Greetings, reader!
My Top 100 countdown is getting closer and closer to its conclusion every week, as today's post is the fourth-last one. Here are the movies from my all-time 40th-favorite all the way to my all-time 31st-favorite!
40. The Matrix (1999)
"You take the blue pill - the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill - you stay in Wonderland and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes"
I have a special place in my heart for sci-fi films that are legitimately mind-bending, as such a sensation is one of the more powerful reactions a movie can cause - the feeling of truly having your brain messed with after seeing a creative and mind-blowing science fiction film is a feeling I absolutely love. And there aren't hardly any films that cause this feeling as strongly as The Matrix. This masterpiece by the Wachowski sisters is one of those very original movies that might feel clichéd to someone who has seen a lot of films from the genre, because the movie is so influential that tons of movies afterwards have tried to replicate it. The Matrix seems cliché because it is the film that created the clichés seen in 2000's sci-fi action cinema over and over again.
The movie's premise isn't just insanely creative and intriguing, but also downright frightening (especially when you consider that it technically could be happening as we speak and we'd have no way of knowing). In The Matrix, humankind has been taken over and enslaved by machines, but the machines have created a fabricated reality to simulate normal life for humans - while they are working for the machines without any free will whatsoever, the program tells them that they are living their regular lives, buying groceries and seeing friends et cetera. As the premise starts to unravel through the journey of Neo (Keanu Reeves) as he dives deep into the rabbit hole of what's really going on, the viewer's mind keeps getting blown by the film's creativity and ambition. The Matrix also has some seriously badass action sequences, choreographed and directed with perfection. With its odd but amazing mixture of philosophy, Kung fu and Keanu, The Matrix is one of the all-time greats in the realm of science fiction.
39. Pulp Fiction (1994)
"And you know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in Paris?"
"They don't call it a Quarter Pounder with cheese?"
"No man, they got the metric system. They wouldn't know what the fuck a Quarter Pounder is"
"Then what do they call it?"
"They call it a Royale with cheese"
"A Royale with cheese. What do they call a Big Mac?"
"Well, a Big Mac's a Big Mac, but they call it Le Big Mac"
If there's one film from which I could've literally chosen any line of dialogue to represent it in this post, it's Pulp Fiction - I decided to go with the classic Big Mac conversation after long consideration, but seriously, any other quote or conversation from the film's two-and-a-half-hour runtime would've sufficed, because they're all so good. Pulp Fiction has, and I'm not exaggerating here, the best dialogue out of all the movies I've ever seen. While there are many strengths to Quentin Tarantino's magnum opus and many reasons for it being this high in my Top 100, the number one reason has to be the entertaining, timeless and simply unparalleled dialogue. Mr. Tarantino certainly has a way with words.
Apart from the wonderful conversations and the chill atmosphere they create (to a backdrop of significantly less chill violence), Pulp Fiction is quality cinema in a bizarre fashion. It has been called "The masterpiece without a message", which is a perfect description: Pulp Fiction doesn't have, doesn't try to have and doesn't need the sort of profound themes and life lessons that the very greatest movies often tend to have: it is simply an incredibly well-directed, well-acted, well-produced and immensely entertaining piece of cinema where things just sort of happen. The chemistry between main stars John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson is on par with Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd in Back to the Future (1985), with these two pairings being the two greatest instances of chemistry between actors that I have ever laid my eyes upon.
38. Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
"Come with me if you want to live"
The king of the delicate "movie sequel that is actually better than the original" category, and the overall perfect action film. While the original Terminator (1984) is an excellent action classic that wasn't far from making it into my Top 100 as well, the sequel improved on pretty much everything. First of all, the action is even better, as James Cameron does a pitch-perfect job putting together elaborate action set pieces, exhilarating chase sequences and intense fight scenes that will keep you thrilled throughout the film's runtime. The ice-cold score by Brad Fiedel, not to mention the frequent use of the badass Guns N' Roses song You Could Be Mine in the soundtrack, make for a perfect backdrop to the many, many great action sequences of the film.
But then you have the fact that Terminator 2 is a lot more than just an action flick sequel. Whereas Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 character was the villain of the first film, Judgement Day sees the same Terminator model being sent back in time by the hero John Connor, in order to protect his young self against an even larger threat. The young John Connor, played by Edward Furlong, forms a connection with the Terminator that is immensely more moving than you'd expect anything to be in a film titled Terminator 2: Judgement Day. In contrast to all of the action, the film has a lot of heart, with the bond between Connor and the Terminator making for a multitude of raw yet sweet coming-of-age moments. The final scene is honestly one of the most emotionally powerful movie endings I've seen, and it has moved me to tears every time. Come for the state-of-the-art action, stay for the surprisingly touching plot.
37. The Shining (1980)
"Here's Johnny!"
