Sight & Sound Lists Challenge (Official, March 2023)

Arkantos · #41

5. The Matrix (1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski), #406 on the Greatest Films List, rewatch

S&S

1. The Colour of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov) #103GL
2. The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel) #464GL
3. Divine Intervention (2002, Elia Suleiman) #685GL
4. Beau travail (1999, Claire Denis) #78GL
5. The Matrix (1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski) #406GL, rewatch

AB537 · #42

3. À bout de souffle - Breathless (Jean-Luc Godard, 1960) 8.5/10 ... 2022 Critics List #38 (tie) and 2022 Directors List #14 (tie) ... a long overdue rewatch and totally worthwhile: the kinetic energy, frantic editing and charismatic yet flawed characters, complete with Godard's usual - but not yet grating - literary/artistic/cultural non sequiturs ... probably overtakes Alphaville for #2 on my list for Godard, behind his incomparable masterpiece Le mépris - Contempt (1963)
4. The Lady Eve (Preston Sturges, 1941) 6.5/10 ... 2012 Poll #129 ... screwball comedy only really has a few hits for me (To Be or Not to Be, His Girl Friday and The Philadelphia Story are the best examples), and unfortunately Sturges' films tend to go more in the middling category - not bad but also don't especially stand out ... after this rewatch, Unfaithfully Yours likely remains my top rated film from him

gunnar · #43

17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631 - Steve McQueen's film about IRA member Bobby Sands and the hunger strike he helped lead in prison goes for a minimalist approach in a number of ways. The first half of the film is filled with life in prison, including a lot of violence from the guards and little in the way of explanation. McQueen seems to be going more for the show don't tell approach, except for a nice scene with a priest mid-film. This is effective in its way and I can see why some people might love the film, but it felt a bit lacking to me.

18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50 - Marital issues come to the forefront when an English couple travels to Italy to sell a house that they inherited from a relative. Ingrid Bergman and George Sanders were each pretty good here.

19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380 - Nine vignettes are shown to illustrate the teachings of St. Francis. There are some nice visuals here and a bit of humor now and then, but overall these didn't do much for me.

20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list) - Frederick Wiseman was able to film inside a Massachusetts hospital for the criminally insane. The conditions that he showed in the film were such that the State of Massachusetts sued and was able to get the film banned from distribution for decades.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125

Tngy · #44

1. Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) 10/10! #30 Critics
2. La Mujer sin Cabeza The Headless Woman (2008) 3/10 #464 Greatest Films / #209 Critics

Arkantos · #45

6. Deep End (1970, Jerzy Skolimowski), #13 on the Hidden Gems list

S&S

1. The Colour of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov) #103GL
2. The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel) #464GL
3. Divine Intervention (2002, Elia Suleiman) #685GL
4. Beau travail (1999, Claire Denis) #78GL
5. The Matrix (1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski) #406GL, rewatch
6. Deep End (1970, Jerzy Skolimowski), #13HG

45MinuteZoom · #46

1. Shorts - 80 min
a. Vzglyanite na litso (1966) - Docs #243 - 11 min - I love art and art museums, so this little short of docents talking about a painting and people looking at a painting was right up my alley. It is mostly close ups of peoples faces while looking, and its fun to see the differences in peoples eyes when they are or aren't interested. 7/10

b. O Dreamland (1953) - Docs #232 - 13 min - This short takes you around an amusement park. I really liked the sound of this, with the exception of the fake laughing from the dolls, which gets to be grating. The music recorded is well used though. Fun shot on a Ferris wheel at the end too. 6/10

c. The River (1938) - Docs #242 - 31 min - Doc about the Mississippi river and the damming of the Tennessee River and other WPA work trying to keep the Mississippi from flooding. The whole thing is surprisingly environmentally conscious, focusing on the damage done by farming/logging along the river and why that was making the flooding worse. But the repetitive nature of the narration was very grating. 5/10

d. Puissance de la parole (1988) - Greatest 2012 #785 - 25 min - Bleh, Godard short he was commissioned by a telecommunications company to make. The telecommunications company didn't like it and rejected it and I don't blame them. The short is about the power of speech, and has two sets of actors, one set reading some excerpts of the Postman Rings Twice, and one set reading a poem Edgar Allan Poe wrote from the prospective of two angels. It is intercut, practically frame by frame with images of nature. I just didn't engage with this at all, and the language used in the Poe poem especially is hard to understand. 4/10

2. The Conformist (1970) - Greatest 2012 #84 Rewatch - I had seen this years ago and didn't remember anything about the story. Since the new 4K is going around theatres I decided to go see it again on the big screen. I'm happy I did just for the visuals, the cinematography is what everyone raves about for this movie and with good reason, it is absolutely stunning. The story still leaves me very cold, makes sense why I didn't remember any of it. 6/10

3. Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment (1963) - Docs #263 - I saw the title and assumed it would be about the Cuban missile crisis, but this was instead about the Governor of Alabama trying to prevent two black students from registering at the University of Alabama. This is more about RFK than about JFK, he is the focus since as the Attorney General he needed to enforce the court ruling against segregation. It is incredible all of the shots they got, they get good footage of both RFK and George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama. The documentary remains tense throughout. Very cool cinema verite doc. I still haven't seen Primary, which is also directed by Robert Drew, and with how much I enjoyed this, I'll have to watch it soon. 8/10

erde · #47

2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list

I'll echo everything that airdolll said. A stunning film, instant favorite.

Spoiler

1. The Watermelon Woman (1996) - #151 on the Critics' top 250 list
2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list

beasterne · #48

#1 Wanda (1970) dir. Barbara Loden #261 on 2012 list.

Feels so far ahead of its time. Wanda ran so Winter's Bone could walk.

#2 Triumph of the Will (1935) dir. Leni Riefenstahl #733 on 2012 list, #46 on S&S Docs

I've put this one off for many years, having no real desire to watch 2 hours of Nazi propaganda. But I watched it this month to get a two-fer on the Women and S&S challenges. It's Nazi propaganda. Not much more to say.

gunnar · #49

21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390 - An idealistic journalist is disillusioned after the candidates that he supports in hopes of reforming the system turn out to be in the pocket of those with the money and change is not likely to happen.

22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494 - A poor family and their dog travel the drought stricken wastelands of Northeast Brazil in search of a better life. The man finds work, but also finds greedy landowners and police brutality.

23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365 - The film follows a few courtesans at various brothels along with their wealthy patrons in late 1800s Shanghai. The patrons buy things for the courtesans and might get them out of the life by paying off their debts or marrying them. The costumes and settings were pretty good, but I found the story to be kind of dull for the most part.

24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269 - A gay couple in a dysfunctional relationship travel to Argentina where they get stuck due to lack of funds. They break up, but can't quite quit each other. Stylish, but also kind of aimless

25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500 - A Catholic priest lives in a poor inn among his flock. He gives away what money and possessions he has to those in need. After helping a prostitute who may have killed another woman, he is forced to leave and wander the countryside, working or begging for food. I liked this movie a lot, especially the first 2/3 or so of the film.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)

klaus78 · #50

Critics' Top 250:
1. #62 Daughters of the Dust (1991) 6/10
2. #151 The Watermelon Woman (1996) 6/10
3. #155 West Indies (1979) 6/10
4. #202 De cierta manera (1977) 5/10
5. #259 Morvern Callar (2002) 8/10

gunnar · #51

26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331 - Aldo is a mechanic at a sugar refinery who has been in a relationship with a woman for 7 years while her husband was in Australia working and the two have a daughter together. When news arrives that the husband dies, Aldo expects to marry the woman, but she rejects him and they break up. He flees the town with daughter in tow and becomes a wanderer with no real plan.

27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481 - This biographical film about the 19th Century entertainer/courtesan wasn't really all that interesting. I didn't care for the circus story framing device. The costumes were fine, but the story and lead actress were a bit lacking.

28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467 - Paul is interested in political movements, including writing graffiti against the Vietnam War. Madeleine is working toward becoming a pop singer. They begin a relationship that has its ups and downs. The film has plenty of long conversations on a variety of topics between Paul, Madeleine, and their friends. I still found the film enjoyable and interesting, though.

29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455 - The story centers on a female doctor and a male doctor. It is told in a rural clinic and then in a city hospital. Like some of Weerasethakul's other films, there are a lot of things that I like, but the whole is a bit underwhelming.

30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522 - A young man gets talked into helping out a movie shoot by pretending to be a dead body floating in a dirty river. After getting home that night, he develops sharp neck pains. Nothing he tries is able to ease the pain and discomfort - doctors, acupuncture, and other methods. There is minimal dialogue in the film and his parents each clearly have their own issues. I didn't really care that much for this one after the opening couple of scenes.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500

airdolll · #52

erde wrote: ↑March 7th, 2023, 9:06 pm 2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list

I'll echo everything that airdolll said. A stunning film, instant favorite.

