Part 10: The Empire Strikes Back | The Shawshank Redemption

Movies I watched for the first time: None of them, go me.

15. Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

• IMDb plot summary: After the Rebels are brutally overpowered by the Empire on the ice planet Hoth, Luke Skywalker begins Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.

• Some quick thoughts: Though the original film is among the 10 most influential ever made, this is the one that often tops the lists of “favorite Star Wars movies”, including my own. For his sequel, Lucas made several choice that shocked audiences; having the good guys on the run, opening his film with a large-scale battle, closing with an intimate set piece, and ending on a downer note/cliffhanger. Even if this wasn’t the first ever “dark sequel”, it remains the most popular example because of the narrative chances that it takes and the way that it uses its runtime to double down on some of the key ideas introduced in the first movie.

• Does it belong? Never tell me the rankings!

• IMDb User Rating: 8.7/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10

14. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)

• IMDb plot summary: While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.

• Some quick thoughts: In contrast to The Empire Strikes Back, The Two Towers works as connective tissue linking Fellowship to King, but that’s a product of the fact that this trilogy is one cohesive story built around one ring. What Jackson accomplishes despite that is admirable here; a tri-furcated narrative means a rapid expanse of the scope of the story, as well as a chance for even richer character work than the first entry, albeit on a shorter list of characters. This movie also culminates in one of the best battle sequences ever committed to film in Helm’s Deep, which remains a highlight of not just this trilogy but the century so far. Bookending this movie with Frodo and Sam’s continued journey ensures this movie has an identity of its own.

• Does it belong? This trilogy is my precious.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10

13. Inception (2010)

• IMDb plot summary: A thief who steals corporate secrets using dream-sharing technology is given the inverse task of planting an idea into the mind of a C.E.O., but his tragic past may doom the project and his team to disaster.

• Some quick thoughts: Nolan’s third best, and my second-favorite, is yet another example of him crafting one of the formative moviegoing experiences of my life. This film still stands as a uniquely original take on the well-worn heist genre 12 years on, and one of the few times this century a movie not based on or adapted from anything other than the filmmaker’s own imagination dominated pop culture. I see all the criticisms of this film as too dour, too gloomy, too overdetermined, or perhaps even too illogical; like Leo at the end of this film, I nod at them knowingly, but am content to live in the dream.

• Does it belong? This film is riding the kicks up the layers of rankings.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.5/10

12. Fight Club (1999)

• IMDb plot summary: An insomniac office worker and a devil-may-care soap maker form an underground fight club that evolves into much more.

• Some quick thoughts: David Fincher brought his perfectionistic, misanthropic, and punk-rock A-game to a novel railing against a materialistic society and capturing the angst of a Gen X entering adulthood in a world still run by boomers. This a darkly comic, angry film with a clever plot twist hiding in plain sight. It’s a fascinating watch and a cool experience, but I’m not sure how any of my future watches would feel knowing the twist, making it the rare case among Fincher’s filmography of a movie I’m not sure I want to return to. The societal critique at the core of this film is as both specific and broad as The Graduate, but this movie is so much uglier and more nihilistic that it’s far less pleasant to live in as Mike Nichols’ 1967 classic.

• Does it belong? I’ll get kicked out of film bro club (which we don’t talk about), but no.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 7.5/10

11. Forrest Gump (1994)

• IMDb plot summary: The presidencies of Kennedy and Johnson, the Vietnam War, the Watergate Scandal, and other historical events unfold from the perspective of an Alabama man with an IQ of 75, whose only desire is to be reunited with his childhood sweetheart.

• Some quick thoughts: This movie’s success at the 1995 Oscars, over two more deserving nominees, gets unfairly held against it. It makes me deeply nostalgic for troubled times that I wasn’t alive for, sweetly tells a very depressing love story and contains as much political incorrectness as it does obvious soundtrack choices. However, this movie will always survive thanks to the pitch-perfect tone that Robert Zemeckis achieves and the all-timer performances in the film, topped by Hanks as the titular Gump ping-ponging his way through American history.

• Does it belong? Ranking is as ranking does.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 8.8/10

10. The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (1966)

• IMDb plot summary: A bounty hunting scam joins two men in an uneasy alliance against a third in a race to find a fortune in gold buried in a remote cemetery.

