10. Saving
Private Ryan (1998)
For decades war films had taken the form of heroic tales of exciting,
virtuous adventures and flattering depictions of easily-identifiable
goodguys. It wasn't until the 1980's and 90's that Hollywood took a
grittier and more realistic approach to portraying warfare for a mass
audience. Perhaps due to the unpopularity of the particular conflict
they depicted, Vietnam War movies like The Deer Hunter (1978),
Platoon (1986), and Born on the Fourth of July (1989)
led the way. The Second World War didn't receive the tragic, “hell
on earth” treatment until movies like Saving Private Ryan
came along. Simply speaking, this movie was a game-changer amongst
war films. The unflinching violence, the brutal subjective camera,
and the sometimes ambiguous morality of it all are now genre tropes.
But back in the day, this was shocking stuff. Today the film is still
held up by outstanding set design, a moving John Williams score, and
some spot-on acting, especially from Tom Hanks. Well done, soldier.
9. Paths of
Glory (1957)
Paths of Glory may be one of Stanley Kubrick's more underrated
films, but upon watching it is clear that it stands abreast of the
rest of his great work. Maybe its status as an early anti-war film
which brought it a great amount of controversy in its time is the
reason why it doesn't have the attention it deserves today. In any
case, it serves as a great example of how institutionalized
nationalism and patriotism can become a ravenous, self-destructive
force. In this example, it takes the form of a witch hunt: three
seemingly random French troops are being court-martialed for
cowardice after their regiment failed to capture the heavily
fortified “Ant Hill” in what was basically a suicide charge. Kirk
Douglas gives a most impassioned performance as Colonel Dax, the
officer who has chosen to defend the three. Throughout the film are
great examples of Kubrick's eye for framing and camera movement: too
many to list here. Just watch it, you'll see what I'm talking about.
8. Lawrence
of Arabia (1962)
This is an epic movie. This should be one of the fist movies that
comes to mind when you hear the term “epic movie”. Not only does
it have outstanding production designs, stunning cinematography, an
iconic theme song, and an impressive scope, but it also has real
drama in which you can't help but feel invested. Peter O'Toole does
an impeccable job of portraying a man dealing with several different
struggles at once: to liberate Arabia from Ottoman rule, to learn how
to be a proper leader, to unite the Arab tribes into one cohesive
nation, to find his own identity, to cope with the war's bloody
violence, and to determine his true allegiance. Suffice it to say,
T.E. Lawrence is one of the most complex and fascinating characters
in movie history. If you're even a slight fan of old movies, you'd be
doing yourself a disservice by not watching this classic.
7. The Good,
the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
Face
it: you're probably humming that theme song to yourself already. The
Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
is one of the most iconic movies ever made. And it's certainly one of
the coolest. Words can barely describe the amount of satisfaction and
just straight up fun one can have from watching this legendary film.
The final entry of Sergio Leone's grand Dollars Trilogy, this flick
finds Clint Eastwood playing the Man With No Name in a race to find
buried Confederate gold. One problem: he has to team up with his
slimy, rotten yet resourceful former partner in crime, Tuco. Played
expertly by Eli Wallach, Tuco steals every scene he's in; he's one of
those bad guys you love to hate. Rounding out the titular trio is Lee
Van Cleef as the ruthless bounty hunter Angel Eyes. Add to this Ennio
Moricone's classic score and Leone's oh-so-stylish direction, and
it's no wonder why so many people consider this the best western ever
made. It's certainly got my vote.
6. All Quiet
on the Western Front (1930)
Come to think of it, this might just be the oldest feature length
film I've ever seen. Despite the old-school acting style on display,
it doesn't always feel like it. For its time, All Quiet on the
Western Front showcased sophisticated camerawork and set piece
battle scenes. They really went all in, possibly making this the
first epic war movie ever made. The novel All Quiet on the Western
Front just happens to be one of my favourite books and I can say
that this film is very faithful in recreating the story of a group of
young men who are forever changed by their experiences in WWI. It's
an intense movie that doesn't shy away from distressing subjects.
It's a film that has aged well, hauntingly relevant for all
generations.
5. The
Godfather (1972)
Mhm.
Sorry to be predictable, but The
Godfather really is
one of the best ever. There's no denying it. It's got fabulous
direction, a timeless score, outstanding performances, and a deep,
tragic plot. Everybody who watches movies at all knows about it and
holds it in high esteem. So why didn't I rank it at #1? Well simply
put, there's a few moments in it that I think are boring. Yeah, I
said it. There are a handful of boring scenes in this movie: it
seemed the part with Michael in Sicily just would not end! Despite
this, The Godfather
is an excellent piece of cinematic history. It's just that the next
time I watch it I'll make sure to have the skip button handy.