Awesome! Soleil O is a huge favorite and I'm hoping to watch Sarraounia soon

airdolll · #53

3. Bigger Than Life (1956)

4. All That Heaven Allows (1955)

S&S

1. La mujer sin cabeza | The Headless Woman (2008)
2. West Indies (1979)
3. Bigger Than Life (1956)
4. All That Heaven Allows (1955)

vortexsurfer · #54

3. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943) - 10/10 (rewatch)

Spoiler

1. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013) - 10/10 (rewatch)
2. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) - 10/10 (rewatch)
3. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943) - 10/10 (rewatch)

erde · #55

3. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) - #180 on the Critics' top 250 list

Great experimental documentary! It felt very innovative to me even 55 years after its release.

Spoiler

1. The Watermelon Woman (1996) - #151 on the Critics' top 250 list
2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list
3. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) - #180 on the Critics' top 250 list

AB537 · #56

5. Sambizanga (Sarah Maldoror, 1972) 7/10 ... 2022 Critics List #136 (tie) ... definitely one of the most obscure films to appear at a high level on the new list, probably/hopefully I wasn't the only one who was prompted to watch this film by the poll results

gunnar · #57

31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list - This documentary looks in on the daily lives of the people at a group home for emotionally disturbed children in Ontario. The facility used some experimental techniques such as holding and bottle feeding that were seen by some as controversial. I thought it was pretty good, though I did start to lose interest during the last third of the film.

32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299 - A teenage girl and her younger brother are stranded in the Outback with limited supplies. They try to make their way back to civilization and are aided by an Aboriginal boy who is on his walkabout. Nicely acted with excellent cinematography and an engaging story.

33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533 - A schoolteacher in a small remote town heads for Sydney for the holidays, but gets stuck in a cruel mining town instead. This seems to be a popular film, but I didn't really like it much. Perhaps I just wasn't in the mood for it. The schoolteacher should really lay off the booze.

34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468 - I know that this film has its fans, but I didn't care for it much at all.

35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637 - Two vagrants meet on the street of Paris and form a relationship, sleeping on a bridge that is under repair. Alex was a circus performer who has addictions and other issues. Michele is a painter who is slowly going blind due to a rare disease. They have a number of adventures, including waterskiing on the Seine.

36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371 - Two sister and the son of the younger sister are traveling by train through Central Europe. The older sister is ill so they stop in a town and stay at an old, slightly rundown hotel. The younger sister seems to resent her older sister and goes out to have fun while the older sister suffers in bed and the boy explores the hotel. They don't speak the local language so they only have each other for intelligible conversation.

37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387 - Family and friends gather for the birthday of an actor turned journalist. During the gathering, war is announced with a strong possibility of nuclear annihilation. The film is shot very and well and like other Tarkovsky films, there are things that I like in the film, but am not a big fan of the whole.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522

erde · #58

4. De Cierta Manera (1977) - #202 on the Critics' top 250 list

A sociological or anthropological perspective on a romantic relationship in revolutionary Cuba. A really interesting film and very creative direction.

Spoiler

1. The Watermelon Woman (1996) - #151 on the Critics' top 250 list
2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list
3. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) - #180 on the Critics' top 250 list
4. De Cierta Manera (1977) - #202 on the Critics' top 250 list

Arkantos · #59

7. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927, F.W. Murnau), #6 on the Greatest Films list

This had been my highest unseen on the S&S list, glad I finally had the chance to see it.

S&S

1. The Colour of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov) #103GL
2. The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel) #464GL
3. Divine Intervention (2002, Elia Suleiman) #685GL
4. Beau travail (1999, Claire Denis) #78GL
5. The Matrix (1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski) #406GL, rewatch
6. Deep End (1970, Jerzy Skolimowski), #13HG
7. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927, F.W. Murnau), #6GL

ororama · #60

2. American Movie (1999) * 105 min. S & S Documentaries #163
Really funny, but hard to say whether it's more sad or hopeful in the end. It seems that the documentary helped Mark Borchardt begin a movie career, although maybe not exactly what he was aiming for, so I'll go with hopeful.

Spoiler

1. Reassemblage: From the Firelight to the Screen (1983) * 40 min. S & S Documentaries #257

*First time viewing

gunnar · #61

38 - La Notte (1961) - 7/10 - #239 - A married couple spends a day visiting an old friend, walking around various parts of the city, and attending a party. Sometimes they are together, sometimes apart. The two each seem tired of life, either in general or just as a married couple, and at times seem to be going through the motions. He flirts with several women and she seems too listless to care. This is a good movie, though I'll admit to being bored with it at times.

39 - The Passenger (1975) - 8/10 - #145 - Jack Nicholson is a journalist working on a story in northern Africa. He runs into a few problems and when the man in the neighboring room of his hotel suddenly dies, he assumes the other man's identity. He soon discovers that the man was an arms dealer, though, and this complicates things. Nicholson is pretty good here as expected.

