My Top Films of all Time
by pennyfarthinggamestudios | created - 17 Jan 2016 | updated - 1 month ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
Not Rated | 202 min | Drama
A lonely widowed housewife does her daily chores, takes care of her apartment where she lives with her teenage son, and turns the occasional trick to make ends meet. However, something happens that changes her safe routine.
Director: Chantal Akerman | Stars: Delphine Seyrig, Jan Decorte, Henri Storck, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze
Votes: 13,881 | Gross: $0.02M
Jeanne Dielman is a mesmerising perfect film which follows three days in the life of its protagonist as she works and maintains order. Each scene is composed of beautiful long ponderous shots that are framed masterfully. Also a great exploration of gender politics.
2. Late Spring (1949)
Not Rated | 108 min | Drama
Several people try to talk 27-year-old Noriko into marrying, but all she wants is to keep on caring for her widowed father.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Setsuko Hara, Yumeji Tsukioka, Haruko Sugimura
Votes: 19,316
Late Spring is not a complicated movie. The camera rarely moves at all and when it does it only pans, the story is a simple family drama concerning arranged marriage and yet it manages to be the most beautiful movie I've ever seen. Each shot is perfectly composed (an advantage of not moving your camera), acted flawlessly and Ozu creates one of the saddest films of all time whilst avoiding melodrama.
3. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
R | 188 min | Drama
Two young Swedish children in the 1900s experience the many comedies and tragedies of their lively and affectionate theatrical family, the Ekdahls.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Bertil Guve, Pernilla Allwin, Kristina Adolphson, Börje Ahlstedt
Votes: 67,475 | Gross: $4.97M
Ignore the advice to watch the theatrical cut, it may take 5 hours but Fanny and Alexander is worth it. The story of the twists and turns that befall 2 children of an aristocratic family in Sweden is shown to us by Bergman at a slow pace but it works. The first hour is spent setting up all the pieces of this drama and fleshing out their rich characters and this only accentuates the brutal drama we see unfold in act 2. A joy to look at and the finest acting on this list.
4. Tokyo Story (1953)
Not Rated | 136 min | Drama
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Setsuko Hara
Votes: 68,558
Another family drama from Ozu, but the 'Tofu maker' was perfect at his craft, particularly in the Noriko trilogy. This story of the respect an elderly couple receive from their children (or lack thereof) is again told simply but in such a way that you may find yourself in tears at the end.
5. Ida (2013)
PG-13 | 82 min | Drama
A novice nun about to take her vows uncovers a family secret dating back to the German occupation.
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski | Stars: Agata Kulesza, Agata Trzebuchowska, Dawid Ogrodnik, Jerzy Trela
Votes: 60,688 | Gross: $3.83M
The most beautiful black and white film ever shot, Ida is the story of an initiate nun's quest to discover herself. The whole film is a joy to look at and the acting knocks it out of the park. The story is superbly told and brutally depressing. The film also explores deeper themes concerning Communist Poland and guilt, something that the films artful deployment of quiet moments allows time to ponder.
6. Shoah (1985)
Not Rated | 566 min | Documentary, History, War
Claude Lanzmann's epic documentary recounts the story of the Holocaust through interviews with witnesses - perpetrators as well as survivors.
Director: Claude Lanzmann | Stars: Simon Srebnik, Michael Podchlebnik, Motke Zaïdl, Hanna Zaïdl
Votes: 10,547 | Gross: $0.02M
Not the easiest film to watch both for its length and for its horrific subject but it is a must see. Without using any archival footage but rather actually more powerful current shots of the locations, Lanzmann looks into not the why's of the Holocaust but rather the how's. I sat spell bound for 10 hours marvelling both at the beauty of this movie and the horrors of its subject matter.
7. The Conformist (1970)
R | 113 min | Drama
A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci | Stars: Jean-Louis Trintignant, Stefania Sandrelli, Gastone Moschin, Enzo Tarascio
Votes: 33,682 | Gross: $0.54M
The Conformist is not only a brilliant film in the technical field with its brilliant cinematography and framing of shots but also in the deep themes it examines including fascism, sexuality and yes conformity. Jean Louis Trintignant's dubbed performance (unfortunate but necessary as he can't speak Italian) encapsulates his character perfectly and the films interesting structure further enriches it.
