Top 100: 20-11

     We're quickly approaching the finish line, as we get down to the cream of the crop in my personal view of cinema history (check out the previous weeks: 100-91, 90-81, 80-71, 70-61, 60-51, 50-41, 40-31 , 30-21). All these movies have had a great impact on me and my life, and I vividly remember the first (and in many cases multiple) time(s) I watched them. In short, I really love these films. The films are all over the map genre-wise this week (although there are my four favorite foreign films on the list, if you count that as a genre), with some of the darkest films in cinema history sitting beside some of the most feel-good inspirational movies ever made. I guess it illustrates my somewhat schizophrenic view of life, but regardless of the drastic differences in tone between the films, they are all made by expert auteurs with unique visions. And this week does have an amazing laundry list of some of the greatest directors to ever step foot behind a camera. I will let you read on to discover the great directors on this week's list, but I do have to mention the two appearances from the great Martin Scorsese, who is the only director with more than one film appearing on the list this week. No decade is represented by more than two movies this week, but I do reach my favorite films of 1930's, the 1980's, and the 2000's this week. Now on to the countdown!

20. "Taxi Driver" (1976)

     "Taxi Driver" is one of the darkest films you're likely to ever see. I remember watching it in total awe, completely captivated by every line and every shot and thinking to myself, "Is this really happening?". It is a little like being punched in the gut, or trying to swallow a big pill as it slowly scrapes down your throat. "Taxi Driver" is a true decent into madness that isn't stereo-typical or patronizing in the least, and even seems to sympathize with it's psychotic anti-hero, which is it's greatest achievement. You can't understand the mindset of the psychotic by judging them, you have to genuinely sympathize with them, and this film is willing to go where no other film had gone before (or has gone since for that matter).

     The film tells the story of Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a crazed loner Vietnam Vet who drives a taxi for a living. Bickle hates the world around, and in particular New York City ("all the animals come out at night: queens, fairies, dopers, junkies, sick venal - some day a real rain will come and wash all the scum off the streets" is his view of the Big Apple). In between going to porn films and talking to himself in the mirror ("You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me?"), the one bright part of his life is a campaign worker for presidential hopeful Charles Palantine (Leonard Harris), a girl by the name of Betsy (Cybill Sheperd). Travis does manage to convince Betsy to let him take her out on a date, but after bringing her to a pornographic film, she wants nothing to do with him. In order to get her attention, he plans on assassinating Palantine (a part of the film that would later inspire John Hinkley to attempt to assassinate President Ronald Reagan in order to get the attention of Jodie Foster), but when this doesn't work out, he sets his sights on making a difference in the world by helping to free a 12-year old prostitute named Iris (Jodie Foster, who was really 12 at the time), who is currently being controlled by her pimp Matthew 'Sport' Higgins (played excellently by Harvey Keitel in his few scenes).

     The script was written by Paul Schrader, who based it partly on the dairy of Arthur Bremer, the man who shot presidential hopeful and segregationist George Wallace, and partly on his own life, as he had suffered a nervous breakdown after a series of unfortunate events that lead him to shut himself up in an apartment for weeks, only coming out to go to pornographic films. While writing the script, he also kept a loaded gun in front of him at all times. The fact that Schrader himself was on the wrong side of crazy explains the sympathy and accuracy with which Travis Bickel was written, and the authenticity of the whole thing makes "Taxi Driver" one of the greatest scripts ever written. The direction by Martin Scorsese is also just as brilliant, as Scorsese creates the perfect tone for the film. Visually, the film looks like a saturated color version of film noir, which is the perfect ironic twist for this 1970's anti-hero version of the every-man vigilante, another great decision by Scorsese. The film also has a perfectly fitting low-key score by Bernard Herrman, who died a few days after completing it (the film is dedicated to his memory). And of course, there's Robert De Niro. Robert De Niro! De Niro's performance in this film is frighteningly good, and in all honesty, for the sake of humanity, you almost wish that another human being couldn't impersonate insanity as well as De Niro does in this film. In my opinion, Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle is the greatest single performance by an actor ever, in the complete history of the movies, and there is no more higher complement than that (literally). The only weakness in the film is it's ending. If it is meant literally, it is just plain stupid. If it is suppose to be fantasy as some postulate, then I wish it would have been just a bit clearer about it. If the ending had worked for me, "Taxi Driver" would probably number 3 or 4 on my list, so despite the ending, "Taxi Driver" is a must-see film.