40 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 8/10 - #227 (and #5 on the Doc list) - This documentary is an in-depth look at the case of a man who was wrongfully convicted of murdering a police officer despite little in the way of credible evidence against him. It's pretty well done.

41 - Tongues Untied (1989) - 7/10 - #143 on the Doc list - An experimental poetry-like documentary that wasn't really my thing, but wasn't bad.

42 - Vengeance is Mine (1979) - 7.5/10 - #735 - A serial killer has been captured and his past deeds and misdeeds are shown in flashback. This was based on a true crime case.

43 - The Life of Oharu (1952) - 7.5/10 - #207 - Oharu just can't catch a break. The film starts with an aging prostitute looking back on her life. She started out as the daughter of a respectable family, but misfortune piled upon misfortune caused her downfall through the strata of society.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522
31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list
32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299
33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533
34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468
35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637
36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371
37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387

vortexsurfer · #62

4. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) - 10/10 (rewatch)

Spoiler

1. Under the Skin (Jonathan Glazer, 2013) - 10/10 (rewatch)
2. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941) - 10/10 (rewatch)
3. Shadow of a Doubt (Alfred Hitchcock, 1943) - 10/10 (rewatch)
4. Rear Window (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) - 10/10 (rewatch)

sol · #63

Spoiler

1. Grace of My Heart (1996) S&S Gems
2. Leo the Last (1970) S&S Gems

3. The Phynx (1970) S&S Gems

Desperate to rescue a group of American celebrities being held captive in Communist Albania, an intelligence agency decides to form a world-famous boy band with undercover spies in this nonsensical but highly energetic comedy. The film is a pretty decent espionage spoof though if one does not focus too much on story logic. There is some insane gadgetry and there are some crazy makeshift traps. The sets and costumes are wildly imaginative too (see above). The film is less successful as a boy band spoof, but the music is fun and catchy, with an especially memorable "What's Your Sign?" song.

beasterne · #64

3. Bigger Than Life (1956) dir. Nicholas Ray #677 on 2012 list.

Enjoyed this. And this clip here was an instant favorite--it's up there with the best camp scenes of all time:

4. Le bonheur (1965) dir. Agnes Varda #763 on 2012 list

Varda nailed it with this one. Great film. Here's what she had to say about the film in a 1998 tv interview:

"I imagined a summer peach with its perfect colors, and inside, there is a worm. And impressionist paintings, which emanate such melancholy, though they depict scenes of everyday happiness. I listened to Mozart, and thought of death’s preponderance. I wrote the film fast and shot it fast, like the vivid brightness of our short-lived summers. In a world full of prefabricated images of happiness, it’s interesting to take apart the cliches.”

the Sights and the Sounds

#1 Wanda (1970) dir. Barbara Loden #261 on 2012 list.
#2 Triumph of the Will (1935) dir. Leni Riefenstahl #733 on 2012 list, #46 on S&S Docs

erde · #65

5. Je tu il elle (1974) - #234 on the Critics' top 250 list

It took me a while to get into it, but when I finally did, I liked it very much. Some very interesting narrative choices that encouraged detailed analysis and thinking about the meaning of it all long after the film ended.

6. Born in Flames (1983) - #243 on the Critics' top 250 list

An interesting faux documentary about alternative history where social democratic revolution and womens' army took power in the U.S.

EDIT: Second check added.

Spoiler

1. The Watermelon Woman (1996) - #151 on the Critics' top 250 list
2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list
3. Symbiopsychotaxiplasm: Take One (1968) - #180 on the Critics' top 250 list
4. De Cierta Manera (1977) - #202 on the Critics' top 250 list
5. Je tu il elle (1974) - #234 on the Critics' top 250 list
6. Born in Flames (1983) - #243 on the Critics' top 250 list

klaus78 · #66

Spoiler

Critics' Top 250:
1. #62 Daughters of the Dust (1991) 6/10
2. #151 The Watermelon Woman (1996) 6/10
3. #155 West Indies (1979) 6/10
4. #202 De cierta manera (1977) 5/10
5. #259 Morvern Callar (2002) 8/10

75 Hidden Gems:
6. Muna Moto (1975) 6/10
7. Model Shop (1969) 5/10
8. Avanti popolo (1986) 6/10
9. Mandala (1981) 7/10
10. The Pumpkin Eater (1964) 6/10
11. Adieu Philippine (1962) 6/10

gunnar · #67

44 - Good Morning (1959) - 8/10 - #691 - Life in a Japanese suburb goes on with neighbors frequently visiting each other. The women gossip about their neighbors and the boys want to watch tv. Two of the boys vow to stop speaking because their parents won't buy them a tv. The colors look great here and this is a nice slice of life comedy.

