1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die (1960's)

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: To be honest, the first time I watched it, even though I did like it, I can't say it really blew me away but maybe I was too young or not smart enough at the time to properly appreciate this masterpiece. Unfortunately, even after rewatching this movie after all these years, I still struggled to connect with the damned thing. I mean, what was it supposed to be really about? Was it to show how tedious and trivial the night life was in Roma back in those days? Furthermore, it all felt seriously random to me and it didn't help that it didn't care much about the characters involved. Of course, it is still a good movie and it would be foolish of me to dismiss the damned thing just because I didn't really understand it. Indeed, Fellini was definitely a very good director and it is a beautiful movie to look at. Furthermore, Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg were both seriously charismatic, even though it is rather funny that everyone remembers Ekberg in this movie when she was there maybe only 20 minutes. Anyway, maybe I should try again in another 20 years and maybe, this time, I will fall in love with the damned thing.

Notes: I always had a weak spot for movies dealing with prison escapes and this one was easily one of the best I have seen in this genre. Indeed, eventually, the whole thing was just so raw and gritty and, yet, without any catchy soundtrack, without fancy special effects or bombastic action scenes, it was actually seriously quite spellbinding to behold. You also get the feeling that you enter a strange underworld with 5 guys stuck into a small room for hours, almost sleeping on top of each other. Except for Claude Gaspard with his good looks, we’ll never know how they did end up there but you might wonder if they really deserved to live in such dehumanizing conditions. As a result, you might argue that the characters were not really developed but I think it goes along with how dreadful this place was. Indeed, slowly, they all lose some trademarks specific to their personalities, becoming one grey uniform human mass in the process. Finally, the neat thing with such a vintage prison break is that, back then, they didn’t have such advanced security systems like they have nowadays and, as a result, it was actually believable that these guys would try and actually manage to pull this out. Even the ending actually made sense. Of course, you could blame Gaspard but both options had some massive downside. I mean, would it really make sense to escape with his buddies when he was supposed to be released soon? No really but it doesn’t change the fact that what he did was really a rat move.

Notes: To be honest, it has been while since I have seen this flick but like everything directed by Luchino Visconti, it was quite fascinating to behold. I have to admit that, when I was a teenager, I thought that Alain Delon was a rather lame actor (at the time, he certainly didn’t have a stellar reputation in France or else where so give me a break…) and I had no idea that, in the 60's-70's, the guy was actually one of the best actors around. It’s just too bad his career went downhill in the 80's and it has been probably a couple of decades since he has done anything really worthwile. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, many might argue that it was the best movie directed by Visconti and it is probably my favorite one so far but I still have to watch more than half of his work. Anyway, this was quite an amazing movie.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: The first time I watched it, I must have been 15 or 16 years old, I thought it was just awesome and it became right away one of my favorite movies of all time. Basically, it is just a boy, a girl, a car and a gun, that's it, but because it is so simple, it became a really pure movie experience. However, even though those elements were quite simple, Godard did something quite revolutionary at the time which was stripping down many of the conventional narrative stereotypes (a core aspect of the French New Wave) making the whole thing even more spellbinding. Eventually, I re-watched it years later and I did lower my rating a little bit since there were a few dull moments but I absolutely remains one of my favorite French movies. Unfortunately, later on in his career, Godard will start to make really obscure movies and, in the process, more or less deliberately started to alineate his audience but this was his first directing feature and it became instantly a timeless masterpiece. Anyway, it is a great classic and I loved the damned thing.

