Login
100 Greatest Films of World Cinema - (see side)
Sort by:
Showing 1-50 of 100
Decade:
Rating:
List Type:
5373
8.1
8.3
Amélie (2001)
Jean-Pierre Jeunet
A fun movie. Gotta love movies like these!
You know why I downloaded this film? No, not because it was No. 2. Because every other list I opened contained Amelie as their favourite character. What made the character so damn special, so favourite that everyone is adding it? Well, I decided to download it once and for all and while sitting down to watch the film, I got a distinct feeling that I was going to regret it but... you know what? I ended up loving it. Next time when you open my list on favourite movie characters, you're bound to find Amelie Poulain.
But what exactly makes her so likable under a rather impressive performance? Showing only limited expressions is something closely associated with silent movies but it can work in the movies of the now if done correctly and Amelie is one example. a fixed, determined stare one second and a tantalizing smile to the screen the other. Like I said, I enjoyed Audrey Tautou's performance and her big eyes, big smile and short haircut really did the trick. A new bubblegum icon is born in her. I also liked her eccentric, somewhat autistic?, likes and interests and many reflect my own. All in all, the character is very fun to watch and even if you may not agree with her, you will find yourself agreeing with some of her unusual antics, shall we say!
Overall, the mood of the film is brilliant. The way it shows the locations of Paris as bridges between shots reminded me of a move seen in Tokyo Story, released more than 40 years before. The music is great, the moments are enchanting in some places, the supporting characters are quite-likable and the cinematography is excellent. It really puts you side by side by the actors or whatever is in focus. So overall, the film is fast, funny and occasionally shocking with a fun character in the lead.
Must watch? of course... Will be blown away? Hard to say but I'm leaning towards YES!
9.5 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
1238
8.4
8.3
Vittorio De Sica
Works like a BBC Program, feels like a biography. Bicycle Thieves is the poster-film of neo-realism
Neo-realism is one my favourite genres right now and The Bicycle Thieves is like the poster-film of the mentioned genre. It's a true classic and one of the greatest in simple storytelling. It's not too complicated nor does it have the characters traveling from country to country. Its so simple that a kid with a Mac could've easily written the script and it's damn effective, I tell you. It has one of the best father-son relationship ever shown in a movie and the Antonio Ricci character is, I think, one of the earliest sympathetic characters and still remains as one of the most human, most realistic, just like the film.
Right, now my mother, a lover of slow, deliberate movies, asked me to download the film when I told her of the synopsis and the iconic scene of them sitting on the sidewalk. This also happens to be one of the only few films which she actually sat down to see it with me, a rarity. From the first 2-3 minutes into the film she was intrigued and she loved it. The ending had her in tears, another rarity, and she now claims The Bicycle Thieves as one of the best films she has seen (she's not a movie-lover, nowhere close, and has barely seen 20-25 and she hardly remembers all), so this coming from her was quite high praise. As for me? I've seen countless of movies and this film is indeed one of the most realistic, emotional and grabbing film I've seen in my life. I think I saw a coloured version somewhere (maybe I imagined it) but it was nothing to the black & white original. I guess some films are best left two-tone and they're better fleshed out like that.
Even for a vastly unknown actor in his debut, Lamberto Maggiorani wasn't bad at all. In fact, it's one of the greatest performances I've ever seen. Accompanying him in the hunt is Enzo Staiola as his son, Bruno, who I think of as "the little grown-up" due to his mannerisms. One of the best child-performances ever. The supporting were not bad either, especially Gino Saltamerenda as Baiocco which my mom thought was the best in the film.
One thing I ask of you in these sort of films is that do not, and I repeat do not watch just because everyone thinks they're the best thing. If its not your genre or your type, just ignore and watch another because your views will be obscured and you will be compelled, like many others, to write only good things about this film. I recommend it yes but to us, the 'modern' audience who have gotten so used to seeing actors who resemble their Madame Tussaud counterparts and less of themselves, will kinda find it boring and long. I guess I wasn't one of them because I LOVED it.
-cue snigger-
9.7 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
4949
8
8.2
Pan's Labyrinth (2006)
Guillermo Del Toro
Not since the advent of James Cameron & Steven Spielberg has CGI been used so greatly and rightly
Guillermo Del Toro has a directed a surprisingly low of number of movies but great ones (Hellboy, Cronos, Devil's Backbone, Mimic) and Pan's Labyrinth beats them all. Gone are the days when fairy-tales were colourful and exciting. This one is dark, violent, gritty and top of all, disturbing. This is a stunning piece of work, with fluid, smooth CGI and great performances by almost everyone, a rarity in fantasy films. I liked the dark & unpredictable mood of the film and the life-and-death message. Since he had directed Hellboy before, I definitely saw few similarities between these two, ex: the spiral ground, officers, beasts and of course, Doug Jones.
