Introduction
As Cinema Scholars rolls along into its second year, we thought this would be a good time to reach out to you, the readers, in order to find out what you thought were considered your ‘favorite’ films of all time. Since that’s a tough and subjective question to answer and will garner a wide berth of quality films, we decided to make it a top 50 list. Split into two articles, below is the conclusion of the tallied results based on your response to our social media poll. We’ve also included how many Academy Awards wins and nominations each film received. Thanks for your tremendous feedback as well as your continued support! If you missed the first article in this series, you can find it here.
25. The Sound of Music (1965)
The Sound Of Music (1965) may not be the most realistic or accurate film on this list, but that doesn’t stop it from being enduringly charming and satisfying. Throughout its three-hour running time, the Robert Wise-directed classic provides the viewer with endless musical masterpieces by Rodgers and Hammerstein and stunningly shot cinematography by Ted McCord. Adapted from the 1959 Broadway musical of the same name and written by the legendary Ernest Lehman, the film tells the story of the von Trapp family and trying to persevere during the onset of World War II and the annexation of their Austrian homeland by the Nazis. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, and winning five, The Sound of Music is fronted by a tour de force performance by Julie Andrews, who won the Oscar the year before for her star-making performance in Mary Poppins (1964).
Director: Robert Wise
Academy Award Nominations: 10
Academy Award Wins: 5
24. Rear Window (1954)
As is generally the case with the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Rear Window (1954) has a ‘catch’ that drives the plot forward. In this case, it’s L.B. Jeffries’ (Jimmy Stewart) broken leg. Sitting in front of his window, staring at one of the largest indoor sets ever built on the Paramount lot, he witnesses, what he believes, is the aftermath of a murder inside the Greenwich Village apartment building across from his. A critical and commercial success, the film is one of Hitchcock’s very best. It delivers solid performances from Stewart, Grace Kelly, Thelma Ritter, and Raymond Burr. Much like Hitchcock’s earlier films Rope (1948) and Lifeboat (1944), the director is once again filming within the confines of a single enclosed space. He’s also exploring our collective urges towards voyeurism. Written by John Michael Hayes, Rear Window remains one of Hitchcock’s very best films and a must-watch.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Academy Award Nominations: 4
Academy Award Wins: 0
23. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) is a film that director Stanley Kubrick had been building toward ever since the iconic director had begun to get mainstream attention with the release of Paths of Glory (1957). While the narrative thread to Kubrick’s masterpiece is someone shaky, the film remains one of the most visually stunning films of all time. Kubrick’s use of one-point perspective would become a dominant technique for the director starting with this film and would remain the focal point of his directing style for the rest of his career. With a script penned by Kubrick and science-fiction legend Arthur C. Clarke, the story of a voyage to Jupiter after the discovery of an ancient black monolith remains one of the best science fiction films of all time as well as a clinic in visually trippy movie-making. The fact that this way ahead of its time film was shot in 1967, makes it all the more astonishing.
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Academy Award Nominations: 4
Academy Award Wins: 1
22. The Women (1939)
With a who’s who of Hollywood’s Golden Age stars headlining George Cukor’s The Women (1939), this film features Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Rosalind Russell, and Joan Fontaine all turning in masterful performances in this high society comedy/drama. The screenplay, as written by Anita Loos and Jane Murfin delivers a scathing commentary on the lives and, mostly, trivial prevails of pampered American society, during a time when much of the country was struggling to find food or employment. This all-female cast was one of the very best films of 1939 and has had an enduring legacy for the last eighty years as The Women has been reworked and remade dozens of times for screen and TV. Most notably, as seen in HBO’s Sex and the City.
