ajay124
Well-Known Member
Got them from abroad.
Cinema's greatest classics
- Thread starter ajay124
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Got them from abroad.
sivasarjun
Active Member
Great films which have great music or about music /musicians.
Some of the more obvious ones.
Jalsa ghar -Ray
The Conductor-Andrezj Wajda the great polish director
Meghe taka tara-Ritwik Ghatak(the great Amirkhan saheb sings in it)
Taking sides-Istvan szabo(about Furtwangler)
Cheers
Some of the more obvious ones.
Jalsa ghar -Ray
The Conductor-Andrezj Wajda the great polish director
Meghe taka tara-Ritwik Ghatak(the great Amirkhan saheb sings in it)
Taking sides-Istvan szabo(about Furtwangler)
Cheers
longshanks
Well-Known Member
Se, jie has great music from alexandre desplat apart of the movie itself being very well made.
A fair few Kurosawa films are available in India now. Search in flipkart.com. I would recommend this set as a starter.
ajay124
Well-Known Member
World Cinema | BIGFlix DVD Rental - India's Largest Movie Rental Service. Rent Movies, Television Shows, Documentaries, Plays and Kids' Videos.
Plenty of Bergman,Kurosawa,Bunuel,Truffaut,De Sica,Fellini and more available for rental.I was a member for about a year.Worth it.Most of the world cinema DVD's seemed to be Indian releases.
I would suggest the following lists as a start -
TSPDT - The 1,000 Greatest Films TSP Top 1000 Films
TSP 21st Century Top 250 Films
IMDB Top 250 Films
TSPDT - The 1,000 Greatest Films TSP Top 1000 Films
TSP 21st Century Top 250 Films
IMDB Top 250 Films
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ajay124
Well-Known Member
The,They Shoot Pictures list is quite comprehensive and mercifully not as Hollywood-centric as most.Irrespective of which order we place these films in it would be a great path to follow for people who want to learn what cinema is about.I went through the first 200 and was pleased that many films I like were there,though obviously not in the order I would place them in.
I have Kubrick's Space Oddyssey and have never been able to sit through the entire film as a sense of complete boredom overtakes me.Happens with every Kubrick I watch.Not my cup of tea.Citizen Kane is a nice film but personally I cannot comprehend why it usually makes it to the top of most lists.In this I have company.Ingmar Bergman had this to say about Orson Welles--"For me he's just a hoax. It's empty. It's not interesting. It's dead. Citizen Kane, which I have a copy of - is all the critics' darling, always at the top of every poll taken, but I think it's a total bore. Above all, the performances are worthless. The amount of respect that movie's got is absolutely unbelievable."My views about Citizen Kane are not that extreme,but yes I cannot comprehend how films by Stanley Kubrick,Francis Coppola,Steven Spielberg or Woody Allen are included in any 'best' films list.
But rather than argue about the merits of the 1000 list,folks who go through this list should try to view as many as possible and decide for themselves about the good,the bad,the ugly.Change that to the great,the good,the mediocre.
I have Kubrick's Space Oddyssey and have never been able to sit through the entire film as a sense of complete boredom overtakes me.Happens with every Kubrick I watch.Not my cup of tea.Citizen Kane is a nice film but personally I cannot comprehend why it usually makes it to the top of most lists.In this I have company.Ingmar Bergman had this to say about Orson Welles--"For me he's just a hoax. It's empty. It's not interesting. It's dead. Citizen Kane, which I have a copy of - is all the critics' darling, always at the top of every poll taken, but I think it's a total bore. Above all, the performances are worthless. The amount of respect that movie's got is absolutely unbelievable."My views about Citizen Kane are not that extreme,but yes I cannot comprehend how films by Stanley Kubrick,Francis Coppola,Steven Spielberg or Woody Allen are included in any 'best' films list.
But rather than argue about the merits of the 1000 list,folks who go through this list should try to view as many as possible and decide for themselves about the good,the bad,the ugly.Change that to the great,the good,the mediocre.
