Gryzemuis on 3/9/2013 at 14:38
Just a word of warning. Not all "classics" are fun to watch. I learned that last year. I watched (
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0053619/) L'Avventura. The Adventure. Two and a half hours, where nothing happens. It was terrible. But according to the critics, this was (and still is) the summum of film ! Yeah, right.
My brother-in-law watches a lot of films. Like 5-10 per week. Since two decades. Mainstream, cult, foreign (especially Asian films), everything. I asked him about L'Avventura. He said: "Don't watch all classics. Many of them are terrible films". :)
Stalker by Tarkovski is one of my favorite movies. But I've also seen Nostalghia. Which I did not like at all. Solaris is a good movie. I bought the DVD of Andrei Rublev and Ivan's Childhood (his early movies). I tried to watch them 3 times, but I just can't get past the first 15 minutes.
I'm sure Bergman is a great director. I think I watched one of his movies 2 decades ago, and I liked it. But recently I tried watching "The Seventh Seal" (it's about chess). I just can't get through it.
So just watching "the classics" doesn't work for me. That's why I tried to make a list that contains movies that I really liked myself. Movies you can still watch today.
Thirith on 3/9/2013 at 15:05
That's definitely true, but it's also very personal. I've found The Seventh Seal an enjoyable watch, not just a rewarding or *shudder* worthy one. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy A Bout de Souffle at all, which others adore.
The worst way to approach classics is to think that you must find them great. That way lies boredom and frustration. Watch them to see whether they have anything to say to you, which can mean a huge range of things: it can be their 'foreignness' (the past is also a foreign country), it can be their old-fashionedness, it can be how they do something utterly differently, it can be how they're surprisingly fun. Doesn't matter, just see whether there's something you respond to. If your reaction is boredom and confusion (and not the interesting kind), that doesn't mean anything other than this particular film at this point in time is not for you. It doesn't mean that you're a cultural philistine, nor does it mean that anyone who claims to like it is an elitist snob. *cue dethtoll's monocle/brandy snifter metaphor*
I'm lucky in that I've found things to like in practically all the classics I've seen. Doesn't make me a better film watcher, mind you, just one who's lucky to find things to appreciate in many, many things. I can also hate a film with white hot passion if need be, mind you. :ebil:
Queue on 3/9/2013 at 16:26
Here's an important scene from a fairly recent film, but still one that is a classic:
[video=youtube;4P8RU6Mc-LU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4P8RU6Mc-LU[/video]
I think it sums up the human condition quite nicely.
Yakoob on 4/9/2013 at 01:09
Quote Posted by Queue
Here's an important scene from a fairly recent film, but still one that is a classic:
[video=youtube;4P8RU6Mc-LU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4P8RU6Mc-LU[/video]
I think it sums up the human condition quite nicely.
That's actually... Kind of brilliant
Caradavin on 4/9/2013 at 03:39
I actually meant subtitles but was using the wrong word for it. Subtitles is what I prefer. I get words wrong sometimes. I just want to know what they are saying. I've never seen this Benny and Joon movie, hahaha, cheese! OH, and Twelve Angry Men is a great one, for sure.
SubJeff on 4/9/2013 at 22:25
Quote Posted by LittleFlower
I'm sure Bergman is a great director. I think I watched one of his movies 2 decades ago, and I liked it. But recently I tried watching "The Seventh Seal" (it's about chess). I just can't get through it.
I watched this for the first time this year.
Try again. It's brilliant. Forget the chess, just watch.
Neb on 5/9/2013 at 03:42
Demagogue and a few others already mentioned some of the first to come to mind, but screw it - if they're that great then they're worth repeating.
I'd probably tell most people who are serious about seeing what's out there to at least try (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-2oUxYHdu8) The Mirror, Andrei Rublyev, or Stalker by Tarkovsky. (Arguably also (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1plWZqqVbr0) Ivan's Childhood <-- amazing scene IMO.)
Another Soviet movie; (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGsXmwPj0TA) The Cranes Are Flying. I loved it more than I thought I would.
Wajda's War Trilogy is fantastic, but I'll point to my favourite; (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tryPWICfQDc) Ashes and Diamonds. I didn't enjoy watching it the first time, but for reasons I can't explain it just stuck with me.
Lawrence of Arabia is probably up there as one of my favourite films of all time.
Jean-Pierre Melville has a few great films: (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0XYssIlbo) Le Samourai and (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=on38oTESbHU) Army of Shadows.
I checked out The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly only because it made sense considering how much it gets referenced. No one told me how good it was and I'm so happy I left it all of these years.
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq2_jVmJ6wA) Haxan: A dramatised documentary from 1922 about beliefs surrounding witchcraft. Because it's a silent movie you could probably cook up a nice little soundtrack for it. (Speaking of which, a friend of mine came over and we had the most bizarre night watching Birth of a Nation to a new jack swing mixtape.)
I'll definitely check out some of the suggestions in this thread.