Director: George Cukor
Academy Award Nominations: 0
Academy Award Wins: 0
21. The Apartment (1960)
Directed by Billy Wilder from a screenplay co-written with his longtime collaborator I.A.L. Diamond, The Apartment (1960) is one of the very best comedies from the 1960s, a period in film history that had a LOT of fantastic comedies. The film, which tells the story of an insurance clerk (Jack Lemmon) desperately trying to climb the corporate ladder, also deals with the themes of suicide in a way that no other film before it had ever done. Attracted to an elevator operator (Shirley McClaine), Lemmon’s character allows his superiors to use his New York City apartment for extra-marital trysts, in hope of gaining favor, and a promotion. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, this Best Picture winner delivers towering performances from both McClaine and Lemmon. Wilder’s biting and satirical tale of office politics and a morally bankrupt society is just as relevant today as it was sixty years ago.
Director: Billy Wilder
Academy Award Nominations: 10
Academy Award Wins: 5
20. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) is on the shortlist for the greatest action film of all time, and for good reason. The Steven Spielberg-directed blockbuster changed the genre. The story of Professor Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford), the Nazi fighting and adventuring archeologist, has influenced a plethora of filmmakers and spawned numerous sequels, video games, comics, theme parks, and lunch boxes. Spielberg’s masterpiece was the highest-grossing domestic film of the year and also won more Academy Awards than any other film that same year. Spielberg’s friend, partner, and collaborator George Lucas had wanted to pay homage to the serial adventure films of his childhood. The pair put their heads together and, along with screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, came up with a film that has been near the top of many ‘best of’ lists for decades. It also helps to have an iconic score by Oscar-winning composer, John Williams.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Academy Award Nominations: 9
Academy Award Wins: 5
19. Pulp Fiction (1994)
What can be said about Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994) that hasn’t already been said? One of the most quotable films in history, Tarantino’s follow-up masterpiece to his first feature Reservoir Dogs (1992) is a film that defies convention perhaps more than any other film of the decade. The altered continuity, the sharp and snappy dialogue, and the film’s homage to the French New Wave, specifically the films of Jean-Luc Godard. Tarantino’s woven-together story of crime in modern-day Los Angeles is one of the finest screenplays ever written over the last half-century. Much like Godard’s masterpiece Breathless (1960), the characters in Tarantino’s film are so cool, but also so tragic and unsavory. With fantastic needle drops (literally), Pulp Fiction delivers outstanding performances from Bruce Willis, Harvey Keitel, Uma Thurman, Tim Roth, Eric Stoltz, and Ving Rhames, among others. However, at the center of the film are career-re-defining performances by John Travolta and Samuel L. Jackson. Quentin Tarantino is one of our greatest filmmakers, and Pulp Fiction may be his greatest achievement.
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Academy Award Nominations: 7
Academy Award Wins: 1
18. The Third Man (1949)
While perhaps not as famous as some of the other films on this list, British director Carol Reed’s film-noir The Third Man (1949) deserves its place here. The film has since been studied and broken down in film schools for more than a half-century. With rich and bold black and white cinematography by Robert Krakser, a memorable score by Anton Karas, and an over-the-top performance by Orson Welles, Reed’s masterpiece deserves to be in the conversation for greatest film-noir in the history of the genre. Written by the legendary Graham Greene, this tale of intrigue, murder, and mystery in post-war Vienna has influenced generations of filmmakers. The Third Man can also make the claim of being in the running for the greatest British film of all time. The film’s use of the distorted and altered “dutch angle” camera shot throughout is particularly effective.
Director: Carol Reed
Academy Award Nominations: 3
Academy Award Wins: 1
17. Blade Runner (1982)
Based on Philip K. Dick’s 1968 novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? director Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner (1982) is a flawed masterpiece. Yet it is a masterpiece nonetheless. With its stunning production design, its deep and soul-searching themes, and a score by Vangelis that cuts to your very core, this dystopian science-fiction film has become a cult classic in the forty years since its initial release. While Harrison Ford may be the star of Blade Runner, it’s Rutger Hauer who turns in a truly mesmerizing performance. The film’s philosophical themes of what defines one’s soul and what the definition of being human really means, are what separate films like this and 2001: A Space Odyssey from the rest of the genre. While Blade Runner received lukewarm reviews and did poorly at the box office, it has since been reassessed and is now widely considered a science fiction masterpiece and one of the best films of Ridley Scott’s long and illustrious career.
