The Guardian's 1000 Films To See Before You Die PART 2

Simply a masterpiece.

A simple plot of a man trying to convince a woman that they had an affair the previous year, yet still a complex puzzle which will take more than one viewing to fully undertand.
The black and white cinematography is beautiful. The tracking shots through the corridors of the baroque hotel are also sublime.
A truly unique experience.

A brilliant film noir. Gene Tierney was great, Clifton Webb's performance is also worth a mention.

A gorgeous Italian epic. Beautiful in everyway from the acting, to the grand visuals and to the superb Nini Rota score. My first Visconti film, I'm definitely looking forward to discovering his other works.

'Ascenseur pour l'échafaud' is gorgeous to the eyes and the ears. Every frame of Henri Decaë's cinematography is indeed pretty enough to frame and the Miles Davis soundtrack is superb. Moreau puts in a great performance, the scenes of her walking through Paris really are a joy to watch. Malle succesfully blended Film Noir with the coolness of the Nouvelle Vague and created and truly original and thrilling masterpiece.

At times a comedy, a drama and a thriller, Almodovar has created an intriguing film evolving around the connected lives of the five main characters. 'Carne trémula' shows how Almodovar has matured and sets us up for his later films. Overall one of Almodovar's best.
Also the first performance I've seen by Javier Bardem, and what a great performance it was!

Yes it was good, but it's really not as great as it's made out to be.

Peter Sellers provides the best performance of the whole film.

Fritz Lang is the man, this is amazing! The trial of Peter Lorre's child murder, where he pleads with the criminals that he is compelled to commit his crimes whilst they commit theirs out of choice is one of the greatest scenes in cinema.

I'm not very familiar with the TV series so can't comment on which is better but the film is simply great! Filled with dark humour yet serious at the same time, I have to say it's one of the greatest war films ever made.

They don't make films like this anymore. David Niven is the fighter pilot who falls in love with Kim Hunter in his final few minutes, yet his angel of death misses him so he appeals for his chance to live.
Earth is portrayed in rich technicolour while the afterlife is monochrome. A beautiful, ahead of it's time fantasy by Powell & Pressburger. A must see.

An intense film about friendship. The performances are great by both Anna Friel as the controlling Marina and by Michelle Williams as her mistreated friend Holly (although that English accent slipped a few times).
I loved how the film moves through the decades (we are treated to a great soundtrack and a nostalgic look at the 70s/80s.) It could of done without the final scene though.

I've been meaning to watch this for ages but for some reason kept putting it off everytime I had the chance to. Maybe I wasn't expecting much of it but damn was I wrong!
Of course it's a classic of it's genre and almost flawless. Today it may seem a bit sugary and sweet but it is still just so delightful! Garland was great and so are the songs, most notably "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Trolley Song" (which I haven't been able to stop singing for 2 days now!). Got to mention Margaret O'Brien also as the death fixated Tootie whole stole every scene she was in.

A fantastic performance by Klaus Maria Brandauer.

Jerry Prokosch: Whenever I hear the word "culture," I bring out my checkbook.

Fritz Lang: Some years ago - some horrible years ago - the Nazis used to take out a pistol instead of a checkbook.

It started out ok, but there's only a certain amount I can take of watching Manhattan socalite bourgeoisie brats philosophize and go to debutante balls.

It's said that Tarkovsky's films are as close as the cinema has come to poetry, and after only seeing one Tarkovsky film I have to agree.
The film is biographical therefore highly personal for Tarkovsky, but even to the viewer this is a haunting and moving piece of cinema.
The images are some of the best I've seen. The last scene, with Bach's St. John's Passion playing over it, was so beautiful I had a tear in my eye.

"He's not the Messiah. He's a very naughty boy!"

Monty Python is genius.

I was pleasantly surprised by this. Great acting throughout and nicely shot. Love the soundtrack too!

Amazing film, and my first taste of David Lynch! Totally surreal, but I think I've just about got my head round it. Definitely needs more than one viewing just to go back and work everything out but even on first viewing you can't deny how great it is.

Deals with some very serious issues such as sexuality, rascism and class divide during the Thatcher years, yet I found it not brilliant just OK.

Mike Leigh's best in my opinion. A remarkable performance by David Thewlis, with an exceptional supporting cast. The script is dark and witty providing small moments of humour in an otherwise incredibly bleak film. Simply brillaint!

Bleak, depressing, gritty but still bloody good.

Still holds up today and still remains incredibly creepy. Max Schreck creates an icon of the horror film with his repulsive take on Bram Stoker's 'Dracula'. The effects and lighting make it visually stunning, whilst the story is expertly paced. The only thing that disappointed me slightly was the version I saw had a somewhat annoying gothic/industrial soundtrack, which is reason enough why I need to see this again.

The master David Lean directs the best adaptation of the classic Oliver Twist. Alec Guinness puts in a fine performance as Fagin, and the transformation is amazing. The black and white visuals are stunning and add to the grim, dark atmosphere perfectly.

Very good, not as scary as I expected though.

Billie Whitelaw is brilliant as the evil nanny!

Westerns are not exactly a favourite genre of mine but this is something else entirely! The combination of great directing, acting, and Morricone's epic score is faultless. Apart from being the best Western I've ever seen, it's up there with the best films I've ever seen.

A haunting, beautiful and creepy horror film from Japan.The cineamatography is lovely, every shot is gorgeous, especially the countless images of reeds blowing in the breeze. The soundtrack also fits perfectly.
A must see.

