Greetings, reader!
The rear end of my Top 100 countdown is slowly dawning upon us, with just 30 movies left to go. Today's post goes through movies #30 to #21. Without further ado, let's go!
30. American History X (1998)
"And I kept asking myself all the time, how did I buy into this shit? It was because I was pissed off, and nothing I ever did ever took that feeling away"
Chances are that American History X is one of the most raw and real movies you'll ever see, and thus one of the most gripping ones as well. It is the story of two brothers, the older (Edward Norton) of whom is a former skinhead who has just come back from prison, while the younger (Edward Furlong) has found his way into the same Neo-Nazi circles during his brother's absence. Throughout its gritty and rough lens, American History X offers a realistic and powerful look at redemption, learning one's way out of the cycle of hatred, and finding oneself after getting truly lost.
Director Tony Kaye's excessive use of methods like slow motion might seem over-dramatic in nearly any other movie, but with this particular subject matter and story, it feels just properly dramatic as it really puts things into scope. Headlined by extremely powerful performances by Edwards Norton & Furlong, not to mention the inspiring supporting performance by the great Avery Brooks, American History X is a deep and unforgettable modern classic.
29. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
"But you know happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, when one only remembers to turn on the light"
My love and childhood nostalgia for the Harry Potter books and their cinematic adaptations has been on display in my blog multiple times, including last week, as the very first Potter movie made it into my all-time Top 40. Oddly enough, the third instalment of the franchise is even better. In addition to the goes-without-saying elements that make every Potter film work (the impeccable cast, the whimsical soundtrack et cetera), there are many elements that make The Prisoner of Azkaban in particular stand out, and they can be tied to one common denominator: director Alfonso Cuarón. The Potter movies have had a total of four different directors, and while they all have their strengths (Chris Columbus's family-friendly style was perfect for the first two films, while David Yates's darker take fit the last ones like a glove), none of them made the Wizarding World feel quite as unique and magical as Cuarón, in the only Potter film he directed.
In The Prisoner of Azkaban, the world that J.K. Rowling envisioned comes alive in an even more vibrant fashion than the previous films, which were very vibrant to begin with. You can just sense the wonderful and magical feel of the Potter universe in every scene, with so much detail put into zany and whimsical things happening in the background to create a fantastical atmosphere. The film also has the strength that it is based on one of the better Potter books, and I'm so glad that this was the instalment that Cuarón directed, because his style is so perfect for the sense of adventurous mystery and the delicate balance of silliness and dark undertones that define The Prisoner of Azkaban. All in all, a huge childhood favorite with infinite re-watch value.
28. The Prestige (2006)
"Now you're looking for the secret...but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to work it out. You want to be fooled"
And then for a different kind of magic movie. As you may expect from a script by Christopher Nolan and his less-known but equally devious brother Jonathan, this is a film that I had to watch not one, not two, and not three but four times in order to properly understand the plot. The out-of-order narrative that we see in many Nolan films is only the tip of the iceberg here, as the real bafflement comes from the final twist that is not only mind-blowing but extremely complicated in all its implications. The film's character archs, dark themes, plot devices regarding science and illusions, and many other elements combine to make for a many-sided ending that will have you constantly scratching your head and searching for clues when you re-watch and re-re-watch the film.
Of course, you don't become the 28th-greatest movie of all time by just being complex - like any Nolan flick, The Prestige is complex in just the right way and with style. Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, Scarlett Johansson and Michael Caine all provide dynamite performances while Nolan's directing keeps the atmosphere mysterious and compact throughout the film's runtime. The full-circle effect between the first and last scenes is always a nice touch in plot-driven movies and TV shows, and hardly ever has this trope been as rewarding and poetic as it is in The Prestige. Watch this film once in order to be completely baffled (like Caine's character Cutter says, "You want to be fooled"), and then watch it again and again in order to be slowly rewarded as you begin to grasp the full scope of the intricate and genius plot.
27. The Straight Story (1999)
"Even if you get that mower runnin' again, it might still break down"
"Well, you're a kind man talkin' to a stubborn man"
You know that urge that we all get from time to time, to just pack up your stuff and ride a lawnmower from Iowa to Wisconsin in order to make up with your long-estranged brother before your pass away? Well, that is exactly what 73-year-old Alvin Straight did, and this peculiar true story was bound to get a cinematic adaptation. And who was chosen to helm such a bizarre project? David Lynch, naturally.