Pan's Labyrinth unfolds like a torn old book recently uncovered from a long forgotten cupboard. It's so gripping and enchanting that the viewer is given no reason to press the pause button. The music is enthralling and the visuals are gorgeous. All the forest scenes are my favourite. It's so greatly choreographed and excellently detailed, especially the whole shoot-out sequence.Guillermo Del Toro should really direct more films like this and he should bring back most of the cast because they were, simply put, perfect!
Speaking of which, the number 1 best performance was by Maribel Verdú as Mercedes. I liked her performance and now I'm definitely seeing Y tu mamá también. Then the others I liked were Ivana Baquero as the lead role as Ofelia, one of the best child-performances I've seen, Sergi Lopez as the primary antagonist, Captain Vidal, one of the damn effective performances ever and Doug Jones as The Pale Man & Faun, with the former being a recent disturbing icon and he only appears for 5-6 minutes. The whole scene is so scary and intense.
All in all, strictly for Del Toro fans and/or fans of dark fantasy. A modern classic and won't disappoint you one bit, at least not the last quarter.
8.8 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
4700
8.4
8.6
Spirited Away (2001)
Hayao Miyazaki
One of Mr. Miyazaki's top 5 works
My second film from both Studio Ghibli & Hayao Miyazaki and so far, so good. Spirited Away is like a twisted take on Alice in Wonderland. Filled with a host of likable, mysterious and unsettling characters, Spirited Away had me at the edge of my seat by its reeling powers and atmosphere. I never thought anime could be this powerfully brutal, yet shockingly beautiful. It may leave you speechless in some places by its sheer simplicity or high complexity. The one reason what sets it apart from most others is that it's filled with activity. If nothing much is happening in the fore-screen, then something surely is going on in the background. It's filled with so many memorable moments (remember the River Spirit?) that it will make you reach for the Rewind button several times.
Unlike the others, this one is not for minors as they might be disturbed by some of the content or characters. All in all, the animation is very beautiful, the story fascinating, and the content disturbing but by the end of the day, it will leave you wanting for more. It's highly recommended!
8.9 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
698
8.6
8.2
Yasujiro Ozu
Timeless & beautiful, this is a film to treasure for a long time
Slow, deliberate pace and heavy realism is what makes Yasujiro Ozu's film, Tokyo Story, a timeless classic. Mind you, this film is not filled with well-known Oscar-nominated/winners all in one place nor does it have characters that look more plastic, wax-models and less humans. They look human just like you or I. They look realistic, they talk realistic, their expressions are realistic and the whole damn film is realistic. See, Tokyo Story has two of the best things I like. From a well-known actor/actress, you know what to expect but from someone who you absolutely have no idea about... they tend to surprise you in several ways. I think this is how a performance should be in a realistic film like this: the emotions, facial expressions and whatnot were accurate and 10/10 spot-on. It was clear they were really into it, not doing it for the sake of giving a first-class performance. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed Chishu Ryu as Shukishi Hirayama and Setsuko Hara as Noriko Hirayama and everyone else gave decent performances too but I really liked the above two.
Also, it has the Tatami-mat shot, the director's trademark, or as I like to call it, the incest-camera (will explain the term later) as the camera is stationed in one place and, for a lengthy period of time, never moves. I really liked it as I had never seen it in other movies (I may have, but I don't really remember)
Download / snatch / steal this film and be blown by the absolute realism behind it. It may make you think your own position and it may make you cry. If you're tired of seeing characters which resemble wax-models, then this is a film to watch and treasure!
9.6 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
1742
7.9
7.9
F.W. Murnau
You think you know horror, little punk? Why, you don't even know a fraction of true horror if you haven't seen this 1922 shocker yet... Bah! You kids of today
Nosferatu is an unofficial silver-screen adaptation of Bram Stoker's classic, Dracula. Nosferatu also happens to be the No. 1 best horror film I've seen and all other horror films fail in comparison.