I didn't like 2001: A Space Odyssey as well in the first viewing. Half the critics who watched it the first time it was screened walked out. I didn't understand why Citizen Kane was that great either. I have purchased the blu-ray of 2001 and 2 disk set of Citizen Kane since then and hope to get perspectives through them and reading more about them to get an alternate view. I know people who absolutely adore 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I wouldn't dismiss Kubrick like you have done though. He has made some very good films even if we don't like 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Regarding Woody Allen, well, he is my favorite director. Woody Allen always produces extreme views though. You either love him or you hate him. I have seen around 20 of Allen's films and the lesser known stuff like Zelig, Interiors, Shadoes and Fogs is where you can see his genius.
Regarding films of Coppola, well Godfather is perfect. Maybe it has worn off for you over time but in my mind, it is a landmark in world cinema, not just American cinema. Don't think you can grudge some thing like Godfather being up there. I mean it is not too hard to see why people find it great.
I wouldn't dismiss Kubrick like you have done though. He has made some very good films even if we don't like 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Regarding Woody Allen, well, he is my favorite director. Woody Allen always produces extreme views though. You either love him or you hate him. I have seen around 20 of Allen's films and the lesser known stuff like Zelig, Interiors, Shadoes and Fogs is where you can see his genius.
Regarding films of Coppola, well Godfather is perfect. Maybe it has worn off for you over time but in my mind, it is a landmark in world cinema, not just American cinema. Don't think you can grudge some thing like Godfather being up there. I mean it is not too hard to see why people find it great.
ajay124
Well-Known Member
@Pratters
Let's agree to disagree on the merits of Godfather.
Yours:Regarding films of Coppola, well Godfather is perfect. Maybe it has worn off for you over time but in my mind, it is a landmark in world cinema, not just American cinema. Don't think you can grudge some thing like Godfather being up there. I mean it is not too hard to see why people find it great.
Mine:I have always seen Godfather,both the book and the film as a work of pulp fiction.Good pulp fiction.But by no means a classic or great art.I loved Brando in 'On The Waterfront'.Fear,longing,anger,hurt,incomprehension,....so many emotions....his face,his hands,the way he used his body....this was not acting.This was that ephemeral,indefinable,hard to get thing which we call 'genius'.His performance in Godfather seemed to me- 'starry' larger than life and melodramatic.His face was like a mask revealing nothing.Ditto,in that phenomenally turgid,long winded and boring Apocalypse Now.
Majority opinion about Godfather,Apocalypse,Coppola would certainly be in your camp.Eternal classics!But the one Hollywood director,I really like is Alfred Hitchcock.Vertigo,Rear Window,Psycho,Dial M for Murder.A masterclass in engrossing cinema.May not have the 'intellectual musings' of a Bergman or a Tarkovsky but Hitch is my numero uno for entertaining cinema.
Let's agree to disagree on the merits of Godfather.
Yours:Regarding films of Coppola, well Godfather is perfect. Maybe it has worn off for you over time but in my mind, it is a landmark in world cinema, not just American cinema. Don't think you can grudge some thing like Godfather being up there. I mean it is not too hard to see why people find it great.
Mine:I have always seen Godfather,both the book and the film as a work of pulp fiction.Good pulp fiction.But by no means a classic or great art.I loved Brando in 'On The Waterfront'.Fear,longing,anger,hurt,incomprehension,....so many emotions....his face,his hands,the way he used his body....this was not acting.This was that ephemeral,indefinable,hard to get thing which we call 'genius'.His performance in Godfather seemed to me- 'starry' larger than life and melodramatic.His face was like a mask revealing nothing.Ditto,in that phenomenally turgid,long winded and boring Apocalypse Now.
Majority opinion about Godfather,Apocalypse,Coppola would certainly be in your camp.Eternal classics!But the one Hollywood director,I really like is Alfred Hitchcock.Vertigo,Rear Window,Psycho,Dial M for Murder.A masterclass in engrossing cinema.May not have the 'intellectual musings' of a Bergman or a Tarkovsky but Hitch is my numero uno for entertaining cinema.