19. "You Can't Take It With You" (1938)

     As you can probably tell by now, between their two appearances on last week's list, and now this appearance on this week's list, I am a huge fan of the Frank Capra/Jimmy Stewart collaborations. All three films they worked together on made my Top 100, and they all made very high on the list, but surprisingly, my favorite of their three films is the least famous today (although it did win the Oscar for Best Picture at the time).

     "You Can't Take It With You" was based on the pulitzer prize winning play, and it tells the story of the happy-go-lucky Sycamore family. The house is overseen by Grandpa Martin Vanderof (Lionel Barrymore), who welcomes anyone and everyone to come live in his home and pursue whatever makes them happiest. This leads to a rather eccentric family including Grandpa Martin's daughter, Penny Sycamore (Spring Byington) who spends her days painting, Penny's husband Paul Sycamore (Samuel S. Hinds) who experiments with fireworks, their daughter Essie Carmichael (Ann Miller) who likes to think of herself as a great ballerina much to the dismay of her Russian instructor Kolenkhov (Mischa Auer), and the only normal member of the zany family, Alice Sycamore (Jean Arthur), a stenographer who has fallen in love with her boss, Tony Kirby (Jimmy Stewart). Tony is the son and heir-to-the-throne of the great business man Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnold), the head of a successful company, but a man of very little heart. When Kirby's go to the eccentric Sycamore house, their clashing philosophies make it tough for the two families to get along, as well as the fact that Grandpa Martin's refusal to sell their house is the one thing keeping Kirby Sr. from buying up the whole block. After some unfortunate misunderstandings, both families are forced to spend time in jail together after being suspected of being anarchists. In prison, the two families hash it out, as they try to reach some understanding.

     If you have been following this countdown, you'll already know my love of the term "irreverence towards life" and films that take up this banner. "Roman Holiday", "Little Miss Sunshine", and "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" are all films on my countdown that I have mentioned with this philosophical outlook, but perhaps no film makes this message as clear as "You Can't Take It With You". Capra is a master of this life-affirming message, and there are two scenes in particular that capture this feeling the best. The first is a scene with Jimmy Stewart and Jean Arthur in a park, where they happen upon a bunch of kids that are giving dance lessons on how to do the "Big Apple". The two take up to dancing with the kids, and the spontaneity of the random dancing (somewhat reminiscent of "Ferris Bueller's Day Off") creates a purely joyful feeling that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. The other is the final scene of the film. I won't go to much into the specifics, but it involves Kirby Sr. and Grandpa Martin playing the harmonica together. It is an incredibly touching moment, and the film's end is may be my favorite ending of any film ever (only one other film, which I won't mention now, may have a better ending).

     The film also has a terrific cast, that is the greatest ensemble performance of the era, as well as one of the greatest of all-time. Jimmy Stewart and especially Lionel Barrymore, two of my favorite actors of their generations, are outstanding and give pitch-perfect performances. Jean Arthur and Edward Arnold also play very pivotal characters in the film, and both suck the audience in emotionally and let the audience put their cynical guard down for two hours. "You Can't Take It with You" is a film I have seen many times, and every single time I get as choked up as I did the first time, a living monument to the cinematic genius that was Frank Capra, and the lovable charm that was at the essence of Jimmy Stewart.