Despite the inherent strangeness of the true story in question, Lynch didn't apply his usual methods of unconventional and cryptic directing into this film. The Straight Story is, appropriately enough when considering its title, a very straight-forward movie with a beautiful and sentimental flow to it. Parts of the film seem to tap into the very essence of Midwestern America, as there are many long scenes of Straight (played in a tour-de-force performance by Richard Farnsworth) simply talking and swapping stories with various characters he comes across during his journey. The Straight Story is a slow-paced, mellow and ultimately delightful and even tear-jerking cinematic journey, quite unlike any other.
26. The Lighthouse (2019)
"How long have we been on this rock? Five weeks? Two days? Where are we? Help me to recollect"
Robert Eggers' first feature film, The Vvitch (2015), was an above-average horror flick with a rather unique atmosphere. His second feature film, The Lighthouse, knocked it out of the park and into the realm of my all-time favorite films. Needless to say, I'm quite keen to see what the visionary mind of Mr. Eggers comes up with next.
First off, The Lighthouse is a technical marvel and a piece of cinematic art if I ever saw one. The black-and-white cinematography, the vintage 1.19:1 aspect ratio and Jarin Blaschke's overall job as director of photography make for a meticulously crafted milieu, with pretty much every shot being worthy of being framed and hung on one's wall (apart from the instances of overtly sexual and disturbing imagery, unless you're into that sort of thing). Add to this the creepiest sound design I have ever come across in a movie, and two absolutely mesmerizing lead performances by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson (easily both one's best individual performance of their career), and you have quite the cinematic gem on your hands.
But this psychological thriller isn't in my top 30 for technical reasons alone. The film's story is wonderfully interpretational, with everything left open and up for the viewer to analyze. Who exactly is the unreliable narrator, and what parts are dreamed and imagined as opposed to the ones that really happen? Is the film a realistic depiction of two men going mad in isolation, with all of the supernatural imagery being only symbolism, or is it a fantasy-horror flick where maritime lore really does play a frightening role? And what exactly is the function of the actual light at the top of the lighthouse? There are no clear and correct answers to these questions, but they will mess your brain after seeing the film and keep you intrigued and full of theories when re-watching it. Ambiguous storytelling at its finest.
25. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
"I love you"
"I know"
It's a classic and a game-changer in its own category. It's certainly one of the greatest sequels ever made. And while it's slightly edged out by the two other films of the original Star Wars trilogy in my subjective opinion, I do see why The Empire Strikes Back is often regarded as the greatest movie in this iconic sci-fi franchise.
The exciting story that began with Star Wars (1977) continues, as the tone is darker than in the first film in order to make it stand out and feel more mature, while still retaining the sense of fun and adventure that has always made Star Wars so lovable. George Lucas's imaginative storytelling and John Williams's powerful score continue to dazzle the viewer, and Irvin Kershner proves to be a worthy director for such an ambitious film. Episode V is full of iconic dialogue, unforgettable characters, fascinating settings and mind-blowing moments, to the degree that one can watch this film over and over again without ever getting sick of it. A true gem.
24. Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
"It's a trap!"
Yes, the second and third instalments of the original Star Wars trilogy are so incredibly neck-to-neck in their respective greatness, that they are literally next to each other in this ranking where every movie I've ever seen is eligible. That is quite something. And while I recognize this to be the significantly less common opinion, I can't help but choose Return of the Jedi (very barely) as my favorite out of these two masterful sequels. As a story of its own, as a continuation of the Skywalker saga, and as a final chapter to one of the greatest trilogies ever told in fiction, Episode VI simply gets the job done and does so with style.
The signature atmosphere of the Star Wars world, where a dramatic scope of epic high-stakes good vs. evil power struggles is combined with a light-hearted sense of adventure and fun, is at its very best in moments such as Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) receiving his lightsabre from his trusted droid R2-D2 moments before walking the plank on Jabba's (Larry Ward) slave barge, thus gloriously escaping execution at the last moment and saving his friends in the process. This legendary moment, much like many other classic scenes throughout the film, are made infinitely better by John Williams's score, which radiates pure excitement. When all is said and done, Return of the Jedi takes the original trilogy home and ends it on a high note, thus edging out the middle instalment of the trilogy, if only slightly. Films of this quality should be enjoyed together more than compared to each other, anyways. Speaking of great endings to great trilogies...
23. The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
"I never cared who you were..."
"And you were right"
"...But shouldn't the people know the hero who saved them?"
