Top 100: 80-71

     Another week and another ten movies on my countdown (check out 100-91 and 90-81). This week I will countdown 80-71, but unlike the previous two weeks, there is no real theme that stands out with this group. This is the first (and one of the few) weeks to include a sequel (as well as the original), there are three movies that at least indirectly deal with World War II, three (and one-halfish) foreign language films, and this is also the first and only week to include a western (sorry western fans, but it is just not my genre). No director has more than one film in this week's list, and a few of the directors are not very famous with the exceptions of the films listed. Overall though, one very famous director makes his third appearance on my list, which is the most so far. Now on to the countdown!

80. "Star Wars" (1977)

     It is hard to know where to start with this film. I guess the first thing to say is that, in my mind and I'm sure in many other people's view (it's basically objectively true), "Star Wars" is unquestionably the most influential film in terms pop culture of all-time. Adjusted for inflation, only "Gone With the Wind" ranks higher in terms of tickets sold, and no film changed the way the studios viewed the film business more than "Star Wars" (for the good and the bad). The whole idea of the "summer blockbuster", which is what every studio shoots for with their summer releases, was created by Spielberg's "Jaws" and Lucas' "Star Wars". The idea of a multi-series epic franchise with merchandise and all was the brain child of George Lucas and 20th Century Fox, and every major film studio has a stable of franchises they all hope will be "the next 'Star Wars'". What is too commonly lost in the meteoric rise of the event that was "Star Wars" though, is beyond the phenomenal scope of this space opera, "Star Wars" is simply a great film. There is no film which creates such vivid fantasy images more than "Star Wars". From the desserts of Tatooine, to the cold hallways of the Death Star, to the aerial dogfights of the X-wing in the films finale, to perhaps the most referred to scene of all-time in the Katina bar (with strange aliens and cool jazz music abound), there are few films that have had such a lasting visual impact as "Star Wars".

     As much as the visuals and special effects impress, the other equally memorable part of "Star Wars" is its characters. From the underdog of hero Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamil), to the princess who can stand on her own two feet, Leia (Carrie Fisher), to the Zen-Buddhist Jedi Warrior Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness), to the self-centered smuggler with a sentimental spot Han Solo (Harrison Ford, and apparently the character was based on George Lucas' good friend and famed auteur Francis Ford Coppola), to the most iconic evil character of all-time Darth Vader (voiced by James Earl Jones), to more minor characters like Solo's sidekick Chewbacca and droid duo R2-D2 and C-3PO (heavily based off of two peasant characters in Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress", as much of the film's style is also "inspired" by the famed Japanese auteurs work), to even characters who only appear in one scene like Greedo, there is no film with characters who are as well known by the movie-going public.

      I won't go into the plot of "Star Wars", because at this point, you either know it or don't care about it, so instead I will go into some of the story about the film's production. The original script was much different from the final version, with oddities like Luke Skywalker alternating between being a girl and a dwarf, Han Solo as a nose-less gilled alien, to a foul-mouthed English speaking R2-D2, "Star Wars" could have been a much different film. Once the script was finalized, the actual filming is legendary for being one of the most troubled productions ever. In fact, it was so stressful that George Lucas became extremely sick, and was in a hospital for awhile once filming wrapped. Then, once filming was done, things still looked bleak for the famous sci-fi film. The initial screenings of the film did not go over well, and Fox was extremely close to selling the film or scrapping it all together. But then there was one last key piece of the puzzle that saved the day, and may be the strongest part of the film: John Williams' score. The score to "Star Wars" is probably the most famous movie score of all-time, and without it, I doubt the film would be half as good and would have only made a fraction of its enormous gross. The score is breathtaking and majestic, and illustrates the power of music on film as well as any score in cinema history. "Star Wars" is one of the biggest (if not number one) films of all-time, and as I illustrate here, no "Top 100" list is complete without it.