I've seen this film in both the black & white "ugly" version and the restored colour version with beautiful cyan and brown colours and the font style had also been changed. When I first saw it in the "ugly" version, It was enough to scare the living daylights out of anyone and this goes on to show how the 1922 horror is still better than all the movies we're getting today. When I saw it, I tried watching it from the 1922 audience's point of view and to modern eye, It might look cheesy and glitched but way back, when Dr. Caligari was the only decent horror movie around, Nosferatu must've had caused many heart attacks and sleepless nights.
Max Schreck as Nosferatu gave the most best performance of his decade and was miles ahead in terms of great acting. No performance has been this chilling, this horrifying. Only Bela Lugosi matches. After seeing the iconic shadow on the wall sequence, It opened up new levels of ideas for me and my imagination just ran wild after that, coming with new ideas here, new ideas there. It was chaos and is still the only horror movie to do that so.
It also made me crack my hands at very, very amateur film-making. The end result was the ill-fated "Mr. Rich". A short video, about 2-minutes, on how greediness can lead to disastrous results. So, you can say why I chose this film. It's so addictive and a legendary German Expressionism movie.
Horror at it's most finest, follows every page in the book and is a landmark classic movie!
10 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
1370
8.3
8.2
Rashomon (1950)
Akira Kurosawa
Known for introducing the Rashomon Effect, this film is quite good but I think once is enough!
Second film I saw on YouTube and the first by Akira Kurosawa, Rashomon is a fine example of mixed feelings. I mean, I liked it but, after hearing all the hype, it could've done way better. I also liked the originality but too bad I'd already seen it before in Reservoir Dogs, The Usual Suspects and Hero, so the effect wasn't as effective as it should've been.
Anyway, Toshiro Mifune was arguably one of the best Japanese actor of his time and his performance in this film as the Bandit was the best. In fact, it was the only best performance. All the others, in their respective characters, were quite good. Not too dull, not too great, just OK. Although the film wasn't too tedious, it still was too much for a 88 minute feature and that is rather surprising because I consider 88-100 minutes to be perfect. Maybe it was because of the crying woman? At times it looked too much like a Greek tragedy or a melo-drama stage play.
All in all, I won't add it in my greatest movies just yet (I have to see it a second time) but I will say that it was entertaining and is far from dull, worst, boring or any of the in-between words. The dialogues are well-scripted but you will be left a teensy-weensy disappointed!
8.6 out of 10 - Not added
Happy Vader's rating:
454
8
8.1
Zhang Yimou
Mr/ Yimou's use of colour is unmatched!
It's no secret that Zhang Yimou directs some of the beautiful movies in cinema history. His extensive and vivid use of colour is gorgeous. More than 10 years before he directed his modern-classics, Hero and House of Flying Daggers, Raise the Red Lantern was there. The film has a simple storyline, a restricted location and a great cinematography. Oh, and it also employs beautiful use of colour. Sometimes I think Zhang Yimou is a product of an explosion in a colour factory.
Raise the Red Lantern quite literally pits 4 women against each other and the film observes enviness, jealousy, hatred, anger, love & sorrow. Also, to some extend, Totalitarianism. Every woman wants to be the top misstree in front of the master and wants the red lanterns hung in front of their house. The 4th Mistress quickly catches the eye of her personal maid, Ya'ver, the 3rd Mistress & the 2nd Mistress. One thing leads to another and the 3rd Mistress ends up dead, the maid ends up dead, and the 4th Mistress goes insane, causing The Master to marry once more. Enter 5th Mistress, but thank goodness the film ends there, because another 2 hours would've been hectic. Not that I would've minded it, but enough is enough! I think the appropriate title should've been Personality Clash or This is how Women silenty kill each other, or something like that.
The pacing of the film is good. The slow and smooth camera movements did the trick. Red Lantern also employs repetition and I think it was a good move. It kept reminding us of what we're watching and what the film's story is all about. Unlike Hero or House of Flying Daggers which were clearly story-driven, this film was more character-and-music driven. The heavy metal? background music was awesome and I think it perfectly matches the mood and characteristics of the film and the women, respectively.
From the performances, Gong-Li had the upper-hand, while He Caifi was just a rung below, but both were amazing in their characters. They both, out of all, portrayed the frustration, the anger, the hidden hatred, and then a sudden affection for each other, almost perfectly. The film was entirely on their shoulders and both handled the weight flawlessly!
My ending note will be: Not just a great film. A landmark film! It has characters which are divided in two: Either you end up hating them, or loving them. A quite-powerful film that demands a repeat!
