"Classic Films for Dummies", suggestions? (1 Viewer)

[Stephen_L]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading and participating in the thread about not always enjoying classic films. When I was younger and wanted to learn about classical music, a friend who knew the music made me a list of classics that were accessible to a novice and easy to enjoy. It was a great introduction to an area that can take some work to appreciate, just like great films. How about a list of classic films that are most easy for the novice to enjoy and get into. Here are a few of my suggestions.

Foreign film: "The Seven Samurai"
the first foreign film
I ever saw. It was kinda off-putting having to read
subtitles, but by the end of the film, I was so into
it I was no longer aware that I was reading the
dialogue at all. If you liked this try Kurasawa's
"Hidden Fortress"

Film noir: "Sunset Boulevard" Wonderful, weird characters,
dark cynical tone, lots of crisp sharp writing. Gotta
love a film narrated by a corpse!

Romance: "Casablanca" Bogart, Bergman, Raines, Lorre,
Greenstreet. Razor sharp dialogue, world weary
cynicism. "We'll always have Paris"

Animation: "Pinocchio" I once drove a hundred miles just
to watch this film. (pre-video DVD days) Dazzling
color. Take a minute and just look at the amazing
background paintings. Great music. Just the best
Disney ever made (in my opinion)

War movie: "Dawn Patrol" with Errol Flynn and David Niven.
World War I pilots facing deadly odds with dash and
fatalism.

Silent film: "Metropolis" by Fritz Lang. The grandaddy of
science fiction film. Weird and disjointed like a
strange dream. Epic images. The best first mad-
scientist on film.

Any other suggestions?

 

[george kaplan]

There have been lots of similar threads in the past, but I'll play (I always do).

If you're focusing on accessibility (as opposed to best), then I guess I'd go:

Foreign film: M. Hulot's Holiday

Mystery: Rear Window

Film Noir: Double Indemnity

Silent film: Modern Times

Comedy: It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World

Animated: Dumbo

Romance: Casablanca

Drama: It's a Wonderful Life

War (action): The Great Escape

War (other): Stalag 17

Western: The Magnificent Seven

Spy: Goldfinger

Science Fiction: Star Wars

Musical: Singin' in the Rain

Horror: Jaws

Adventure: The Adventures of Robin Hood

 

[Jeff Gatie]

I think the most accessible list would be the AFI Top 100, start at the top (#1 Citizen Kane) and work down. These films may be difficult to some, but it really is the list that typifies "Classic American Films 101" and I can think of no better films to start seeing than the top 10 (minus The Graduate, which I feel is an important "60's" film, but may rank so high because of the average age and nostalgia level of the majority of the reviewers):

1 CITIZEN KANE 1941
2 CASABLANCA 1942
3 THE GODFATHER 1972
4 GONE WITH THE WIND 1939
5 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA 1962
6 THE WIZARD OF OZ 1939
7 THE GRADUATE 1967
8 ON THE WATERFRONT 1954
9 SCHINDLER'S LIST 1993
10 SINGIN' IN THE RAIN 1952


It really has everything (besides a great comedy) - A director/cinematography/acting tour de force, a perfect example of a 40's "Hollywood" movie, a 70's realistic mafia classic, an epic novel adapted for the screen, a big budget true widescreen outdoor epic, a children's favorite musical, a cynical statement on the 60's, a gritty realistic "method" acting driven crime drama, a hearbreaking historical war/humanity drama and a feel good musical. A good start, not perfect, but a good start.

 

[Brook K]

Foreign film: Stray Dog

Mystery: Rear Window

Film Noir: The Maltese Falcon

Silent film: Steamboat Bill, Jr.

Comedy: Hail The Conquering Hero

Animated: Sleeping Beauty

Romance: It Happened One Night

Drama: It's a Wonderful Life

War (action): Paths Of Glory

War (other): The Best Years Of Our Lives

Western: High Noon

Spy: Secret Agent

Science Fiction: Frankenstein

Musical: Singin' in the Rain

Horror: Rosemary's Baby

Adventure: Mutiny On The Bounty

 

[Lew Crippen]

Twenty films in English to begin. I left off a few well known films, like ‘2001’, but I assumed that everyone had seen some of those—others I thought were not particularly accessible for novices. Perhaps another 20 with subtitles for the advanced novice.

As George mentions, this has been done before—even so I’ll throw out a few suggestions, all based on what I think are accessible to those who may not be familiar with the ‘classics’.