18. "Modern Times" (1936)

     My second Chaplin film on the list, "Modern Times" ended up being my choice for the best movie of the 1930's. As you can tell from the fact that they are placed right next to one another, choosing between "You Can't Take It With You" and "Modern Times" for the best film from the 30's was an excruciating decision, but in the end I narrowly went with "Modern Times" for one reason: it is really funny. "Modern Times" yet again stars the endearing Tramp (Charlie Chaplin), who starts off as a regular factory worker. After doing his best to keep up with the quick paced work of the assembly line (a skit Lucille Ball would later famously rip off in "I Love Lucy", but with chocolates), the Tramp, in a hilarious segment, is chosen by his corporate bosses to be the guinea pig for a new "automatic feeding machine" (a skit Woody Allen would later rip off in "Bananas", number 97 on my list), which is attempt from the higher-ups to make their workers more efficient by eliminating the need for a lunch brake. After some misunderstood behavior by the Tramp, his bosses feel he has lost it, and send him to a mental institution. Unfortunately for the Tramp though, that is not the end of his troubles, because as soon as he is released, he is mistakenly associated with a pro-communist rally and thrown in jail. While in jail, the Tramp unknowingly ingests cocaine, which leads to a humorous reaction from the Tramp, including stopping a jailbreak. For his help in foiling the escape, the police let the Tramp back into the free world, but things are pretty bleak on the outside. With a woman companion simply known as "A Gamin" (Paulette Goddard) in the film, the two do what they can to make the best out of "modern times".

     The film is Chaplin's humorous critique of the dehumanization of technology and the industrialization of society through things like assembly lines (Heidegger would be proud). While I usually hate luddites and their reactionary views, Chaplin is quite effective in portraying an overly mechanized society gone mad with an obsession for efficiency. Originally, the film was planned to be Chaplin's first "talkie", but perhaps in a symbolic nod to Chaplin's preference for blunting new technologies, with the exception of music, machine sounds, and a song Chaplin sings toward the conclusion of the film in complete gibberish, the film is completely silent (and with the exception of novelty or parody films such as Mel Brooks' "Silent Movie", was the last silent film in cinema history). The thing that makes the message and the movie so effective though, is instead of preaching at the audience, Chaplin infuses every aspect of the film with a sense of playfulness and endearingly "ho-hum" perseverance. The one scene where he most obviously enjoys having fun with the audience is when the Tramp and the Gamin stay inside an empty department store for a night. The Tramp goes to the second floor of the store and begins to roller blade while blindfolded. Unknown to the Tramp though, the second floor of the store has no railing, and the Tramp continually gets right up to the edge of where the floor ends. Every time the Tramp almost traverses the edge into a great fall, you can just feel Chaplin smiling, teasing the audience in the friendly way he does. It is unforgettable scenes such as these (proven by the fact of how many comedians would later rip them off), that make "Modern Times" one of the best comedies ever made, even 75 years later.

17. "Seven Samurai" (1954)

     "Seven Samurai", the fifth and final film from Japanese auteur Akira Kurosawa to make my list, is the single most influential film in the history of cinema. The movie created the modern "action" genre as we know it. It didn't catch on right away with Hollywood directors, but whenever two young directors by the names of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas saw this film, cinema history was made, as the two would take so many elements from this film in making their own groundbreaking films ("Star Wars" in particular would not have been possible without "Seven Samurai"). In turn, almost all present day action flicks are some derivative of a Spielberg or Lucas film, so any director in the genre should really be forced into paying royalties to the Kurosawa estate. That's how influential this movie is. I remember watching the film for the first time, and being totally stunned at the amount things that I had thought started in the 1970's, appearing before my eyes in a 1950's Japanese movie. From pacing, to cinematography (including exact shots), to plot points, to character development (reluctant hero), to the use of comic relief, to even exact lines of dialogue ("Maybe we die this time" I could swear has been used in multiple action films) can all be found in numerous action films, good and bad. The impressive thing though is not just that this was the first film to use many of these elements, it also is the best film to use them, as none of the imitators since have matched this masterful accomplishment by Kurosawa.