Notes: I always think it is rather amusing when people tell me that 'Gladiator' is totally awesome. Do they know that the Peplum is actually one of the oldest genres in cinema and that 'Gladiator' is merely a reboot? Anyway, this movie was probably the least personal project for Stanley Kubrick as he was hired at the last minute by Kirk Douglas. Indeed, the whole thing was supposed to be directed by Anthony Mann but he was fired by Douglas who then hired Stanley Kubrick but they didn’t get along either and Douglas swore he would never work again with Kubrick. This movie was also the first and last time Kubrick made what you could call a 'standard' big budget studio feature without full control. Even so, I thought it was a really awesome flick with some spectacular scenes and it is definitely my favorite peplum. It is obviously the movie which stands out the most from Kubrick’s filmography as his touch is not so omnipresent and I think it is his most accessible flick but it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Notes: Since, it is a huge classic, I was really eager to check it out and I had some rather huge expectations. Indeed, it is supposed to be one of the greatest comedies ever made but, to be honest, even though I thought it was quite enjoyable and entertaining, I can’t say I wasn't really blown away by the whole thing. I mean, sure, it was pretty good, and I enjoyed it but I wasn't really laughing out loud but merely smiling during the whole thing. In my opinion, it is one of those comedies which was really great and ground-breaking when it was released but, nowadays, it all feels rather out-dated. I mean, it still remains a pretty good comedy, it is just I don’t really see what was so great about it. On top of that, I have to admit that Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine both gave some really solid performances. Considering Billy Wilder’s work, after watching 8 of his movies, I came to the conclusion that I enjoyed much more his dramas than his comedies. Anyway, even though I’m not a huge fan of this flick, it is still a classic.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: It is already more than 50 years old but it is still one of the best thrillers ever made. Whereas some older horror/thriller flicks tend to get a little bit cheesy and outdated when you see them so many years later, this one still looks modern and the structure is still stricking even for nowadays standards. The whole thing was so unexpected, it was just pure genius and the fact that it hasn't been more copied later on is because most of the directors don't have the balls to try such a daring move. I can imagine how the audience must have been shocked at the time, it must have been awesome to witness it first hand. Furthermore, it is still pretty creepy and Anthony Perkins gave one of the best performances in motion picture history. Indeed, he managed to create such a fascinating character, at the same time, rather sweet and even charismatic but also awkward and antisocial. When I check Hitchock's filmography, I think I still prefer 'Vertigo' even more but this flick is probably a closed second.

Notes: Since I was a huge fan of ‘Les quatre cents coups’, I was really eager to check François Truffaut’s following directing effort. To be honest, it is not one of his most prestigious work and it definitely belongs to his more obscure work but I still think it was quite enjoyable. Basically, the tone was more frivolous and the whole thing was actually rather unfocused. Indeed, even though it is supposed to be a thriller/film noir, it is obvious that Truffaut didn’t really care much about the plot and he wanted to rather focus on the colorful characters and there was also some fixation towards women, a trademark in François Truffaut’s work. It was also rather fun to see Charles Aznavour, a very famous singer in France, playing the main character. Anyway, eventually, even though it was rather well received by the critics, it was actually a box-office flop and, following this failure, Truffaut decided to drop the New Wave directing style based mostly on improvisation to some more traditionally structured dramas.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: To be honest, even after re-watching this movie, I thought it was still tricky for me to judge the damned thing. I mean, it was so subtle and I was never really sure what Luis Buñuel was actually trying to achieve here. The interesting thing is that, the first time around, I thought it was great and inspiring and I really loved the damned thing. After all these years, it is rather difficult to imagine how shocking this movie must have been when it came out at the beginning of the 60's (in fact, even though it was made and produced in Spain, it was banned in this country for many years). Maybe, what Buñuel meant with this movie, was that the traditional religious dogma might be actually a waste of time as it goes against many of our basic urges. Eventually, we are all sinners some way or another so there is really no need to feel so guilty about it, as displayed in the last scene, and our sins are basically what makes us human.

Notes: To be honest, I think I have never seen such a flawed classic. I mean, I know it is a huge classic and Audrey Hepburn was obviously quite charming in this flick but I seriously don’t understand how someone might consider this movie a masterpiece with the awful character played by the Mickey Rooney. Seriously, this character was so awful, he seriously ruined the whole thing for me. Coming to our main feature, it is a rather fluffy comedy which would be forever remembered for Holly Golightly, probably the most iconic character played by Audrey Hepburn. Eventually, Hepburn herself thought she was miscast but it became ultimately one of her most popular roles. Apparently, the story written by Capote was slightly darker with the main character even flirting with bisexuality but it was all removed and the end-result was something rather clean and boring. Anyway, I think the whole thing did have some potential but, by adding one of the most offending characters I have ever seen in a movie, they really lost me but since it is such a classic, it is still worth a look.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: To be honest, it has been ages since I saw this movie and I should definitely re-watch at some point. I have to admit that except for ‘Blowup, I didn’t care so much for the movies I have seen directed by Michelangelo Antonioni but there is no denying that, in the 60's, he was a major movie director and this movie was one of the many masterpieces he made back in those days. Jeanne Moreau and Marcello Mastroianni were both really strong here as they delivered some great perfomances. Above all, I thought it was a very deep movie which didn't deal with some chases, shootings, explosions and special effects but with relationships and the human mind in general. Eventually, I really loved the damned thing and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you like genre.