79. "Zodiac" (2007)

     As I mentioned in my article, "5 Great Films for Halloween", what makes "Zodiac" such a frightening film is that, even though it plays nothing like a traditional horror film, it is based in reality. Everything in the movie eschews late 1960's Northern California, and that vivid foundation in a certain time and place (down to the effective use of Donovan's "Heardy Gurdy Man"), makes the shockingly brutal crimes of the Zodiac killer all the more horrifying. David Fincher also concocts the perfect blend of the detective mystery, the bio-pic, and the slasher horror film. The result leaves the audience in a constant state of simultaneously fearing the next brutal murder (and some of the murder scenes are explicitly violent), and wanting to continue the chase to track down the evil serial killer. As much as Hitchcock is known to be the "master of suspense", I have yet to see any one of his films that sent shivers down my spine like the scene in "Zodiac" were the police interview Arthur Leigh Allen, a suspect in the Zodiac killings. I won't go into the details of the scene, but it is incredibly powerful and is easily one of the greatest scenes in any film in a decade or so.

     Technically, there is a lot to admire about "Zodiac" as well. The film sports the cold, glossy look that Fincher has become famous for, and it suits the theme of the movie well. The visual style creates a distance between the audience and the events, creating a sort of "muted-horror" within the viewer that bottles up your emotions and makes you too scared to make a sound, as opposed to the "surprise-scream-horror" employed by most modern horror films. The result is a much psychologically deeper fright that last with much longer than the sugar candy fright of your typical slasher picture. Another impressive part of the visual package of "Zodiac" is its camerawork. Cinematographer Harris Savides sets up some beautifully haunting shots (like the opening shot of the couple in the car) and knows exactly the right times to be intimate with the characters, and the times to be more distant. Finally, I must give praise to the excellent performances by the cast. The film mostly focuses on three characters: Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), a San Fransico Chronicle cartoonist who becomes obsessed with discovering the true identity of the Zodiac killer, Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), an alcoholic reporter who is slowly driven mad by the mysterious case, and Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), the man in charge of finding the Zodiac killer, but who can not quite put all the pieces of the puzzle together. All three performances by Ruffalo, Downey Jr., and surprisingly even Gyllenhaal, create real human beings that you sympathize with, as each man's life is effected and changed in different ways by the famous serial killing spree. Unfortunately, all three men were overlooked when it came to Oscar time, and even though some critics were very fond of the movie, it was sadly left out of any Oscar races. If you haven't seen this film though, don't make the same mistake the Academy did and ignore it. It's a modern classic and definitely worth seeing.

78. "Life is Beautiful" (1997)

     When I first saw this film back in 1997, I was absolutely amazed and the film was easily in my top 10 greatest all-time movies. Since that time and after repeated viewings, the shine of "Life is Beautiful" has worn off a bit, as the scenario of turning a concentration camp into a game for a child is a bit improbable, and the film's overt sentimentality is a little overwhelming, but nonetheless, it is still an incredibly powerful film. "Life is Beautiful" tells the story of an Italian Jew named Guido Orefice (Roberto Benigni), a man who is totally content in his simple family life, with his wife Dora and son Giosue. Unfortunately though, under pressure from his alliance with Hitler and Germany, fascist dictator (but not really anti-Semitic) Benito Mussolini turns Italy into an anti-Jewish state, rounding up many of the country's Jews and shipping them to Nazi death camps. Determined to provide a happy life for his son, Guido tricks Giosue into believing the Nazi camp is an elaborate game, where the contestants earn points, with the grand prize being a tank.

     As I said earlier, the premise is a tad unbelievable, but the film is carried out with such heart and compassion for humanity that only the most cold-hearted people will reject it. The film stars Roberto Benigni, is directed by Roberto Benigni, and is co-written by Roberto Benigni, and his passion for the project is what carries the film. His performance as a caring father who would go any distance to put a smile on his son's face is heart-breaking and truly mesmerizing. The performance also injects a bit of humor (Benigni was actually a comedic actor in Italian films), which is exactly what is called for in this situation. The film was a big success not only with American audiences, but with the Academy as well, which is not an easy feat considering the extreme bias both of these audiences have against foreign films. Benigni won a Best Actor Oscar for his performance (and famously started walking on the seats at the ceremony), marking one of the rare times that an actor won an Oscar for a role that was completely in another language. Benigni's victory also marked only the second time ever that an actor directed himself to an Oscar winning performance (the other being Laurence Olivier in 1948's "Hamlet"). "Life is Beautiful" was also the last foreign film to receive a Best Picture nomination, so the love for the film was very widespread.