     Kurosawa originally wanted to make a film about a day in the life of a 16th century samurai, but when he felt he did not have enough historical knowledge of the daily life of a samurai warrior, he instead made a movie about an anecdote he had read about where a village had paid samurais to be their protectors. And that is the basic crux of the plot. A small village is constantly being harassed by a group of bandits. In order to stop the pillaging, the villagers decide to hire samurai for protection. The are able to convince the sympathetic Kanbe Shimada to join their cause, who then takes up the task of recruiting six (or really five, since Kikuchiyo (Toshiro Mifune) isn't really a samurai) other samurai to join them, as they come up with the best strategy they can to protect the village. Kurosawa wrote lengthy dossiers on every character with a speaking role in the film, which included information such as what the characters wore, what their favorite foods were, what their speaking habits were, and important events in their past. This incredible dedication to detail is extremely apparent, as all the characters come across as fully-developed, 3-dimensional human beings (unlike the characters in "The Tourist", thank you Ricky Gervais). As well as Kurosawa's amazing work as a director, the Japanese ensemble cast, from Mifune to Seiji Miyaguchi, who plays the stoic sword expert Kyuzo, all deserve a lot of credit for pulling off this defining feat. If you consider yourself to be a fan of the of the action genre (even if just occasionally), if you have ever enjoyed a Speilberg or Lucas film, or if you just want to be knowledgeable of the most defining films in cinema history, you must see "Seven Samurai".

16. "The Departed" (2006)

     There were many great Martin Scorsese films that narrowly missed out on my Top 100 list, but out of all the great cinematic achievements he has had over his long career, my favorite of all his films is 2006's "The Departed". While the film is his only movie of his to receive the Oscar for Best Picture, and finally earned him a long-overdue Best Director Oscar, many in the elite film criticism crowd dismiss the movie as a mere "genre exercise". The difference between myself and those who would belittle the film is, while they use the term "genre exercise" in a negative way, I think it is exactly what makes the film one of the greatest ever made. Unlike some of Scorsese's previous gangster films such as "Goodfellas" and "Casino", "The Departed" does not really commit on the nature of crime and being a criminal and instead is content to tell a story, letting the audience pick up what they will. In other words, there is no moral to the story, and this why, even though I like "Goodfellas" and "Casino" quite a bit, I give "The Departed" the edge over these films (it helps that the film is set in Boston too, a crazy city with an interesting history).

     "The Departed" is actually a remake of the 2002 Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs", and tells the story of two sides of a coin, a undercover cop attempting to infiltrate a criminal organization, and a crooked cop secretly working for the boss of said criminal organization. Billy Costigan (Leonardo DiCaprio) is the undercover fuzz trying to get dirt on the Irish mob boss Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson), but any and all attempts by the Boston police to try and catch Costello in the act of breaking the law are thwarted by the tips of Colin Sullivan (Matt Damon), a policeman who Costello took an interest in at a very young age and planted him in the department to be his eyes and ears. As the cops and robbers play a game of cat and mouse, it becomes very apparent to both that there is a rat amongst them. In the police department, this leads to an investigation, headed by none other than the traitor himself, Colin Sullivan, who manipulates his position to try to uncover the undercover policeman in Costello's crew, which leads to the head of the undercover Boston Police Department, Captain Queenan (Martin Sheen), being thrown down multiple stories of a building to bloody results. Among the gangsters, this leads to paranoid and erratic behavior by Costello, which leads Billy Costigan to fear for his life and nearly lose his mind pretending to be someone he's not. His only outlet is a psychiatrist, Madolyn (Vera Farminga), who ironically is the girlfriend of Costigan's unknown rival and mirror opposite, Colin Sullivan.

    Scorsese has a lot of fun with the movie, playing on its themes and the duality of the plot. He also expertly masters pacing and tone, creating a palatable sense of time and space, while embracing all the great aspects of the crime genre. The tempo of the film does an amazing job of creating the feeling of dizzying tension, exactly mirror the thoughts and emotions going through the mind of the film's two stars, Colin Sullivan and Billy Costigan. The film has a jaw-droppingly good cast, which, along with "Little Miss Sunshine" (another 2006 film), is one of the best ensemble performances in recent memory. Almost every actor in this film gives a performance worthy of an Oscar nomination, from Martin Sheen, to Alec Baldwin, to Mark Wahlberg (who shockingly, was the only one to actually receive a nomination from the academy). The two leads of the film, Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio give outstanding performances, with DiCaprio, in his best work, particularly standing out as he perfectly captures a soul being split apart by the nature of his job (although Damon's performance is tragically underrated by many, probably because the sniveling nature of his character). The best performance in the movie in my mind goes to my all-time favorite actor, Jack Nicholson, who, despite giving maybe the best performance of his career, somehow was not nominated. Nicholson's character Costello was partly based on real-life Boston gangster James 'Whitey' Bulger (who has a very fascinating story), and Nicholson nails the incarnation of evil on earth. Nicholson was also allowed to improvise many of his scenes, and bizarre scenes such as a three-way on a bed with cocaine sprinkled over it and a scene in a porn theater were he wears a strap-on dildo were Nicholson's ideas. The film also has an excellant soundtrack, including Scorsese's continuing obsession with the Rolling Stones with a great use of the song "Gimme Shelter" (a song about the Boston Strangler) in the film's opening. The best song in the film though is it's continuing theme song, the Dropkick Murphy's "I'm Shipping up to Boston" (click here to take a listen), which if you watch any Boston sporting events, has really become the theme song for the city. All this, with an incredibly shocking ending that left me stunned the first time I watched the movie, makes "The Departed" my favorite film of the last decade (2000's).