45 - Early Summer (1951) - 9/10 - #330 - Noriko (Setsuko Hara) is a secretary who lives a happy life hanging out with friends and sharing a home with her parents and her older brother's family. At 28, she is considered to be old to still be single so her family starts thinking about marrying her off to a 40 year old friend of her boss. Noriko has other ideas, though. There is plenty of humor in this family drama and a playfulness at times. Hara is very good here, but that is to be expected.

46 - The Son (2002) - 6/10 - #453 - A carpentry instructor at a vocational center accepts an apprentice who was just released after a 5 year stay at a juvenile correctional facility. He has an uneasy interest in the boy even going so far as to follow him. There is definite tension here, but I didn't care much for the film.

47 - The Return (2003) - 9/10 - #719 - Two brothers return home one day to find that their father has returned after an unexplained 12 year absence. The next morning, their father takes the boys on what is supposed to be a nice fishing trip. The older brother seems to desperately want to bond with their father while the younger boy is resentful, suspicious, and stubborn. The father's sometimes abrupt manner doesn't help matters. The trip turns into much more than just a simple fishing trip. I liked this one a lot.

48 - After Life (1998) - 8/10 - #435 - The film starts with people arriving at a station in a remote area. It turns out that these people are recently deceased and they are there to choose one memory from their life that they will remember for eternity before moving on. Counselors are on hand to interview the people about their lives and to help them select their memory. The film lacks drama and feels like a documentary at times, but it works pretty well and is a nice film.

49 - Platform (2000) - 6.5/10 - #483 - The film follows a theater troupe in China from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. We get to see some aspects of life under communism during that time. There are parts of the film that are interesting, but I didn't really care about any of the characters or what happened to them.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522
31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list
32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299
33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533
34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468
35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637
36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371
37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387
38 - La Notte (1961) - 7/10 - #239
39 - The Passenger (1975) - 8/10 - #145
40 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 8/10 - #227 (and #5 on the Doc list)
41 - Tongues Untied (1989) - 7/10 - #143 on the Doc list
42 - Vengeance is Mine (1979) - 7.5/10 - #735
43 - The Life of Oharu (1952) - 7.5/10 - #207

flavo5000 · #68

1. The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
2-14. Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)
3. Dalla nube alla resistenza a.k.a. From the Clouds to the Resistance (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub, 1979)

Spoiler

1. The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
2-14. Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)
15. Dalla nube alla resistenza a.k.a. From the Clouds to the Resistance (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub, 1979)

gunnar · #69

flavo5000 wrote: ↑March 13th, 2023, 3:40 pm 1. The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
2-14. Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)
3. Dalla nube alla resistenza a.k.a. From the Clouds to the Resistance (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub, 1979)

That last one should be #15, shouldn't it?

flavo5000 · #70

gunnar wrote: ↑March 13th, 2023, 3:47 pm
flavo5000 wrote: ↑March 13th, 2023, 3:40 pm 1. The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996)
2-14. Twin Peaks: The Return (David Lynch, 2017)
3. Dalla nube alla resistenza a.k.a. From the Clouds to the Resistance (Danièle Huillet, Jean-Marie Straub, 1979)

That last one should be #15, shouldn't it?

oh yurp

Arkantos · #71

8. La strada (1954, Federico Fellini), #97 on the Greatest Films list

My first Fellini film, and it's an instant favourite.

S&S

1. The Colour of Pomegranates (1969, Sergei Parajanov) #103GF
2. The Headless Woman (2008, Lucrecia Martel) #464GF
3. Divine Intervention (2002, Elia Suleiman) #685GF
4. Beau travail (1999, Claire Denis) #78GF
5. The Matrix (1999, Lana and Lilly Wachowski) #406GF, rewatch
6. Deep End (1970, Jerzy Skolimowski), #13HG
7. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927, F.W. Murnau), #6GF
8. La strada (1954, Federico Fellini), #97GF

Tngy · #72

3. The Matrix (1999) 4/10 #406 Greatest Films / #126 Critics

Spoiler

1. Portrait de la Jeune Fille en Feu Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) 10/10! #30 Critics
2. La Mujer sin Cabeza The Headless Woman (2008) 3/10 #464 Greatest Films / #209 Critics

sol · #73

Spoiler

1. Grace of My Heart (1996) S&S Gems
2. Leo the Last (1970) S&S Gems
3. The Phynx (1970) S&S Gems

4. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) REVISION S&S Docs

This still resonates decades later due to the human factors at play. Kopple and her crew go deep inside houses without plumbing where the miners are forced to reside, bathing their kids in buckets, while intimately interviewing those permanently crippled due to mining incidents. It is a really stark look at what life is like for these folks without the means to change their circumstances. Viewed for a second time, it still feels like the film could have benefited from more exposition and title cards, but the fly-on-the-wall (with occasional interview) approach that Kopple goes for allows us to often just observe.

gunnar · #74

50 - Gertrud (1964) - 4/10 - #49 - Gertrud leaves her husband for a younger piano player in her search for love. There are long stretches of boring dialogue and I thought the style of acting was very stilted and uninteresting, especially from the woman playing Gertrud. She also spent almost the entire film looking sad and perhaps even depressed. It was a slog to get through.