     As much as some adored the film, there were a few people, Steven Spielberg being the most prominent (whose "Saving Private Ryan" was also nominated for Best Picture that year), who criticized the film's light tone as being inappropriate for dealing with such serious subject matter as the Holocaust. These critics miss the entire point of the film though, which is that "Life is beautiful". Even under the harshest of circumstances, when it would seem that there is no reason in the world to smile, what this film says is there is always room for joy and laughter. This is a message the I whole-heartedly agree with, and what makes the film such a powerful movie, and to its humorless critics, all I can say is that I feel sorry for you. You are really missing out on a wonderful experience.

77. "Downfall" (2004)

     Like "Life is Beautiful", "Downfall" is also a foreign film dealing with World War II, but in a much different vein than Benigni's life-affirming work. "Downfall" is a German film which chronicles the last days of Adolf Hitler and other high ranking members of the Nazi party in April 1945, as they awaited their inevitable doom in the infamous Fuhrerbunker. The trick of the film (and the fine line the film walks) is it dares to portray Hitler as a fully realized human being, instead of some insane monster, while still not excusing his actions or his horrible effect on the world. At times, Hitler is even somewhat sympathetic, which caused the film to receive a lot of flack when it was released, but this is really a much stronger condemnation of Hitler than films that portray him as some cartoonish super villain totally devoid of humanity. It is exactly because Hitler is portrayed as human being that we are allowed to see the truth depths of his evil, because we see that this catastrophic blight is a part of humanity, not something outside of it. It proves that true evil will come in the dress of a sympathetic individual, not an inhuman monster.

     The film also works really well as an apocalyptic nightmare. The Russian invasion of Berlin was effectively an "end-of-days" scenario for the Nazis, and Oliver Hirschbiegel's film perfectly captures the impending doom and insanity that sets in the minds of the inhabitants of the Fuhrerbunker. Some people become stoic and solemn, while others try to squeeze every bit of joy out of their last few days on earth, but everyone is painfully aware that the end is near for Nazism and its followers. Like almost every film on the list, the movie owes a lot to its actors. Bruno Ganz gives easily the best performance of Hitler ever, as well as one of the greatest performances of the decade. There are also some great performances from the rest of the cast like Alexandra Maria Lara as Hitler's secretary Traudl Junge, Juliane Kohler as Hitler's girlfriend Eva Braun, Heino Ferch as Albert Speer, Ulrich Matthes as Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, and a chilling performance by Corinna Harfouch as Goebbels wife who has one of the most disturbing scenes in recent memory in her last scene with the Goebbels many children. The fact that both Ganz and Harfouch both failed to be nominated by the Academy for their tremendous performances   is yet another terrible mark in their anti-foreign bias when comes to nominating actors. Finally, I must mention the film's recent emergence in pop culture. If you haven't seen the film, it is likely that you have seen the scene where Hitler has an outburst at some of his subordinates on Youtube, but with different subtitled words that have dealt with issues like the "Balloon Boy", Brett Favre joining the Vikings, and the original parody video entitled "Hitler gets banned from Xbox Live". Whether you have seen any of these Youtube video or not, do yourself a favor (especially if you are interested in World War II) and see "Downfall".

76. "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980)