15. "8 1/2" (1963)

     Federico Fellini's "8 1/2" (which refers to the amount of movies Fellini had made up to that point) is one of the the most unique films you will likely ever see. The film is a semi-autobiographical film about a director making a semi-autobiographical film (meta!). It tells the story of Guido (Marcello Mastroianni), a film director coming off a huge hit, who is now attempting to make an artistically true picture that captures the important aspects of his life. He is absolutely burnt out artistically though, and feels he can not give anything authentic of himself to the project, since he is currently in an existential free-fall. Meanwhile, he is being pressured from all over, from his producers who want him to get going on his next big hit, to his mistress who wants his love and attention, to his wife Luisa (Anouk Aimee) who resents him as a narcissistic artist who she feels is simply using her to some extent, to an actress named Claudia (Claudia Cardinale) who looks to Guido as her savior, to the press, who have their own agenda in how they want Guido to be. This leads Guido to retreat into his mind and memory, in order to make since of his life and who he has become, so that he can salvage some sanity and artistic merit.

     For anyone interested in identity, freedom, existentialism, and what it means to be an artist, this is an endlessly fascinating film. Guido has basically become a caricature of himself, acting only the way people want him to act in order to satisfy their needs. Now, going through an existential crisis, a loss of self, he can no longer satisfy his family and friends who only care to see and know a certain part of him. The themes of the film remind me a lot of the opening lines of Nirvana's famous song "Come As You Are". The song starts out, "Come, as you are, as you were, as a want you to be". You can see that the lyrics progress from the phony statement that many people make, to a more honest statement about people's desires, to finally, the brutally honest, crass statement about our own individual selfishness. Fellini's famously sporadic style may be annoying to some or come off as self-indulgent, but for a movie about a man who has become disenchanted with himself and is seeking a more honest definition of who he is, the apparent randomness of the film's scenes is a perfect fit. The film also has a terrific cast to support Fellini's unique vision, with long-time Fellini collaborator Marcello Mastroianni as the film's star particularly standing out as a great feat of acting. I can't imagine playing the man giving you directions would be the most comfortable situation, but Mastroianni pulls it off like a pro. The film also has a great score by Nino Rota that holds together the whole movie emotionally. In the end, Guido discovers that who he is is simply everyone he has known, and everything he has gone through. Or in other words, his existence. This is a sentiment I am extremely sympathetic to, and if you yourself find this idea intriguing, than you should get busy trying to find a copy of "8 1/2". You won't be disappointed.

14. "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" (1982)

     The fifth Steven Spielberg film on my list (tying him for the most appearances on my list with Woody Allen, Akira Kurosawa, and one other yet-to-be-named director) and the highest film from the 1980's on my list, "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial" is an inspirational masterpiece. Originally conceived as a horror film about a suburban family terrorized by aliens (which was switched to ghost in the Spielberg produced "Poltergeist"), with a subplot about the one lone good alien who befriends the families autistic child, Spielberg took this element and with some changes (thank god they didn't keep the autistic aspect), created what we know as "E.T.". Interestingly, the script was actually written on the set of another Spielberg film that made my list, "Raiders of the Lost Ark". During breaks while shooting the first Indiana Jones movie, Spielberg would dictate the story of "E.T." to Melissa Mathison, the then-girlfriend and future wife of Indiana Jones himself, Harrison Ford. Something about the fact of these two great cinematic classics intertwining seems like perfect movie destiny.

