Next three:
14. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Featuring: A bunch of relatively unknown actors
Stanley Kubrick is one of my favourite film directors ever, so not only can you expect more of his work further on in my list, also this film here is one of the reasons why. Dubbed one of the most violent films is the history of cinema, A Clockwork Orange is indeed a rather sick creation, especially when you take the time it was released in into account. The film follows a bored youth gang in a very neo-noir-ish (although that term didn't exist back then) decaying city. The rely on the intoxication drug 'milk plus' to go out on a night of 'ultra violence', the scenes of which I won't comment further on. After some time and some violent and sexually implicit violent scenes, everything goes wrong and the leader of our gang (Alex, the main protagonist) is sentenced to 14 years in prison, in which he undergoes a treatment that makes him hate violence and as a side effect, makes him hate the music of his favourite composer, 'Ludwig van' (Beethoven). Because of the program, the music of Beethoven become synonymous with violence for him, causing him to detest it. He is then released from the institute and through a series of events he end up at the house where he once raped and murdered a woman and the widower (Mr. Alexander) doesn't recognise him as the attacker, but has read about his treatment in the paper and wants to use him as a political weapon to combat totalitarianism; if 'the government' can alter minds, this can used against 'the poeple'. However, when he hears Alex singing the same song he was singing while he raped his wife, the memories of the attack return, and Mr. Alexander drugs him and locks him upstairs, tormenting him by playing Beethoven's Fifth extremely loud. Alex can't bear this and throws himself out of the window, knocking him unconscious. Alex then wakes up in a hospital, finding he is not allergic to violence or Beethoven anymore, because the doctors have messed with his head again. That's the storyline in a nutshell, but it doesn't really do it justice. What makes this film great and a classic is partly the use of extreme violence, which at the time was unheard of, but also the futuristic approach of the story. Furthermore, Alex is a very believable character with whom Kubrick wants you to identify yourself with and even though the story is very fictive, he succeeds very much. This is not your standard film and it's great because of that.
13. The Usual Suspects (1995)
Directed by: Bryan Singer
Featuring: Kevin Spacey
This is another oddball in my list and I will not comment on the story at all, because that's what makes this film great; through a very good buildup and a massive revelation at the end, this film is one hell of a ride. The film opens with a scene from the end of the movie, where a man named 'Keyser' shoots an injured man named 'Keaton' on board of a ship, before setting it ablaze. Two people survive, a man named Roger 'verbal' Kint, who's taken to the police station for investigation and a Hungarian criminal, who's so badly injured he needs to be hospitalised, claiming 'Keyser Söze (a Turkish criminal mastermind with a mythical reputation) killed everybody'. The whole film then takes place inside the police station where Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) is interrogated as he tells all the events that lead up to the shooting depicted in the first scene of the movie. Through flashbacks, the viewer is shown what Verbal Kint is telling to his interrogators. Why is this film here? Frankly, because it's fucking amazing. It's a crime movie, obviously, but the way the story is told is very new and refreshing and adds another dimension to the overall film. The story itself (which I won't comment on, because it has to be experienced rather than spoilt) is very well thought off, yet still leaves you hanging at the edge of your seat after the film is over. It's that good and people who have seen this will surely acknowledge this. This film can't be explained, it demands to be viewed for the full effect. Do yourself a favour if you haven't seen it yet.
12. The Godfather (1972)
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppolla
Featuring: Marlon Brando & Al Pacino, amongst many lesser known actors.
Here's another classic I don't think I really need to comment on. This film ranks #2 in IMDB's list op Top 250 movies and while this is not something that can be used to assert the greatness of this film, it certainly doesn't hold anything against it either. The film depicts the fall of Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) the head ('Don', Don Corleone)of a New York based Italian crime-family and the ascent of his reluctant youngest son, Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) through the ranks of the family and the relations and rivalries between the Corleone family and four other maffia families in New York. Throughout the film, we are first shown that Vito Corleone is a man of great influence and strength, although more and more, the film hints at his vulnerability and weakness. On the other hand, Michael doesn't want anything to do with the family business at the beginning, but he rises to power and treads in his fathers footsteps as the new main man. His role as the main protagonist is the most important one in the film and it's the character development of both these two mentioned characters and a huge number of side characters that makes this film great. And then we're not even talking about what the film looks like; the images themselves are gorgeous and really add to the overall representation of the film. Obviously, there's nothing wrong with this film ranking so highly on IMDB's list, it deserves to be there and this is a masterpiece of cinema.
Topic: Top 20 Films/Movies Thread - Up now: toro (Page 25) (Read 77243 times)
