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 been compiling this list since the beginning of ther and now we have finally come to the list you've all been waiting for. I have taken the number one films from each decade in my previous lists and have put them into a top 10 greatest films of all-time list. So without further ado...
10. Birdman: or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2010's)
In a decade that has yet to have many masterpieces, this is one of the very few. Alejandro G. Iñárritu is magnificent director and what he was able to with this film is just remarkable in every sense of the word. The fact that this film is shot to make it look like it was in one take is just simply amazing. Emmanuel Lubezki who was the cinematographer on the film, proves why his nickname in the film industry is Chivo which in Spanish is Goat and that he he his. It resurrected the once great career of Michael Keaton who is now being apart of more and more films thanks to this. The ending like many others is one that is up for debate and it just goes with the craziness of the film in all of it's amazing achievements and it's a film that will be studied for years to come on how to achieve its success.
9. Ben-Hur (1950's)
This is the number 1 film of the 1950's and one of the top 10 films of all-time for so many reasons. Once again Charlton Heston appears on the list in his second big film of the decade. The chariot race in this film alone makes it the best film of the 1950's. The score that goes along with the scene is one of the most influential scores and the longest composed score for once at the time. Also it is one of the most expensive scenes and it's mainly due to the long hours and the amount of cast and crew present just for this scene. It was the essential blockbuster of the time and it's influence on films today is easily recognizable and it is the best film of the 1950's and of all-time.
8. E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1980's)
While Raiders of the Lost Ark proved Stephen Spielberg could do any genre, this film proved it even more and it resulted in this timeless classic that is king of the 80's and it makes a spot onto this list. Yes, E.T. himself may look a little weird, but he is just a fun character that we can all get attached to because of his heart, ambitions and willingness to become Elliott's friend while being stuck on an unknown planet. The film is the gold standard of coming of age films we're able to relate to the characters in some way due to actions that they commit. The film has a lot of iconic scenes and dialogue that have used so many times in pop culture, that it helps make the film relevant today. It's a heartwarming film and it's just a film that everyone can connect to.
7. Saving Private Ryan (1990's)
Once again Spielberg makes the list and it further cements why he is the greatest director of all-time. The film has been regarded as the greatest war film of all-time and rightfully so. The opening 20 minutes alone make this film what it is. When you have WWII veterans who were at Normandy say that the beach scene is the most authentic interpretation of the events of that day. Everything in this film feels authentic and so realistic that you feel like you are World War II Germany. The sounds and the camera movements put you in that sense of reality and you see what things soldiers were having to go through during this time.
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2000's)
This is just an absolutely tremendous film that deserves the title of the greatest film of the decade. It closes out one of the greatest cinematic trilogies to ever be seen on the big screen. It culminates the entire story that has been told over the course of three films and it just brings everything full circle. It has all of the emotions you need in a film and the visuals are just absolutely stunning. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and it joined Ben-Hur and Titanic as by winning 11 Oscars which is the most ever at an Oscars ceremony. Films like that are special and in the 88 year history of the Oscars it's only happened 3 times which makes this film apart of an elite club. There's not much more I can say about this film that hasn't already been said, but this film is by far the best of the 2000's.
5. Metropolis (1920's)
I'm betting a lot of you have never seen this film and it's not surprising and if you haven't I highly recommend you do so. This is the first science fiction film in the history of film. It also was one of the first films to use visual effects and helping advance the technology used in films for years to come. It introduced wide shot cityscape shots to help get a sense of the world. It's a film with quite a few different themes mostly based on the social injustice of the time. It's a film that involves a lot of different moving pieces at once using miniatures in wide shots of the city. The most haunting scene of the film is in the very beginning when we see a group of workers marched out after their shift, but next to them is another group marching in slow unison going to work to replace the group leaving. It's a really terrifying film and perspective when think about this film was released and what was to come for the rest of the world over the next 20 years.
4. Gone With the Wind (1930's)
3. Lawrence of Arabia (1960's)
Lawrence of Arabia is the easy choice for one of the greatest films of all-time. It changed a lot of ways a film is told from a story perspective as it basically told in flashbacks or accounts from people who knew T.E. Lawrence. The way the film itself was filmed as it used inspiration from John Ford's The Searchers and as it used 70mm film and it was one of the few films to use Super Panavision 70/ Also the score by Maurice Jarre is just beautiful and if fits every scene of the film well. Peter O'Toole gave the best performance of his career and it was his best shot to win an Oscar and unfortunately he came up short and he would go on to never win an Oscar in his entire career which is just crazy to think. When directors such as George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese call a film a miracle and a revelation is a pretty huge compliment making it the best film of the 1960's and one of the greatest films of all-time.
2. Casablanca (1940's)
The film is a masterpiece and it is one of the most quotable films of all-time with as many as 7 being named to the 100 greatest quotes list done by AFI in 2005. To have that many quotes still used today automatically gives this film a lasting impact. It also gave us an introduction to the anti-hero character type that we still use today and an emotional story that just flows so smoothly. It's a perfect representation of what Hollywood was in the 1940's and the types of films they were willing to make. It's influence is still showing today and it is just a perfect piece of cinematic filmmaking.