     "The Empire Strikes Back" is one of the few sequels to make my list, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest sequels of all-time. The film is considered by many to be the best in the series, which is probably due to the fact that it is the darkest of original trilogy (and maybe the whole series, although "Revenge of the Sith" is fairly dark as well). By the end of the film, Han Solo is frozen in carbonite (partly because Harrison Ford had yet to commit to a third film), the rebel alliance is in tatters, and Luke is missing a hand, as well as being totally emotionally drained and confused in the greatest twist revelation of any film ever (and one of the most famous lines in cinema history, "I am your father"). While "Star Wars" is a fun adventure film that introduces us to the characters, "The Empire Strikes Back" is the film that adds depth and meaning to their personalities and makes them so memorable. "The Empire Strikes Back" also turns the series from an adventurous scf-fi story to a philosophical epic opera. Issues of love, friendship, duty, and father/son rivalry are all touched on in this film. Surprisingly, this is probably due to a less direct role on George Lucas' part. The screenplay was actually written by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan (although the story was still Lucas'), and what may not be known to the casual fan, Lucas did not direct either "The Empire Strikes Back" or its sequel "Return of the Jedi". Both of these films were actually directed by Irvin Kershner (who sadly passed away earlier this week). Keshner, who was Lucas' professor at USC, was originally opposed to directing the sequel to Lucas' "Star Wars" (he didn't even like the film all that much), but decided it was too big an opportunity to turn down. The one caveat though was that he wanted the next film to focus more on the characters and less on the special effects, and the switch in focus is evident and part of the reason why I ranked "The Empire Strikes Back" ahead of "Star Wars".

     Like the original, "The Empire Strikes Back" creates some equally impressive backdrops. From the opening scenes in the ice planet Hoth, to the swamps of Dagobah, to the final sequences in the beautifully orange skies of Cloud City, "The Empire Strikes Back" is one hell of a visual feast. The film also adds in some great characters, like Han Solo's old acquaintance and leader of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), and of course, the coolest character in cinema history, Yoda (puppeteered and voiced by Frank Oz). As Luke's spiritual guide and Jedi trainer, the puppet Yoda may have had a bigger cultural impact than any other character in the series. Any character in any film who is old and wise and helps a younger protagonist is now almost immediately compared to Yoda, because Yoda is the standard. I would finally like to point out the great performance in both this film and the original given by Harrison Ford. Simply because its an action movie, too many people deride Ford's work as "fun but not weighty". This underestimates the importance of the role of the charismatic Han Solo, who keeps the films from getting into overwrought self-importance (if you don't believe me, see the prequel series and you will notice how much a Han Solo type of character is missing). "Star Wars" may have been the event that kicked it all off, but "The Empire Strikes Back" is the film that cemented the series as one of the greatest achievements in cinema history and inspired a fanbase that will forever be loyal to this space epic.

75. "Everything is Illuminated" (2005)

     "Everything is Illuminated" is definitely the most underrated film of all-time in my book. When it was released in 2005, the film received mildly positive reviews, but it was looked over by all the major awards, and did not appear on any "Top 10" list that I am aware of. Every other film on my list would likely make some one's "Top 100" list, because they either appeal to some specific genre that has a lot of fans, or they are so universally well regarded that they are regulars on many top 100 lists, but "Everything Is Illuminated" is the one exception. The percentage of people who would put "Everything Is Illuminated" in their top 100 favorite movies is probably about the same percentage of people who would say Hitler was a good person (which is pretty low, I hope?). The film is one of the three movies in this week's list that deals with World War II, although it does so indirectly. "Everything is Illuminated" is based on the autobiographical book of the same name, which tells the story of an OCD-ish Jewish American, Jonathan Safran Foer (Elijah Wood), who flies to Ukraine in order to find a woman who saved his grandfather during World War II. In order to find the woman, Foer employs the services Odessa Heritage Tours, which consists of an old man, his dog (named Sammy Davis Jr. Jr.), and his hip-hop influenced twenty-something year old grandson Alex (Eugene Hutz). After a few detours here and there, the group finally get to the village and they all learn something about the past the sheds light (illuminates if you will) on each of their histories and personalities.

     Ukraine isn't exactly known as the movie capital of the world, but the film does a great giving you a feel for the country and its history. First time actor-turned-director Liev Schreiber does a surprisingly masterful job at capturing the landscape of Ukraine, which I never pictured to be a beautiful country, but even though parts of it appear dreary (and backwards), there are apparently some gorgeous parts of the country as well. In particular, the film's final act, which takes place in the village Jonathan has been searching for, shows beautiful fields of enormous sunflowers that stick with you as the prominent visual picture of the film. There are some great performance in the movie as well. Elijah Wood gives a fine performance as the awkward collector on a mission to find out his past, but the performances by Boris Leskin as the grandfather, and in particular the performance by Eugene Hutz as his grandson are movie and very natural. Hutz is actually a rock star in Ukraine (and has a cool gypsy sounding song at the film's credits called "Start Wearing Purple"), but his lack of acting background is not noticeable in the least. His character is always charismatic and entertaining, but never unbelievable or over-the-top. The film is a pretty straight forward heart-warming tale about Ukraine and its anti-Semitic history during the Second World War, and its lack of edge or style is probably the reason the film was largely ignored, but the film is more honest and well executed than your typical Hollywood fare. "Everything is Illuminated" is the closest we are going to get to a modern day Capra film, and if you don't know what that means, just take it as a whole-hearted endorsement for an old-fashioned movie in modern day clothing.

