IMDb Top 150 Watch-Through Part 4: #105 | #91

Movies I watched for the first time: The Kid, Pather Panchali, Bicycle Thieves, Ikiru, Requiem for a Dream, The Hunt, Come and See, Vertigo, Like Stars on Earth

***#105 was Dune, and it ruled up on the big screen. I’d give it about an 8.2/10, but it doesn’t need a spot on the list. However, Sicario certainly does.***

104. Pather Panchali (1955)

• IMDb plot summary: Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work.

• Some quick thoughts: I’ll get right to the chase: this film is what I wanted fellow member on this list Children of Heaven to be. It’s worth noting that this film is slow and gentle in its storytelling, but its capturing of the life of a family two steps away from outright destitution despite being a part of a dignified social caste is downright documentary-like. This is the first in writer-director Satyajit Ray’s internationally acclaimed Apu Trilogy, and while Ray brilliantly captures Apu’s childhood existence in this desperate situation, he’s wise enough to place the emphasis of this part of the story on the parents while also beautifully photographing the nature that threatens to overtake their village on the edge of wilderness.

• Does it belong? Yes – this whole trilogy brought Indian cinema into the international spotlight and remains a powerful watch despite its age and language/cultural barriers to Westerners.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.7/10

103. The Kid (1921)

• IMDb plot summary: The Tramp cares for an abandoned child, but events put that relationship in jeopardy.

• Some quick thoughts: It’s hard to deny Chaplin’s charm; when you give a singular talent singular control over a project, the entire film becomes a focused artistic expression; The Kid was Chaplin’s first feature, and some early blueprints of what we would come to associate with him are all there. It also features one of the best child actor performances I’ve ever seen, as well as some delightful technical building blocks of shot framing and editing. In case you forgot, Chaplin also composed his own music; let's just bask in his greatness

• Does it belong? Despite the praise, no. I think Chaplin’s best projects were still ahead of him, but revisiting the start of it all is a treat.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8/10

102. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

• IMDb plot summary: The story of T.E. Lawrence, the English officer who successfully united and led the diverse, often warring, Arab tribes during World War I to fight the Turks.

• Some quick thoughts: An epic to trump all epics, Lawrence of Arabia is an amazing film that, some unfortunate brown-face aside, hasn’t aged and will never. David Lean’s groundbreaking direction is perfect, and the spectacle that he’s able to conjure up using practical effects is better than anything that the CGI-driven 21st century has produced. Peter O’Toole gives the performance of a lifetime as the very complicated Lawrence, alongside whom we experience many triumphs and defeats on and off the battlefield. It runs at a white savior complex dead-on by giving us to a “conqueror’s complex”, and it is complex indeed; this film marries thematic depth with simple entertainment and mind-blowing spectacle in a way that’s inimitable.

• Does it belong? Forget top 100, or top 50, this goes straight to the top 20 for me.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10. For real.

101. Ikiru (1952)

• IMDb plot summary: A bureaucrat tries to find meaning in his life after he discovers he has terminal cancer.

• Some quick thoughts: I’m ashamed of only associating Kurosawa with samurai/period pictures, assuming that was what he was best at; it’s like saying that Scorsese is only good at gangster films, which is heresy. This movie is essentially It’s a Wonderful Life on downers, tackling the same mix of existential tragedy and catharsis that film achieves. However, the ending isn’t nearly as happy, but the film’s use of flashbacks and flash forwards create a different, also wonderful sensation. If you need a good cry, this movie and Takashi Shimura’s performance are here.

• Does it belong? Absolutely, but maybe not this high

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.8/10

100. Bicycle Thieves (1948)

• IMDb plot summary: In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen. He and his son set out to find it.

• Some quick thoughts: This film is probably one of the 10 most influential on this list in terms of its impact on filmmakers over the years; they consistently name it in the top 10 whenever polled. Recognizing the all-time historical achievement of this movie is crucial; the production used nonprofessional actors and popularized the “neo-realist” style. Its influence can be felt in movies that are set in the real world with rather small stakes – this is about a father struggling to find a stolen bicycle so that he can have a job and provide for his family; nothing more, nothing less. It’s also filmed entirely on location in Rome and evokes a nearly documentary-like quality; this matters because it’s not just the first time it happened, but because it is the reason why this movie has lasting power. It’s a very gripping experience even today.

• Does it belong? It would be foolish not to include it.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.8/10

99. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)

• IMDb plot summary: When their relationship turns sour, a couple undergoes a medical procedure to have each other erased from their memories.

• Some quick thoughts: Movie hipsters, unite yet again! Even if you’re not a devotee of Charlie Kaufman and his high-concept, existential ideas freak you out a little, I’d recommend this film since it’s quite accessible despite its semi sci-fi nature. The film just avoids being too smart and in love with its own framework to capture the hearts of audiences, and Jim Carrey’s remarkably sophisticated dramatic performance is a perfect match for Kate Winslet’s. If you’re looking for something that’s off the beaten path but still within shouting distance of it, this film should be next up for you.

• Does it belong? Yes, but #100 feels a little high

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.5/10

98. North by Northwest (1959)

• IMDb plot summary: A New York City advertising executive goes on the run after being mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies.

• Some quick thoughts: My lord, what a fun movie this is. Any old-school charm can be forgiven in the face of what Hitchcock is able to create. This film’s sense of conspiracy, intrigue, mystery, and suspense is both ageless and unbeatable. The dialogue and performances are infectiously romantic without getting into problematic old Bond territory, which is quite notable. It’s not just one of Hitchcock’s best, not just one of its decades best, but it’s one of the very best of all time.

