Well, here’s something I guess. Rope of Silicon points us to TCM’s list of the top 15 most influential “classic” films of all time. I actually started working up such a list for the site a while back but abandoned it for whatever reason. It was going to include all comers, though, not just classic films. They seem to be listed in chronological order over at TCM.com. The 15:
“The Birth of a Nation” (1915)
“Battleship Potemkin” (1925)
“Metropolis” (1927)
“42nd Street” (1933)
“It Happened One Night” (1934)
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” (1937)
“Gone with the Wind” (1939)
“Stagecoach” (1939)
“Citizen Kane” (1941)
“The Bicycle Thief” (1947)
“Rashomon” (1950)
“The Searchers” (1956)
“Breathless” (1959)
“Psycho” (1960)
“Star Wars” (1977)
My list certainly included most of those, which are by and large hard to argue with. “Birth,” “Battleship,” “Metropolis,” “Night,” “Snow White,” “Wind,” “Kane” and “Star Wars” were definitely included in my tally. If we were to extend it beyond the “classic” realm, I think we’d have to include “Jurassic Park” and the “Lord of the Rings” franchise. “Toy Story” would have to have a secure place, while “Pulp Fiction” obviously sparked a revolution some would argue had roots in “sex, lies and videotape” (also a contender for an “all-time” list).
Since TCM’s idea of “classic” obviously stretches into the late 1970s, I think it’s rather foolish to leave off “Jaws” and/or “The Godfather” considering what they meant to big business theatrical revenue before “Star Wars” came along. And going way back, “The Great Train Robbery” had people running from the theater screaming after the final image of a bandit firing his gun at the camera. There’s something to be said for one of the first films to enthrall like that.
And what about “The Jazz Singer?” How do you leave that title off a list of “classic” cinema? I guess it had to be narrowed to 15 but there are a couple of films on that list that could have been bumped, I think.
Let’s put it to the readership. Assuming an “all-time” list rather than limiting it to the classics, what would you say have been the most influential films? I could make a mean case for “Die Hard,” but I’ll anxiously await your input. Rattle off your lists and maybe we’ll settle things with a series of polls.
Comments
30 responses to “TCM’s top 15 most influential classic movies”
2001: A Space Odyssey
I would add Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress to that list.
What’s the movie that is generally credited with the start of film noir? The Maltese Falcon?
How about Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner? Just as big of an influence on science fiction and movies in general as 2001 and Star Wars.
I want to go there, Milich, but here’s the rub: has anyone dared to show how the film has influenced them? It’s so, I don’t know, one-of-a-kind that it’s hard to describe it as seminal.
It’s on my personal top 10 of all time, mind you. But my opinion doesn’t matter. Keep the titles coming and we’ll get a big tally together.
Zac: I’d say “Casablanca” set up a lot of the noir standards that “Maltese Falcon” and, later, “Double Indemnity” would define. Which begs the question: where’s “Casablanca” on this list??
Voyage dans la Lune!!!
Just watch the special features on the 2001 2-disk DVD. A doc hosted by James Cameron, interviews with George Lucas and Steven Spielberg (who’s called it his generation’s “Big Bang”). I’ve even seen an interview where Ridley Scott suggests it’s the best of all time.
It was the first modern SFX epic. Without that film, the technology and inspiration wouldn’t have existed for Star Wars, Close Encounters or Alien. And virtually every space-set movie (including Moon up above) has borrowed from it in one aesthetic manner or another.
Whenever we see a movie in space with a symmetrical composition or the sun rising from behind a planet, isn’t this what we think of? Plus, I’m not sure a day goes by without seeing some pop culture reference (Zarathustra, Blue Danube, ape men, black monolith) even in crappy TV commercials.
Certainly, it’s had as much if not more influence than most of the movies on that list.
Definately Lord of the Rings, Raiders of the Lost Arc, The Shing, and Pirates of the Caribean:Dead Mans Chest
(Joke)
Fair enough, Milich.
Borat
The Maltese Falcon came out in 1941 whereas Casablanca came out in 1943.
Kris, think about 2001 and There Will Be Blood, The Fountain and Wall-E. The first in its structure, music, and especially its first act. The second in its use of “low-tech” effects and “trippiness.” The third in its blatant use of storyline to emphasize theme.
And those were just in the last three years.
Is that story about people running from theatres true?!
I’ve heard it before but always thought it apocrypha. You’d have to be pretty fucking braindead to react like that.
Saw the “film” the other day and thought it way better than I expected.
Zac: Doh! Of course. Move along, nothing to see here.
Bryan: Way too early to call Blood, Fountain or WALL-E “innovative,” I feel.
As far as I’m concerned, “Annie Hall” deserves a mention for redefining the parameters of the romantic comedy.
There has to be a Cassavetes film on the list — “Shadows,” surely?
“Easy Rider?”
It really is a shame that something like Taxi Driver or Raging Bull didn’t make the list, for that matter there is no Scorsese at all! Though I do agree with at least half of their Top 15. I do think Kris is right, why no Godfather? Or even Jurassic Park?
KT, I think he was suggesting those 3 films were influenced by 2001, not necessarily that they’re influential yet in their own right…
Milich: Clearly I’m running on fumes this afternoon. Maybe an espresso will get my attention in order. And I don’t even drink espresso.