8. Hunger (2008)
Not Rated | 96 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Irish republican Bobby Sands leads the inmates of a Northern Irish prison in a hunger strike.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham, Laine Megaw
Votes: 73,540 | Gross: $0.15M
Steve McQueen's first feature film is a stunning look at the Hunger strike of Bobby Sands. A brilliant performance from Fassbender and supporting cast is coupled with strikingly beautiful cinematography which contrasts with the brutal subject matter sharply. The 15 minute single shot dialogue scene is breathtaking even if McQueen is clearly showing off.
9. The Double Life of Véronique (1991)
R | 98 min | Drama, Fantasy, Music
Two parallel stories about two identical women; one living in Poland, the other in France. They don't know each other, but their lives are nevertheless profoundly connected.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Irène Jacob, Wladyslaw Kowalski, Halina Gryglaszewska, Kalina Jedrusik
Votes: 52,937 | Gross: $2.00M
Another Kieslowski which is strong in much the same way as Three Colours. Potentially even more prettily shot than any of his other works, this film ponders fate and coincidence in such a relaxing beautiful manner that one cannot help but be blown away. Even stronger on a second viewing.
10. Mirror (1975)
Not Rated | 107 min | Biography, Drama
A dying man in his forties remembers his past. His childhood, his mother, the war, personal moments and things that tell of the recent history of all the Russian nation.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Margarita Terekhova, Filipp Yankovskiy, Ignat Daniltsev, Oleg Yankovskiy
Votes: 52,210 | Gross: $0.18M
When going into Mirror, it is best if one goes in looking for poetry more than a story. The film weaves between time periods, employing the same actors as different people in this gorgeous and yes confusing movie. Let the scenes wash over you and just enjoy the art, the very clever shots and the set pieces.
11. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama, Romance
A troubled fashion designer strikes up a romance with a much younger woman.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake, Eva Mattes
Votes: 11,035
It is difficult to tell when watching the Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant that this film was essentially written on a plane journey. The script is brilliant and flows perfectly through the films which is constructed of but a few scenes. The all female cast are brilliant at delivering their thoroughly unlikable characters (with the exception of the friendly Marlene.)
12. Three Colors: Blue (1993)
R | 94 min | Drama, Music, Mystery
A woman struggles to find a way to live her life after the death of her husband and child.
Director: Krzysztof Kieslowski | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Zbigniew Zamachowski, Julie Delpy, Benoît Régent
Votes: 110,465 | Gross: $1.32M
One of the most coordinated colour schemes a movie has ever achieved, Three Colours: Blue manages to deliver Kieslowski's signature stunning cinematography and a beautifully serene plot concerning loss and grief. At the centre Juliette Binoche's deep and puzzling character, secures this as Kieslowski's greatest achievement (of many.)
13. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Passed | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History
In 1431, Jeanne d'Arc is placed on trial on charges of heresy. The ecclesiastical jurists attempt to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
Director: Carl Theodor Dreyer | Stars: Maria Falconetti, Eugene Silvain, André Berley, Maurice Schutz
Votes: 60,636 | Gross: $0.02M
Famed for being one of silent cinema's best, the Passion of Jeanne d'Arc delivers with a knockout performance from Falconetti who is given all the time in the world by the camera which spends most of its time in Medium and close up shots. Not a film for those interested in the history but rather for those interested in seeing pure emotion.
14. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 383,696 | Gross: $7.22M
I will never fully be satisfied in my understanding of Mulholland Drive, even after having watched countless videos offering compelling theories as to the meaning of its rich symbolism and carefully wound plot. Lynch creates a mesmorizing masterpiece that requires a second viewing (and third) but at the same time can be enjoyed as a great movie even without comprehension. Excellent acting and imagery accompanies the mysterious plot.
15. An Autumn Afternoon (1962)
Not Rated | 113 min | Drama
An aging widower arranges a marriage for his only daughter.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Shima Iwashita, Keiji Sada, Mariko Okada
Votes: 10,687
Another Ozu, another film on this list. Similar in themes to Late Spring this film instead draws its emotional richness from the father as opposed to the daughter in examining the tragedy. The camera doesn't move once allowing you to enjoy Ozu's flair for composition and framing, the film that shows he can make colour film as well as he can black and white.
16. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
R | 120 min | Drama
Maria marries Hermann Braun in the last days of World War II, only for him to go missing in the war. Alone, Maria puts to use her beauty and ambition in order to find prosperity during Germany's "economic miracle" of the 1950s.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Hanna Schygulla, Klaus Löwitsch, Ivan Desny, Gisela Uhlen
Votes: 14,912
Another Fassbinder masterpiece with each shot composed of exquisite colours and creative camerawork. Acted magnificently by the usual cast of fairly unpleasant characters this film enraptures in its tale of success, marriage, gender and values until its explosive conclusion.