    The films story tell the tale of a group of aliens who come to explore earth, but in a quick departure when approached by a human task force, they accidentally leave behind one of their own on the third rock from the sun. Left on a foreign planet, E.T. befriends a ten year-old child by the name of Elliot (Henry Thomas), who lives with his divorced mother and two siblings, an older brother by the name Michael (Robert MacNaughton), and a younger sister by the name of Gertie (Drew Barrymore), who also slowly befriend the alien. The extra-terrestrial, while apparently enjoying his friendship with the kids, is incredibly homesick and focused on reuniting with his people. The kids try to help him communicate with his home planet, but when E.T. becomes sick, the task force of government types and scientists capture the alien creature, which only exacerbates the situation. Plus, with the close bond between E.T. and Elliot, the boy also falls gravely ill. All hope is not lost though, when the kids making a daring attempt to free the alien and reunite him with his people.

     The film is chalk full of Spielbergian moments with all the Spielbergian trimmings, and is all the better for it. The most famous of these moments is of course near the film's finale, when E.T. uses his magical alien powers to make the bike Elliot is carrying him fly, and then, there is a sillouetteof the boy, the alien, and the bike against the backdrop of the full moon. This sort of grandiose, playful shot is probably the most recognizable part of the Spielberg brand, and it is a work of sheer genius in this case. Another innovative decision made by Spielberg was to shoot the film from the height of a child, to give the audience the view of the world as the children see it. A subtle, but nevertheless important and effective choice. In yet another classic Spielberg move, part of the film takes place during Halloween, and the kids amusingly take the extra-terrestrial trick-or-treating dressed as a ghost. I am almost always for a film that randomly places some of its events during a holiday, but in this case especially, having the festive and children-oriented holiday of Halloween in the film was an extra fun bit that makes this movie the classic that it is. Spielberg also did a great job eliciting the realistic performances from the children. When E.T. is sick in the film, the kids had developed a relationship with the creature because Spielberg had decided to film the movie sequentially, so the tears you see are very genuine and continued even when the cameras weren't shooting (especially in Drew Barrymore's case, who was apparently inconsolable). The film also has yet another masterfully memorable score from the great John Williams, who captures the spirit of the film as he almost always does. The sense of magic and imagination that is so palatably real for a child, is made real for the audience in this film, and is a great achievement. This type of childhood fantasy film is perfect for Spielberg's sensibilities, and I could not think of a better auteur for the film.

13. "The Battle of Algiers" (1966)

     I remember the first time I watched some of this movie on TCM (Turner Classic Movies). It was extremely late at night (or extremely early in the morning depending on how you look at it) and I was already half-asleep when it came on, but the film peaked my interest so much it actually woke me up to full attention. It was so different, so realistic without flaunting its "realism", that I couldn't tear my eyes or my mind from the film despite the late hour. "The Battle of Algiers" chronicles the historic clash in the 1950's between the Islamic natives of Algeria and the French government and people, who had colonized the African nation. The back-and-forth starts off when member of the National Liberation Front of Algiers (NLF) shoot some French Policemen. In retaliation, the French Chief of Police sets off a bomb in the Arab quarters, killing passerbies. The NLF returns the favor by sending three woman into the French quarter with bombs that they set off in places like a soda shop, killing still more. This leads the French government to bring in the big guns in order to squash the rebellion, including one Colonel Mathieu (a man I believe the film says was a member of the French Resistance during the Second World War), who is perhaps the most interesting military figure ever put on the silver screen. Determined to be victorious, Mathieu uses what many would call "morally questionable methods" (i.e. torture) to break the back of the opposition. In the end though, the NLF got its wishes, as the Algerians achieved independence in 1962.

