La grande illusion. Almost any Renoir film would be on my list.
Battle of Algiers or Harold and Maude
Good call with Harold and Maude. Ashby’s Being There also deserves a mention.
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They Shoot Horses Don’t They? Has been one of the three I juggle but timely makes it number one for me today.
At this particular moment in time, I’d have to say either Cockfighter or The Palm Beach Story.
Ack. This is hard. The Shining or Pierrot le Fou— I gotta go with
Pierrot le Fou
The Wizard of Oz. How controversial is that?
Hitchcock’s “Rebecca”
Cinema Paradiso
I never can answer this question without listing a few, but if I had to choose just one, right now it’d be 3 Iron
Pulp fucking Fiction!
Horribly difficult to pick just one but that is the challenge. My favourite films change form day-to-day, from mood-to-mood. There’s also the question of admiration versus rewatchableness (it that a word? It is now!); I admire L’Aventura but Rushmore or Fargo or Airplane! bring me more repeatable pleasure. So it’s a toss-up between transcendent film (2001) and fiercely romantic (I know Where I’m Going). It’s 2001….
JAWS
Jaws is my all time favorite film.
I always tell people my favorite film is p. t. anderson’s MAGNOLIA. no movie has every stirred so much emotion and reaction in me than that one. however, i think a different and possibly more interesting question would be, “if you could pick only one film to watch for the rest of your life, what would it be?” i think i’d have to go with the coen’s NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. infinitely watchable.
@ Ryan Johnson
Grave of the fireflies? I recall seeing an Anime named similarly, if not exactly that. Is that what you are referring too? Great flick.
In narrowing the list for my favorite of all time I think my brain has undergone more mental torment than watching a Pauly Shore movie. It is one thing to choose a favorite of a directors movies, but one of all seems like such a temporary answer I don’t think it will have any value say a day, or even a year from now. But the temporary favorite of all time would have to be a tie between ‘The Royal Tenenbaums’ and Magnolia.
The repeat value and creativity of both movies are both extraordinary and inspiring to me.
Metropolis-Anything by F.Lang.
Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner but haven’t been able to find a quality DVD version?
The Last Picture Show
Teaching film I have often been asked that question; Which ONE is the best. Ever. So have come up with an answer, even though just naming one is somewhat impossible.
And the answer is……
“Rear Window” (A. Hitchcock, 1954).
Why? I challenge all to name a sentence spoken, a framing selected, a sound heard in this movie – that does not point towards its underlying theme of….. what it is that we really do, when we go to the movies. It is the meta movie of all time AND at the same time elementary fun to watch; witty, sexy, outrageously funny and if you start thinking a little also a bit sad.
P.S. If you take up this challenge it ought to be in a different thread :-)
Barry Lyndon or pretty much any Stanley Kubrick film.
Excellent choice, René. It’s easily my favorite Hitchcock film for all the reasons you mention, and the way Hitch made a movie that takes place almost entirely inside one room so compelling and suspenseful is a testament to his skill. From the acting (and actors – has Grace Kelly ever looked more radiant?) to the use of “real” sounds and source music instead of a traditional score, Rear Window is a masterpiece. As much as I love Psycho and Vertigo, I’ve always felt that some of the attention they get lavished with should have gone to Rear Window instead.
“rear window” is one of hithcock’s perfect films, along with “north by northwest” and “the lady vanishes”…
yet and still, my favorite is “vertigo”!
Hard to choose between 2001: A space oddisey and Apocalypse now redux (have you guys noticed that its not in criterion? even worse, none of FF Coppola’s are in criterion, far from being an oversight it seems that legal matters are in the middle, I’d sure love to se them movies in criterion)
I enjoyed the Redux version of Apocalypse Now, but I still think the original cut is the strongest. A few of the new scenes are just too slow and distracting.
THE THIN RED LINE
Y Tu Mama Tambien
Hello.
The Passion Of Joan Of Arc
‘au hasard balthazar’ or ‘persona’.
TimothyJSharp
Probably “Cries and Whispers” or “Night Of Cabiria” or…