I am a bit of a cinema nut I must admit. I have a deep appreciation for the art form, and have previously written in detail about ones that stood out to me. Today, being my birthday, I want to talk about films that I love the most. These are the five films that stand out to me the most ( horror films were handled in a separate list here)
Malcom X
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Spike Lee’s career has had several hits and misses, but his standout film will always be Malcom X. This biopic of the late civil rights activist is perhaps one of the best biopics I have ever seen done and I have to agree with those who say that only Spike Lee could have done it this well. The film pulled no punches with its depiction of Malcom X and the circumstances of his life, the good and the bad, and showed just why he was and remains so important.
Spike showed Malcom’s rise from his criminal past, to become a major activist for the Black American community and didn’t shy away from the fact that Malcom had done questionable things. However, that gave more weight to the good Malcom did and especially when it came to his time in Mecca and the impact it had on his worldview.
This is my favourite Spike Lee film of all time. Lee dared to make a warts and all biopic about the slain civil rights leader and the movie was all the more powerful for it. A triumph of film making, Malcom X
Star Wars
This covers the original trilogy. These were the definitive sci fi films as far as I’m concerned, when it comes t Space Opera. It has a perfect three act structure in terms of each movie as an act, while each individual film is perfectly plotted as well. The story of a farm boy who joins the rebellion is a timeless one and has inspired so many over the years. The fans are passionate and the franchise it spawned is large, and it all goes back to the first three films.
Star Wars is more than just movies to many. It helped up us through hard times and also inspired creativity that brought great works from others. What was a movie that many wrote off as a sure failure when it was in development, to a cultural phenomenon, Star Wars has endured. Everything about it is iconic, from the music to the cinematography to the actors, and the original trilogy can simply never be matched.
Monty python and the holy grail
Monty Python is one of the most iconic comedy troupes of all time. Their sketches are well remembered and have influenced pop culture for decades.
Monty Python And The Holy Grail is a film that plays with the very idea of a film. While other films had done this in the past, none did it to this extent. The jokes made about the very nature of films were so well done and should be studied by aspiring film makers. Aside from that though, the characters were well written and the jokes timed perfectly. The personalities of the knights are played, but what provides so many laughs is just how absurd the situations are and how the characters comment on it.
Robocop
Robocop is a well remembered classic but many often miss the deeper meaning in the movie. More than just an action film, the movie was a brilliant satire on the culture of the 1980’s in America. It was brutal and held nothing back, highlighting every social wart that others tried to ignore. Nothing was off-limits, from crime to corruption in business and politics , to the way the media distorts what is actually going on for their own reasons. What was mocked most of all though, was the rampant consumerism that dominated the decade and the dehumanization of individuals which would continue for decades.
The commercials, the corporate nature and so on mocked how society was at the time in the US.. Even ED-209 being an unresponsive and ineffective machine Is part of the criticism of American mass consumerism, since You can see in his design, pieces of tech that were in vogue during the 80’s. He was over designed and unable to actually function, which was a major criticism of products made in America at the time.
In the end, the main issue that the sequels and remake missed is how the story served as a backdrop for the satire. The edge was gone from later works and they were not as good as a result. Still I suggest you check out the original so you can see how truly innovative it really was.
The Seven Samurai
My all time favourite movie, The Seven Samurai is a masterpiece in terms of storytelling that is considered one of the greatest films of all time. It has been retold in multiple remakes, such as the Magnificent Seven and the plot is a stock one now. A village in need of aid recruits help from fighters, in this case seven samurai, to defend them from bandits. What doesn’t get mentioned as much is how the movie is also an examination of Japan as a culture as well as director Akira Kurosawa commenting on how the rule of the Samurai class affected everyone.
The performances were truly amazing, especially Toshiro Mifune, and watching this film makes it quite clear, that no remake will ever come close to matching the epic original. Every scene shot, every word spoken and so on, had a distinct purpose. Kurosawa was a master film maker and has yet to be matched, with this being one of his shining jewels.
If you have never seen this film, I urge you to do so. It is a classic in every sense of the word.
Well, these were my five favourite films. What are your favourites? Let me know!
Disclaimer: The above is the opinion solely of the author and not necessarily that of Real Otaku Gamer or its staff.