Agree or Disagree? AFI's 100 years, 100 movies.

James Steven Beverly · August 4, 2013

I was doing some research on "Lawrence Of Arabia" (1962) and ran across AFI's 100 years, 100 movies which are deemed the greatest movies of all times. I'm not so sure I agree. My question is do you agree or disagree and should the removed films from the list have been removed? What movies SHOULD have been included that are nowhere in site? Tell me what you think.

The list Rank 10th anniversary list (2007) Director Year Studio Change from 1998 The increase and decrease in rank is noted at the end of the description as well as pictures new to the lidt..

1. Citizen Kane Orson Welles 1941 RKO Pictures -Steady2

2. The Godfather Francis Ford Coppola 1972 Paramount -Increase2

3. Casablanca Michael Curtiz 1942 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

4. Raging Bull Martin Scorsese 1980 United Artists -Increase2.

5. Singin' in the Rain Gene Kelly, Stanley Donen 1952 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Increase2.

6. Gone with the Wind Victor Fleming 1939 MGM (distributor), Selznick International Pictures -Decrease2.

7. Lawrence of Arabia David Lean 1962 Horizon, Columbia -Decrease2.

8. Schindler's List Steven Spielberg 1993 Universal -Increase2.

9. Vertigo Alfred Hitchcock 1958 Paramount -Increase2.

10. The Wizard of Oz Victor Fleming 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Decrease2.

11. City Lights Charlie Chaplin 1931 United Artists -Increase2.

12. The Searchers John Ford 1956 Warner Brothers -Increase2.

13. Star Wars George Lucas 1977 20th Century Fox, Lucasfilm -Increase2.

14. Psycho Alfred Hitchcock 1960 Shamley Productions, Paramount (distr.) -Increase2.

15. 2001: A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick 1968 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Increase2.

16. Sunset Boulevard Billy Wilder 1950 Paramount -Decrease2.

17. The Graduate Mike Nichols 1967 United Artists -Decrease2

18. The General Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman 1926 United Artists NEW

19. On the Waterfront Elia Kazan 1954 Columbia -Decrease2.

20. It's a Wonderful Life Frank Capra 1946 RKO -Decrease2.

21. Chinatown Roman Polanski 1974 Paramount -Decrease2.

22. Some Like It Hot Billy Wilder 1959 United Artists -Decrease2.

23. The Grapes of Wrath John Ford 1940 20th Century Fox -Decrease2.

24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Steven Spielberg 1982 Universal -Increase2.

25. To Kill a Mockingbird Robert Mulligan 1962 Universal-International -Increase2.

26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington Frank Capra 1939 Columbia -Increase2.

27. High Noon Fred Zinnemann 1952 United Artists -Increase2.

28. All About Eve Joseph L. Mankiewicz 1950 20th Century Fox -Decrease2.

29. Double Indemnity Billy Wilder 1944 Paramount -Increase2.

30. Apocalypse Now Francis Ford Coppola 1979 United Artists -Decrease2.

31. The Maltese Falcon John Huston 1941 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

32. The Godfather Part II Francis Ford Coppola 1974 Paramount -Steady2.

33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Miloš Forman 1975 United Artists -Decrease2.

34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs David Hand 1937 RKO, Disney -Increase2.

35. Annie Hall Woody Allen 1977 United Artists -Decrease2.

36. The Bridge on the River Kwai David Lean 1957 Columbia -Decrease2.

37. The Best Years of Our Lives William Wyler 1946 RKO, Samuel Goldwyn -Steady2.

38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre John Huston 1948 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

39. Dr. Strangelove Stanley Kubrick 1964 Columbia -Decrease2.

40. The Sound of Music Robert Wise 1965 20th Century Fox -Increase2.

41. King Kong Merian C. Cooper, Ernest B. Schoedsack 1933 RKO -Increase2.

42. Bonnie and Clyde Arthur Penn 1967 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

43. Midnight Cowboy John Schlesinger 1969 United Artists -Decrease2.

44. The Philadelphia Story George Cukor 1940 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Increase2.

45. Shane George Stevens 1953 Paramount -Increase2.

46. It Happened One Night Frank Capra 1934 Columbia -Decrease2.

47. A Streetcar Named Desire Elia Kazan 1951 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

48. Rear Window Alfred Hitchcock 1954 Paramount -Decrease2

49. Intolerance D. W. Griffith 1916 Triangle NEW

50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring Peter Jackson 2001 New Line Cinema NEW

