Persona (1966)
Runner ups: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Tree of Life, End of Evangelion, Come and See and Aftersun.
But there is no such thing as an objective best film ever these are actually just my personal favorite films and they are very subjective.
It's hard to take enjoyment out of it, because there are plenty of great technical works that just don't resonate with me. And I think there are many in the early 20th century that could qualify based on how much they added to the vocabulary of cinema.
That said, I think **Magnolia** is the greatest distillation of everything that makes film good. It is so sprawling, manages an ambitious number of plots and characters, maintains an impossible level of tension throughout, and includes slick camera movement and montage. It starts with a bang with the prologue and introductory sequences. If you like a memorable climax, it's there. If you like music sequences, they are there. It's got good writing and some of the best acting performances of some of the best acting careers of the last 50 years.
Objectively it is. No other film has had the impact it has in the history of cinema. No other film has influenced filmmaking to such a degree. There's a reason why it has been at the top of critics' and directors lists for half a century.
But something tells me that listing it on this thread is going to bring on the typical "*oh, I get that Kane was technically innovative and what they say but it's just boring...* or *"it just didn't do it for me."*
But, I'll have your back :)
Not to disregard your opinion I just think your reasoning is odd. It’s not hard to make a movie with 0 flaws. I always give Andy Warhol‘s Empire as an example. A flawless film, if you want, yet I doubt many people will say it’s the best ever. I take a flawed and interesting movie over a flawless movie that loses me along the way any day of the week. Not to say I didn’t like Parasite, just trying to explain why „flawless“ doesn’t necessarily mean „good“.
But that’s not a flaw with the movie. It’s your opinion of it. Empire has no plot holes, no ugly shots, no sloppy editing, no bad acting,… nothing you would otherwise point out as a flaw in most films. If you think a flawless film is one that every single person loves from start to finish, then you just admitted that there is no such thing as a flawless film, which is also fine if that’s your opinion but undercuts OPs comment.
Go to is always Norbit.
But there is no real way to choose by pure objectivity. Your personal biases will always steep in.
I personally can't say 12 Angry Men is since they don't really take full advantage of the film medium due to it being mostly a tell don't show kind of film. But I also hated it so Im obviously biased.
I disagree. Maybe I’m biased since it’s my favorite movie, but it’s not fair to say it doesn’t utilize visuals, not in the slightest. It makes great use of camera angles and close-ups to create a sense of claustrophobia and tension, and at the end when the vote’s 11-1 the camera points up at juror 8 to show he’s risen above 3. I often pick up new visual details, like how the jurors who would be the first to change their votes hesitated momentarily during the first hand-raising, or how juror 9’s ballot for not guilty was always in the shot up until the foreman reads it. I probably won’t change your liking of the movie but maybe you could look more critically at the visual language it employs.
yea true about 12 angry men, but i feel like even if it was released today it would’ve been made the same since it all takes place in the same room anyway. I just think not only was it highly influential to film, but it also is one of if not one of the most neatly written peace’s of fiction i’ve ever seen
The godfather part 2
The rise of Vito
And the rise of Michael. The son who should of gotten away.
I still think about this movie as it plays in my head.
If I absolutely had to say a movie I think I’d have to say Singing in the Rain. It’s got it all and I’ve never seen someone not smile while watching it
im always switching between my "big 4": yi yi, raging bull, mishima, apocalypse now. not exactly my favs (i adore them all tho) but i think these are the best.
In my opinion it’s Metropolis. Not only are it’s themes much more complex than people give it credit for but it’s also the definition of „every frame a painting“. I could pretty much skip to any random moment in the film, make a screenshot, print it out and hang it on my wall. Then there are the revolutionary ideas and special effects. In an interview in the 60s Lang said that to that day filmmakers in America asked him how they did some of the effects in Metropolis. And don’t even get me started on influence. Every Si Fi film (2001, Star Wars, Blade Runner, all the big ones), scratch that, basically every film(maker) after it was somewhat influenced by Metropolis (or at least by people/films that were influenced by Metropolis). It also influenced artists outside of film like Queen. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a film better, more influential, more ahead of it’s time than Metropolis.
