Imdb Top 100 Part 4: 55-41

55. The Lives of Others
This is the story of a communist agent who spies on a writer and his girlfriend to try and see whether they are undesirables. He sits in their attic and listens in to their conversations. And as the story goes on he is drawn in by their life and changes his beliefs. It’s the sort of story that been told plenty of times before, but really it’s not been told much better than this. It’s set in a time and place I knew nothing about, but it was still easy to understand and well worth a watch.

54. Double Indemnity
This is the first film noir that I watched. I wasn’t sure whether I’d enjoy it. But it’s very entertaining, and shows off the best qualities of the genre. The dark imagery, the gritty characters, the backstabbing and complex plots. This film was a real eye-opener for me, and led me to watch other classic films, so I’d give it a watch and see whether it inspires you as well.

53. M
I don’t like Metropolis, so I didn’t have high hopes watching another German expressionist film by Fritz Lang. However I really liked M. I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because it’s set in the present day and real world for the time. Maybe it’s because it’s not a silent film any more. Or maybe it’s the strong visuals such as the chalk M on the murderer’s coat. It’s probably a mix of them all, but I was very pleasantly surprised by this film.

52. Wall. E
I’m not sure why this is so high up. I could see if the  film was all like the first half. It’s the story of two robots on a ruined Earth told just by visuals and music, there’s no dialog. It’s like 2001, except not incredibly pretentious. It’s like a work of art. But then it turns into a silly comedy on a spaceship filled with fat people. I mean it’s not bad, but it’s nothing special. It’s a bit of a mixed bag.

51. The Pianist
We all know the terrible things that happened during WW2. However this is the first film that made me truly angry at the Nazis. It really gets you invested in the struggle the characters face. The despair, the horror, the sadness, you feel them all, and really what more can you ask for. Definitely one of the best WW2 films, obviously highly personal due to the director living through events like though shown in the film.

50. Paths of Glory
This film shows the terrible treatment by the men in WW1 by their superior officers. Three men are chosen to be executed because their squadron refused to go on a charge that would have been suicide. We see the reactions of the men as they are chosen and sentenced to death and of the high officers who couldn’t care less, and of the men’s captain who tries everything to save them. Some bits are heartbreaking, some bits are hilarious, it’s a real mix of a film, but it’s still very good.

49. City Lights
Another Charlie Chaplin film. I prefer Modern Times on the whole, but this film has two things that make it a better film. One is a millionaire who when sober hates Chaplin, but loves him when drunk. This guy is one of the funniest things on film, he needs to be seen to be believed. And the other is Chaplin’s love story with a blind girl. I didn’t think it was possibly to get emotionally invested in a silent slapstick comedy, but this film really proved me wrong.

48. The Shining
I can’t say I see why The Shining is supposed to be so good. I liked it, except the part with the psychic black guy, up until the part where Jack gets let out of the freezer by the ghosts. Up until then I could believe that the ghosts where all just in his head and he was being driven insane by the loneliness. I thought that kind of psychological horror would be really interesting, but then, because it’s Stephen King, it turn out he wasn’t just crazy it was ghosts, and I couldn’t  take the film seriously anymore. Also that kid saying “redrum”? He needs a good slap.

47. Amelie
It’s a love story. I can’t think of any love story films that I like except this one. But this really isn’t like any others. It’s quirky and whimsical and it lives in its own magical world. It’s really funny. And moving and sad and happy and... well it just jumps from one thing to another, it’s got the air of a dream almost. So don’t get put off by the romance, even a manly man could enjoy this film.

46. Spirited Away
I don’t like anime. I’m not sure what it is. I tell myself it’s because it doesn’t explain itself, like in this film a little girl ends up in a magical world where lots of really odd things happen and you just have to accept them. But really that can’t be true, because some of myself favourite films are sci-fi or fantasy, which are different sorts of weird but equally strange. So I can’t explain it. But I don’t like anime, so I don’t like this film. If you like anime you might like this, but I’m in no position to judge.

45. Vertigo
The first Hitchcock film we’ve come across on the list. It shows the dark mystery, brilliant characters and unexpected twists that I love in his films. Not to mention, it has Jimmy Stewart, one of my favourite actors in it. This really draws you in, and you really want to know what is going on, but it just keeps getting stranger, until the reveal which isn’t a disappointment.

44. Alien
The original and the best. Forget about the one good sequel, the three mediocre to poor sequels and AVP 2, a film I hate with a passion. This is the one that started the whole series. And it’s brilliant. The alien is just that, an alien. It can’t be reasoned with, it can’t be understood and it can’t be stopped. It’s just a terrifying monster in the shadows that strikes down the crew one by one. The best sci-fi horror film ever.

43. Saving Private Ryan
Much as I hate Braveheart with its historic inaccuracies, this film has enough impact to get away with it. The heart of the soldiers and their struggles makes this film draining, but heart-warming by the end. However the first scene, the D-Day landings are just... incredible. It’s the most impressive war movie scene I’ve ever seen, it leaves such an impact.

42. Taxi Driver
This is a difficult film to explain. It’s the story of a Vietnam veteran suffering in a life he hates. He meets a woman, but things go wrong and spiral out of control until the last act, which is mind-blowing. Of course there’s a lot more to it than that short description, but I really don’t know how to say much about it without ruining it. Watch this film, there’s nothing else quite like it.

41. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
My second favourite sequel of all time, this is the follow-up to a story of a killer robot coming back in time. This time there’s two, but ones on our side. The first film is just an action movie. There are some good parts, so it’s better than average but it’s nothing special. But Judgement Day? It’s got the whole package. The effects are incredible, the acting is great, the story is engaging and it’s got heart too. I really can’t think of anyway this could have been better. In fact if you’re only going to watch one Terminator film, I’d skip the first one and watch this.