All time favourite post-war movies
by girish-menon | created - 12 Jan 2013 | updated - 13 Jan 2013 | PublicThis is a list of movies that I don't mind watching again and again. There are other films that I may rate higher from a technical standpoint or may have enjoyed more on first viewing, but this are the ones that I would watch every chance I get. Listed in chronological order. This started off as a Top 10 list and eventually expanded to 35. It was a nice problem to have. Then about an hour later, I started having second thoughts, so I came back and expanded it to 40.
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1. Casablanca (1942)
PG | 102 min | Drama, Romance, War
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
Director: Michael Curtiz | Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid, Claude Rains
Votes: 606,405 | Gross: $1.02M
For Ingrid Bergman's luminous presence and Claude Rains charming, engaging performance.
2. Tokyo Story (1953)
Not Rated | 136 min | Drama
An old couple visit their children and grandchildren in the city, but receive little attention.
Director: Yasujirô Ozu | Stars: Chishû Ryû, Chieko Higashiyama, Sô Yamamura, Setsuko Hara
Votes: 68,687
For the bittersweet story of the twilight years of an elderly couple...although this is a Japanese film, this could be happening anywhere in the world.
3. Seven Samurai (1954)
Not Rated | 207 min | Action, Drama
Farmers from a village exploited by bandits hire a veteran samurai for protection, who gathers six other samurai to join him.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Takashi Shimura, Keiko Tsushima, Yukiko Shimazaki
Votes: 367,064 | Gross: $0.27M
For humour, bravery, pathos and fellowship. And for the incredible 3 minute sword fight sequence between Kyuzo and the bandit chieftain.
4. Yojimbo (1961)
Not Rated | 110 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
A crafty ronin comes to a town divided by two criminal gangs and decides to play them against each other to free the town.
Director: Akira Kurosawa | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Eijirô Tôno, Tatsuya Nakadai, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 131,445
For Toshiro Mifune and one of the coolest opening sequences ever (both in terms of framing and music)
5. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Approved | 123 min | Drama, Western
A senator returns to a Western town for the funeral of an old friend and tells the story of his origins.
Director: John Ford | Stars: James Stewart, John Wayne, Vera Miles, Lee Marvin
Votes: 82,353
It was rare for me to see John Wayne playing such a vulnerable character. Memorable performances from him, James Stewart and Lee Marvin.
6. Hatari! (1962)
Approved | 157 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A group of men trap wild animals in Africa and sell them to zoos before the arrival of a female wildlife photographer threatens to change their ways.
Director: Howard Hawks | Stars: John Wayne, Elsa Martinelli, Hardy Krüger, Red Buttons
Votes: 14,253 | Gross: $14.00M
For yet another unusual John Wayne performance, for the fellowship and camaraderie. And for Elsa Martinelli...I fell in love with her after the scene where she is dancing by herself on the porch outside while the rest of the gang are inside listening to music.
7. It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World (1963)
Approved | 210 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A group of motorists witnesses a car crash in the California desert, and after the driver's dying words indicate the location of a hidden stash of loot, they turn against each in a race across the state to get to it.
Director: Stanley Kramer | Stars: Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle, Ethel Merman, Mickey Rooney
Votes: 46,161 | Gross: $46.30M
Never before and never again will so many legendary comedians grace the screen together. Not to mention, a genuinely well made film with great cinematography and editing.
8. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
The aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 2,014,449 | Gross: $134.97M
For every scene and every actor. Incomparable.
9. The Chess Players (1977)
Not Rated | 129 min | Comedy, Drama, History
In 1856, two obsessed noblemen ignore everything while playing chess and fail to notice British rule extending into their Indian province.
Director: Satyajit Ray | Stars: Sanjeev Kumar, Saeed Jaffrey, Shabana Azmi, Farida Jalal
Votes: 4,067
For the banter and 'bromance' between Sanjeev Kumar and Saeed Jaffrey. And the scathing commentary on Indian ruling class during the British Raj.
10. Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
PG | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
After the Rebel Alliance are overpowered by the Empire, Luke Skywalker begins his Jedi training with Yoda, while his friends are pursued across the galaxy by Darth Vader and bounty hunter Boba Fett.
Director: Irvin Kershner | Stars: Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, Billy Dee Williams
Votes: 1,380,960 | Gross: $290.48M
For the Hoth sequence, for Han and Leia, and of course, for the scene between Luke and Vader on Cloud City.
11. The Funeral (1984)
Not Rated | 124 min | Comedy, Drama
When Wabisuke's father-in-law unexpectedly dies, the family goes through a series of events and occurrences as the funeral unfolds over three days in their home.
Director: Jûzô Itami | Stars: Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Kin Sugai, Hideji Ôtaki
Votes: 1,854
For the quietly hilarious prayer sequence interrupted by the phone call. For the unexpected joy of seeing an aged Chishu Ryu in a small but significant role.
