Film Canon | The Best Films Ever Made
In Order of Excellence
1. Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958)
Stark, perverse story of murder, kidnapping, and police corruption in Mexican border town.
2. Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941)
Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.
3. The Conformist - Bernardo Bertolucci (1970)
A weak-willed Italian man becomes a fascist flunky who goes abroad to arrange the assassination of his old teacher, now a political dissident.
4. The Godfather - Francis Ford Coppola (1972)
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
5. Chinatown - Roman Polanski (1974)
A private detective investigating an adultery case stumbles on to a scheme of murder that has something to do with water.
6. The Secret in Their Eyes - Juan Campanella (2009)
A retired legal counselor writes a novel hoping to find closure for one of his past unresolved homicide cases and
for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.
for his unreciprocated love with his superior - both of which still haunt him decades later.
7. The Bicycle Thief - Vittorio De Sica (1948)
A man and his son search for a stolen bicycle vital for his job.
8. Sansho Dayu - Kenji Mizoguchi (1954)
In mediaeval Japan a compassionate governor is sent into exile.
9. Breaking the Waves - Lars von Trier (1996)
Oilman Jan is paralyzed in an accident. His wife, who prayed for his return, feels guilty; even more,
when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
when Jan urges her to have sex with another.
10. In the Mood for Love - Wong Kar Wai (2000)
A man and a woman move in to neighboring Hong Kong apartments and form a bond when
they both suspect their spouses of extra-marital activities.
they both suspect their spouses of extra-marital activities.
11. Persona - Ingmar Bergman (1966)
A nurse is put in charge of an actress who can't talk and finds that the actress's persona is melding with hers.
12. 21 Grams - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (2003)
A freak accident brings together a critically ill mathematician, a grieving mother and a born-again ex-con.
13. Wild Strawberries - Ingmar Bergman (1957)
After living a life marked by coldness, an aging professor is forced to confront the emptiness of his existence
14. Rashomon - Akira Kurosawa (1950)
A heinous crime and its aftermath are recalled from differing points of view
15. The Passion of Joan of Arc - Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928)
A chronicle of the trial of Jeanne d'Arc on charges of heresy,
and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
and the efforts of her ecclesiastical jurists to force Jeanne to recant her claims of holy visions.
16. The Last Laugh - F.W. Murnau (1924)
An aging doorman, after being fired from his prestigious job at a luxurious Hotel
is forced to face the scorn of his friends, neighbours and society
is forced to face the scorn of his friends, neighbours and society
17. L'Avventura - Michelangelo Antonioni (1960)
A woman disappears during a Mediterranean boating trip.
But during the search, her lover and her best friend become attracted to each other.
But during the search, her lover and her best friend become attracted to each other.
18. Amores Perros - Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (2000)
A horrific car accident connects three stories, each involving characters dealing with loss,
regret, and life's harsh realities, all in the name of love.
regret, and life's harsh realities, all in the name of love.
19. Singin' in the Rain - Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly (1952)
A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound.
20. A Clockwork Orange - Stanley Kubrick (1971)
In future Britain, charismatic delinquent Alex DeLarge is jailed and volunteers for an experimental aversion therapy
developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem... but not all goes to plan
developed by the government in an effort to solve society's crime problem... but not all goes to plan
21. Casablanca - Michael Curtiz (1942)
Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II:
An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
An American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.
22. The Best Years of our Lives - William Wyler (1946)
Three WWII veterans return home to small-town America to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.
23. 8 1/2 - Federico Fellini (1963)
A harried movie director retreats into his memories and fantasies.
24. Network - Sidney Lumet (1976)
A TV network cynically exploits a deranged ex-TV anchor's ravings and revelations about the media for their own profit.
25. Letter from an Unknown Woman - Max Ophuls (1948)
A pianist about to flee from a duel receives a letter from a woman he cannot remember whom may hold the key to his downfall.
26. Ugetsu Monogatari - Kenji Mizoguchi (1953)
In the beginning of the springtime in the period of the Japanese Civil Wars of the Sixteenth Century
in Lake Biwa in the Province of Omi, the family man farmer and craftsman Genjurô travels
to Nagahama to sell his wares and makes a small fortune.
in Lake Biwa in the Province of Omi, the family man farmer and craftsman Genjurô travels
to Nagahama to sell his wares and makes a small fortune.
27. The Celebration - Thomas Vinterberg (1998)
At Helge's 60th birthday party, some unpleasant family truths are revealed.
28. Amadeus - Milos Forman (1984)
The incredible story of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback by his peer
and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.
and secret rival Antonio Salieri - now confined to an insane asylum.
29. Raging Bull - Martin Scorsese(1980)
An emotionally self-destructive boxer's journey through life,
as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.
as the violence and temper that leads him to the top in the ring, destroys his life outside it.
30. Once upon a Time in the West - Sergio Leone (1968)
Epic story of a mysterious stranger with a harmonica who joins forces with a notorious desperado
to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.
to protect a beautiful widow from a ruthless assassin working for the railroad.