     What I love about the Italian/Algerian film by the Italian director Gillo Pontecorvo is that, despite the filmmaker's obvious sympathy for and bias towards the goals of the Algerians, the film is shot in such a hands-off, almost documentarian style, that it is left up to the viewer to decide just how good or bad someone, or some group is. Whose right and whose wrong (if any can said to be either) is likely going to be dependent on your view point on the world, and your philosophical feelings on life, but in which ever way you see things, the naked and unencumbered way in which the film is shot can be appreciated by all human beings universally. No matter your feelings on the War on Terror (or the War on Islamic Fascism if you rather), the film has a lot to say on the current clash between the World of Islamic culture and the World of Western culture. Again, what exactly it has to say will depend on the individual watching the film, but interestingly enough, the U.S. Military found value in the film as the Pentagon in 2003 screened the movie for officers and civilian experts to try to get a better grasp on the challenges that lay ahead. The flier for the screening read, "How to win a battle against terrorism and lose the war of ideas". The film is also supported by a terrific cast that really flesh out the characters and complete the enchantment of realism. They also help make the movie about much more than politics, as regardless of your interest or disinterest in the political world, there is something strikingly human about the whole thing (although I guess the French government did not feel the same way, as the movie was shown very sparingly in the country until fairly recently). In last week's list, I named "Black Hawk Down" as my favorite war film, but if we want expand the genre to include more untraditional wars, than this intriguing study of human conflict and contrasting cultures would without a doubt be on the top of my "war films" list.

12. "The 400 Blows" (1959)

     One style of filmmaking that I can not get behind is this ultra "realist" flavor that many current independent films seem attracted to like mice to cheese. Coming off as rather pretentious, you get the feeling that these filmmakers believe that they can capture life in its entirety by putting a magnifying glass to the little mundane moments (as well as the "little people" in most cases) of life. The thing is though, I have personally never lived in a moment as "real" as the movies portray, because in the end, it isn't about the minor details of reality. Life, as in a movie, is about creating a narrative, and while any single moment may match something like what you see in these realist films, as soon as that moments gone, it is simply becomes apart of the repertoire of your memory. Any single memory is slightly changed here or there, or embellished, to help fit in with the narrative that is you, to the point where you could almost call them cinematic. You can see then from my outlook why I believe films should try to capture the emotions of life, not the details, and any film that believes it can portray some all encompassing vision of life unfiltered I am extremely skeptical of. I just don't believe it can be done. There is one exception though, and that is Francois Truffaut's "The 400 Blows".

     Now despite the realistic autobiographical "plot" that isn't exactly about anything, part of the reason "The 400 Blows" works so well is, unlike the realist filmmakers of today, Truffaut does not forget the medium he is working in and uses a style that is distinctly cinematical (not a word but I'll use it anyway) and does not strictly adhere to some "realist" code of ethics like a zealot to the gospel. Truffaut is perhaps the most famous of all the French New Wave auteurs and part of the thing I admire about the movement is its embrace of using techniques that could only be done in the art of film (jump-cuts for example). For instance, there is a quick playful scene in "The 400 Blows" were a gym teacher takes his class out for a jog around Paris. Slowly, one-by-one, (or two-by-two in some cases) the kids who were following thier teacher in a straight line begin to ditch and trail off to do what they please until there is no one left. Truffaut chooses to let the audience see this disintegrating formation from a high vantage point, which comes off as fun decision that would not jive with the Book of Realism.

     The title of the film comes from a French saying that roughly translates to "to raise hell" or "to live a wild life" (I don't speak French and have only read that this is the translation, so for anyone who does speak French, I apologize if it is an inaccurate or clumsy translation). The film's story focuses on Antoine Doinel (Jean-Pierre Leaud), a early teens boy who lives in a cramped Parisian apartment with his resentful and self-absorbed mother, and his good-natured, but directionless step-father. The boy has no interest in school or the life that he is suppose to lead, and instead chooses to regularly play hookie in order to pursue the things that interest him more, such as movies and amusement rides. He regularly lies and steals things (although not maliciously), as his life slowly goes down the path of delinquency, and he goes from being in trouble with the school, to being in trouble with his parents, to being in trouble with the law, to the point where he is sent to a juvenile detention center near the films close. The film has many great scenes, such as its famous long-shot of Antoine running as its conclusion, or the view of the whimsical Parisian night lights from the back of a paddy-wagon, but the best part of the film, is all the scenes of Antoine walking Paris. The city feels incredibly magical through the eyes of the preteen, and the complete randomness and irreverence towards life (yes, I used that saying once again) with which he makes his decisions is spellbinding and unspeakably beautiful. The performance from Leaud is amazing, keeping the audiences attention at all times and absolutely capturing the indifference with which Antoine views the "real world". The film also has maybe the prettiest score in cinema history, including a tragically beautiful waltz for its main theme. My life is richer for having heard this astounding music (click here to take a listen). As good as other movies are, no film comes within miles of achieving the perspective that "The 400 Blows" gives its audience. It is a truly unique, astounding feat, and if I were dictator of the world, the film would be mandatory viewing for any and all human beings, as there simply is no movie more human than "The 400 Blows".

