Best of the 50s

The greatest psychologically perverse love story (which says a great deal more about me than the film). Hitckcock's most personal and artistic film also contains my favorite film score.

What does it mean to live? Kurosawa's masterpiece. Gentle and profound.

Perfect blend of art and entertainment. Three and a half hours and not a boring second. Kurosawa takes his time in establishing every major character. Revolutionary and hugely influential battle scenes. In many respects, an anti-samurai film.

The most classic of all westerns. John Ford has never been better. Archetypal and iconic. John Ford explores this rascist character with thoughtfulness without ever losing sight of the entertaining story.

An American masterpiece. Brando in his prime. Hollywood began its transformation to grittier more realistic filmmaking here.

Classic mythic western. Iconic characters exploring morality and ethics. One of the greats.

Another classic western which remains archetypal and metaphorical. One of the first "real-time" stories with a performance by Gary Cooper that remains timeless. Perfect pacing and tempo with an ironic ending for the ages.

Japanese cinema at its finest. A magical story by the poet of cinema: Mizoguchi. His mastery of images is beyond comprehension.

The most beloved of all musicals. A truly euphoric story of Hollywood moviemaking.

David Lean's storytelling prowess reaches perfection. Excitement, social commentary and emotion all blend to deliver first rate movie making.

An unforgettable anti-Hollywood musical delving into the dark world of show business. Judy Garland bears her soul. Outstanding stuff.

William Wyler's masterpiece. An epic story with epochal morals and mythic ethics. Like many of the classics, it's the story about the end of the west and the coming of society. Gregory Peck's star charisma is a joy to behold.

The greatest prison break film ever made. Bresson's attention to detail is mind-blowing. There's also a spiritual dimension to his films that is totally captivating. Not to mention, his brilliant sound design!

The bitchiest film ever made. An outstanding script with dynamite performances. It's a brutal attack on Hollywood and the fanaticism with celebrities. Timeless and way ahead of its time. It makes a nice companion piece to both A Star is Born (with Garland) and Scorsese's King of Comedy.

Billy Wilder's masterpiece. Dark, funny and tragic. Wilder dissects the "trappings" of Hollywood with perfection. Ironically, it never seems to get old.

Despite the cheesy title, this film is absolutely superb and completely original. Robert Mitchum gives us one of his greatest performances and simply put: it's the STORY that is so remarkable. Ray's masterpiece.

Easily one of the funniest films ever made. Hysterical premise with incredible actors. Billy Wilder's Sunset Blvd may be his masterpiece, but this film takes the cake as far as comedy goes.

Another masterpiece by Mizoguchi that is criminally under-seen. The story is gripping and the characters completely empathetic. Each scene seems to begin at just the right moment and somehow end with an inevitability that is both poetic and profound.

The defenitive feminist statement in Mizoguchi's career. A classic character study with tragic and emotionally devastating results.

One of the all-time greatest romantic movies. Watching Hepburn and Gregory Peck run around Rome together is a complete and utter joy. Wyler certainly knows the secret to memorable love stories.

A legendary film with a performance from Brando that still astonishes. He was like some unreal and sexual alien that burst onscreen. There was nobody else like him. Naturally, the writing is pitch-perfect and Vivian Leigh more than holds her own next to the beast of a genius that is Brando. Needless to say, the story is a masterpiece.

This is a classic character study that is both touching and comedic. Sad, yet poignant. Giuletta Masina delivers a powerful performance as a prostitute. (She was Fellini's wife.)

Yet another simple but profoundly moving tale from De Sica. How does he make it all seem so easy? An old Man and his little Dog, struggling to get by during hard times. It's artful but completely accessible (not an easy balancing act.)

Bergman's statement on old age. Touching, elegant and poignant.

A Nicholas Ray masterpiece. A feminist western that is a one-of-a-kind story with brilliant casting.

Vincent Minnelli's brilliant musical wth Fred Astaire's most elegant performance. A true classic.

An insightful and incredibly smart film about filmmaking. From the director to the screenwriter, to the Producer and finally the actor, it's all summed up in Minnelli's genius story about the cutthroat business known as Hollywood. If you want to work in the movie business, it would be wise to check out this brilliantly written attack on Hollywood. Yet, in the end, it's clear why we love it so.

A gentle and tender film about actors and the sacrifices they make for their art. The bitter and troubled love story is both moving and filled with wisdom. Ozu is widely regarded as one of the greatest Japanese filmmakers. This might be my favorite of his films.

Definitive Kurosawa. Arguably the greatest Shakespearean adaptation on screen. Hypnotic and totally cinematic.

One half in the trenches, the other half in the courtroom. Both equally disturbing. One of the finest anti-war films ever made.

This French thriller starts out relatively slow by establishing each and every one of its characters. We are completely immersed into their world. Then the adventure begins and it doesn't let up for almost two hours. This is a riveting and brutal film. First-rate suspense with a wide variety of characters. Friedkin later remade this as Sorcerer.

Later film noir with a harsh street life reality. Outstanding writing with great performances.

Stevens tends to make films that are deceivingly Hollywood. At first glance he appears to fall into the traditional Hollywood auteur category. But upon further inspection, he's strangely subversive. His best films all have a quietly unsettling tone to them. Place in the Sun is the best example of this. What a dark and tragic love story! Watching these two breathtakingly gorgeous actors fall in love is seductive to the point of infatuation. Then slowly seeing there worlds fall apart makes you cringe in anticipation. The imagery haunts you long after the film is over. In lesser hands this story could have been too melodramatic. In Stevens, it's transcendent.

The incredible trilogy reaches its conclusion. The boy becomes a man and falls in love. The relationship is both touching and enlightening. Ultimately, this chapter might be the most accessible in the Apu series.

A great adaptation of a classic play. Funny, tragic and intelligent with a mosaic of varied characters. Mifune's finest performance (and it's a supporting role!)

Another classic John Ford western. Mythic, archetypal, with simple yet elegant & timeless storytelling.

Visually astonishing with a magical, passionate and elegant story. The children's POV lends the film an almost fairy-tale quality. A one-of-a-kind cinematic experience.

Sirk is most famous for his "woman weepies." This is an exception. It also happens to be his best film. Clean and effortless storytelling with memorable characters. However, it's the unforgettable black and white cinematography that lingers long after the film is over. It has a nostalgic feel not that different from The Last Picture Show. Tarnished Angels remains an underrated gem that exists in unpretentious perfection.

A genius story with Stewart playing a flawed and shrewd lawyer. It's one of the all-time great courtroom dramas. Modern day crime films could learn a thing or two from this masterpiece. Preminger was never afraid to push buttons and be controversial. Plus, Duke Ellington wrote the score! Highlights include Stewart jamming with the piano legend.

Welles' savage end to the film noir. Astonishing cinematography with bold and dark subject matter. Welles himself gives us an unforgettably unflattering role.