51 - Dogville (2003) - 8/10 - #274 - A woman on the run makes finds herself in a small dead end town nestled against the mountains. Gangsters are after her and later the police as well. The people of the town shelter her and give her a home, though things eventually turn a bit more sinister. It took me almost an hour to get into this with the unique approach to scenery and sets. I did end up liking it, though, and Nicole Kidman was very good.

52 - La Bête Humaine (1938) - 7.5/10 - #676 - I suppose this could also be called 'Murder on the La Havre Express'. This film noir precursor is based on an Emile Zola novel. A wealthy man is murdered aboard a train. The main characters are a station master and his young wife along with a train engineer with a blood disease that makes him prone to occasional moments of insanity. It was pretty good.

53 - Muriel, or the Time of Return (1963) - 5.5/10 - #395 - Hélène sells antiques out of her apartment. She lives with her stepson, Bernard, who is haunted by his time as a soldier in Algeria. Hélène gets a visit from her old lover Alphonse. The film left me cold and I didn't care for the use of music in it either.

54 - Ten (2002) - 7/10 - #798 - Ten vignettes with a female driver and her passengers, including her son several times and her sister a couple of times. A lot of this focuses on the role of women in their society. The driver's kid sure was a brat.

55 - My Own Private Idaho (1991) 6/10 - #713 - River Phoenix and Keanu Reeves star in this film about a narcoleptic hustler who goes off in search of his mother and is accompanied by his friend. I didn't really like this as much as I expected.

56 - Stories We Tell (2012) - 8/10 - #192 - Sarah Polley interviews family members and friends while also directing her father as he narrates the film about her late mother and a family secret. I thought it was pretty interesting.

57 - The Insect Woman (1963) - 7/10 - #703 (and #25 on the 75 HG list) - A girl is born to a poor farming family in 1918. The film covers different periods of her life up into the 1960s as she keeps trying to improve her station and situation in life.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522
31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list
32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299
33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533
34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468
35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637
36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371
37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387
38 - La Notte (1961) - 7/10 - #239
39 - The Passenger (1975) - 8/10 - #145
40 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 8/10 - #227 (and #5 on the Doc list)
41 - Tongues Untied (1989) - 7/10 - #143 on the Doc list
42 - Vengeance is Mine (1979) - 7.5/10 - #735
43 - The Life of Oharu (1952) - 7.5/10 - #207
44 - Good Morning (1959) - 8/10 - #691
45 - Early Summer (1951) - 9/10 - #330
46 - The Son (2002) - 6/10 - #453
47 - The Return (2003) - 9/10 - #719
48 - After Life (1998) - 8/10 - #435
49 - Platform (2000) - 6.5/10 - #483

sol · #75

Spoiler

1. Grace of My Heart (1996) S&S Gems
2. Leo the Last (1970) S&S Gems
3. The Phynx (1970) S&S Gems
4. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) REVISION S&S Docs

5. Darwin's Nightmare (2004) S&S Docs

A rough, rambling and unfocused documentary. Nothing ever seems quite as nightmarish as the title either with the film presenting expected shots of starving African children, overworked women and poor living conditions while going off on tangents about how Africans are exploited (the film is meant to be about fish). The presentation feels second-rate too, content aside. The camerawork is overly shaky and full of weird distances during interviews, and all interviewees are forced to speak in broken English rather than their own language with subtitles; one lady even apologises for not being fluent in English(!).

AB537 · #76

6. The Birds (Alfred Hitchcock, 1963) 10/10 ... 2022 Critics List #185 (tie) ... never a bad time to rewatch top tier Hitchcock

blocho · #77

Summary: Halfway

Headline Stats
We have 14 participants thus far, with a cumulative total of 130 points. That works out to a mean score of 9.3 points and a median of 4.5 points. Gunnar leads the way with 57 points, followed by flavo5000 (15) and klaus78 (11).