51. West Side Story Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise 1961 United Artists -Decrease2.

52. Taxi Driver Martin Scorsese 1976 Columbia Pictures -Decrease2.

53. The Deer Hunter Michael Cimino 1978 Universal -Increase2.

54. MASH Robert Altman 1970 20th Century Fox -Increase2.

55. North by Northwest Alfred Hitchcock 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Decrease25

56. Jaws Steven Spielberg 1975 Universal -Decrease2.

57. Rocky John G. Avildsen 1976 United Artists -Increase2.

58. The Gold Rush Charlie Chaplin 1925 United Artists -Increase2.

59. Nashville Robert Altman 1975 Paramount, ABC Entertainment NEW

60. Duck Soup Leo McCarey 1933 Paramount Pictures -Increase2.

61. Sullivan's Travels Preston Sturges 1941 Paramount Pictures NEW

62. American Graffiti George Lucas 1973 Universal -Increase2.

63. Cabaret Bob Fosse 1972 Allied Artists NEW

64. Network Sidney Lumet 1976 MGM, United Artists -Increase2.

65. The African Queen John Huston 1951 United Artists -Decrease2.

66. Raiders of the Lost Ark Steven Spielberg 1981 Paramount, Lucasfilm -Decrease2.

67. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Mike Nichols 1966 Warner Bros. NEW

68. Unforgiven Clint Eastwood 1992 Warner Brothers -Increase2.

69. Tootsie Sydney Pollack 1982 Columbia -Decrease2.

70. A Clockwork Orange Stanley Kubrick 1971 Warner Brothers -Decrease2.

71. Saving Private Ryan Steven Spielberg 1998 DreamWorks NEW

72. The Shawshank Redemption Frank Darabont 1994 Warner Brothers NEW

73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid George Roy Hill 1969 20th Century Fox -Decrease2.

74. The Silence of the Lambs Jonathan Demme 1991 Orion Pictures -Decrease2.

75. In the Heat of the Night Norman Jewison 1967 United Artists NEW

76. Forrest Gump Robert Zemeckis 1994 Paramount -Decrease2.

77. All the President's Men Alan J. Pakula 1976 Warner Brothers NEW

78. Modern Times Charlie Chaplin 1936 United Artists -Increase2.

79. The Wild Bunch Sam Peckinpah 1969 Warner Bros.-Seven Arts 22px-Increase2.svg.png 1

80. The Apartment Billy Wilder 1960 United Artists -Increase2.

81. Spartacus Stanley Kubrick 1960 Universal-International NEW

82. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans F. W. Murnau 1927 20th Century Fox NEW

83. Titanic James Cameron 1997 Paramount, 20th Century Fox NEW

84. Easy Rider Dennis Hopper 1969 United Artists -Increase2.

85. A Night at the Opera Sam Wood 1935 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer NEW

86. Platoon Oliver Stone 1986 Orion Pictures -Decrease2.

87. 12 Angry Men Sidney Lumet 1957 United Artists NEW

88. Bringing Up Baby Howard Hawks 1938 Warner Brothers -Increase2.

89. The Sixth Sense M. Night Shyamalan 1999 Hollywood Pictures, Spyglass Entertainment, The Kennedy/Marshall Company NEW

90. Swing Time George Stevens 1936 RKO NEW

91. Sophie's Choice Alan J. Pakula 1982 ITC Entertainment NEW

92. Goodfellas Martin Scorsese 1990 Warner Brothers -Increase2.

93. The French Connection William Friedkin 1971 20th Century Fox -Decrease2.

94. Pulp Fiction Quentin Tarantino 1994 Miramax -Increase2.

95. The Last Picture Show Peter Bogdanovich 1971 Columbia Pictures NEW

96. Do the Right Thing Spike Lee 1989 Universal, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks NEW

97. Blade Runner Ridley Scott 1982 Warner Brothers, The Ladd Company NEW

98. Yankee Doodle Dandy Michael Curtiz 1942 Warner Brothers -Increase2.

99. Toy Story John Lasseter 1995 Disney, Pixar NEW

100. Ben-Hur William Wyler 1959 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer -Decrease2.

Films removed from list

The following films from the 1998 list were left off the 2007 list:

Doctor Zhivago (1965)

The Birth of a Nation (1915)

From Here to Eternity (1953)

Amadeus (1984)

All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

The Third Man (1949)

Fantasia (1940)

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

Stagecoach (1939)

Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

An American in Paris (1951)

Wuthering Heights (1939)

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Giant (1956)

Fargo (1996)

Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

Frankenstein (1931)

Patton (1970)

The Jazz Singer (1927)

My Fair Lady (1964)

A Place in the Sun (1951)

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967)

Edited August 4, 2013 by James Steven Beverly

Carl Looper · August 4, 2013

All great movies. Not necessarily of all time. Times change. But some films kinda just lock in regardless of time.

I love "The Wizard of Oz"

But one of my favourite films of all time is "Down By Law" by Jim Jarmusch. Even better (in a very independant way) is his earlier one: "Paradise Lost". It changed me (for the worst or better I have no idea).

"American Graffiti" - now that's something George Lucas can be proud of (in addition to the first Star Wars film).

Can't understand the attraction of "The Shawshank Redemption". What is it about that film?

They are all great movies but also very US-centric. But of course, what else would they be?

One of the most intoxicating films I've ever had the pleasure to experience is "Last Year At Marienbad". You either love it, or you hate it, or both.

But where are all the Woody Allen films? Every single one of them should be there - even the throwaway ones. But that would fill up the list

A great list of films in any case.

Carl

Any film noir film of the 40s is a good film, even the worst.

Carl Looper · August 4, 2013

It is of course "Stranger Than Paradise" by Jim Jarmusch, not "Paradise Lost"

Carl

James Steven Beverly · August 5, 2013

All great movies. Not necessarily of all time. Times change. But some films kinda just lock in regardless of time.

I love "The Wizard of Oz"

But one of my favourite films of all time is "Down By Law" by Jim Jarmusch. Even better (in a very independant way) is his earlier one: "Paradise Lost". It changed me (for the worst or better I have no idea).

"American Graffiti" - now that's something George Lucas can be proud of (in addition to the first Star Wars film).

Can't understand the attraction of "The Shawshank Redemption". What is it about that film?

They are all great movies but also very US-centric. But of course, what else would they be?

One of the most intoxicating films I've ever had the pleasure to experience is "Last Year At Marienbad". You either love it, or you hate it, or both.

But where are all the Woody Allen films? Every single one of them should be there - even the throwaway ones. But that would fill up the list

A great list of films in any case.

Carl

Any film noir film of the 40s is a good film, even the worst.

I would actually agree with most all of that. I've never seen "Down By Law" by Jim Jarmusch and I'm not so sure EVERY film noir of the 40s is necessarily a good film, BUT I do LOVE Film Noir of 40s, 50s and even Modern Noir. "Brick"(2005) is one of my favorite films of all time! I'm also a huge fan of, "Mulholland Falls" (1995)."Body Heat" (1981), "Chinatown" (1974) and I'm looking forward to getting the chance to seeing "Gangster Squad" (2013) . To me, there seems to be a correlation between Noir and Spaghetti Westerns which is another genre I adore. Just my opinion.

James Steven Beverly · August 5, 2013

It is of course "Stranger Than Paradise" by Jim Jarmusch, not "Paradise Lost"

Carl

I liked "Stranger Than Paradise" as well but I'm not sure it's in the top 100 for me.

Nicolas Courdouan · August 5, 2013

I would actually agree with most all of that. I've never seen "Down By Law" by Jim Jarmusch and I'm not so sure EVERY film noir of the 40s is necessarily a good film, BUT I do LOVE Film Noir of 40s, 50s and even Modern Noir. "Brick"(2005) is one of my favorite films of all time! I'm also a huge fan of, "Mulholland Falls" (1995)."Body Heat" (1981), "Chinatown" (1974) and I'm looking forward to getting the chance to seeing "Gangster Squad" (2013) . To me, there seems to be a correlation between Noir and Spaghetti Westerns which is another genre I adore. Just my opinion.

First time I've heard of someone else who likes Mulholland Falls. It's a great noir. All my friends hate it for some reason, going as far as saying that The Black Dahlia is better (???)

I wasn't a fan of Gangster Squad at all though. It was definitely sitting on the wrong side of the cliché fence for me.