4. Taxi
Driver (1976)
King Missile rejoice: I strongly believe that Taxi Driver is
Martin Scorsese's strongest work. His direction with this effort is
just astounding. The camerawork is so intuitive and organic, panning
and following items just as a person's eyes would. (Scorsese also
makes one of the greatest director cameo appearances ever in one
memorable scene.) New York City's authentic 1970's dirt and sleaze
just seems to permeate the screen and engulf the viewer into the
film's grimy and corrupt environment. Travis Bickle, portrayed
impeccably by Robert De Niro, is one of the most fascinating movie
characters of all time. This depressed, lonely, paraniod Vietnam
veteran insomniac is so interesting and unpredictable, you can't help
but wonder what he's thinking. And that theme song: classic. In
short, if you haven't seen Taxi Driver before, then do it. The
whole thing is like a feel-good movie gone horribly wrong: it's the
anti-feel-good movie.
3. Dr.
Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
(1964)
Stanley Kubrick sure does make a lot of movies about war, which is
great because I like watching movies about war. Paths of Glory
depicted war as unjust. Full Metal Jacket depicted war as
insane. And Dr. Strangelove depicts war as a farce. With the
threat of nuclear warfare hanging in the balance, the stakes have
never dared to have been so high for a comedy before or since. What's
cool about the world of comedy is that there's very few subjects that
are taboo. Sometimes the world throws some scary stuff at you, and
sometimes the only reasonable thing to do is laugh about it, which is
exactly what Dr. Strangelove sets out to do. The film's got an
array of memorable characters – the jingoistic Gen. Buck Turgidson
(George C. Scott), the exasperated President Merkin Muffley (Peter
Sellers), the mad scientist title character (also Sellers), the
cowboy bomber pilot Maj. Kong (Slim Pickens), the delusional
nationalist Gen. Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), and the absurdly
polite Capt. Lionel Mandrake – all portrayed excellently, bringing
on home a manic energy rarely seen in Kubrick's works. Combine this
with some iconic set design, some memorable lines, and the director's
signature camera techniques and sense of irony and you've got what I
think is the greatest comedy movie ever made. And as long as nuclear
warfare is just a button-press away, Dr. Strangelove will
remain just as relevant as ever.
2. Pulp
Fiction (1994)
If you like movies that have a lot of dialogue, then you'll
absolutely love Pulp Fiction. This movie's dialogue is so
intricate and so natural and so engaging and so memorable, you'll
find yourself quoting it for the rest of your life. This film's
screenplay – eclectic, episodic, engaging, out of order, and
delightfully awkward – very much deserved its Academy Award. It's a
very original film without a single dull moment and it certainly
stands out amongst all other films before or since. Pulp Fiction,
a film about one (well, technically two) day(s) in the life of a
bunch of LA lowlifes who espouse their philosophical beliefs to each
other, is a fun movie to watch over and over again. This is largely
thanks to its abundance of engaging characters. The cynical Vincent
Vega (John Travolta), the hot mess Mia Wallace (Uma Thurman), the
defiant tough guy Butch (Bruce Willis), mob boss Marsellus Wallace
(Ving Rhames), and the cool Winston Wolfe (Harvey Keitel) all are
really neat folks to follow. But by far the best is Jules Winnfield
played by Samuel L. Jackson. This talkative, easily-excitable, badass
motherf----- is one of the most entertaining movie characters of his
generation. His story of redemption is the capstone on this treasure
of a film. Go watch it now.
1. Apocalypse
Now (1979)
I sure do watch a lot of war films, and without a doubt Apocalypse
Now is the very best of them. While it's a movie that doesn't
focus too much on actual combat, it does provide an epic journey
through war's morality and psychology. Epic: that's the perfect word
to describe this film. A hybrid of Joseph Conrad's Heart of
Darkness and Homer's Odyssey, Apocalypse Now's
scenes each feel like a struggle against the forces of insanity and
pure evil. You can practically feel the weight of each and every
bullet fired, and each line spoken feels as if it's leading to
something big. Martin Sheen – as Capt. Willard – and Marlon
Brando – as Col. Kurtz – each take their characters to
extraordinarily dark places in haunting performances viewers won't
soon forget. Director Francis Ford Coppola gives it his all on this
gorgeous-looking film, lending it a psychedelic, dreamy, myth-like
feel. Watching a movie like this will definitely make one understand
the mindset of the US soldiers in Vietnam who went to great lengths
to remind themselves of home and distract themselves from their
loneliness and anxiety. Because as poor Kurtz came to understand, war
tends to reveal truths about just how close to the abyss one's soul
can wander. One of the film's many unforgettable lines sums this up
perfectly: “The horror... the horror.” And this is what makes
Apocalypse Now the greatest movie I've ever seen.
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