74. "The Thin Man" (1934)

     "The Thin Man" is the first great "talkie" comedy. Based on the novel by Dashiell Hammett, the film is a mix of detective story and comedy. It tells the story of of detective husband and wife team Nick and Nora Charles (along with their dog Asta), who, despite Nick's (William Powell) insistence they he is retired, is prodded by Nora (Myrna Loy) to take up the murder mystery that the young Dorothy Wynant begs him to solve. After some help from colleagues and interviewing the suspects, he gathers everyone to a lavish dinner party where he reveals the identity of the true killer. The story isn't as important as the execution, which is flawless. The script is wonderfully written, as the lightning fast back and forth between Nick and Nora is what makes the movie. Director W.S. Van Dyke superbly gets out of the way of the actors and rightly keeps the whole thing upbeat and fast-paced, creating the right mix of comedy and mystery.

     The film's biggest kudos though belong to the stars, William Powell and Myrna Loy. The two have incredible chemistry with one another, friendly prodding and poking fun at one another. Even though the film was made in 1934, I can not think of a more entertaining onscreen couple since this film. They make the movie. They are the movie. Apparently audiences on the 1930's thought so too, as the film was a surprise smash-hit and led to five sequels, making "The Thin Man" one of the first (if not the first) film franchise. There even appears to be many modern fans as well, as the Michael Cera staring film "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" payed tribute to the film's couple in the title, and just recently, Johnny Depp announced that he plans to star in a remake of the film with Rob Marshall set to direct. It is really hard to describe this film's brilliance in words, because it is dependent on the quick wit of the script and impeccable timing of the actors, but if you don't believe old films can be funny, give "The Thin Man" a try.

73. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" (1969)

     To the dismay of any fans of the Western genre who may read this blog, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is the only Western to make my list. It's not that I dislike the genre, because there are many good Western films, I just happen not to think there are very many great ones. I do make an exception with this film though, but "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is not your typical Western either. I can't recall any other Westerns with a bicycle riding scene to the sounds of Burt Bacharach's "Rain Drops Keep Falling on my Head", because in all honesty, this is more of a buddy picture than a pure Western. To be a typical Western, the film would have to take itself way more seriously, but that is why I love this movie, because like its main characters, it has a care-free and irreverent attitude towards life. You get the feeling that both Butch and Sundance have just floated threw most their lives, only coming to bank robbing because it seemed to suit their personalities, not out of some grand feeling of justice or wealth, and no matter what happens, they were just along for the ride anyway.

     The movie was originally entitled "The Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy" (which sounds much worst to me for some reason) and was meant to star Steve McQueen and Paul Newman, but when McQueen had to drop out because of a scheduling conflict, the producers eventually settled on Robert Redford as the replacement. While I'm sure McQueen would have done a find job, the team of Newman, Redford, and director George Roy Hill, who would later team up again to great success for "The Sting" (number 98 on my list), works perfectly in creating a light atmosphere while still packing in some drama.  Both Newman and Redford play their roles with the right, almost self-deprecating, tone. Katherine Ross also does a fine job as the female interest and is more than a simple "female add-on" that so many actresses seem to be today. The script by William Goldman, which adapts the story of the real life bank robbers, also does its part in creating the right tone, and the ending shootout scene in particular is a well written, memorable moment of cinema history. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is a really fun movie, and if you want a Western without all the over-dramatic set pieces, this is your movie.