"A hero can be anyone. Even a man doing something as simple and reassuring as putting a coat around a young boy's shoulders to let him know that the world hasn't ended"
I know that most people see The Dark Knight (2008), the middle instalment of Christopher Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy, as the franchise's ultimate high point. But I'm not most people, and for whatever reason, I've always liked the final chapter of the saga even more. I'm a huge fan of good endings, as is witnessed by the staggering amount of various franchise finales in my Top 100, and hardly any movie franchise has ended on as epic of a note as this state-of-the-art trilogy.
Hans Zimmer's relentlessly heart-pumping score, Tom Hardy's spine-chilling performance as the villain Bane and Nolan's overall intensity in his directing style make for an atmosphere that keeps you thoroughly invested and at the edge of your seat throughout the film, with the desperate high-stakes story getting more and more dire, until it all unwinds in the most amazing fashion with the film's riveting final act. Christian Bale, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Gary Oldman and Marion Cotillard all provide sublime performances, driving home the point that the Dark Knight films were less "Comic book movies" and more quality cinema than anyone could've expected. A bombastic, poetic and indeed epic ending to a terrific trilogy.
22. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
"With the world so set on tearing itself apart, it don't seem like such a bad thing to me to want to put a little bit of it back together"
I could count the films that have resonated with my worldview as much as (or more than) this film with one hand. Hacksaw Ridge is an account of the true story of Desmond T. Doss, a religious pacifist who wanted to serve in World War II after the Pearl Harbor attacks but refused to kill. After facing a nightmarish series of different forms of discrimination, Doss was finally allowed to serve as a medic who doesn't carry a gun - he then proceeded to save numerous lives in the Battle of Okinawa, becoming the first man in history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a single shot.
Hacksaw Ridge is a tale of bravery, whether in the form of Doss standing up for what he believed in against his own army's demands, or in the form of him charging into the midst of gunfire without a weapon, putting his own life on the line time and time again in order to save as many wounded soldiers as possible. Andrew Garfield's performance as Doss is immensely moving, and the film does what all great war films should do by drawing a neat balance between not shying away from the brutality and senselessness of war and still managing to pay tribute to the bravery of the people thrust into the battlefields. Cinema is full of powerful World War II movies, but no other has touched me quite as deep as this one.
21. Do the Right Thing (1989)
"Let me tell you the story of Right Hand, Left Hand. It's a tale of good and evil. Hate: it was with this hand that Cain iced his brother. Love: these five fingers, they go straight to the soul of man. The right hand: the hand of love. The story of life is this: static. One hand is always fighting the other hand, and the left hand is kicking much ass. I mean, it looks like the right hand, Love, is finished. But hold on, stop the presses, the right hand is coming back"
Throughout his filmography, Spike Lee has looked at race relations through many different narrative devices: telling true stories of people like Malcolm X or Ron Stallworth, looking at the serious implications of racism and inequality in the world of sports or the world of jazz music, or taking these themes into grim contexts like the Vietnam War or post-9/11 New York. However, the film that has arguably spoken to people the most and stood the test of time the best, out of all the many great films Lee has done, is this comedic flick that looks at race relations through the lens of the residents of a vibrant and diverse neighborhood, trying to make it through an incredibly hot day.
This simple premise makes for the perfect framing device for the central themes of Do the Right Thing. It all takes place during the course of one day, in the midst of an exceptional summer heat wave, as the worsening weather conditions line up perfectly with the rising racial tensions on the Brooklyn street that the film follows. There are clear pre-existing tensions between the area's Italian-American, African-American, Asian-American and Latino populations, and these tensions begin to bubble and overboil as everyone is on the edge due to the unbearable hotness of the day.
Lee balances humor with seriousness in a perfect manner, as the dialogue between the zany characters make many parts of the film feel like an above-average chill summer comedy, yet the real and hard-hitting racial themes are ever-present and gripping. The film's ensemble of major characters is one of the most unique and memorable character groups in all of cinema, as unforgettable individuals like Sal (Danny Aiello), Da Mayor (Ossie Davis), Buggin Out (Giancarlo Esposito), Mister Señor Love Daddy (Samuel L. Jackson) and Mookie (Spike Lee himself) all take turns stealing the show with memorable lines and unique outlooks on life and race. An untypical masterpiece, but a masterpiece nonetheless.
Thank you for reading! Tune in next week for the second-last post of my Top 100 Movies of All Time series, as I go through movies from #20 to #11. These will include settings from World War I Europe to Broadway, IMDB ratings from a mere 6.9 to an impressive 8.7, and soundtrack masterclasses from Newman and Shore to Williams and Zimmer. See you then!
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