Re: the AFI list, I would definitely not have ranked them in the same way, but I pretty much agree with the films that were picked, although only if making a "greatest MOSTLY AMERICAN films of all times".

I would have left Birth of a Nation in there, for what the movie represents in terms of expanding film grammar (although I can see why its presence could be seen as politically incorrect nowadays). Fantasia and Close Encounters also probably did not deserve to be left out.

Mulholland Drive and Eraserhead should both be in there. If we take a look outside the US borders, Tarkovsky's The Mirror and/or Stalker would rank pretty high in my list.

Also, I never ever got into Vertigo. I don't know why, I think it just doesn't work as well as North by Northwest, which was ranked much further down the list.

But yeah, they're all good films (I have to admit there are a few films in there I haven't seen - probably between eight and ten)

And Blade Runner would have been in the top 10, but that's just my bias talking.

James Steven Beverly · August 5, 2013

Yeah, Nick Nolte is a hero of mine. Damn good actor.

Eros Salvatore · August 25, 2015

Almost everyone of these films is a big budget film. Where are the independents? Paris, Texas and Sex, Lies and Videotape were two of the best American films of the 80's (both Cannes Award winners) and made for under one million dollars each! Of course this AFI list is really about money and popularity. I will withhold more complaining!

Aapo Lettinen · August 25, 2015

Yeah, almost all of them are big budget films from huge studios... The list should have been named " The Greatest American Blockbusters of All Time" or something like that :D

There is lots of smaller excellent American films and also lots of better films from other countries, for example Japan, France, Denmark, Soviet Union / Russia, GB, etc.

One thing is that without big studio the film is not likely to get wide distribution in the US and is thus very unlikely to end up on lists like these. People usually vote films that everybody has seen, it is also much easier to justify the decisions when most of the audience has seen the films they are talking about. It is usually the same thing in Academy Awards for example, a widely distributed blockbuster is very likely to get most of the awards

John E Clark · August 25, 2015

It is of course "Stranger Than Paradise" by Jim Jarmusch, not "Paradise Lost"

Carl

I think you are going to have to create a different list, sort of the AFI-Inverse... for some films which have been made that have had influence, but are so 'out of mainstream' that they only have been viewed in the 'cult film' circuit.

Ivon Visalli · August 29, 2015

"Stranger than Paradise" is a film I use all the time to contrast technical prowess and the art of filmmaking. The film has negative scratches and is not well exposed in places... Jarmusch "crosses the line" (supposedly intentionally)... and yet it's a wonderful film to watch. I enjoy technical discussions, but it's interesting how most of the cinematography forums contain threads on technology and gadgetry and not so much about how to employ the technology to tell stories -- engaging stories. How much lens sharpness, resolution, color science, dynamic range went into "Stranger than Paradise" (yes, allowing it's b&w film not color digital -- and short ends to boot). Here's to Mr. Jarmusch.

Carl Looper · August 29, 2015

"Stranger than Paradise" is a film I use all the time to contrast technical prowess and the art of filmmaking. The film has negative scratches and is not well exposed in places... Jarmusch "crosses the line" (supposedly intentionally)... and yet it's a wonderful film to watch. I enjoy technical discussions, but it's interesting how most of the cinematography forums contain threads on technology and gadgetry and not so much about how to employ the technology to tell stories -- engaging stories. How much lens sharpness, resolution, color science, dynamic range went into "Stranger than Paradise" (yes, allowing it's b&w film not color digital -- and short ends to boot). Here's to Mr. Jarmusch.

Yeah - that film is just so cool.

But there's no line crosses in the film. Every shot is separated by a couple of seconds of black. Each shot is effectively a standalone shot. There's no continuity editing at all - mistaken or otherwise. No following the gaze and orchestrating camera angles accordingly. It's just got this really cool detached kinda photography. I love it.

Down By Law is very similar, but without the black inserts. And the camera compositions are far more compelling - but the same sort of idea. Each shot being a standalone scene. Some exceptions, but the same general idea. I recall the opening scene has a continuity cut. I can't recall if it does a line cross but I remember it being a knockout cut anyway.

I'm pretty sure Stranger Than Paradise was done on 16mm. That's certainly how I remember it.

C

Edited August 29, 2015 by Carl Looper