• Does it belong? Send it to the top 50!

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.8/10

97. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

• IMDb plot summary: A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.

• Some quick thoughts: Look, at some point in this list there won’t be much for me to add to the conversation about films that we’ve all accepted are great, and this is one such case. Is this the best screen musical ever? It’s got a solid case, weaving together an interesting time in Hollywood history with a romance and musical numbers that allow for pure artistic expression. It’s simply wonderful, wonderfully simple, and not going anywhere.

• Does it belong? Absolutely.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10

96. Requiem for a Dream (2000)

• IMDb plot summary: The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island people are shattered when their addictions run deep.

• Some quick thoughts: In case you didn’t know that drugs are bad, this movie is here to remind you in nightmarish fashion. Darren Aronofsky wills this movie to work through his excessively stylized direction, and this film is an assault on the senses. However, as punishing an experience as it is, it’s not a very cohesive narrative nor is it a thorough exploration of drugs in this country (the same year’s Traffic is a far more comprehensive look). Thus, it exists as an act of experimental filmmaking and a collection of horrifying images, and little else.

• Does it belong? No, I think this movie is overrated. It does what it wants to do, but despite all its style feels rather cheap and shallow to me.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.3/10

95. The Hunt (2012)

• IMDb plot summary: A teacher lives a lonely life, all the while struggling over his son's custody. His life slowly gets better as he finds love and receives good news from his son, but his new luck is about to be brutally shattered by an innocent little lie.

• Some quick thoughts: Fair warning, this film isn’t graphic but is quite uncomfortable, as an innocent man is accused of being a pedophile, and the film thoroughly tracks his ouster from society and allegations against him. Nearly 10 years ago, this film portrayed and anticipated the moment we find ourselves in, with conspiracy theories like “Pizzagate” driving people to real action and the online community standing ready to cancel alleged sexual predators regardless of the truth of the allegations. The movie is solid, but the debate that it was designed to spur feels even more controversial today.

• Does it belong? I don’t think so, but it’s worth talking about

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.5/10

94. Come and See (1985)

• IMDb plot summary: After finding an old rifle, a young boy joins the Soviet resistance movement against ruthless German forces and experiences the horrors of WWII.

• Some quick thoughts: Watching this the night after I saw Requiem for a Dream made for a very distressing week; I’d recommend spreading those films out if you’re watching your way through this list the way I’ve been. However, unlike Requiem, this film managed to not just get under my skin with its style, but because its style follows and elevates its narrative substance: for those unfamiliar, this is a Russian WWII film about a young Belarussian resistance fighter that’s essentially shot staged like a low-budget horror movie. It exclusively uses natural light, desaturated and grainy film stock, and hand-held camerawork to give the horrors of the Nazi occupation and a young man’s loss of innocence an immediacy that I won’t shake off soon.

• Does it belong? Absolutely, this is one of the best and most crucial war films ever made: one that eschews Hollywood glamor to convey a reality of war that movies don’t often capture.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10, but you won’t catch me revisiting it.

93. Citizen Kane (1941)

• IMDb plot summary: Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance; 'Rosebud'.

• Some quick thoughts: I expounded on my thoughts on what people consider the most influential film of all time here, but it is amazing how this masterpiece refuses to age. Its structure is still fascinating, the performances are still amazing, and the themes that it tackles remain as relevant as they are complicated and uniquely American. Any non-linear film owes this movie a debt of gratitude; any biopic owes this film a debt of gratitude, and any film that seeks to be complicated, literary, debatable, but also eminently watchable owes Kane a debt of gratitude. Go watch it again, just because it deserves it.

• Does it belong? It belongs in the top 10 and will never vanish.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

92. Like Stars on Earth (2007)

• IMDb plot summary: An eight-year-old boy is thought to be a lazy troublemaker, until the new art teacher has the patience and compassion to discover the real problem behind his struggles in school.

• Some quick thoughts: This film is exactly what it says it is based on the above description but is so wonderfully executed that I found myself quite moved despite its semi-cliched story. Aamir Khan’s direction is perfectly balanced, allowing some room for the audience to consider their own society’s efficacy in “leaving no child behind” despite learning disabilities. Khan also gives us glimpses into Ishaan’s artistic mind by blending animation with live action in utterly whimsical and joyous fashion. Oh, and he gives a heartfelt performance as the art teacher who is patient, compassionate, and inspiring enough to give Ishaan a chance. If you liked Dead Poets Society and want something international to pull at your heartstrings, this movie is right up your alley.

• Does it belong? Yes – this story is in much sharper focus than Dangal’s.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.6/10

91. Vertigo (1958)

• IMDb plot summary: A former San Francisco police detective juggles wrestling with his personal demons and becoming obsessed with the hauntingly beautiful woman he has been hired to trail, who may be deeply disturbed.

• Some quick thoughts: Across his 1958-1960 streak of films, Hitchcock created suspenseful masterpieces in three different genres: NBNW is a conspiracy/pursuit thriller, Psycho is a slasher/horror thriller, and Vertigo is a pure psychological thriller masquerading itself as a detective story. The gnawing sensation of conspiracy and paranoia has us questioning our very reality alongside our hero in the film’s final 40 minutes, and that’s also when Hitchcock unleashes his most bravura direction to create sequences that are still effective today. Maybe this film doesn’t have as much to say about the world as Citizen Kane or The Godfather, but the feeling this movie creates is untouchable.

• Does it belong? If I put it too high on the list, will it be afraid to look down?

• IMDb User Rating: 8.3/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10