Years
(The following data does not include shorts.)
Because of Twin Peaks, the most popular year so far is 2017. If we ignore Twin Peaks, the most popular years are 1970 and 1963. The median year is 1977. Here's a breakdown by decade:
1920s - 1 point
1930s - 2 points
1940s - 3 points
1950s - 16 points
1960s - 27 points
1970s - 24 points
1980s - 7 points
1990s - 16 points
2000s - 16 points
2010s - 18 points

gunnar · #78

58 - Elephant (2003) - 8/10 - #373 - The film follows a number of students on a typical day in a high school. Two students have plans to disrupt the day by shooting a number of people. I thought this was very well done. It definitely brought back a number of memories from that time period when I was teaching in the post-Columbine era.

59 - Inland Empire (2006) - 3/10 - #355 - A very long and weird movie from David Lynch. Not one that I enjoyed very much, but I stuck with it.

60 - F for Fake (1973) - 6.5/10 - #286 (and #32 on the Doc list) - Orson Welles hosts this partial documentary about an art forger. It's interesting for a while, but kind of loses steam. The bit at the end wasn't that great.

61 - An Autumn Afternoon (1962) - 8.5/10 - #310 - Shuhei is a widower who lives at home with his two younger children, 24 year old Michiko and 21 year old Kazuo, He meets up regularly with some of his old classmates to drink and talk. He starts thinking that he is holding his daughter back from marrying and starts looking for an acceptable husband for her. There is a fair amount of humor here. The relationship between his older son and daughter-in-law is entertaining. The daughter-in-law is a no nonsense take charge type. While some of the themes are a bit dated, it is still a very nice film.

62 - L’Eclisse (1962) - 7.5/10 - #63 - Vittoria breaks up with her boyfriend and goes to visit her mother at the Rome Stock Exchange. While there, she meets a young stockbroker and the two eventually start seeing each other, though she seems hesitant to make it a serious relationship. There are some nice moments and images here.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522
31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list
32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299
33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533
34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468
35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637
36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371
37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387
38 - La Notte (1961) - 7/10 - #239
39 - The Passenger (1975) - 8/10 - #145
40 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 8/10 - #227 (and #5 on the Doc list)
41 - Tongues Untied (1989) - 7/10 - #143 on the Doc list
42 - Vengeance is Mine (1979) - 7.5/10 - #735
43 - The Life of Oharu (1952) - 7.5/10 - #207
44 - Good Morning (1959) - 8/10 - #691
45 - Early Summer (1951) - 9/10 - #330
46 - The Son (2002) - 6/10 - #453
47 - The Return (2003) - 9/10 - #719
48 - After Life (1998) - 8/10 - #435
49 - Platform (2000) - 6.5/10 - #483
50 - Gertrud (1964) - 4/10 - #49
51 - Dogville (2003) - 8/10 - #274
52 - La Bête Humaine (1938) - 7.5/10 - #676
53 - Muriel, or the Time of Return (1963) - 5.5/10 - #395
54 - Ten (2002) - 7/10 - #798
55 - My Own Private Idaho (1991) 6/10 - #713
56 - Stories We Tell (2012) - 8/10 - #192
57 - The Insect Woman (1963) - 7/10 - #703 (and #25 on the 75 HG list)

gunnar · #79

63 - 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her (1967) - 4/10 - #131 - Another strange Godard movie. I didn't like the whispering narration at all.

64 - I Know Where I’m Going! (1945) - 7.5/10 - #293 - An Englishwoman travels to remote Scottish islands for her marriage to a wealthy man. Along the way, she gets trapped on one of the islands due to inclement weather and finds herself falling for a naval officer on leave. It's a good romance elevated by nice performances and scenery.

65 - Lola (1961) - 7.5/10 - #405 - A young man meets his old girlfriend (Anouk Aimée). She's pining away for her old lover who has been away for 7 years. There's an American sailor leaving for home soon plus a girl about to have her 14th birthday. Their lives intersect in a number of ways in this enjoyable Jacques Demy film.

66 - The King of Comedy (1982) - 9/10 - #341 - An aspiring comic (Robert De Niro) tries to get close to a popular late night talk show host (Jerry Lewis), hoping to get a spot on his show. He resorts to drastic measures to get his chance. Very nicely done.

67 - The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959) - 7.5/10 - #739 - A German architect saves the life of a dancer while in India for a project. This endears him to the Maharajah for awhile until it turns out that they are each interested in the woman. It was fun. I'll watch the second part tomorrow.