Director: Ridley Scott
Academy Award Nominations: 2
Academy Award Wins: 0
16. Rocky (1976)
Rocky (1976) may not be the best boxing film ever made, but it’s certainly the one that’s the most oft-imitated. Director John Avildsen’s underdog masterpiece has become what its become because its themes of redemption and overcoming barriers and hardships are universal and timeless. Out of all the movies on this list, there may be no greater example of an actor who is synonymous with a character than Sylvester Stallone is with Rocky Balboa. Stallone, who wrote and starred in Rocky, fought tooth and nail to see his vision of the film fully realized. Nominated for ten Academy Awards, and winning three, including Best Picture, the film is a perfectly crafted underdog tale that was perfect for 1970s America. Rocky was also a monstrous hit at the box office and launched a franchise that still endures today.
Director: John G. Avildsen
Academy Award Nominations: 10
Academy Award Wins: 3
15. Citizen Kane (1941)
Generally speaking, movie lists are subjective. More often than not, the results show a wide berth of films. However, only a handful of films are atop or close to the top of just about every list. One of those films is Citizen Kane (1941). Directed, produced, starring, and partially written by wunderkind Orson Welles, the story of how the film was made is almost as entertaining as the film itself. It’s been the subject of numerous books, documentaries, and films. Telling the semi-autobiographical tale of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst in the guise of ‘Charles Foster Kane,’ Welles presents a visual masterpiece the likes of which had never been seen before. The cinematography by Gregg Toland is unlike anything ever seen in American Cinema at the time. Welles’s use of deep focus, jump cuts, and weird tilted camera angles, were unseen by American audiences at the time and had only really been used by the German Expressionist films of the 1920s. Viewers were slow to catch on, with a poor box office return. However, Welles’s masterwork has since gone on to be one of the five greatest American films of all time.
Director: Orson Welles
Academy Award Nominations: 9
Academy Award Wins: 1
14. The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
While it doesn’t seem possible to improve upon George Lucas’s genre-defining science fiction masterpiece, Star Wars (1976), that’s exactly what happened. Teaming up with writers Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, as well as director and friend Irvin Kerscher, Lucas released the superior sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980). With a tighter and more thoughtful script, this second installment in the Star Wars universe is in the conversation for the greatest sequel of all time. Fleshing out and humanizing the character of Darth Vader, the introduction of Yoda, and Luke’s incredible showdown with Vader. All of these moments, along with a much darker tone than its predecessor, make this film the best of any film entry into the Star Wars canon. It also did huge numbers at the box office, becoming the highest-grossing film of 1980. Released to mixed reviews and some confusion among fans because of the darker tone and depressing ending, the film has been reassessed over the ensuing decades and now takes its rightful place atop the Star Wars universe. Another masterful score by John Williams in his prime adds to the delight.
Director: Irwin Kershner
Academy Award Nominations: 4
Academy Award Wins: 2
13. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Appearing on our list yet again, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard (1950) is one of the great film noir entries into the genre ever produced. Delivering a scathing commentary on Hollywood and how it discards its aging stars, Wilder yet again pulls out incredible performances from his leading actors, including William Holden and Erich Von Stroheim. Additionally, Old Hollywood legend Gloria Swanson, in one of her final appearances on the big screen, delivers a career-best performance as aging and demented former silent-screen star, Norma Desmond. Nominated for eleven Academy Awards, Wilder’s film may be the greatest film about Hollywood ever filmed. With impeccable dark and brooding cinematography by John Seitz, the film, at times, gives off the appearance of a horror film. This is apt as Sunset Boulevard, at its core, is a film about greed, lust, narcissism, and all the other horrors of Hollywood.
