We all have a list of movie favorites. Some have their own thought-out Top Ten while others have a less definitive list which usually comes to mind when a specific movie is found channel surfing or brought up in conversation: "Oh, that's one of my favorites!". My list is a combination of both. I can rattle off my Top Ten in no particular order, but I'll often come across a forgotten movie that I can easily see replacing one of those ten.
Rocky was my first and earliest favorite, even though
It's A Wonderful Life (which I didn't see until my 30's) came out thirty years earlier in 1946.
Schindler's List is so unnerving I have only watched it once, but I consider it a favorite.
When Harry Met Sally is my all-time favorite romantic comedy, and
Hoop Dreams is my favorite documentary.
I'm no Siskel or Ebert. My analysis and opinions on what makes for a great movie is relegated to a few subjective must-haves: A terrific screenplay, great acting, and cinematography that captures the script's mood and characters' emotions perfectly. Two of my Top Ten,
Jaws and
The Godfather,
are examples.
Jaws is filled with iconic scenes, quotable quotes, and a spine-tingling score. Quint's haunting storytelling of his experience on the S.S. Indianapolis is masterful in its character analysis and story deconstruction. It gives depth to Quint's personality profile and the backstory of his vendetta toward sharks. The darkened backdrop of the three shipmates' isolation on the nighttime waters encapsulates the ominous mood. Quint ends his frightening soliloquy of blood and death with his own attempt at justifying the horrific experience he endured, saying: "Anyway...we delivered the bomb."
Michael Corleone's transformation in The Godfather from an educated, military veteran and innocent bystander of mafia crime to a ruthless killer and crime boss, is a psychological study worthy of its own college course. New York City is not just the backdrop of the movie, but a visceral emprise for the viewer. The clothes, hairstyles, cars, restaurants, and neighborhoods welcome one's eyes and mind into the world of 1940's mob life in hypnotic fashion. The shadow-laden lighting style, coloring schemes, and camera angles complement the film's narrative exquisitely.