I’m a little surprised “Bonnie and Clyde” isn’t mentioned, considering how that film rewrote the book on violence in American cinema. But since it was heavily inspired by the French New Wave I guess “Breathless” sort of accounts for it.
I also agree with Guy that “Easy Rider” would most definitely be a strong candidate for inclusion if this list was expanded, as well as “2001: A Space Odyssey”, “Blade Runner”, “Seven Samurai”, “Annie Hall”, and “The Maltese Falcon”.
Going into more recent years, I would say that “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”, and as mentioned earlier, “Toy Story” would be good candidates for what they did to animation. “sex, lies, and videotape”, “Pulp Fiction”, and “Do the Right Thing” should probably be on there, as well as “Saving Private Ryan” for bringing hyper-realism to WWII cinema. “Fight Club” might also want to be considered for its cultural and aesthetic impact on America.
The only film I can think of from the 21st century that I would want on there is “The Lord of the Rings”.
The 400 Blows
Rebel without a Cause
Persona
Red River?
and I forgot Blue Velvet
Anybody mention The Wizard of Oz, yet?
If not, shotties.
Alright, so in addition to the 15 above, we also have the following from commenters so far:
Bonnie and Clyde
2001: A Space Odyssey
Blue Velvet
The 400 Blows
Rebel without a Cause
Persona
Red River
Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Do the Right Thing
Saving Private Ryan
Fight Club
Jurassic Park
Toy Story
Seven Samurai
Hidden Fortress
Easy Rider
Raging Bull
Taxi Driver
Pulp Fiction
sex, lies and videotape
Annie Hall
The Maltese Falcon
Shadows
The Lord of the Rings
The Great Train Robbery
Casablanca
Blade Runner
Try not to double up on those and, I guess without being TOO liberal, what else ya got?
“Birth of a Nation”…”City Lights”…”Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs”…”Stagecoach”…”Citizen Kane”…”Pinocchio”…”Casablanca”…”Bicycle Thieves”…”The 7 Samurai”…”Breathless”…”Psycho”…”Lawrence of Arabia”…”Bonnie and Clyde”…”2001″…”The Godfather and Part II”…”Annie Hall”…”Star Wars”…”Apocalypse Now”…”Raging Bull”…”E.T.”…”Goodfellas”…”Pulp Fiction”…”Toy Story”…”The Lord of the Rings” trilogy…”City of God”
Hmm, how about “The Thin Blue Line”? That had a considerable influence on documentaries and with films reenacting true events, not to mention it acquitted a man from life in prison.
While we’re on the subject of documentaries, maybe we should consider something from Michael Moore? I’m not sure if he’s loved or hated here, but his impact is undeniable.
“Breathless” takes the award for weakest most important film ever. Seriously, I appreciate Godard’s loosy-goosy, cinema vérité impressionist approach, and it DID totally change film as we knew it, but it’s just not engaging in the least. On the contrary, Truffaut’s “The 400 Blows” is French New Wave done right.
To build on to the list, I’d like to include “Last Tango in Paris” (how was this omitted?!), “The Rules of the Game” (did some of the same things “Citizen Kane” did, but two years before it), and “The Seventh Seal” (not Bergman’s best, in my opinion, but who can deny the influence of this thing?).
THE MATRIX
In regards to “The Jazz Singer” I think it’s place in cinema is inarguably sealed, but it’s influence isn’t exactly felt today. Yes, everything we see (er, hear) today is indebted to it, but outside of it’s key sound component has anything in that film really influenced filmmakers? Not sure. Same as “Triumph of the Will”. I doubt anybody who saw that was suddenly wanting to throw it’s influence around in their own films (unless you’re a nazi, I suppose) but that doesn’t mean it isn’t technically accomplished. etc.
How about “Terminator 2: Judgement Day”. Nobody I read mentioned it, but I felt “The Dark Knight” was incredibly indebted to that movie as have most special effects blockbusters since. Although if you want to say “Die Hard” then you could say that too and wouldn’t be begrudged. And the number of directors who have said their career was greatly influenced by “Mad Max” and “Mad Max 2” is incredibly long.
How about “The Graduate”? “Chinatown”? “King Kong”?
One I think two titles that should definitely be included are “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” and “Halloween”. Every single movie about a bunch of teens being chased around the middle of nowhere instantly feels like a ripoff in some way of “TCM” and basically any suburban slasher flick is indebted to “Halloween” in some way or another without a doubt.
If we continue after 1977 we would still find some good movies until the ’00 that you can already say they are quite influential! 2001, Apocalipse Now, Annie Hall, The Matrix… And even after that, even being recent, we can all Agree that The Lord of the Rings Trilogy achieved a level that makes it some of the most influential Films Ever!
P.S. In my opinion Finding Nemo could also be put in here… If Snow White Marked the Birth of Animation that gave us such movies as The Lion King and The Beauty and the Beast, Finding Nemo (and then again Toy Story) Marked the revolution in that field (it brought films as the incredibles,wall.E,Ratattouille and even Ice Age or shrek), that shows that Animation is for everyone and it can be as interesting as any other Gender!
what about “The Wild Bunch”? surely the editing has influenced a whole lot of films throughout time…
Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas deserved a slot as was the first ever stop motion animated feature.