Shifting gears completely, we arrive at Stanley Kubrick's infamous adaptation of Stephen King's iconic horror novel. Now, I still haven't gotten around to reading The Shining (yes, I know, I really should), so I don't really have anything to say about the controversy that the movie is apparently extremely different from its source material. When I first saw The Shining, I didn't know what to expect apart from the picture I'd gotten from the classic The Simpsons (1989-Present) episode with "The Shinning". What I watched was not a typical horror film, but a film so uniquely haunting, so dazzlingly well-acted and so artistically directed, that it ended up becoming my all-time favorite from the vast spectrum of horror cinema.
I still can't get over just how cool and genius Kubrick's way of directing horror is. Instead of relying on usual tropes like shadows and jump scares, the absolute madman created a creepy atmosphere by messing with his set design - essentially, objects in the background disappear, re-appear or are moved around in between camera shots. The regular first-time viewer doesn't actively register this, but it creates a strong feeling in their subconscious that there is simply something very wrong with the Overlook hotel. This affects some viewers more than others, which is why many call The Shining the scariest movie ever made while many others don't find it much scary at all. I myself don't find it quite as scary per se as many others from the genre, but the film's signature atmosphere is just so incredibly unsettling and disturbing that I'd definitely call Kubrick's vision a success.
Also, Jack Nicholson's performance as Jack Torrance is one of my top 3 favorite acting performances in all of cinema, so there's that.
36. BlacKKKlansman (2018)
"America First. America First. America First. America First"
Interestingly, the line quoted above is spoken in the film (and was spoken often in real life as well) by David Duke, notorious white supremacist and former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan. Quite a funny coincidence how the same tagline was constantly used by former President Donald J. Trump, wouldn't you say? Go figure.
Truthfully, if you really do see this as a coincidence and don't see a connection between white supremacy and the current-day Republican Party, then you desperately need to see this movie (and maybe read a few history books (watching news from an objective source is also highly recommended)). Filmmaker Spike Lee loves to shed light on important issues and flaws in our society, and he does so in an especially powerful manner with BlacKKKlansman, which I chose as the number one definitive movie of the Trump Era.
Released poignantly in the middle of Trump's presidency, the film tells a powerful true story from the 1970's but isn't exactly subtle (nor should it be) about how the same themes play out today. By the end of the film, I was flowing with tears, because it such a gripping and powerful testament on just how hurtful Trump's election win, presidency and constant defending of his fellow neo-Nazis was to people of color in the United States. A majority of the film was surprisingly fun to watch for a movie that deals with racism, because Lee's trademark humor is at full swing and the true story of a black man infiltrating the KKK is quite empowering, but the ending scene will break your heart. Thank God for people like Spike Lee, for bravely calling out the flaws in our society to a large audience and working to make the world a better place for everyone.
35. The Godfather (1972)
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli"
If Citizen Kane is the Citizen Kane of movies, then this 1972 classic truly is the Godfather of movies. Hey, analogies aren't my strong suit.
Jokes aside, watching The Godfather is for a movie buff like reading Shakespeare's most classic plays is for a literature nerd (Trust me, I've experienced both sensations and the similarity is striking). What I mean by this is that The Godfather has changed the game so much and influenced so many films and filmmakers, that the viewer will sit in awe of just how historical of a film they're watching. The character archetypes and their dramatic relations to one another, Francis Ford Coppola's directorial decisions and overall atmosphere, and the extremely quotable dialogue are something that incredibly many filmmakers strive towards or at least take notes from in their work, and it feels quite magical to watch something so deeply stooped in cinematic history.
Apart from the film's value as a game-changer in cinema history, it's just a damn good movie. There's good reason for The Godfather being the film that is always thrown into conversations and jokes as the archetypical example of a perfect film (How many times have you heard phrases like "It isn't exactly The Godfather"?). The 3-hour mafia epic really is quite flawless, from its perfectly paced script to its vastly talented ensemble cast. What really makes the film stand out for me is just how incredibly classy it feels - Nino Rota's score, the impeccable costume design and the slow-paced and dialogue-oriented narrative ooze an untouchable sort of elegance.
Also, remember how I said that Nicholson in The Shining is one of my Top 3 acting performances in cinema? Well, Al Pacino's role as Michael Corleone in this film and its sequels is literally #1 on that list.
34. 13th (2016)
"We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities, we could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did"
This admission, spoken by no less than John Ehrlichman, former advisor to the Nixon administration, speaks to just how powerful of a documentary 13th is. There's no hearsay, no assumptions, no over-dramatization: the film uses cold and hard facts to expose the extreme degrees of racism in the history of the U.S., and the shapes they still take in the country's systems today.
If you're having trouble understanding systemic racism as a concept, this film will explain it in an accessible, no-nonsense manner. If you're not sure about who to believe in the current debates over the grasp of racism in our societies and where the blame lies, this film will likely give you some answers. Overall, 13th is a documentary that more or less everyone could benefit from watching, as it exposes many of our societal flaws in a thorough and overall shocking but important manner. Definitely one of the most powerful films I've seen, and one of the best-made documentaries I've witnessed.
33. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
"What makes you think she's a witch?"
"She turned me into a newt!"
"A newt?"
"...I got better"
When people think of powerful movies, their minds most likely go to films like Schindler's List (1993) or 12 Years a Slave (2013), that will leave you in shambles about just how fucked up our world can be. But it also works the other way - one of the most powerful things a film can do is make one laugh, thus bringing light and joy into the aforementioned fucked-up world. And no film makes one laugh quite as much as Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I have watched this film time and time again, and each time it has had me rolling in laughter from scene to scene. The bizarre, lovable and extremely British humor of the Monty Python comedy troupe is at its absolute best in this untouchable comedy classic, that has stood the test of time and continues to cause fits of hysteria to this day.
There is no doubt in my mind that this is the funniest film I've ever seen. Running gags like the random mixture of modern-day policemen into the medieval setting and the invisible horses that everyone gallops on due to budget constraints, unforgettable characters like the Black Knight (John Cleese) and the Bridgekeeper (Terry Gilliam), and insanely funny jokes like the escalation of the opening credits and the whole thing with the killer rabbit and the Holy Hand Grenade, are examples of a whole next level in the realm of comedy. The scene where the King of Swamp Castle (Michael Palin) tries to instruct his guards (Eric Idle and John Cleese) to guard Prince Herbert (Terry Jones) but they continuously misunderstand his orders, is in my opinion the single funniest scene I have witnessed in movies or television. If you're looking for a good laugh, you can't do any better than this film.
32. Gandhi (1982)
"When I despair, I remember that the way of truth and love has always won. There may be tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it: always"
Directed by the steady hand of Richard Attenborough and headlined by a sublime Ben Kingsley performance, this biopic of Mahatma Gandhi didn't win eight Academy Awards for nothing. A story like Gandhi's is a real dream scenario for any filmmaker making a biopic, as the real events were so powerful and dramatic that there was no need for the over-dramatization and fact-jumbling that we often see in such films. The movie tells Gandhi's story as it happened, from the racial discrimination he faced as a young lawyer all the way to the incredible pacifist movement he spearheaded against British rule in India, and later in the name of unity between India and Pakistan.
In its 3-hour runtime, Gandhi features though-provoking dialogue on oppression and equality, faith and religious freedom, nonviolence and many other important topics, always with a strong undertone of optimism and hope. The film's score, composed by legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar, lifts many of the scenes to further greatness as it combines many exotic and unique aspects of traditional Indian music with certain conventions of Hollywood soundtracks. All in all, Gandhi is an emotional powerhouse of a film, detailing an incredible true story that deserves to be told time and time again.
31. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (2001)
"It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to your enemies - but a great deal more to stand up to your friends"
I remember watching the first 15 minutes or so of this film as a very small child, before my parents had allowed me to read the books or watch the movies, as a sort of teaser - my older brother was watching the film with my Mom, and I was allowed to tag along for the few first scenes before going to sleep. After my time was up, I snuck up behind the stairs and secretly watched about another half an hour or so before my Mom busted me and sent me to bed. I just couldn't get the film's feeling of magic and mystery out of my head. Some time later, I think when I turned 7 years old, I was finally allowed to read the first Harry Potter book, and I read the whole damn thing through in two days, after which I repeated the same but in English. Then, I was finally allowed to see the movie as well, and it fulfilled all of my expectations.
Book-to-movie adaptations don't get any better than this. Of course, many of the book's parts are omitted and the cinematic adaptation can't quite reach the same level in all aspects as can be expected from a whole different medium. But the film adaptation's first and foremost job was to make it possible to experience Harry's journey on the big screen, with actors matching their literary characters and visuals matching J.K. Rowling's zany descriptions, thus bringing to life the feel and atmosphere of the books. And this is 100 per cent what director Chris Columbus (not to be confused with Christopher Columbus, who was less "Let's adapt this popular children's book into a series of fantastic movies!" and more "Let's slaughter these Natives and steal their land!") accomplished.
I'm getting all nostalgic and emotional just thinking about how insanely well John Williams's score and the film's set design and visual effects fit the atmosphere of Rowling's novels. The magical locations look just like they should, and don't even get me started on the casting. Dame Maggie Smith as Professor McGonagall? Just right. John Hurt as Mr. Ollivander? Perfection. Richard Harris as Dumbledore? Unreal. Young talents such as Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson as the main trio of Harry, Ron and Hermione? Absolutely visionary. In addition to being a nostalgic childhood favorite, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a textbook example on how one should make a cinematic adaptation of a novel, as it thoroughly understands its source material and captures its essence with magnificence.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next Thursday as I dive right into the top 30, all the way to the 21st place. Next week's selection of ten films includes a childhood favorite, a movie I had to watch four times in order to understand it, a movie that only features two actors, and two films from the same franchise. Stay tuned!
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