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I don't think it is fair to compare Brando in On The Waterfront or Streetcar with Godfather. Godfather wasn't any where near Brando's best performance. Hell, Brando was a hundred times better in Teahouse of the August Moon. Godfather was about the scenes, the music, the score, the dialogues, the settings, the use of light in the darker scenes indoors. I can go on but as we disagree, I will stop.
I too didn't like Apocalypse Now. It has a great beginning but then not much else imo.
Coming to the master, yeah Hitchcock is terrific of course. Rear Window, Psycho, The Birds and even stuff like Trouble With Harry is pure gold. I have a few interviews of his where he talks about some of his films. The thought process which went through to create the shots which he did, the man was amazing.
Hitchcock was more of a Brit than an American though it must be said. (
) Just joking.
I too didn't like Apocalypse Now. It has a great beginning but then not much else imo.
Coming to the master, yeah Hitchcock is terrific of course. Rear Window, Psycho, The Birds and even stuff like Trouble With Harry is pure gold. I have a few interviews of his where he talks about some of his films. The thought process which went through to create the shots which he did, the man was amazing.
Hitchcock was more of a Brit than an American though it must be said. (
) Just joking.ajay124
Well-Known Member
@Pratters
Perhaps you could discuss the films of John Ford,Billy Wilder,William Wyler,Martin Scorsese,Robert Altman,Terrence Mallick,Sam Peckinpah and any other director you may like.My knowledge of Vintage Hollywood is rusty from lack of use.
Perhaps you could discuss the films of John Ford,Billy Wilder,William Wyler,Martin Scorsese,Robert Altman,Terrence Mallick,Sam Peckinpah and any other director you may like.My knowledge of Vintage Hollywood is rusty from lack of use.
I would love to. I have watched very few films of these guys though. I am 28 and have always loved films. We used to have holidays on Thursdays and I used to go to the theatre in the afternoon to watch obscure English movies (like Thinner 
). I don't have much knowledge of the lates 50s, early 1960s - 1980s - the more celebrated decades of American film, I have much more knowledge of the periods before and after that.
This was before Star Movies and cable television came to home. Only in 2004 with more access did my horizon truly widen when I came face to face with rare classics. Then I watched loads of films on TCM Asia which is a great, great channel for old American films. I also went to many film festivals in Kolkata. I remember seeing 5 movies in a day at a Kolkata Film Festival a few years back, watching 10-12 films of Fassbinder in a week in a festival to celebrate Fassbinder - that was heavy!
I am currently working on finishing around 150 films - Top 50 from TSP, TSP 21st Century and IMDB. I have just around 25 left.
I do have a good experience of gangster films (which I was interested in deeply earlier and am still very much interested in - I have a list of 101 Gangster Films, mostly old and obscure ones I want to give a shot).
I have a bit of knowledge of early silent cinema. My favorite silent films would include Greed, Sunrise, The General, The Big Parade, City Lights, Passion of Joan of Arc. I haven't watched Metropolis, Birth of a Nation and a fair few others yet.
I have the most knowledge of 21st Century Cinema (mostly 2005-2010) and some of my favourite films are from this time. You guys must have heard of more famous ones like 4 Months, 3 Weeks, Two Days, Talk To Her, Lives of Others, The Fountain, Munich, History of Violence, The Proposition. Some of the relative obscure ones I guess to you guys maybe which I like include The obscure ones which I like include Goodbye Solo, Yesterday, Bamako, Maria Full of Grace, Mary and Max, Away From Her, Persepolis, Once, The Savages. I can go on. Best would be to check end of decade links given here.
Hope that helps.
). I don't have much knowledge of the lates 50s, early 1960s - 1980s - the more celebrated decades of American film, I have much more knowledge of the periods before and after that. This was before Star Movies and cable television came to home. Only in 2004 with more access did my horizon truly widen when I came face to face with rare classics. Then I watched loads of films on TCM Asia which is a great, great channel for old American films. I also went to many film festivals in Kolkata. I remember seeing 5 movies in a day at a Kolkata Film Festival a few years back, watching 10-12 films of Fassbinder in a week in a festival to celebrate Fassbinder - that was heavy!