• Some quick thoughts: Would you believe that the best Western ever made wasn’t made in America, was often brutally sadistic, and was made to both roast and toast Western tropes? Before The Wild Bunch wove a gripping yarn about despicable murderers trying to avoid justice, Sergio Leone crafted and stylishly told a tale of three gunslingers double-crossing each other on a journey to find a stash of Confederate Gold during the Civil War. Its title evokes a complicated morality that applies as much to those wearing Blue and Gray creating futile devastation as it does to our characters picking their way through the devastation like a flock of vultures. What Leone and Ennio Morricone achieve is among the most influential combinations of image and sound ever committed, and this film’s style contributes as much as its plot ever could.

• Does it belong? There are two types of rankings, my friend.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

9. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

• IMDb plot summary: A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.

• Some quick thoughts: I think that I’ve recently come around on this film being my favorite of all three, despite the utterly amazing highs that Return of the King achieves. The comparatively smaller stakes of this movie breed rich emotionality, a world that feels well and truly lived-in before it feels big, and an emphasis on how these events might affect someone. Each member of the Fellowship is a multi-dimensional person with flaws, biases, interests, and agency that some of them lose as the series continues along. I also think that the performance Ian McKellan gives in this one specifically is one for the books.

• Does it belong? One does not simply leave this movie out.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.8/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.5/10

8. Pulp Fiction (1994)

• IMDb plot summary: The lives of two mob hitmen, a boxer, a gangster and his wife, and a pair of diner bandits intertwine in four tales of violence and redemption.

• Some quick thoughts: This is on the list of movies that changed my life (for better and worse), changed the way that I thought about pop culture, and is one of the formative “I didn’t know you could make a movie like this” movies in my life. It’s chock full of smart-ass dialogue, constantly vacillating between humor, tension, and suspense like a true adrenaline shot to the heart. The nonchronological plot creates different character arcs than could be accomplished chronologically, with the result being a genuinely powerful look at redemption. It’s one of the most interesting screenplays Hollywood has ever produced, but its achievements don’t stop there; Tarantino’s direction matches the ambitions and tone of his script, and each performance understands its low-life character perfectly.

• Does it belong? Like a Sprite with a Big Kahuna burger.

• IMDb User Rating: 8.9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.6/10

7. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

• IMDb plot summary: Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.

• Some quick thoughts: It’s rare that an acclaimed trilogy sticks the landing in such spectacular fashion, and even rarer that the third film is potentially the best of the bunch. One of the greatest cinematic spectacles you’ll ever see, this movie pairs its large battles with brilliant emotional, often interior character work in a way that so few blockbusters still do. A perfect blend of practical filmmaking with special effects has kept this trilogy, particularly this entry, relevant and rather timeless. The trilogy’s themes of heroism, corruption, greed, and ultimately of good prevailing over evil crest here, and will never fail to be touching.

• Does it belong? This trilogy, and with it this film, are signature achievements.

• IMDb User Rating: 9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.5/10

6. Schindler’s List (1993)

• IMDb plot summary: In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

• Some quick thoughts: At some point, praising these movies becomes almost redundant; what else am I supposed to add to the nearly 30 years of praise heaped upon an utter masterpiece by one of the most important and talented filmmakers of all time? It effectively takes something large and makes it personal, without losing any sense of scope; it takes one of humanity’s worst moments and makes it accessible to the ordinary viewer; it wades into moral quandaries with clarity, and it renders horrors gracefully. It mixes stately, sometimes expressionist framing with handheld, complemented perfectly by the black-and-white cinematography. This movie doesn’t just rise to the top of films addressing the Holocaust but is also on the Mount Rushmores of films set in the WWII era, films with epic runtimes, and films about someone learning the timeless lesson that empathy for others is the most important trait a person can develop.

• Does it belong? A master director’s finest masterpiece? Absolutely.

• IMDb User Rating: 9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.8/10

5. Twelve Angry Men (1957)

• IMDb plot summary: The jury in a New York City murder trial is frustrated by a single member whose skeptical caution forces them to consider the evidence more carefully before jumping to a hasty verdict.

• Some quick thoughts: I went deep on this film a little over a year ago, so I’ll spare my most dedicated readers any re-hashing, but 65 years on this film’s core tenets still ring true. Director Sidney Lumet makes several critical directing choices, none of them flashy, that elevate the power of this script’s material: increasingly claustrophobic angles and increasingly rapid editing sneak up on unsuspecting viewers to simulate the experience of not just being in a room full of 12 angry men, but specifically this room and these men. The cast is uniformly fantastic, and I would heartily recommend this movie to anyone who thinks that black and white films are stuffy, old, and inaccessible; this one has not, and will not, go anywhere.