17. 8½ (1963)
Not Rated | 138 min | Drama
A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Anouk Aimée, Claudia Cardinale, Sandra Milo
Votes: 125,160 | Gross: $0.05M
18. There Will Be Blood (2007)
R | 158 min | Drama
A story of family, religion, hatred, oil and madness, focusing on a turn-of-the-century prospector in the early days of the business.
Director: Paul Thomas Anderson | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Ciarán Hinds, Martin Stringer
Votes: 640,902 | Gross: $40.22M
A character study of an incredibly unlikable man played flawlessly by Daniel Day Lewis, this film is an interesting and deep exploration of religion, capitalism, family and greed. With a star studded cast all giving it their all, the film is completed by the brilliant camera work and creepy score.
19. Andrei Rublev (1966)
R | 189 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life, times and afflictions of the fifteenth-century Russian iconographer St. Andrei Rublev.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Anatoliy Solonitsyn, Ivan Lapikov, Nikolay Grinko, Nikolay Sergeev
Votes: 57,035 | Gross: $0.10M
Although not quite reaching the heights of his other masterpiece, Tarkovsky delivers another beautifully shot haunting movie, with an ethereal camera which glides through the countless long shots of the movie, weaving back and forth effortlessly. A slowly paced movie to be sure, but one well worth the time.
20. Apocalypse Now (1979)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, War
A U.S. Army officer serving in Vietnam is tasked with assassinating a renegade Special Forces Colonel who sees himself as a god.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Martin Sheen, Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Votes: 709,922 | Gross: $83.47M
Dazzling cinematography with its beautiful use of rich colours, this story about a descent into madness in Vietnam is Coppola's finest. The madness of the film is brilliantly communicated not only in the story but also in the visuals and the subtle performance of Sheen. With biting moments of satire this film also has its funny moments particularly in the sequences around Kilgore. I would recommend watching the Redux version, it adds some enriching scenes.
21. Early Summer (1951)
Not Rated | 125 min | Drama, Romance
A family chooses a match for their daughter Noriko, but she, surprisingly, has her own plans.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Setsuko Hara, Chishû Ryû, Chikage Awashima, Kuniko Miyake
Votes: 9,664
The second film in the Noriko trilogy is another masterpiece from Ozu. Brilliantly following the destruction of a family unit over a longer run time than many other Ozu features, giving space for the characters to display more nuance and depth. An unusual level of movement by the camera does not disrupt his masterful eye for composition.
22. Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, Mystery, Romance
In a strange and isolated chateau, a man becomes acquainted with a woman and insists that they have met before.
Director: Alain Resnais | Stars: Delphine Seyrig, Giorgio Albertazzi, Sacha Pitoëff, Françoise Bertin
Votes: 24,882 | Gross: $0.06M
Last Year at Marienbad doesn't have much of a plot, none of its characters have names, the location is unclear and whether any time passes is similarly obfuscated. Stripped of most of these conventional elements a brilliantly confusing masterpiece is presented with haunting visuals, ethereal camera work and fascinating opportunities for theorising.
23. Lola (1981)
R | 115 min | Drama, Romance
A seductive cabaret singer-prostitute pits a corrupt building contractor against the new straight-arrow building commissioner, launching an outrageous plan to elevate herself in a world where everything-and everyone-is for sale.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Barbara Sukowa, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Mario Adorf, Matthias Fuchs
Votes: 6,822
24. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 2,011,568 | Gross: $134.97M
The Godfather is highly regarded for a reason. This classic tale of corruption into gangsterism, features stunning performances from both its lead (Pacino) and supporting cast. Coppola is in his prime creating a gorgeous movie to behold with rich colours, brilliant shots and masterful editing.
25. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
R | 229 min | Crime, Drama
A former Prohibition-era Jewish gangster returns to the Lower East Side of Manhattan 35 years later, where he must once again confront the ghosts and regrets of his old life.
Director: Sergio Leone | Stars: Robert De Niro, James Woods, Elizabeth McGovern, Treat Williams
Votes: 377,585 | Gross: $5.32M
A sadly butchered epic in America upon its release (and still lacking in some footage that Leone had initially wanted), the gangster epic still manages to hold up regardless. With perhaps one of the longest narratives for a crime drama allowing us intimate understanding of Noodles and the relationships he builds and destroys over his life.