9.0/10 Stars out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
2862
8.1
8.2
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Hayao Miyazaki
I want a neighbour like Totoro and I WANT IT NOW!!
All the doubts I had of Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki were washed away after watching this master-of-a-classic My Neighbour Totoro. Such a loving, warm and friendly cartoon this is. The music is tantalizing and the animation is simply gorgeous. Breathtaking. Riveting. Absolutely brilliant from the start to the finish. This film has no life or death scenes or crying moments, although some may want you to reach for a Kleenex. But remember, this is not a weepy movie neither its an action one. It's all about life and what comes with it. I absolutely, positively LOVED this film and I'm keeping an eye out for more Mr. Miyazaki's works as now I'm fully confident I will enjoy the others as much as I did this one.
The reason why I instantly clicked with the main two characters, Satsuki and her little sister Mei, is because they reflect / mirror my two little sisters, ages 13 & 8. I positively loved their characteristics and the loving chemistry both shared with each other. Had this been an American film, the elder might have slapped the younger. Had this been Indian, vice versa. I'm still looking for cartoons who portray siblings, especially girls, in a more positive and likable light. Out of the two, I really liked Mei because of her determination, stubbornness and, to some extend, heroism + I liked her original Japanese V.O (Chika Sakamoto) and her English V.O (Elle Fanning) wasn't bad at all. The way she constantly follows her elder sister around, often doing what she's doing, and often falling while running reflects, like I said, my youngest sister who does 10/10 the same.
Then we have two of the most lovable, huggable critters in cartoon history: Totoro and the Catbus. Both are simple in imagination & design, yet rich in what they deliver. With their surreal smile and dominating screen presence, there is no wonder why they are one of the greatest. However, the character of Catbus might be a little misleading to some minors and what exactly I mean by that, even I have no idea but I just got a feeling, that's all.
All in all, My Neighbour Totoro is undoubtedly one of the most lovable film ever made with a surprisingly simple plot and a host of likable characters. Also, the emotions seen in this film is rare compared to others. The realism is so high that you won't be able to believe you're watching a cartoon. A positively brilliant cartoon, suitable for all ages and size, and deserves to be watched!!
10 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
1672
7.9
8.2
Downfall (2004)
Oliver Hirschbiegel
I think for the first time Der Fuehrer may not be spinning in his grave. He would've been rather impressed by this powerful and bold movie and by Bruno Ganz's near-to-perfect performance
After watching countless parodies (which included a lame FIFA parody) of the famous scene where Hitler lashes out on everyone, I decided to download this movie and see what's the hype all about. With Bruno Ganz in the lead and followed by an impressive supporting cast, this film very well could be the Lawrence Of Arabia or Schindler's List of the modern times. Never has a man shown onscreen so vividly & realistically!
Bruno Ganz's performance as Adolf Hitler probably is the best portrayal of the Fuhrer in modern times. Hard-faced, hardly amusing & a voice more grainy than Kurt Cobain, his version was a solid winner! I have a love/hate relationship with this film. I mean, they brutalized - and humanized - every person in this film that it actually makes you sympathize & feel hatred for them at the same time!
Never has a WW2 film captured me to forcefully. A highly recommend movie that will not disappoint you at all!
9.0 out of 10 - Added
Happy Vader's rating:
Load more items (50 more in this list)
Don't vote for it yet... let it finish
I don't follow any movie lists like IMDB Top 250 or Roger Ebert's Greatest Movies etc... I just download movies of my interest and if they're great, I add them in my greatest movies list
or don't. I tried following one, Entertainment Weekly's 50 Greatest High-School Movies in descending order but stopped at just no. 49 (Sixteen Candles). And as seeing how boring that was, I decided to follow another:
100 Greatest Films of World Cinema by Empire Magazine and the reason because it has many films I always wanted to check out and I will be writing my reviews + thoughts here on this list... Enjoy!
One note:
Added means the film is added to my 500 Greatest Movies of All Time
Not added means its not added!
March 12th 2012 - Rififi, Downfall, Nosferatu, An Andalusian Dog
March 13th 2012 - Night Watch
March 14th 2012 - My Neighbour Totoro
March 15th 2012 - Spirited Away
March 17th 2012 - Tokyo Story
March 18th 2012 - Amelie
March 19th 2012 - Rashomon
March 21st 2012 - Belle De Jour
March 26th 2012 - The Bicycle Thieves
March 27th 2012 - Pan's Labyrinth
RSS Feed