Director: Billy Wilder
Academy Award Nominations: 11
Academy Award Wins: 3
12. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Perhaps the greatest musical of all-time Singin’ In The Rain (1952) delivers tour de force physical performances from both Gene Kelly and the almost inhuman Donald O’Connor. An 18-year-old Debbie Reynolds also turns in a star-turning performance in perhaps her greatest role. Directed by Kelly and Stanly Donen, the film is a biting and hilarious satire on Hollywood’s awkward and difficult transition from silent features to sound pictures. No one exemplifies this in the film more than Jean Hagen portraying Lina Lamont, a silent film star with a voice that is not cut out for the talkies. The song and dance numbers in Singin’ In The Rain are truly astonishing and at times, gravity-defying. They are as fun to watch now as they were seventy years ago. the muscular Gene Kelly is at the absolute top of his game as he is starring, directing, and choreographing the film and does all three masterfully. The fantastic songs, vibrant colors, and incredible dance routines make Singin’ In The Rain a must-watch for anyone who hasn’t seen it. Kelly’s performance of the title song is widely considered one of the most iconic scenes in film history.
Director: Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen
Academy Award Nominations: 2
Academy Award Wins: 0
11. Star Wars (1977)
The film that gave birth to one of the most expansive, most successful, and most enduring franchises in film history, Star Wars (1977) will remain relevant and topical long after all of us are gone. Written and directed by pioneer George Lucas, and with an iconic score by John Williams, the film is one of the first “space operas” to be told on a truly grand and magnificent scale. Simply put, nothing had ever been seen like this before. Furthermore, the film also was revolutionary in its marketing strategy, with its imagery appearing on everything from bed sheets to breakfast cereal. While the story of Star Wars is simple and the acting is average, there is no denying the awe, charm, and dry wit that the film delivers. Many will argue that the film is more famous for being a ‘thing’ or a corporate entity than for being an actual work of art. However, there is no denying that Lucas’s film came along at the right time. One of the most financially successful films in history, Star Wars changed the action genre, the science fiction genre, and even the way we market and view film itself.
Director: George Lucas
Academy Award Nominations: 11
Academy Award Wins: 7
10. All About Eve (1950)
Written and directed by the legendary Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve (1950) is yet another tale of the allure of stardom and how can it can infect and poison all that seek it out. With fantastic performances across the board, but especially by Bette Davis and George Sanders, the film earned an astonishing fourteen Academy Award nominations, a record that would be tied forty-six years later with the release of Titanic (1996). Further, All About Eve is the only film in Academy Award history to garner four female acting nominations (Davis and Anne Baxter for Best Actress, Celeste Holm, and Thelma Ritter for Best Supporting Actress). The film is considered one of the very best in history and was also one of the first fifty films that were selected for preservation in the United States Library of Congress’s National Film Registry. Milton Krasner’s cinematography is fantastic and the depiction of the cynical and vapid backstage life of the New York City Theater is at times both hilarious and horrific.
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Academy Award Nominations: 14
Academy Award Wins: 6
9. Goodfellas (1990)
There had been plenty of films about gangsters and the Mafia before Goodfellas (1990) came along, some of them extremely successful both critically and commercially. Telling the story of mob associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), the film depicts thug life through stunning visuals, explosive and fast-paced camera work, sharp and fast dialogue, and one of the most iconic tracking shots in cinema history. Much like fellow director Quentin Tarantino, Scorsese’s directing style on Goodfellas and some of his other work are largely pulled from the French New Wave movement and the works of Jean-Luc Godard and François Truffaut. With a fantastic screenplay by Scorsese and journalist-turned-writer Nicholas Pileggi, the film delivers all-time great performances by the likes of Paul Sorvino, Robert de Niro, and especially Lorainne Bracco. However, at the center of Goodfellas are world-beating performances by both Ray Liotta and Joe Pesci, with Pesci winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor. The fact that Liotta wasn’t even nominated remains one of the all-time great travesties in Academy Awards history.