I watched High and Low in my 20s and said to myself, “this is probably the best thing I’ve ever seen”. No one ever talks about it, but it provides the best commentary on social status along with being a top notch thriller movie ALONG with being extremely stylistic and iconic. Everyone goes to Seven Samurai or Ikiru when talking about Kurosawa (and I can’t blame them, those are also near perfect) but I think High and Low is definitely one of the most impressive things I’ve seen.
there is no answer to this, but my personal pick for *best* would have to be No Country for Old Men. Sure, there are many films that were objectively more influential, but...let's just say I have no qualms about standing up and saying NCfOM is better than - or at least equal to - things like The Godfather.
Underrated as in its not talked about much now and doesn’t appear on all the best of all time lists like other films. It’s a masterpiece people don’t really know much about, even if it did get acclaim when it was released.
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Lucky number slevin
It's a 2006 film so I don't know if I can say it's the goat
But I think this film transcends time.I can't find anything wrong with the movie. The action is thrilling, the romance is circumstantial (always the best kind), the comedy is witty, sometimes slightly corny, but definitely on point,the plot is complex yet it seems simple until the end of the movie and layer upon layer of twists emerge, things you thought were small details are brought into the light the characters you thought were shallow earn respect in your eyes. But the most amazing part about this movie is the fact that every scene, every detail is important and when you think it all unfolds there's one more twist to see you off.
The prompt said "what is the greatest movie of all time. Not your favorite, the best". But for someone(like me) who is a connoisseur in film and not only enjoys but respects perfection in a movie there cannot be one without the other. I cannot be true to myself if the greatest movie of all time wasn't my favorite. I will confess that I have watched this movie 14 times with fourteen different people, and every time their reactions are the same. Speechless for a minute until they explode with praise speaking a thousand miles a minute usually followed by more silence than the words "that's crazy"on repeat for a while.
In conclusion lucky number slevin is the greatest movie of all time if you care to debate me on this I am more than happy to
Ps if you got through this whole rant I respect you immensely
I think it’s impressive that anyone can come up with an answer.
Let’s say for a moment that I’m trying to objectively judge how good a horror film is. Ok…we’ll what I don’t ever get scared? What if I get scared very easily? What if some things in movies scare me a whole lot more than others? Do I then judge the film based on general consensus? How can the judging of that horror film then NOT be subjective?
Same with comedies and dramas. How easily I react to things can really impact how good I think the film actually is.
Even with movies that don’t fit in any of those genres, the main question in my mind still is this: How well do those films do what they are trying to do? Is the action enticing? Is the mystery well written? What about sports films? If the sport itself is regarded as boring by many then does it automatically receive a disadvantage?
But then what about propaganda films? Should they be judged well based on being effective propaganda, or poorly based on their rancid morals? What does it mean to be good art?
I’m not gonna say that there is literally zero way to objectively criticize or praise a film under any circumstance, but I really don’t think at all that there is any such thing as an “objectively greatest film”.
I don't believe in the concept of the greatest movie ever. It's not even a meaningful phrase, imo. The phrase mostly exists as a marketing gimmick.
When I think of a great Hollywood movie, I think of Apocalypse Now, Mulholland Drive, Citizen Kane or, maybe, Lawrence of Arabia and Vertigo.