26. The Third Man (1949)
Approved | 93 min | Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
Director: Carol Reed | Stars: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Votes: 181,798 | Gross: $0.45M
The Third Man reminds the viewer of the joy of black and white. Shadows are controlled masterfully by director Carol Reed, who creates a noir like vibe in this post war thriller. Brilliantly written with standout scenes like the fairground wheel this film bowls one away with its beautiful lighting and atmosphere.
27. In the Mood for Love (2000)
PG | 98 min | Drama, Romance
Two neighbors form a strong bond after both suspect extramarital activities of their spouses. However, they agree to keep their bond platonic so as not to commit similar wrongs.
Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Maggie Cheung, Siu Ping-Lam, Tung Cho 'Joe' Cheung
Votes: 166,771 | Gross: $2.73M
28. I, You, He, She (1974)
86 min | Drama
'Je' is a girl voluntarily lock up in a room. 'Tu' is the script. 'Il' is a lorry driver. 'Elle' is the girlfriend.
Director: Chantal Akerman | Stars: Chantal Akerman, Niels Arestrup, Claire Wauthion
Votes: 2,961
29. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
PG | 102 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Paul Frankeur, Bulle Ogier
Votes: 46,816 | Gross: $0.20M
30. I Am Cuba (1964)
Not Rated | 141 min | Drama
Four vignettes about the lives of the Cuban people set during the pre-revolutionary era.
Director: Mikhail Kalatozov | Stars: Sergio Corrieri, Salvador Wood, José Gallardo, Raúl García
Votes: 10,656
31. Synecdoche, New York (2008)
R | 124 min | Drama
A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play.
Director: Charlie Kaufman | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Samantha Morton, Michelle Williams, Catherine Keener
Votes: 98,202 | Gross: $3.08M
32. Equinox Flower (1958)
118 min | Comedy, Drama
A businessman clashes with his elder daughter over her choice of a husband.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Shin Saburi, Kinuyo Tanaka, Ineko Arima, Yoshiko Kuga
Votes: 4,845
33. I Am Love (2009)
R | 120 min | Drama, Romance
Emma left Russia to live with her husband in Italy. Now a member of a powerful industrial family, she is the respected mother of three, but feels unfulfilled. One day, Antonio, a talented chef and her son's friend, makes her senses kindle.
Director: Luca Guadagnino | Stars: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher
Votes: 23,943 | Gross: $5.01M
34. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Not Rated | 68 min | Documentary
A man travels around a city with a camera slung over his shoulder, documenting urban life with dazzling invention.
Director: Dziga Vertov | Stars: Mikhail Kaufman, Elizaveta Svilova
Votes: 27,970
35. The End of Summer (1961)
103 min | Drama
The family of an older man who runs a small sake brewery become concerned with his finances and his health after they discover him visiting an old mistress from his youth.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Ganjirô Nakamura, Setsuko Hara, Yôko Tsukasa, Michiyo Aratama
Votes: 4,498
36. Late Autumn (1960)
Not Rated | 128 min | Comedy, Drama
A widow tries to marry off her daughter with the help of her late husband's three friends.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Setsuko Hara, Yôko Tsukasa, Mariko Okada, Keiji Sada
Votes: 6,155
37. Medea (1969)
Not Rated | 118 min | Drama, Fantasy
After his quest to retrieve the fabled Golden Fleece, Jason returns to Greece with powerful sorceress Medea. However, when the king banishes her, it's only human that Medea plots her furious revenge. Can they escape her wrath?
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Maria Callas, Massimo Girotti, Laurent Terzieff, Giuseppe Gentile
Votes: 5,487
38. Melancholia (2008)
Not Rated | 450 min | Drama
Three people engage in a strange therapy to get away from their agonies.
Director: Lav Diaz | Stars: Angeli Bayani, Perry Dizon, Roeder Camanag, Dante Perez
Votes: 554
39. The Third Wife (2018)
R | 96 min | Drama
In 19th century rural Vietnam, May is ready to become the third wife of a wealthy landowner. Little does she know that her hidden desires will force her to decide between living in safety and being free.
Director: Ash Mayfair | Stars: Hong Chuong Nguyen, Long Le Vu, Nu Yên-Khê Tran, Maya
Votes: 2,298 | Gross: $0.08M
40. Earth (1930)
Unrated | 75 min | Drama
In the peaceful countryside, Vassily opposes the rich kulaks over the coming of collective farming.
Director: Aleksandr Dovzhenko | Stars: Stepan Shkurat, Semyon Svashenko, Yuliya Solntseva, Yelena Maksimova
Votes: 6,401
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