11. "Pulp Fiction" (1994)

     "Pulp Fiction" is probably the most highly regarded film of the modern era, and with good reason. All of Quentin Tarantino's films are uniquely cinematic experiences that embrace the medium whole-heartedly, but this film in particular, the fourth Tarantino film on my list, is cinema incarnate. With non-linear storytelling, intertwining plots, heavy use of licensed music, and some of Tarantino's trademark shots (such as "corpse view" and "trunk view"), despite the film's title, this is one experience you not going to be able to pick up at local bookstore (unless they sell movies). "Pulp Fiction" basically tells three different stories over a few days (3 minimum) that are loosely tied together by connections between characters in each plot-line. After a humorous introduction through a conversation between two British criminals Yolanda (aka "Honey Bunny", played by Amanda Plummer) and Ringo (aka "Pumpkin", played by Tim Roth), the first third of the film centers around the exploits of two hit men, Vincent Vega (John Travolta) and Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson), and what may or may not have been a supernatural occurrence during one of their jobs. The film abandons this story midway through and switches over to Vincent Vega's exploits later that day, when he has to take his boss Marsellus Wallace's (Ving Rhames) girlfriend, Mia (Uma Thurman), out on date. The date goes well (almost a little too well), when she begins to overdose on drugs and Vincent does everything possible in order to save her life. The next story revolves around an aging boxer, Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis), who is ordered to take a dive by Marsellus. Instead of doing as he is told, he wins the match (by killing his opponent) and collects the money made from gambling to go on the run with his girlfriend Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros). All does not go as planned though when Butch must retrieve a prized token of his fathers that Fabienne forgot to take. Finally, the film finishes by wrapping up the Jules and Vincent story, that even involves Honey Bunny and Pumpkin from the films opening.

     The film is so well known, every scene and line of dialogue so loved by someone, that it is hard to add much to it. From lines like the whole "Royale with cheese" speech, to Jules' recitation of the (fictional) bible Ezekiel quote, to Butch's line "Zed's dead, baby. Zed's dead.", to "bring out the gimp", to Jules' reasoning on why he doesn't "dig swine", I could go on and on mentioning all the fantastic lines of dialogue (or I could just tell you it is a Quentin Tarantino movie). The film is also famous for including one of my favorites scenes of any movie (and one that should be used much more often by more than just John Hughes), a random dance scene. This happens during the date between Vincent and Mia, when they enter into a dance combination at a retro-diner. The choreography, like the movie, is pulpy and fun, and is a great use of the Chuck Berry song, "You Never Can Tell". This leads me to the films soundtrack, always a strong point of any Tarantino film and a reason why he is one of my favorite auteurs. The film's opening credits famously role to the tune of Dick Dale's "Miserlou", which perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film, There is also great use of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together', Urge Overkill's version of the Neil Diamond song "Girl, You Will be a Woman Soon", and my favorite song on the soundtrack, the Statler Brothers' "Flowers on the Wall". The cast is incredible as well, with Samuel L. Jackson giving probably the most memorable and best performance, but it is also the crowning achievements in the careers of John Travolta, Bruce Willis, and Uma Thurman, not to mention great smaller performances from Harvey Kietel, Christopher Walken, Ving Rhames, and Maria de Medeiros, as well as everyone else. And that's what it basically comes down. It's all good. Really damn good.

     That's it until next week's final installment, so in the meantime you can let me know about this week's films in the comments section.