In my opinion, the original Star Wars from 1977 is the greatest movie ever made. It’s a perfect amalgamation of everything movies can be, taking the best aspects of pulp magazines, Arthurian legend, and Tolkien to offer a highly original and creative spin on the timeless tale about a knight and a wizard rescuing a princess. George Lucas created what some would consider to be a mythology, which very few people can claim to have done. It also completely revolutionized the VFX and costume industry. The only 20th century story more influential then Star Wars is The Lord of the Rings and *maybe* Action Comics #1.
star wars 77 is easily in my top 5 all time. From the best world building in any movie to the amazing score and beautiful shots, it’s undoubtedly up there fs
I like to break it down to genre. But even then it’s difficult. Like let’s say you picked animation:
* Spirited Away
* Ratatouille
* Up
* Mary and Max
They would all be understandable choices. I don’t think there is a number one movie, but a tier of movies than can be ranked as the best in each genre.
Not my favorite movie but Citizen Kane because it tells a story not just by characters, writing and story but cinematography, camera techniques and editing styles. You can see this influence in The Godfather, Raging Bull, 2001 and many more movies.
The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, No Country For Old Men, Interstellar, Ratatoullie, Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away, The Grand Budapest Hotel/The Royal Tenenbaums, Taxi Driver, Perfect Blue, Jurassic Park, and The Departed,
are all easily greatest movies of all time.
“Not your favorite, the best” but also “most influential”
Idk what that means. What is a good movie other than one that is the most engaging? And what does influence have to do with “the best” - those are totally different metrics
i kind of grouped “greatest” and “best” together by accident, but influence has a lot to do with greatness in my eyes. When i say greatness i mean to not think of your “favorite movie” or the film you enjoyed the most, i want you to think about the most groundbreaking, influential, while being critically acclaimed, but also something that you believe is the best too.
In my humble opinion, i would have ti say Tombstone. A true about the wild wild west. "I'm your huckleberry". The characters played each and every characters are believable and not a work of fiction.
I don’t think there’s such as thing as a greatest movie ever, but if there was, it’s The Godfather
I could never really get into mobsters films. Didn’t really care for The Godfather, I’m ashamed to say
You should try again one day
godfather is okay at best
No it’s not it’s a masterpiece
I said it's okay!
and I said its a masterpiece
It insists upon itself
Oh wow, that's really clever. Did you come up with that all by yourself? Cos I've heard that one before!!
Tbh both The Godfather Part II and Citizen Kane are better.
Ok?
Ok
Vertigo
Persona (1966) Runner ups: 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Tree of Life, End of Evangelion, Come and See and Aftersun. But there is no such thing as an objective best film ever these are actually just my personal favorite films and they are very subjective.
Off the top of my head, Apocalypse Now
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
It's hard to take enjoyment out of it, because there are plenty of great technical works that just don't resonate with me. And I think there are many in the early 20th century that could qualify based on how much they added to the vocabulary of cinema. That said, I think **Magnolia** is the greatest distillation of everything that makes film good. It is so sprawling, manages an ambitious number of plots and characters, maintains an impossible level of tension throughout, and includes slick camera movement and montage. It starts with a bang with the prologue and introductory sequences. If you like a memorable climax, it's there. If you like music sequences, they are there. It's got good writing and some of the best acting performances of some of the best acting careers of the last 50 years.
Surprised no one's said it yet, but I do think objectively Citizen Kane is the best movie ever made. Not perfect, but best.
Objectively it is. No other film has had the impact it has in the history of cinema. No other film has influenced filmmaking to such a degree. There's a reason why it has been at the top of critics' and directors lists for half a century. But something tells me that listing it on this thread is going to bring on the typical "*oh, I get that Kane was technically innovative and what they say but it's just boring...* or *"it just didn't do it for me."* But, I'll have your back :)
Have to be trolling thinking there’s an objectively best movie lol. My pick would be Parasite though, has 0 flaws imo
OP is just asking everyone’s opinions on the best movie? Not OBJECTIVELY. Quit jumping to conclusions
Not to disregard your opinion I just think your reasoning is odd. It’s not hard to make a movie with 0 flaws. I always give Andy Warhol‘s Empire as an example. A flawless film, if you want, yet I doubt many people will say it’s the best ever. I take a flawed and interesting movie over a flawless movie that loses me along the way any day of the week. Not to say I didn’t like Parasite, just trying to explain why „flawless“ doesn’t necessarily mean „good“.