Notes: First of all, I have to admit that I have never been a huge fan of musicals but this one was definitely an exception. Sure, it was yet another adaptation of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ but it is one of the very few movies which managed to give a satisfying modern twist to this timeless tale. Furthermore, most of the songs were pretty neat (even if none of the main cast actually sang those tunes) but, above all, I really loved the dancing which was some of the best I have seen in a musical. If you are familiar with Michael Jackson’s work, you will notice that this movie had a huge influence on him which was pretty cool as well. The only issue I might have had with this movie is that it was maybe slightly too long. Indeed, even though it was actually a rather simple story which took place only during 2 days, they still managed to reach more than 150 minutes of running time but that’s something that often happens with such musicals when the characters stop every 2 minutes to sing a song.

Notes: To be honest, before watching the damned thing, I was actually completely unaware of its reputation and I think I decided to give it a try just because the review on the TV magazine was really positive. Eventually, I was completely blown away by the whole thing and it turned out to be one of the best cinematic surprises I ever watched. First of all, for some reasons, I have always been fascinated by the pool game and by pool hustlers and this movie is just by far the best ever made dealing about this subject. Indeed, it looked gorgeous, Paul Newman gave one of his best performances and the whole thing was just really damned entertaining. Eventually, 25 years later, they would release a sequel directed by Martin Scorsese and starring both Paul Newman and Tom Cruise but while it turned out to be a decent watch, it never came near the greatness displayed in this flick, I’m afraid. Anyway, coming back to our main feature, it is actually one of my all-time favorites and I really loved the damned thing.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: Since I really liked a lot ‘Twelve monkeys’, it is easily my favorite movie directed by Terry Gilliam, I was really curious about this short feature because Gillian was inspired by this short. Eventually, the whole thing just really blew me away. Seriously, by now, I have seen more than 5000 movies and it is very rare that a movie brings up something really new or groundbreaking. Well, this flick was definitely an exception and it is certainly one of the most original movies I have ever seen. Indeed, basically, it was made only with some still shot photography and even though it might sound tedious, I thought it made the whole thing in fact mesmerizing to behold. If you truly love movies and if you think of movies as a work of Art, you should check this one out. Eventually, I was really impressed by this flick, I thought it was just very inspiring and it is definitely worth a look.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: Among all the masterpieces Stanley Kubrick has made throughout his prestigious career, this flick doesn't seem to get much love but I do believe that it is actually rather underrated. As usual with Kubrick’s work, even if the movie is nowadays almost 50 years old, it still feels really modern. I mean, can you imagine how it must have felt when the folks watched it 50 years ago ?!? Even though there is no sex scene, there is such a huge sexual tension and Kubrick dared to tackle here one of the biggest taboos in our society. Even though it is common practice to cast much older actors to play some teenagers, with the notorious example of 'Grease' with some actors well in their 30's portraying some 18 years old kids, Kubrick cast a young girl (Sue Lyon) who was just 15 years old during the shooting and it made the whole thing even more unsettling. Anyway, there was here some flawless directing, the acting was great and the story was just spellbinding to watch.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: From all the massive classics directed by David Lean, it is easily and by far my favorite one. Of course, I enjoyed ‘The Bridge on the River Kwai’, ‘Great Expectations’, ‘Brief Encounter’ and even ‘Doctor Zhivago’ but this movie is definitely from a different level. First of all, visually speaking, it is Lean’s most thrilling epic. For example, at the beginning of the movie, you have this amazing paranomic shot of the desert and it was just mesmerizing. It is a very long static shot of the desert and, at some point, you finally see a camel rider coming from afar and coming slowly towards you. In this very shot, you have the real essence of this movie. Indeed, it is slow but also very meditative and so beautiful to look at. Of course, Peter O’Toole was just brilliant in this star-making performance and ever since I saw him in this movie, I became fascinated by this actor and I try to check his other movies whenever I get the opportunity. Somehow, I also connected with this character torn apart between two cultures which maybe has to with the fact that I’m half-French and half-Dutch.

Notes: Eventually, the more I think about it, the more I come to believe that this movie might be actually rather overrated, even by myself. I mean, it is indeed a huge classic and I really liked it but there were definitely some elements that did bother me. The first thing was probably the fact that Roger Ebert surprisingly didn't like it and, in his review, he developed some really solid arguments about what went wrong with this movie. Furthermore, I thought it did take a very long time to take off. Also, you always hear that Atticus Finch is a great character, brilliantly played by Gregory Peck. It is true but actually the movie didn't focus on him but on his children and I wasn't thrilled by this choice. Eventually, I should definitely rewatch it at some point to make up my mind about the damned thing but, for the time being, it remains a very good movie and a great classic.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: Honestly, it has been a while since I have watched this flick and maybe I should re-watch it again at some point. Basically, I was and still am a huge fan of ‘Les quatre cents coups’, the awesome directing debut by Truffaut. Right away, I became a huge fan of his work and I was really eager to see this flick which was considered as his second masterpiece. So, with this in mind, I had some rather huge expectations and, to be honest, I thought it was slightly disappointing. I don’t know, maybe I was too young at the time, but even though I thought it was fairly enjoyable, it didn’t really blow me away. I mean, sure, it was a decent romantic triangle and Jeanne Moreau, one of the greatest French actresses that ever lived, was quite fascinating to behold but, at the end of the day, I never really cared for either Jules or Jim. Anyway, even though it didn’t turn out to be one of my favorites movies, it was still a really good romantic feature and it is pretty much a classic.