• Does it belong? Unanimously, yes.

• IMDb User Rating: 9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.4/10

4. The Godfather Part II (1974)

• IMDb plot summary: The early life and career of Vito Corleone in 1920s New York City is portrayed, while his son, Michael, expands and tightens his grip on the family crime syndicate.

• Some quick thoughts: Whhhhooooo boy. The best sequel of all time featuring one of the very greatest leading performances of all time is a massively ambitious prequel-sequel that functions as an enthralling crime film that peeks beyond the nature of America and into the depths of the human soul. The Godfather Part II is a genuine work of art that doesn’t feel like an art film, and is full of such brilliantly rendered pain, tragedy, and moral complexity that every character in the film – every character – is sketched in exquisitely nuanced shades of grey. I’ll often reference the Shakespearean undertones of a film as a means of praise, but this is as close to the real thing as we may ever get, that has a distinct point of view on American history and masculinity. I salute those who legitimately claim this as the best movie ever made; overall I don’t agree, but there are days where I might.

• Does it belong? If history has taught us anything, it’s that you can rank any movie.

• IMDb User Rating: 9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

3. The Dark Knight (2008)

• IMDb plot summary: When the menace known as the Joker wreaks havoc and chaos on the people of Gotham, Batman must accept one of the greatest psychological and physical tests of his ability to fight injustice.

• Some quick thoughts: …Back to those Shakespearean undertones! Thanks to the release of The Batman, I had an excuse to revisit the greatest superhero movie ever made to see if it still holds up, and what I found is that it does because of its refusal to be one. There’s very little humor to be found, the threat at the heart of the movie is far more existential than it is physical, and the ending is essentially a draw whereby our hero accepts defeat to maintain social order. Throughout, Nolan draws an image of American society being tipped on its axis by a terroristic threat that it doesn’t comprehend, and another force it doesn’t understand rising to meet that threat. It’s also a fascinating wrinkle in Nolan’s filmography because the storyteller known for his intricately controlled and constructed stories allows Heath Ledger to parade around in an astonishing feat of improvisatory menace.

• Does it belong? It’s the ranking this movie deserves, but not the one it needs.

• IMDb User Rating: 9/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9.3/10

2. The Godfather (1972)

• IMDb plot summary: The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty in postwar New York transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant youngest son.

• Some quick thoughts: This is the one for me. It’s one of my favorite movies ever, has a consensus pick for among the best movie ever, and is somehow even more perfect at 50 years old. Even its imperfections, such as cheesy fight scenes, occasional over-acting, or visibly dubbed lines, are both overshadowed by its perfections as well as an addition to them. It’s a thrillingly entertaining crime drama, emotional family drama, and as provocative a statement about 70’s America as it was about 40’s America; however, its sentiments of seductively corrupting power, generational moral decay, subjugation of women, jealousy, greed, and machismo feel ripped from 2020’s America. Each performance works to entertain, bring emotional heft, interrogate the source material, and elevate the source material. A clever vignette structure through the first half of the movie gives way to a propulsive yet patient second half that culminates in one of cinema’s iconic scenes, not that it wasn’t chock full of them in the rest of the runtime. And if a movie is only as good as its ending, three clever shot/reverse shots close the viewer out of one of the most profound movie experiences they may ever have in equally profound fashion.

• Does it belong? This is a ranking that you can’t refuse.

• IMDb User Rating: 9.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 10/10

1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

• IMDb plot summary: Two imprisoned men bond over decades, finding solace and eventual redemption through acts of common decency.

• Some quick thoughts: Though I haven’t met anyone who claimed that this movie is better than something like The Godfather, I’m not surprised to find it atop this list. Shawshank takes its viewer through some extreme lows before reaching some extreme highs in what becomes one of the most hopeful and life-affirming movies I’ve ever seen. Directed with restraint and sophistication, Shawshank is a remarkable look at prison life, and a very sweet look at the long tails of male friendship. It’s also smartly structured in an episodic format that conveys the feeling of spending decades away from society, with each episode containing its own conflicts and resolutions that also nod towards the whole point and arc of the story: that hope is a good thing, even in the worst of places. Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins deliver their signature performances in a movie that is in turns beautiful, bleak, unrelenting, graceful, and hopeful.

• Does it belong? Without question.

• IMDb User Rating: 9.2/10

• Rymer’s Rating: 9/10