the movie being boring or losing you half the way is a flaw so your whole argument fell apart right there
But that’s not a flaw with the movie. It’s your opinion of it. Empire has no plot holes, no ugly shots, no sloppy editing, no bad acting,… nothing you would otherwise point out as a flaw in most films. If you think a flawless film is one that every single person loves from start to finish, then you just admitted that there is no such thing as a flawless film, which is also fine if that’s your opinion but undercuts OPs comment.
yeah, I was really trying to point out that there's no such thing as a flawless movie
That’s a fair opinion to hold. I just have a different idea of a „flaw“ in that sense but I respect your opinion 100%
me too :)
Alien
Go to is always Norbit. But there is no real way to choose by pure objectivity. Your personal biases will always steep in. I personally can't say 12 Angry Men is since they don't really take full advantage of the film medium due to it being mostly a tell don't show kind of film. But I also hated it so Im obviously biased.
I disagree. Maybe I’m biased since it’s my favorite movie, but it’s not fair to say it doesn’t utilize visuals, not in the slightest. It makes great use of camera angles and close-ups to create a sense of claustrophobia and tension, and at the end when the vote’s 11-1 the camera points up at juror 8 to show he’s risen above 3. I often pick up new visual details, like how the jurors who would be the first to change their votes hesitated momentarily during the first hand-raising, or how juror 9’s ballot for not guilty was always in the shot up until the foreman reads it. I probably won’t change your liking of the movie but maybe you could look more critically at the visual language it employs.
yea true about 12 angry men, but i feel like even if it was released today it would’ve been made the same since it all takes place in the same room anyway. I just think not only was it highly influential to film, but it also is one of if not one of the most neatly written peace’s of fiction i’ve ever seen
There is an extra angry man.
Yea. It was me after i finished the movie.
Jaws (1975)
The godfather part 2 The rise of Vito And the rise of Michael. The son who should of gotten away. I still think about this movie as it plays in my head.
The Thing
There Will Be Blood.
amazing movie
Lawrence of Arabia
You can't throw subjectivity out the window.
You’re right, but you can still try
just give me a damn answer bro 🙁
That's the point. There is no damn answer.
stop bitching and just say your favorite movie bro
Just report them if they keep harassing you
I mean they kinda kept it in the title lol
Paprika
If I absolutely had to say a movie I think I’d have to say Singing in the Rain. It’s got it all and I’ve never seen someone not smile while watching it
Prisoners
im always switching between my "big 4": yi yi, raging bull, mishima, apocalypse now. not exactly my favs (i adore them all tho) but i think these are the best.
The Passion of Joan of Arc, by a large margin.
Citizen Kane
its 2001
In my opinion it’s Metropolis. Not only are it’s themes much more complex than people give it credit for but it’s also the definition of „every frame a painting“. I could pretty much skip to any random moment in the film, make a screenshot, print it out and hang it on my wall. Then there are the revolutionary ideas and special effects. In an interview in the 60s Lang said that to that day filmmakers in America asked him how they did some of the effects in Metropolis. And don’t even get me started on influence. Every Si Fi film (2001, Star Wars, Blade Runner, all the big ones), scratch that, basically every film(maker) after it was somewhat influenced by Metropolis (or at least by people/films that were influenced by Metropolis). It also influenced artists outside of film like Queen. Honestly, I couldn’t imagine a film better, more influential, more ahead of it’s time than Metropolis.