I am currently working on finishing around 150 films - Top 50 from TSP, TSP 21st Century and IMDB. I have just around 25 left.
I do have a good experience of gangster films (which I was interested in deeply earlier and am still very much interested in - I have a list of 101 Gangster Films, mostly old and obscure ones I want to give a shot).
I have a bit of knowledge of early silent cinema. My favorite silent films would include Greed, Sunrise, The General, The Big Parade, City Lights, Passion of Joan of Arc. I haven't watched Metropolis, Birth of a Nation and a fair few others yet.
I have the most knowledge of 21st Century Cinema (mostly 2005-2010) and some of my favourite films are from this time. You guys must have heard of more famous ones like 4 Months, 3 Weeks, Two Days, Talk To Her, Lives of Others, The Fountain, Munich, History of Violence, The Proposition. Some of the relative obscure ones I guess to you guys maybe which I like include The obscure ones which I like include Goodbye Solo, Yesterday, Bamako, Maria Full of Grace, Mary and Max, Away From Her, Persepolis, Once, The Savages. I can go on. Best would be to check end of decade links given here.
Hope that helps.
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ajay124
Well-Known Member
I began this thread with the title of ''Cinema's Greatest Classics'' with the intention of highlighting non Hollywood/Bollywood classics.There is too much information available about mainstream Hollywood/Bollywood and not enough about the great films being made in other nations.However I believe a good thread,post,forum has to be 'inclusive' rather than 'exclusive'.There has been an overdose of posts by me of non Hollywood/Bollywood classics from the 1930-1970 period,which is the cinema I like.However a broader perspective which includes the best of Bollywood/Hollywood can only make this thread better,more interesting,more inclusive.Pratters is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about Hollywood(I may have knowledge too,but little respect for H'Wood).Therefore,it would be good to have people like Pratters and others writing about 'classic' Bollywood and Hollywood,as long as the posts don't descend into simply typing the names of some forgettable block busters.
of non Hollywood/Bollywood classics from the 1930-1970 period,which is the cinema I like.However a broader perspective which includes the best of Bollywood/Hollywood can only make this thread better,more interesting,more inclusive.Pratters is obviously knowledgeable and passionate about Hollywood(I may have knowledge too,but little respect for H'Wood).Therefore,it would be good to have people like Pratters and others writing about 'classic' Bollywood and Hollywood,as long as the posts don't descend into simply typing the names of some forgettable block busters.ajay124
Well-Known Member
If you notice Ajay, I included films from all around the world, not just Hollywood.
Yes,you did.I'm not denying that.
ajay124
Well-Known Member
The Guardian's List of the Best 40 Directors of recent times.
40 best directors | Features | guardian.co.uk Film
Have only watched films by a handful of them,but I like Lars Von Trier,Michael Haneke,Wong Kar Wai.I have seen 1 Bela Tarr and he is the one I am most interested in....the Tarkovsky touch is there in abundance.Desperately want to see Werckmeister Harmonies and the 7 hour epic SATANTANGO!Does anyone have these films?
Sequence from Satantango.
This,I believe is what Tarkovsky's meant by "a cinema based on the rapt observation of the present moment as opposed to a plot-driven preoccupation with what will happen next".
Personally,this,is what I consider cinema.Not just cinema,but also religion,a place of worship,a place where I can be close to the mysteries of creation
YouTube - Cinema Poetry 3 - Satantango
40 best directors | Features | guardian.co.uk Film
Have only watched films by a handful of them,but I like Lars Von Trier,Michael Haneke,Wong Kar Wai.I have seen 1 Bela Tarr and he is the one I am most interested in....the Tarkovsky touch is there in abundance.Desperately want to see Werckmeister Harmonies and the 7 hour epic SATANTANGO!Does anyone have these films?