1. The Godfather Part 2 (1970's)
Much like its predecessor, this film changed the cinematic landscape forever. This was able to the show the rise of power from the two main characters of the franchise and serves as both a prequel is seeing the rise of Vito Corleone and as a sequel continue the story of Michael Corleone as he rises to prominence. It has one of the most iconic scenes in film history along with the best betrayal portrayed on screen. It is a crowning jewel of the 1970's as well as one of the best films ever made. The legacy of both films is tainted by The Godfather Part 3, but both this film and its predecessor stand on their own as cinematic masterpieces.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list, what films should be added or deleted and what do you think are the greatest films of all-time? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
10. Birdman: or the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance (2010's)
In a decade that has yet to have many masterpieces, this is one of the very few. Alejandro G. Iñárritu is magnificent director and what he was able to with this film is just remarkable in every sense of the word. The fact that this film is shot to make it look like it was in one take is just simply amazing. Emmanuel Lubezki who was the cinematographer on the film, proves why his nickname in the film industry is Chivo which in Spanish is Goat and that he he his. It resurrected the once great career of Michael Keaton who is now being apart of more and more films thanks to this. The ending like many others is one that is up for debate and it just goes with the craziness of the film in all of it's amazing achievements and it's a film that will be studied for years to come on how to achieve its success.
9. Ben-Hur (1950's)
This is the number 1 film of the 1950's and one of the top 10 films of all-time for so many reasons. Once again Charlton Heston appears on the list in his second big film of the decade. The chariot race in this film alone makes it the best film of the 1950's. The score that goes along with the scene is one of the most influential scores and the longest composed score for once at the time. Also it is one of the most expensive scenes and it's mainly due to the long hours and the amount of cast and crew present just for this scene. It was the essential blockbuster of the time and it's influence on films today is easily recognizable and it is the best film of the 1950's and of all-time.
8. E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial (1980's)
While Raiders of the Lost Ark proved Stephen Spielberg could do any genre, this film proved it even more and it resulted in this timeless classic that is king of the 80's and it makes a spot onto this list. Yes, E.T. himself may look a little weird, but he is just a fun character that we can all get attached to because of his heart, ambitions and willingness to become Elliott's friend while being stuck on an unknown planet. The film is the gold standard of coming of age films we're able to relate to the characters in some way due to actions that they commit. The film has a lot of iconic scenes and dialogue that have used so many times in pop culture, that it helps make the film relevant today. It's a heartwarming film and it's just a film that everyone can connect to.
7. Saving Private Ryan (1990's)
Once again Spielberg makes the list and it further cements why he is the greatest director of all-time. The film has been regarded as the greatest war film of all-time and rightfully so. The opening 20 minutes alone make this film what it is. When you have WWII veterans who were at Normandy say that the beach scene is the most authentic interpretation of the events of that day. Everything in this film feels authentic and so realistic that you feel like you are World War II Germany. The sounds and the camera movements put you in that sense of reality and you see what things soldiers were having to go through during this time.
6. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2000's)
This is just an absolutely tremendous film that deserves the title of the greatest film of the decade. It closes out one of the greatest cinematic trilogies to ever be seen on the big screen. It culminates the entire story that has been told over the course of three films and it just brings everything full circle. It has all of the emotions you need in a film and the visuals are just absolutely stunning. The film was nominated for 11 Academy Awards and it joined Ben-Hur and Titanic as by winning 11 Oscars which is the most ever at an Oscars ceremony. Films like that are special and in the 88 year history of the Oscars it's only happened 3 times which makes this film apart of an elite club. There's not much more I can say about this film that hasn't already been said, but this film is by far the best of the 2000's.
5. Metropolis (1920's)
I'm betting a lot of you have never seen this film and it's not surprising and if you haven't I highly recommend you do so. This is the first science fiction film in the history of film. It also was one of the first films to use visual effects and helping advance the technology used in films for years to come. It introduced wide shot cityscape shots to help get a sense of the world. It's a film with quite a few different themes mostly based on the social injustice of the time. It's a film that involves a lot of different moving pieces at once using miniatures in wide shots of the city. The most haunting scene of the film is in the very beginning when we see a group of workers marched out after their shift, but next to them is another group marching in slow unison going to work to replace the group leaving. It's a really terrifying film and perspective when think about this film was released and what was to come for the rest of the world over the next 20 years.
4. Gone With the Wind (1930's)
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 films of all-time.
Lawrence of Arabia is the easy choice for one of the greatest films of all-time. It changed a lot of ways a film is told from a story perspective as it basically told in flashbacks or accounts from people who knew T.E. Lawrence. The way the film itself was filmed as it used inspiration from John Ford's The Searchers and as it used 70mm film and it was one of the few films to use Super Panavision 70/ Also the score by Maurice Jarre is just beautiful and if fits every scene of the film well. Peter O'Toole gave the best performance of his career and it was his best shot to win an Oscar and unfortunately he came up short and he would go on to never win an Oscar in his entire career which is just crazy to think. When directors such as George Lucas, Stephen Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick and Martin Scorsese call a film a miracle and a revelation is a pretty huge compliment making it the best film of the 1960's and one of the greatest films of all-time.
2. Casablanca (1940's)
The film is a masterpiece and it is one of the most quotable films of all-time with as many as 7 being named to the 100 greatest quotes list done by AFI in 2005. To have that many quotes still used today automatically gives this film a lasting impact. It also gave us an introduction to the anti-hero character type that we still use today and an emotional story that just flows so smoothly. It's a perfect representation of what Hollywood was in the 1940's and the types of films they were willing to make. It's influence is still showing today and it is just a perfect piece of cinematic filmmaking.
1. The Godfather Part 2 (1970's)
Much like its predecessor, this film changed the cinematic landscape forever. This was able to the show the rise of power from the two main characters of the franchise and serves as both a prequel is seeing the rise of Vito Corleone and as a sequel continue the story of Michael Corleone as he rises to prominence. It has one of the most iconic scenes in film history along with the best betrayal portrayed on screen. It is a crowning jewel of the 1970's as well as one of the best films ever made. The legacy of both films is tainted by The Godfather Part 3, but both this film and its predecessor stand on their own as cinematic masterpieces.
So ladies and gentlemen what do you think of the list, what films should be added or deleted and what do you think are the greatest films of all-time? Let me know in the comments section below and let your voice be heard.
Jonah Sparks
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