One question people always ask is what are the greatest films of all-time. There is a lot of different criteria that goes into coming up with a list and it all depends on your taste mainly due to all film being subjective and everyone liking or disliking the same/different things. I've decided to do a new series in which I try to decide what I think are the greatest films of all-time. One way to help do that is by deciding what the best films of each decade are. Each month until October I will choose what I think are the best films from each decade and in November I will take the number one films in each decade and put them into a top 10 greatest films of all-time list. Now the list will bot be based on scores or my own personal lists, but based off the popularity of each film and how much of an effect it has had or is having on film today. For example my favorite film of all-time is The Dark Knight, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I think it is the greatest film of its decade. For this month I'm going to bring you the top 10 films of the 1930's. So without further ado...
10. Modern Times
As with The Kid in the 1920's, Modern Times in the 1930's is iconic for so many reasons. The Tramp is such an iconic figure in film history and its the greatest comedic character to ever be on the big screen and he'll never be topped. The film is told is basically 4 acts (The second act is longer than usual so that could be split up evenly) which is very uncommon in film and I'm surprised that more films don't do this. This film is also iconic for this being the last time The Tramp ever appeared on the big screen and it couldn't have been a better ending for such an iconic character.
9. Mutiny on the Bounty
This film is mainly notable for having quite a few historical inaccuracies. It tells the true story of mutiny that actually occurred in the late 1700's. Mainly the film goes off the knowledge of how the facts did and didn't happen without trying to be significantly accurate. The performances are really amazing and Clark Gable proves why he was the king of 1930' as an actor and the performance of Charles Laughton is one of the many performances that inspired Daniel-Day Lewis. It also has a record for several different records for Oscars categories and one of which is that it is the last film to win Best Picture without having won any other award it was nominated for and it is the first and only film to have 3 actors nominated for Best Actor (The Godfather did it, but it was for Best Supporting Actor). Despite the inaccuracies, the film is absolutely gorgeous and it has some all-time great performances.
8. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
How can you make a list without mentioning a Jimmy Stewart film. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is such a fantastic movie and it still speaks volumes to this day. While the film has been mentioned as communist (which I can see) all it really does is show how corrupt the system truly is and this film came out in 1939. I think the politicians we have now should watch the film mainly due to the fact that it will show them how big of crooks they truly are and that something needs to change for this country to move forward. The film has a lot of great performances, bu nothing can ever beat Jimmy Stewart and how good he truly was and his performance during the filibuster, is just remarkable.
7. Dracula
While Nosferatu may have been the knock off version of this story, it still started the horror genre, but this is the film that defined it. Everyone always talks about the Universal horror movies and monsters and none of it would be possible without this film. It was the first film of the monster universe to be released and it helped shape a genre and laid the general foundation of how a horror film should work. Bella Lugosi was made for this role and no one has been able to do a better job than him in the role. I wish more horror filmmakers would look at this film and see how a film doesn't need to rely of jumpscare after jumpscare to terrify an audience
6. Stagecoach
Just like Dracula is the most influential horror film, Stagecoach is the most influential western film. John Ford just had a knack for knowing how make a western work and feel authentic. The usage of Monument Valley in Utah is just perfect and it sets the tone for the ultimate climax of the film and the chase that occurs is breathtaking and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. You know your film is good when Orson Welles personally watched the film so much that he used a lot of the influences from the film to help him with Citizen Kane. How they were able to get most of the shots in the film is baffling to me because there are some of those that you can't hardly get with today's technology. This film was one of the many reasons westerns were successful and hopefully that one day they can be successful again.
5. All Quiet on the Western Front
This is one of the more haunting films you will ever see. It's one of the very first war films and it tackles the brutality of World War I and the effects it had on the soldiers. The one shot that always gets me is when a soldier is trying to escape and he gets hit with a bomb or rocket he dies, but when the smoke clears the only thing left of him are his hands holding onto the wire just to show you the horrors of war. The film is very depressing and it's a tough film for anyone (including myslef) to get through mainly due to the pain you feel for these men after what they've gone through.
4. King Kong
While Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (will be mentioned later) may be the king of of animated films, this film has the better technique. The film has amazing special effects that just baffle you due to the fact that this film came out in 1933. The filmmakers were able you use stop-motion animation, paintings and miniatures to help make the action scenes seem more real. It's also the first film to mix animated scenes and live-action scenes. It's the first film with King Kong in it and that alone should put it in the top films of the decade. King Kong is such a recognizable figure in pop culture and honestly the film makes you want to root for him as he tries to do what he thinks is good.
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Anytime you mention the greatest animated films of all-time, you have to mention this film as the greatest for a lot of reasons. First of all it was the first full-length feature film for The Walt Disney Company and if this film failed, then Disney would not have become the giant it is today. Secondly it is the first ever full-length animated feature film so basically this is the film that started it all. The animation itself is also flawless and and gorgeous that it is the standard every animated film has to live up to and I think the film still holds up today and would be an instant hit if it had been released today. It's a legacy film that we will look back on as the birth of animation.
2. The Wizard of Oz
I know a lot of you are probably wanting this to be number one, but it just misses the cut. The Wizard of Oz is a fantastic film and it has a everlasting legacy for so many generations. The film was the first film to use both black and white as well as color. The songs are very memorable as well as the dialogue and story and it really is just a film that you can lose yourself in because it feels so magical. It also has a lot of creepy moments, but that's mainly due to the performance of Margaret Hamilton as the The Wicked Witch. I do also have to say that this is the best Judy Garland was in any of her films and the character of Dorthy is so likable because of her.