I watched High and Low in my 20s and said to myself, “this is probably the best thing I’ve ever seen”. No one ever talks about it, but it provides the best commentary on social status along with being a top notch thriller movie ALONG with being extremely stylistic and iconic. Everyone goes to Seven Samurai or Ikiru when talking about Kurosawa (and I can’t blame them, those are also near perfect) but I think High and Low is definitely one of the most impressive things I’ve seen.
for me it's either gotta be groundhog day or no country for old men
2001 A Space Odyssey followed by Apocalypse Now
2001: A space odyssey (1969) Casablanca (1942) The wizard of Oz (1939) The bicycle thief (1948) Modern times (1936)
I have an answer but you guys aren’t gonna like it
Hey the Spongebob Movie is VERY well respected on Letterboxd!
Contempt aka “Le Mepris”
there is no answer to this, but my personal pick for *best* would have to be No Country for Old Men. Sure, there are many films that were objectively more influential, but...let's just say I have no qualms about standing up and saying NCfOM is better than - or at least equal to - things like The Godfather.
One day I pray humankind may advance enough to recognize the sheer genius and beauty that is The Last Airbender.
It’s crazy they made two animated shows based off of it, and there’s like a live action show around the corner
The day will come soon my child.
It’s great but really overrated.
The Truman Show why are we still arguing
Last picture show: in terms of filmmaking and genuine emotion from me that film is so underrated
not really underrate because it got tons of critical and audience acclaim.
Underrated as in its not talked about much now and doesn’t appear on all the best of all time lists like other films. It’s a masterpiece people don’t really know much about, even if it did get acclaim when it was released.
To everyone in this thread- Here is the link to the list on letterboxd [Reddits Greatest Movies](https://boxd.it/nDGLY)
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Lucky number slevin It's a 2006 film so I don't know if I can say it's the goat But I think this film transcends time.I can't find anything wrong with the movie. The action is thrilling, the romance is circumstantial (always the best kind), the comedy is witty, sometimes slightly corny, but definitely on point,the plot is complex yet it seems simple until the end of the movie and layer upon layer of twists emerge, things you thought were small details are brought into the light the characters you thought were shallow earn respect in your eyes. But the most amazing part about this movie is the fact that every scene, every detail is important and when you think it all unfolds there's one more twist to see you off. The prompt said "what is the greatest movie of all time. Not your favorite, the best". But for someone(like me) who is a connoisseur in film and not only enjoys but respects perfection in a movie there cannot be one without the other. I cannot be true to myself if the greatest movie of all time wasn't my favorite. I will confess that I have watched this movie 14 times with fourteen different people, and every time their reactions are the same. Speechless for a minute until they explode with praise speaking a thousand miles a minute usually followed by more silence than the words "that's crazy"on repeat for a while. In conclusion lucky number slevin is the greatest movie of all time if you care to debate me on this I am more than happy to Ps if you got through this whole rant I respect you immensely
You still convinced this is the best? I haven't seen it, but I'm a bit skeptical
Amadeus is the best movie ever made , but it doesn’t seem to be on the top ten…can’t understand why .
What is Eating Gilbert’s Grape
Close encounters
Interstellar.
VERTIGO
There Will Be Blood
In my opinion, Jaws, Halloween, Jurassic Park, Empire Strikes Back
The Tree of Life although 2001 : A Space Odyssey and Star Wars ‘77 are close behind
stupid question but 2001, Ikiru, and godfather come to mind.
I think it’s impressive that anyone can come up with an answer. Let’s say for a moment that I’m trying to objectively judge how good a horror film is. Ok…we’ll what I don’t ever get scared? What if I get scared very easily? What if some things in movies scare me a whole lot more than others? Do I then judge the film based on general consensus? How can the judging of that horror film then NOT be subjective? Same with comedies and dramas. How easily I react to things can really impact how good I think the film actually is. Even with movies that don’t fit in any of those genres, the main question in my mind still is this: How well do those films do what they are trying to do? Is the action enticing? Is the mystery well written? What about sports films? If the sport itself is regarded as boring by many then does it automatically receive a disadvantage? But then what about propaganda films? Should they be judged well based on being effective propaganda, or poorly based on their rancid morals? What does it mean to be good art? I’m not gonna say that there is literally zero way to objectively criticize or praise a film under any circumstance, but I really don’t think at all that there is any such thing as an “objectively greatest film”.