1)Rosemary’s Baby—every list needs a horror film and this is one of the best.
2)Singin’ in the Rain—what’s not to like (an alternative is My Fair Lady)
3)Touch of Evil—I think easier than Sunset Blvd. for the casual viewer.
4)It’s a Wonderful Life—Frank Capra has to be here somewhere.
5)Raging Bull—easy to get caught up in the story—have a beginner watch a second and third time just for the camera moves during the fight scenes.
6)North by Northwest—maybe not as good as either Rear Window or Vertigo but an easier film than either.
7)The General—I think that Keaton’s slapstick is more appealing on the surface than Chaplin’s tramp.
8)Some Like it Hot—Wilder at his best. This is so funny on the surface that beginners don’t have to worry about the subtleties.
9)Bridge Over the River Kwai—one of the easiest and best of the ‘action war films’. Enough complexity to just push it past the simplistic category.
10)Chinatown—Jack at the top of his game—and so is everyone else.
11)The Third Man—and go back a few years—easy to get hooked on the zither.
12)The Maltese Falcon—one more film noir
13)Casablanca—Bogart even more cynical, more resigned, more heroic and more romantic.
14)Brief Encounter—David Lean’s master romance—by this time even novices should begin to get the movie jokes.
15)The Lady Eve—perhaps not Preston Sturges’ finest film, but certainly as witty as is possible—and enough edge to leaven the romance. Plus it has Henry Fonda in a very different role.
16)Mister Roberts—WWII as a mundane experience. Fonda and Lemmon and an all-round great cast.
17)Bringing Up Baby—the definitive screwball—Hepburn and Grant at their most appealing
18)Red River—a different Howard Hawks
19)The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance—John Ford, Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne—who could ask for more?
20)The Naked Spur—not yet on DVD, but the opposite of a John Ford western.

 

[Michael Elliott]

Foreign film: M

Mystery: PSYCHO

Film Noir: OUT OF THE PAST

Silent (early): THE BIRTH OF A NATION

Silent (later days): SUNRISE

Comedy: CITY LIGHTS

Comedy (newer) PLAY IT AGAIN SAM

Animated: EDUCATION FOR DEATH

Romance: WOMAN OF THE YEAR

Drama: RAGING BULL

Drama (older): 12 ANGRY MEN

War (action): THE GREAT ESCAPE

War (other): PATHS OF GLORY

Western: UNFORGIVEN

Science Fiction: THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

Musical: SINGIN' IN THE RAIN

Horror: NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD

Fantasy: BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

Adventure: THE GENERAL

Epic: SPARTACUS

Short: EVIDENCE OF THE CRIME

Forgotten classic: THE OZ BOW INCIDENT

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Foreign film: M

Film Noir: SUNSET BLVD.

Silent: PHANTOM OF THE OPERA / CITY LIGHTS

Comedy: SONS OF THE DESERT

Romance: IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Drama: THE STING

Western: BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID

Science Fiction: PLANET OF THE APES (1968)

Musical: THE WIZARD OF OZ

Horror: ROSEMARY'S BABY, BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

Fantasy: KING KONG (33)

Epic: BEN-HUR (59)

 

[DaveButcher]

I don't have to create a list (I always end up putting more thought into them, then I should), so I'll just name a couple that haven't been mentioned that I like and I believe are accesible.

The Country Girl; Grace Kelly, Bing Crosby and William Holden in an excellent character study (coming out on DVD very soon!)

Breakfast at Tiffany's; Audrey Hepburn...do I need to say more? Well, it's one of the greatest romance movies I've ever seen, and more so it's totally unapologetic view of the characters.

And (arguably) the greatest Film Noir, The Killers. Burt Lancaster showing why he's a leading man, Ava Gardner showing why she's the best Femme Fatale ever and Edmund O'Brien showing why he's in every noir ever made! Great story, brilliant direction and cinematography, and amazing atmosphere.

I say you can't go wrong with those three (and many of the others already listed)

 

[Paul_Scott]

all geared towards accessability
* denotes availability on dvd

Mystery: Shadow Of a Doubt*


Film Noir: Out Of The Past* (that would be my first choice- The Killers*(40's) or Gilda* would be my close seconds)

Silent film: The Wind


Comedy: The Prisoner Of Second Avenue*


Romance: Hold Back The Dawn (catch it on TCM) / The Apartment*


Drama: The Best Years Of Our Lives* / Who'll Stop The Rain*


War (action): The Great Escape* / Bridge On The River Kwai*


Western: Bend Of The River*


Spy: The Counterfeit Traitor*


Science Fiction: The Day The Earth Caught Fire*


Musical: Swing Time / The Music Man*


Horror: Dawn Of The Dead*


Adventure: The Professionals* ('66)

 

[Keith M.]

great lists

 

[Steve Phillips]

Foreign film: THE 400 BLOWS

 

[Kal Istoga]

Great lists! One more comes to mind (since its in my collection), "The Searchers".

 

[Stephen_L]

I consider myself pretty well versed in film, but these lists show I've missed some great ones.

I was laughing to myself a bit though. I'm 47 and some of the 'classics' being listed are current cinema to an old fart like me.

 

[andrew markworthy]

I think it's important to bear in mind that you won't like every 'great' film and you're not 'wrong' if this is the case. To take an example from classical music - you'd be considered a classical music fan if e.g. you liked Schubert, Brahms, Beethoven and Bach but hated Stravinsky and Monteverdi. Similarly, you shouldn't be concerned if e.g. you love Bergman but hate Fellini. I think the only important thing is that even if you dislike one of the 'great movies' you can appreciate why others may like it.

FWIW, the movies that got me interested in art house cinema:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Belle et la Bete
Citizen Kane
Last Year in Marienbad
Seven Samurai
Madadayo
Kind Hearts and Coronets
Last Tango in Paris [though I now am bored by it]
E.T. [I'm serious - that is a far better constructed film than most people give it credit for]
The Searchers
North by North West