Sequence from Satantango.
This,I believe is what Tarkovsky's meant by "a cinema based on the rapt observation of the present moment as opposed to a plot-driven preoccupation with what will happen next".
Personally,this,is what I consider cinema.Not just cinema,but also religion,a place of worship,a place where I can be close to the mysteries of creation
YouTube - Cinema Poetry 3 - Satantango
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ajay124
Well-Known Member
The White Ribbon.By Michael Haneke.Palme D'OR 2009,Cannes.
YouTube - The White Ribbon Trailer HQ
Times Quotidian
Quote from the Quotidian
"Haneke contemplates the process of evils origination in the raising of these children, a process that requires the repression of all joy and openness and the nurturance of fear and loathing."
YouTube - The White Ribbon Trailer HQ
Times Quotidian
Quote from the Quotidian
"Haneke contemplates the process of evils origination in the raising of these children, a process that requires the repression of all joy and openness and the nurturance of fear and loathing."
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ajay124
Well-Known Member
What do you do when you are hungry for good cinema?One option would be to check out Hungarian cinema.Going by the number of films I like from a particular nation,personally I would rate Hungary somewhere near the top.Specifically,four great directors.Istvan Szabo,Zoltan Huszarik,Miklos Jancso,Bela Tarr.
Films to watch:
The Round Up/The Red And White/Red Psalms///Miklos Jancso
Sindbad///Zoltan Huszaryk
Damnation/Satantango/Werckmeister Harmonies///Bela Tarr
Mephisto/Being Julia/Hanussen/Taking Sides///Istvan Szabo
Reviews:
Central Europe Review - Film: Hungarian New Waves
Kinoeye | Hungary: The films of Bela Tarr
Kinoeye | Hungarian film: A round-up of Miklos Jancso's career
Interview: Bela Tarr, Hungarian director | Film | The Guardian
Miklos Jancso
Films to watch:
The Round Up/The Red And White/Red Psalms///Miklos Jancso
Sindbad///Zoltan Huszaryk
Damnation/Satantango/Werckmeister Harmonies///Bela Tarr
Mephisto/Being Julia/Hanussen/Taking Sides///Istvan Szabo
Reviews:
Central Europe Review - Film: Hungarian New Waves
Kinoeye | Hungary: The films of Bela Tarr
Kinoeye | Hungarian film: A round-up of Miklos Jancso's career
Interview: Bela Tarr, Hungarian director | Film | The Guardian
Miklos Jancso
ajay124
Well-Known Member
Bergmanorama!
A comprehensive site,and a great introduction to one of the best 4-5 directors of all times.
Bergmanorama: The Magic Works of Ingmar Bergman
Films like The Seventh Seal,Wild Strawberries,Through A Glass Darkly,Winter Light,Persona,Cries & Whispers,Autumn Sonata,Fanny & Alexander are essential viewing for anyone interested in cinema.
YouTube - Ingmar Bergman on Winter Light (Nattvardsgsterna)
YouTube - Clip from Winter Light
Bergmana's cinema is the antithesis of the juvenile,stupidity of 'feel good' formula cinema.May seem depressing,but it's closer to life.Personally,it is the distressingly dishonest 'feel good' cinema,which I find depressing.
A comprehensive site,and a great introduction to one of the best 4-5 directors of all times.
Bergmanorama: The Magic Works of Ingmar Bergman
Films like The Seventh Seal,Wild Strawberries,Through A Glass Darkly,Winter Light,Persona,Cries & Whispers,Autumn Sonata,Fanny & Alexander are essential viewing for anyone interested in cinema.
YouTube - Ingmar Bergman on Winter Light (Nattvardsgsterna)
YouTube - Clip from Winter Light
Bergmana's cinema is the antithesis of the juvenile,stupidity of 'feel good' formula cinema.May seem depressing,but it's closer to life.Personally,it is the distressingly dishonest 'feel good' cinema,which I find depressing.
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