A beautiful masterpiece. After "La Belle et la Bete" I didn't think it could get much better but I was wrong. Plus those effects are amazing!

Amazing film. Louise Brooks is just mesmerising, my eyes were fixed on her the whole time. Has a great moody, sexual atmosphere throughout. Overall a must see of the silent era.

A dark, macabre fairytale, defiantly not one for the kids.The performance's of Ofelia and Captain Vidal are what really stood out to me, plus the amazing effects.

Totally ahead of it's time. A classic.

A stylish looking film. The sequences of the pickpockets at work with the quick editing was just a joy to watch.
The musical score is beautiful, and the fact that it's used sparingly between natural sounds of a busy Paris is very effective.

Even on the strength of one film I can say that Bresson truly is one of the great filmmakers, I'm eagerly awaiting to discover all his other films.

Amazing film by Peter Weir. Incredibly mysterious and surreal. The soundtrack is also wonderful and only adds to the uneasy feeling of the film.

A Patricia Highsmith adaption with the handsome as ever Alain Delon as the cold and calculating Tom Ripley. As well as Delon's stunningly chilling performance, singer Marie Laforet is worth noting in what was her first film role. All this coupled with stunning photography and brilliant Nino Rota soundtrack makes one fine thriller.

Words cannot describe Psycho. Everyone must watch this film at least once.

A British Post-Punk road movie.
Radio On looks and sounds great with it's moody monochrome and excellent soundtrack (including Bowie, Kraftwerk and Devo), but certainly lacks some thing.
The lead character hardly shows any emotion, infact his dialogue alone is pretty limited and this leaves you feeling unattached. Though this feeling of isolation simply adds to the mood of the bleak England which is being portrayed.
Overall, an interesting film, with a great soundtrack which I'm sure will be one of the main factors in watching this.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

Everything about this is just brilliant, from the brilliant performances and gothic atmosphere to the unexpected twist at the end.

Brilliant film. James Dean in Rebel is the symbol of teenage rebellion. After all these years it's still relevant today. A classic which you just have to see.

Best heist film ever! 'Rififi' is simply amazing!

Great chemistry between Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck, and such a beautiful story. I loved seeing the shots of the city.

A classic. Polanski's direction and Mia Farrow's performance are excellent.

Another classic I can cross of my list!

Renoir's Le Regle du Jeu (The Rules Of The Game) is rightly considered a masterpiece. It's an excellent look at relationships, and class divide on the eve of the Second World War. I found it started a little slow but this soon changed. I love the complex relationships and emotions of the characters. Look out for director, Jean Renoir, playing a major role.

A classic of the British New Wave genre. A truly great film not to be missed.

Best part is the scenes between Kathleen Turner and Mink Stole.

Dottie Hinkle: Hello?
Beverly Sutphin: Is this the Cocksucker residence?
Dottie Hinkle: God damn you! Stop calling here!
Beverly Sutphin: Is this 4215 Pussy Way?
Dottie Hinkle: You bitch!
Beverly Sutphin: Now let me check the zip code. Two-one-two-fuck-you?
Dottie Hinkle: The police are tracing this call this very minute.
Beverly Sutphin: Well, Dottie Hinkle, then why aren't they here, huh, fuckface?

Cassavetes first film and my first Cassavetes. Shadows is the story of three black siblings living in 1950s New York. Two of the siblings (Ben and Lelia)are light skinned and can pass of as white.
Shadows is important for a number of reasons. At the end of the film we are told that "The film you have just seen was an improvisation". Ironically though, it's now been revealed that it wasn't all improvisation (such as the bedroom scene). I think it was Lelia Goldoni who said "the script wasn't improvised, the emotions were".
Also this film is one of the founders of Independent cinema.
Overall a brilliant and important film.

Another one of Traffaut's greats, although sometimes overlooked. A clever and funny film.

A great piece of filmmaking from Robert Altman. The whole ensemble cast is brilliant. Overall a superb achievement.

Bergman does comedy!

Lighter in tone compared to most of his other films, but as always brilliant. Witty script and great performances.

My second Tarkovsky film. Whilst I didn't find it as poetic or moving as Mirror it's still damn great! Now, I don't have anything against long shots or slow paced films but Solaris really is very slow, and at times it does seem to drag on a bit. Still, as it's Tarkovsky, however slow it is your still fixed by the beautiful images he creates. Overall, may not be Tarkovsky's best, but it's still beautiful and thought provoking.

Breathtaking! I am Cuba, directed by Mikheil Kalatozishvili, and made in collaboration between the Soviet Union and Cuba, follows four different lives. Starting with a Havana prostitute, and then a farmer losing his land, student rebels, and finally a poor farmer accepting to join revolutionary army. Yes, it's Communist propaganda, but let's put the political issues to one side for a moment. The cinematography and camera work is some of the best I've ever seen. The long shots are amazing and the crisp black and white really captures the beauty of Cuba. The famous opening shot going through the party and down the side of the building is particularly great and has clearly been influential to other directors. Anyone who's seen it may enjoy this unique and humorous tribute of it I came across :P
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=NfO6okjs0cg

This film left me almost speechless, all I can say is that it is haunting and beautiful.

Highly enjoyable film by Preston Sturges. There's witty dialogue and a great performance from McCrea, not so great a performance from Lake, but she still steals every scene with that beauty of hers.

Fabulous!