Spoiler

1 - Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) - 8/10 - #51 (soon to be #1)
2 - The Headless Woman (2008) - 6/10 - #464
3 - Le Bonheur (1965) - 7.5/10 - #763
4 - Portrait of Jason (1967) - 7.5/10 - #597 (and #59 on the Doc list)
5 - Wanda (1970) - 4/10 - #261 (and #73 on the 75 HG list)
6 - Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) - 6.5/10 - #169
7 - The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena Bach (1968) - 5.5/10 - #582
8 - Leviathan (2012) - 3/10 - #38 on the Doc list
9 - Not Reconciled (1965) - 6/10 - #644
10 - The Color of Pomegranates (1969) - 6.5/10 - #103
11 - Moonfleet (1955) - 7/10 - #561
12 - The Taking of Power by Louis XIV (1966) - 6/10 - #307
13 - Black God, White Devil (1964) - 6.5/10 - #273
14 - Antonio das Mortes (1969) - 5/10 - #746
15 - Bigger Than Life (1956) - 7.5/10 - #677
16 - The River (1951) - 8.5/10 - #125
17 - Hunger (2008) - 6.5/10 - #631
18 - Journey to Italy (1954) - 8/10 - #50
19 - The Flowers of St. Francis (1950) - 6/10 - #380
20 - Titicut Follies (1967) - 7/10 - #658 (and #15 on the Doc list)
21 - Entranced Earth (1967) - 7/10 - #390
22 - Barren Lives (1963) - 7.5/10 - #494
23 - Flowers of Shanghai (1998) - 6.5/10 - #365
24 - Happy Together (1997) - 7/10 - #269
25 - Nazarin (1959) - 8/10 - #500
26 - Il Grido (1957) - 7/10 - #331
27 - Lola Montes (1955) - 6/10 - #481
28 - Masculin Féminin (1966) - 7.5/10 - #467
29 - Syndromes and a Century (2006) - 6.5/10 - #455
30 - The River (1997) - 5/10 - #522
31 - Warrendale (1952) - 7.5/10 - #157 on the Doc list
32 - Walkabout (1971) - 9/10 - #299
33 - Wake in Fright (1971) - 6.5/10 - #533
34 - Naked (1993) - 4/10 - #468
35 - The Lovers on the Bridge (1991) - 7/10 - #637
36 - The Silence (1963) - 8/10 - #371
37 - The Sacrifice (1986) - 6.5/10 - #387
38 - La Notte (1961) - 7/10 - #239
39 - The Passenger (1975) - 8/10 - #145
40 - The Thin Blue Line (1988) - 8/10 - #227 (and #5 on the Doc list)
41 - Tongues Untied (1989) - 7/10 - #143 on the Doc list
42 - Vengeance is Mine (1979) - 7.5/10 - #735
43 - The Life of Oharu (1952) - 7.5/10 - #207
44 - Good Morning (1959) - 8/10 - #691
45 - Early Summer (1951) - 9/10 - #330
46 - The Son (2002) - 6/10 - #453
47 - The Return (2003) - 9/10 - #719
48 - After Life (1998) - 8/10 - #435
49 - Platform (2000) - 6.5/10 - #483
50 - Gertrud (1964) - 4/10 - #49
51 - Dogville (2003) - 8/10 - #274
52 - La Bête Humaine (1938) - 7.5/10 - #676
53 - Muriel, or the Time of Return (1963) - 5.5/10 - #395
54 - Ten (2002) - 7/10 - #798
55 - My Own Private Idaho (1991) 6/10 - #713
56 - Stories We Tell (2012) - 8/10 - #192
57 - The Insect Woman (1963) - 7/10 - #703 (and #25 on the 75 HG list)
58 - Elephant (2003) - 8/10 - #373
59 - Inland Empire (2006) - 3/10 - #355
60 - F for Fake (1973) - 6.5/10 - #286 (and #32 on the Doc list)
61 - An Autumn Afternoon (1962) - 8.5/10 - #310
62 - L’Eclisse (1962) - 7.5/10 - #63

iCheckMovies · #80

airdolll wrote: ↑March 9th, 2023, 5:39 am
erde wrote: ↑March 7th, 2023, 9:06 pm 2. West Indies (1979) - #155 on the Critics' top 250 list

I'll echo everything that airdolll said. A stunning film, instant favorite.
Awesome! Soleil O is a huge favorite and I'm hoping to watch Sarraounia soon

Sarraounia is great as well - we're actually talking about it a bit in the next ep of Talking Images (on Burkina Faso cinema) - with a shout-out to West Indies (recorded before the top 250 reveal when I still had to shout about this film from the rooftops, so happy that has changed). It is quite different though, an epic with a large scope, but not quite ticking the way these epics tend to and it is better for it. Rather than just focusing on Sarraounia it creates a connected map of Africa and its views and approaches to dealing with the invasions from white countries - with a lot of screentime also given to the vicious French army.

Soleil O is one I really should rewatch as it didn't stand out as much to me, and I hope the rest of his films become available in good copies now.