Director: Martin Scorcese
Academy Award Nominations: 6
Academy Award Wins: 1
8. Network (1976)
While certainly there are better films on this list than Network (1976), there may none with a screenplay that is as good as the one penned by Oscar-winning legend Paddy Chayefsky. The film predicts the rise of ‘tabloid television,’ as well as the poisonous effect that it would have on American society. A satirical black comedy about a fictional television network and its desperate attempts at getting ratings, the film was both a critical and commercial success. While all the heaping praise tends to go towards the over-the-top performance by Peter Finch (who won a posthumous Oscar), what gives this film its enduring legacy is the fantastic supporting performances by Robert Duvall, Ned Beatty, William Holden, and especially Faye Dunaway and Beatrice Straight, who both won Oscars for their roles. In conclusion, Network is a loud and bellowing film that tries to warn the viewer of the dangers and pitfalls that lie ahead if we fall prey to the temptation of fame, money, and popularity. It seems we still haven’t listened.
Director: Sidney Lumet
Academy Award Nominations: 10
Academy Award Wins: 4
7. Jaws (1975)
Another example of being in the right place at the right time, Jaws (1975) is a masterpiece for several reasons, Steven Spielberg among them. The 26-year-old director had just completed production on his first film, The Sugarland Express (1974). Woking for Universal Pictures and producers Richard Zanuck and David Brown, Speilberg impressed the pair and got the job. The result was one of the more troubled and accident-plagued productions in cinema history. The first Hollywood film to be shot in the actual ocean, Spielberg had a crack crew to deal with all the problems, including the mechanical shark, named ‘Bruce,’ which didn’t work properly, due to excessive exposure to salt water. Regardless, with fantastic performances by the trio of Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss, and Robert Shaw, Jaws, along with Star Wars, released two years later, changed motion pictures forever. Both films signified the ‘change’ in the New Hollywood business model and how to make a successful Summer blockbuster. It also didn’t hurt to have perhaps the most iconic score in film history.
Director: Steven Spielberg
Academy Award Nominations: 4
Academy Award Wins: 3
6. North by Northwest (1959)
Alfred Hitchcock was never content with mastering just one specific genre of film. Moving effortlessly from murder mystery to psychological thriller to film noir, it’s possible that Hitchcock also laid the groundwork for what would become the modern action film. North by Northwest (1959) ushered in a new breed of action film, replete with elaborate set pieces and high-speed car chases. Delivering one of his smoothest and most dashing performances, Hitchcock regular Cary Grant delivers the proto-type James Bond performance wrapped up in a case of mistaken identity. Filled with equal parts comedy and deception, this masterful spy thriller would influence the James Bond franchise, as well as action films in general, for decades. In addition, Ernest Lehman’s script is perfectly suited for Grant’s rat-a-tat-tat means of delivering dialogue and Hitchcock is at the top of his game. Bernard Herrman also delivers, yet again, an iconic musical score in his fifth collaboration with Hitchcock. Whether it’s Grant’s perfect comedic timing and physicality, or Hitchcock’s sweeping direction, North by Northwest remains on the shortlist of greatest films of all time.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Academy Award Nominations: 3
Academy Award Wins: 0
5. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
While The Wizard of Oz (1939) wasn’t the first film shot in technicolor, it certainly was the most revolutionary. When Dorothy (Judy Garland) opens the door of her uprooted house in Kansas, stepping into the wonderful world of Oz, the film industry changed forever. Over eighty years later, the Victor Fleming-directed film is still beloved. Based on L. Frank Baum’s children’s novel, The Wizard of Oz is a visual marvel that all these years later still resonates with young audiences. The film’s tale of overcoming adversity, friendship, and teamwork are its enduring legacy as well as the fantastic performances by Garland, Margaret Hamilton, Ray Bolger, Jack Haley, and others. Filled with incredible colors, heartfelt storytelling, and groundbreaking special effects, The Wizard of Oz regularly appears on the lists of the top ten films of all time. In addition, Judy Garland’s performance of Over The Rainbow is one of the most iconic musical numbers in film history.
