's perspective and therefore
the aspect of Shane as a legend of the Old West is emphasized. Stevens'
style makes his fights larger than life where combatants are picked up
bodily and thrown. The fighters, though they have been punched multiple
times and hit over the head with chairs, do not show bruises and the cuts
are minor. Eastwood's version is more realistic and puts the love triangle
front and center although he has altered is in an interesting manner by
changing the character of the boy to a young girl coming of age.
Vertigo
High Noon
The Searchers
The Seven Samurai
A Clockwork Orange
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Sunset Boulevard
Dr. Strangelove
The Lion King
Beauty and the Beast
Romeo and Juliet
The Wizard of Oz
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
Copyright 2001-2002 by Thomas Trevenen
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