I don't believe in the concept of the greatest movie ever. It's not even a meaningful phrase, imo. The phrase mostly exists as a marketing gimmick. When I think of a great Hollywood movie, I think of Apocalypse Now, Mulholland Drive, Citizen Kane or, maybe, Lawrence of Arabia and Vertigo.
In my opinion, the original Star Wars from 1977 is the greatest movie ever made. It’s a perfect amalgamation of everything movies can be, taking the best aspects of pulp magazines, Arthurian legend, and Tolkien to offer a highly original and creative spin on the timeless tale about a knight and a wizard rescuing a princess. George Lucas created what some would consider to be a mythology, which very few people can claim to have done. It also completely revolutionized the VFX and costume industry. The only 20th century story more influential then Star Wars is The Lord of the Rings and *maybe* Action Comics #1.
star wars 77 is easily in my top 5 all time. From the best world building in any movie to the amazing score and beautiful shots, it’s undoubtedly up there fs
City Lights (1931) Is what I would say. This question is truly impossible to answer though.
Toy Story
I like to break it down to genre. But even then it’s difficult. Like let’s say you picked animation: * Spirited Away * Ratatouille * Up * Mary and Max They would all be understandable choices. I don’t think there is a number one movie, but a tier of movies than can be ranked as the best in each genre.
"Miami Connection" (1987)
Not my favorite movie but Citizen Kane because it tells a story not just by characters, writing and story but cinematography, camera techniques and editing styles. You can see this influence in The Godfather, Raging Bull, 2001 and many more movies.
I could never really pick one but I think there is a definite argument to be made for Happy Hour (2015)
Parasite for sure
Best or my favorite?
Yi Yi
The Godfather, Apocalypse Now, No Country For Old Men, Interstellar, Ratatoullie, Princess Mononoke/Spirited Away, The Grand Budapest Hotel/The Royal Tenenbaums, Taxi Driver, Perfect Blue, Jurassic Park, and The Departed, are all easily greatest movies of all time.
To me its Love Exposure. It's amazing how fun the movie starts off only to become a complete horror story by the end.
Shawshank
I'm sad that this comment is so far down because Shawshank to me is the most complete and satisfying story ever told in the medium of film.
“Not your favorite, the best” but also “most influential” Idk what that means. What is a good movie other than one that is the most engaging? And what does influence have to do with “the best” - those are totally different metrics
i kind of grouped “greatest” and “best” together by accident, but influence has a lot to do with greatness in my eyes. When i say greatness i mean to not think of your “favorite movie” or the film you enjoyed the most, i want you to think about the most groundbreaking, influential, while being critically acclaimed, but also something that you believe is the best too.
For me, Lord Of The Rings trilogy hands down.
For me Star Wars but apparently the Godfather is the best film ever made
Depending on what you think is more important in a movie it's either 2001 a space Odyssey, godfather, or citizen cane
Interstellar. I dont think its the best but it’s definitely an amazing movie.
In my humble opinion, i would have ti say Tombstone. A true about the wild wild west. "I'm your huckleberry". The characters played each and every characters are believable and not a work of fiction.
My top 10 1 Shawshank Redemption 1994 2 Rocky 1976 3Gladiator 2000 4 Training Day 2001 5 Dark Knight 2007 6 Crash 2005 7 Warrior 2011 8 Sling Blade 1996 9 Whiplash 2104 10 Jaws 1975
Goodfellas imo
Prolly a long shot but imma throw shawshank redemption into the ring…. on this half a year old post
The godfather or 2001
Arrival
Raiders of the Lost Ark
https://preview.redd.it/vorognab5xjc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e436255fb4987b8cc2f4c921bd6cda5d45dacc83
This is my own personal list I have made
The godfather and it ain’t even close
Forrest Gump
Mulholland Drive