Director: Victor Fleming
Academy Award Nominations: 6
Academy Award Wins: 3
4. Vertigo (1958)
As with many of his other works, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) received mixed reviews upon its release as the director was too ahead of his time. However, in the ensuing decades, this all-time classic has been reassessed and is now widely seen as one of Hitchcock’s masterworks. The film-noir psychological thriller starring Jimmy Stewart as a retired San Francisco detective with an extreme case of acrophobia and vertigo is a deeply complex story involving obsession, jealousy, and psychological breakdowns. In other words, all the usual Hitchcock tropes. While Vertigo may move a bit slower and not have as much humor as found in his earlier works, the film is nonetheless mesmerizing. This is in part to Kim Novak’s fantastic and heart-wrenching performance as well as the incredible Bernard Hermann score. Hitchcock always brought out a darker and more depraved side of ‘good guy’ Jimmy Stewart, and Vertigo is no different. All in all, his obsession-filled performance is one of his absolute best.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Academy Award Nominations: 3
Academy Award Wins: 0
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
It’s hard to improve on an already legendary film. Few productions have accomplished this difficult feat. The Godfather: Part II (1974) is one of those films. As legendary and heralded as Coppola’s masterwork, The Godfather (1972) is, his sequel surpasses the original film in many ways. For one, the characters that we grew to love (or hate) in the first film, are further fleshed out. They are given deeper and more consequential backstories. Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, and Robert Duvall, all give career-best performances. However, it may be Robert De Niro’s Academy-Award-winning portrayal of young Vito Corleone that is the difference maker between this film and its predecessor. De Niro only speaks seventeen words of English throughout the film. Yet his performance is mesmerizing nonetheless. Another area in this film that trumps the original is editing. Coppola and his editing team deliver a clinic on how to cut a film. Coppola’s technique of jumping back and forth between the multiple Vito timelines is seamless. It may be one of the best editing jobs in film history. While The Godfather: Part II premiered in New York City on December 12, 1974, to mixed reviews from critics, its reputation has grown steadily in the ensuing decades. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, becoming the first sequel to win the Best Picture Oscar. Coppola’s masterpiece remains one of the best films ever.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Academy Award Nominations: 11
Academy Award Wins: 6
2. Casablanca (1942)
Set in the backdrop of the Second World War in Vichy ruled Casablanca, and filmed as World II was raging out of control, Casablanca (1942) and its themes of loyalty, friendship, honor, and duty, make the Michael Curtiz-directed film a timeless classic and one of the very best films to be borne from the Old-Hollywood system. Furthermore, it was the perfect film released at the perfect time. Eighty years later, the film still has legs and continues to dazzle audiences the world over. This romantic drama of choosing your country over your heart won Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In addition, the film’s iconic line uttered by Bogart: “Here’s looking at you, kid” was not in the draft screenplays. Rather, the line was added after Bogart made the remark to costar Ingrid Bergman as he taught her how to play poker when they weren’t filming. Casablanca is an all-time classic and one of the very best American films ever produced. Max Steiner, who also composed the music for King Kong and Gone with the Wind provides yet another Oscar-nominated soundtrack.
Director: Michael Curtiz
Academy Award Nominations: 8
Academy Award Wins: 3
1. The Godfather (1972)
It’s not surprising that Francis Ford Coppola’s film The Godfather (1972) tops this list. His groundbreaking and legendary film has been atop many lists over the last fifty years. Further, it’s also been the subject of many books, articles, and documentaries as the story of getting The Godfather made and released is almost as interesting as the film itself. Perhaps most importantly, the film changed Hollywood and the way it viewed and portrayed Italians on screen. It made Italians seem like fully-realized people, and not like the ridiculous stereotypes they had been portrayed as in the prior decades. Based on Mario Puzo’s wildly successful novel on the life and familial struggles of an Italian crime family, there would be no Sopranos without The Godfather. There would be no Goodfellas without The Godfather. Coppola’s film paved the way for everything that came after it. Moreover, it also helps to have a star-making turn by Al Pacino, as well as one of the all-time great performances in film history by Oscar-winner Marlon Brando. Add to that some of the darkest, and finest, cinematography ever by Gordon Willis, top-notch camerawork by Michael Chapman, and an iconic score by Nino Rota, and you have many reasons why The Godfather is widely considered by many to be the greatest film of all time.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola
Academy Award Nominations: 10
Academy Award Wins: 3