1. Gone with the Wind
10. Modern Times
As with The Kid in the 1920's, Modern Times in the 1930's is iconic for so many reasons. The Tramp is such an iconic figure in film history and its the greatest comedic character to ever be on the big screen and he'll never be topped. The film is told is basically 4 acts (The second act is longer than usual so that could be split up evenly) which is very uncommon in film and I'm surprised that more films don't do this. This film is also iconic for this being the last time The Tramp ever appeared on the big screen and it couldn't have been a better ending for such an iconic character.
9. Mutiny on the Bounty
This film is mainly notable for having quite a few historical inaccuracies. It tells the true story of mutiny that actually occurred in the late 1700's. Mainly the film goes off the knowledge of how the facts did and didn't happen without trying to be significantly accurate. The performances are really amazing and Clark Gable proves why he was the king of 1930' as an actor and the performance of Charles Laughton is one of the many performances that inspired Daniel-Day Lewis. It also has a record for several different records for Oscars categories and one of which is that it is the last film to win Best Picture without having won any other award it was nominated for and it is the first and only film to have 3 actors nominated for Best Actor (The Godfather did it, but it was for Best Supporting Actor). Despite the inaccuracies, the film is absolutely gorgeous and it has some all-time great performances.
8. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
How can you make a list without mentioning a Jimmy Stewart film. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is such a fantastic movie and it still speaks volumes to this day. While the film has been mentioned as communist (which I can see) all it really does is show how corrupt the system truly is and this film came out in 1939. I think the politicians we have now should watch the film mainly due to the fact that it will show them how big of crooks they truly are and that something needs to change for this country to move forward. The film has a lot of great performances, bu nothing can ever beat Jimmy Stewart and how good he truly was and his performance during the filibuster, is just remarkable.
7. Dracula
While Nosferatu may have been the knock off version of this story, it still started the horror genre, but this is the film that defined it. Everyone always talks about the Universal horror movies and monsters and none of it would be possible without this film. It was the first film of the monster universe to be released and it helped shape a genre and laid the general foundation of how a horror film should work. Bella Lugosi was made for this role and no one has been able to do a better job than him in the role. I wish more horror filmmakers would look at this film and see how a film doesn't need to rely of jumpscare after jumpscare to terrify an audience
6. Stagecoach
Just like Dracula is the most influential horror film, Stagecoach is the most influential western film. John Ford just had a knack for knowing how make a western work and feel authentic. The usage of Monument Valley in Utah is just perfect and it sets the tone for the ultimate climax of the film and the chase that occurs is breathtaking and it will keep you on the edge of your seat. You know your film is good when Orson Welles personally watched the film so much that he used a lot of the influences from the film to help him with Citizen Kane. How they were able to get most of the shots in the film is baffling to me because there are some of those that you can't hardly get with today's technology. This film was one of the many reasons westerns were successful and hopefully that one day they can be successful again.
5. All Quiet on the Western Front
This is one of the more haunting films you will ever see. It's one of the very first war films and it tackles the brutality of World War I and the effects it had on the soldiers. The one shot that always gets me is when a soldier is trying to escape and he gets hit with a bomb or rocket he dies, but when the smoke clears the only thing left of him are his hands holding onto the wire just to show you the horrors of war. The film is very depressing and it's a tough film for anyone (including myslef) to get through mainly due to the pain you feel for these men after what they've gone through.
4. King Kong
While Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (will be mentioned later) may be the king of of animated films, this film has the better technique. The film has amazing special effects that just baffle you due to the fact that this film came out in 1933. The filmmakers were able you use stop-motion animation, paintings and miniatures to help make the action scenes seem more real. It's also the first film to mix animated scenes and live-action scenes. It's the first film with King Kong in it and that alone should put it in the top films of the decade. King Kong is such a recognizable figure in pop culture and honestly the film makes you want to root for him as he tries to do what he thinks is good.
3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Anytime you mention the greatest animated films of all-time, you have to mention this film as the greatest for a lot of reasons. First of all it was the first full-length feature film for The Walt Disney Company and if this film failed, then Disney would not have become the giant it is today. Secondly it is the first ever full-length animated feature film so basically this is the film that started it all. The animation itself is also flawless and and gorgeous that it is the standard every animated film has to live up to and I think the film still holds up today and would be an instant hit if it had been released today. It's a legacy film that we will look back on as the birth of animation.
2. The Wizard of Oz
I know a lot of you are probably wanting this to be number one, but it just misses the cut. The Wizard of Oz is a fantastic film and it has a everlasting legacy for so many generations. The film was the first film to use both black and white as well as color. The songs are very memorable as well as the dialogue and story and it really is just a film that you can lose yourself in because it feels so magical. It also has a lot of creepy moments, but that's mainly due to the performance of Margaret Hamilton as the The Wicked Witch. I do also have to say that this is the best Judy Garland was in any of her films and the character of Dorthy is so likable because of her.
1. Gone with the Wind
Look there are a lot of greatest of the decade or all-time lists out there in the world and every single one of them will have this film on those lists. While Gone with the Wind is iconic for so many things, it is iconic for a lot of negative things as well. For the positive things, the performances are really spectacular especially from Clark Gable and a historic performance from Hattie McDaniel who would go on to be the first African-America to win an Oscar and she will forever be remembered. The script (not the story) is perfect and the dialogue has so many fantastic quotes that will stand the test of time. There are a lot of great shots especially the shot of all of the dead soldiers as the camera does a rising high angle perspective show which is a very haunting shot to tell you how violent and brutal the Civil War was. I know the film may rub people the wrong way, but this is easily the best film of the 1930's
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list, what films should be added or deleted and what do you think is the greatest film of the 1930's? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
Jonah Sparks
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