72. "The Rules of the Game" (1939)

     "The Rules of the Game" marks the third foreign film in this weeks list, and with "Everything is Illuminated"'s focus on Ukraine, it almost makes four. This French film though is much older than the previous foreign films, but is nevertheless great. The film is directed by one of the earliest auteurs, Jean Renoir, who was the son of the famous French Impressionist Pierre Renoir. By 1939, Renoir had already become famous and well respected for his hit "Grand Illusion" (a good, but somewhat overrated film), which followed the life of French POWs in the First World War. This film though did not go over so well, almost causing riots in some theaters. "The Rules of the Game" is about a weekend hunting party that is hosted by a rich French couple for all their friends. The problem though is they are all miserable, as they all have affairs with each others spouses (as well as some of the help). The reason the film did not go over very well is it paints a rather unflattering picture of upper-class society in late 1930's France, as all the characters come off as partly mad, childish narcissists. Now I am far from a "all rich people are evil" type of person, but I think it's unquestionable that there were very many unlikable things about the early 20th century aristocracy in France, and more importantly, the film mocks them in a very humorous and entertaining fashion.

     A big reason for the films success is the flawless performances from the great ensemble cast. "The Rules of the Game" is an "ensemble movie" if there ever was one, and the film does a good job at splitting equal screen time between its many characters. Each actor creates a fully realized character that, despite their many flaws, is fascinating to learn about and fun to observe. Being that they are all French actors with difficult names to spell, I won't list their names here, but they all do a marvelous job bringing these characters to life. Another interesting fact about "The Rules of The Game" is that it was almost lost. Claiming that it was bad for the morale of the country (due to impending war), the French government banned the film about a month after its original release. Once the Nazi's blew into town, they did not much appreciate the film either, burning many copies. Finally, during a bombing run, the Allies accidentally destroyed the original copies. During the 1950's though, with the help of some of Renoir's devotees, they were able to scratch together enough copies to make a new print, although Renoir said a small scene was still missing. All I know is I glad there were people who took the time and effort to save this movie, because it is a true classic.

71. "Annie Hall" (1977)

     My third film by Woody Allen, "Annie Hall" is probably his most famous work and the most universally well regarded. In fact, even though Allan has been nominated for Oscars countless times, this is his only film that was a complete success, winning Best Picture, Best Actress (Diane Keaton), Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay. According to Allen, the film started out as a comedic murder mystery with a romantic subplot, but along the way of writing it, he decided to scrap the murder mystery aspect and just go for straight the romantic comedy (although he later resurrected the murder mystery plot for his 1993 film "Manhattan Murder Mystery"). The result is a weird comedic semi-autobiographical film about the real life troubled relationship between Woody Allen and Diane Keaton, who eventually left Allen for Warren Beatty (a man Woody Allen clearly dislikes). In fact, the film's title is just another name for Ms. Keaton, as her real last name is Hall and her nickname is Annie, making Diane Keaton the only actress to win an Oscar for essentially playing herself (even the clothes she wears in the film are from her own wardrobe).

     The film marks an interesting transition period for Woody Allan's career, as "Annie Hall" is his first film that leaves the realm of pure, almost Mel Brooks-ish, comedy and enters more dramatic territory. The thing is though, while "Manhattan" is solidly in the "serious comedy" column, "Annie Hall" keeps a lot of the feel of "Bananas" and his earlier comedies, creating an almost surreal romantic comedy that is unlike any other film I have ever seen. It seems like an approximation of what a Fellini film could have been like if he had ever done pure comedy. Anyway you want to describe it, the result is comedy gold. Like many of Allan's films, there are so many great lines that you almost have a hard time keeping up with them. Perhaps the funniest scene of the film though was not written at all and was a total accident. The scene involves Allen and Keaton at friends' apartment when they offer Allen some cocaine. As he holds up to his nose, he suddenly sneezes and the cocaine goes everywhere. Apparently, the sneeze was totally accidental, but when they showed the film to some test audiences, they laughed so hard at the scene that Allen decided to keep it in the film. Scenes like this is what makes "Annie Hall" such a classic, and if you haven't seen any of Woody Allan's films, I can not think of a better movie to start with than "Annie Hall".

     Well that's it for this week, so until next week's list, feel free to comment on this week's selection down below.