Notes: This movie definitely deserves its reputation of best cold war paranoid thriller. The most interesting thing with this movie is how John Frankenheimer managed to mix a realistic approach with a totally far-fetched story. Indeed, the hypnotism and brainwashing thing was quite preposterous and, on paper, there is no way this story should have worked. However, the fact that it was taking place in a fairly realistic world created this constant mix of realism and surrealism. One of the most striking scenes was probably the ‘meet cute’ involving Frank Sinatra and Janet Leigh. Indeed, even though Bennett Marco was at his lowest and looked like a total wreck, Eugenie Rose Chaney still really flirted hard on him. To make this moment even more surreal, they had the weirdest conversation ever. Was Marco dreaming or hallucinating? Was Eugenie actually another spy? Those were really the best moments, when Marco seemed really vulnerable and when the viewers are not really sure what the hell is actually going on. To make the whole thing even more far-out, you had some anti-McCarthyism, the Communist Dr. Yen Lo who kept making jokes, Eleanor Shaw Iselin who might have had some incestuous feelings for her son and who happened to be a spy as well,… so there was a lot going on, maybe too much, but there is no denying that it was quite unique.

Notes: Since this movie has a really solid reputation, I was really eager to check it out. Well, even though I really liked it, to be honest, I wasn't completely sold though. First of all, the whole point was obvious to see two huge acting icons, Joan Crawford and Better Davis, playing some sisters and the fact that they apparently hated each other in real life made the whole thing even more spellbinding to watch. However, even though Davis took some major risks and gave an outstanding performance, Crawford played the whole thing way too safe constantly trying to protect her glamorous reputation. Indeed, she tried to play the whole thing as some innocent victim but it didn't work as it made her character rather flat and boring and she was as a result completely upstaged by Davis. If both women would have been on the same level, playing some demented old movie stars who have hated each other since childhood, pretty much matching their actual hatred the actresses had for each other, then, the whole thing would have been really awesome. On top of that, another issue was that most of the movie was about the two sisters living together in the same house but it actually didn't make much sense that Jane would actually take care of her sister after all what happened between them. Anyway, in spite of its flaws, it was still a solid psychological thriller with a very strong performance by Bette Davis.

Notes: One of my goals was to watch the greatest movies ever made but, to be honest, watching a classic doesn’t mean necessarily that you will actually love it. Indeed, one of the biggest problems I had with watching classics is that I would hear about them for so many years and, at some point, I would finally have the opportunity to see them. But, in some cases, my expectations were just so high and after fantasizing about the damned thing for so long, the end result would sometimes turn out to be slightly underwhelming. Well, that's exactly what happened with this flick. I mean, obviously, I did like it but, at the end of the day, I can’t I was really blown away as I expected to be. Basically, I believe that Federico Fellini was and still is one of the great movie masters but his movies are sometimes rather difficult to digest and I really struggled to connect with this movie because I was trying all the time to understand what the guy was actually trying to do on the screen. Anyway, even though I didn’t really love it, it is still definitely worth a look.

Notes: To be honest, it didn’t turn out to be one of my favorite movies from Alfred Hitchcock but it was still pretty awesome. Indeed, I think that the concept was a little bit limited preventing this movie from being truly great but it still completely deserves its stellar reputation. Nowadays, one thing that really bores me is that, in thriller or horror movies, they spend so much time trying to rationalize the most preposterous things (the best example I can think of is ‘The Ring’ remake starring Naomi Watts). The greatness of Hitchcock, in this movie, was to skip all this boring stuff and to only focus on what was really important which is basically ‘how do people would react under such circumstances?’. As a result, you get such a spellbinding ominous mood and this awesome effect would have been completely ruined if they would have given any kind of explanation about what the hell was actually going on. Anyway, I really loved the damned thing, it is a great classic and it is pretty much a must-see.

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...

Notes: I haven't seen this one yet...