12. Tampopo (1985)
Not Rated | 114 min | Comedy
A truck driver stops at a small family-run noodle shop and decides to help its fledgling business. The story is intertwined with various vignettes about the relationship of love and food.
Director: Jûzô Itami | Stars: Ken Watanabe, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Nobuko Miyamoto, Koji Yakusho
Votes: 22,595 | Gross: $0.22M
For the opening ramen eating sequence and many other food scenes thereafter. For the joy of seeing the underdog win in the end.
13. Aliens (1986)
R | 137 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Decades after surviving the Nostromo incident, Ellen Ripley is sent out to re-establish contact with a terraforming colony but finds herself battling the Alien Queen and her offspring.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Michael Biehn, Carrie Henn, Paul Reiser
Votes: 763,708 | Gross: $85.16M
For the performances from Michael Biehn, Bill Paxton, Jenette Goldstein, William Hope and the rest of the soldiers. Perhaps the finest performances of their respective careers. And of course, the immortal line from Sigourney Weaver to the Alien Queen.
14. Babette's Feast (1987)
G | 103 min | Drama
During the late 19th century, a strict religious community in a Danish village takes in a French refugee from the Franco-Prussian War as a servant to the late pastor's daughters.
Director: Gabriel Axel | Stars: Stéphane Audran, Bodil Kjer, Birgitte Federspiel, Jarl Kulle
Votes: 22,053 | Gross: $4.40M
For all the cooking (including the extraordinary Cailles en Sarcophage) and for the wonderful performance by legendary Swedish character actor Jarl Kulle, particularly his speech at the end of the dinner.
15. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
G | 86 min | Animation, Comedy, Family
When two girls move to the country to be near their ailing mother, they have adventures with the wondrous forest spirits who live nearby.
Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hitoshi Takagi, Noriko Hidaka, Chika Sakamoto, Shigesato Itoi
Votes: 380,735 | Gross: $1.11M
This film should be compulsory viewing for any family. Everything about is magical.
16. My Cousin Vinny (1992)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Crime
Two New Yorkers accused of murder in rural Alabama while on their way back to college call in the help of one of their cousins, a loudmouth lawyer with no trial experience.
Director: Jonathan Lynn | Stars: Joe Pesci, Marisa Tomei, Ralph Macchio, Mitchell Whitfield
Votes: 140,706 | Gross: $52.93M
For the hilarious verbal jousting between Vinny Gambini and Judge Haller played by Fred Gwynne just before his death (Mr. Gwynne played the Frankenstein character Herman in the '60s TV sitcom The Munsters). Marisa Tomei's performance on the witness stand is classic.
17. Sumo Do, Sumo Don't (1992)
105 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
Chronicling the turmoil and pandemonium that ensues at a derelict university sumo club, and the rise of some unlikely heroes.
Director: Masayuki Suô | Stars: Masahiro Motoki, Misa Shimizu, Naoto Takenaka, Akira Emoto
Votes: 1,005
One of the funniest films I have ever seen, but equally filled with moments of warmth and camaraderie. Naoto Takenaka is priceless.
18. Jurassic Park (1993)
PG-13 | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A pragmatic paleontologist touring an almost complete theme park on an island in Central America is tasked with protecting a couple of kids after a power failure causes the park's cloned dinosaurs to run loose.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Sam Neill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough
Votes: 1,068,071 | Gross: $402.45M
For the greatest thrill ride I have ever experienced in a movie theater.
19. The Remains of the Day (1993)
PG | 134 min | Drama, Romance
A butler who sacrificed body and soul to service in the years leading up to World War II realizes too late how misguided his loyalty was to his lordly employer.
Director: James Ivory | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Emma Thompson, John Haycraft, Christopher Reeve
Votes: 84,531 | Gross: $22.95M
The scene towards the end when Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson's characters say goodbye to each other in the rain is perhaps the most heartbreaking scene in cinema.
20. Four Weddings and a Funeral (1994)
R | 117 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Hugh Grant, Andie MacDowell, James Fleet, Simon Callow
Votes: 166,277 | Gross: $52.70M
For Hugh Grant's speech to Andy McDowell ("in the words of David Cassidy..."). For Simon Callow's memorable performance as Gareth and John Hannah's heartbreaking speech at the funeral. For the sequence where Hugh Grant sneaks into the closet. And of course, the final set of wedding pictures.
21. The City of Lost Children (1995)
R | 112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.
Directors: Marc Caro, Jean-Pierre Jeunet | Stars: Ron Perlman, Daniel Emilfork, Judith Vittet, Dominique Pinon
Votes: 71,705 | Gross: $1.51M
For its visual inventiveness and unique and memorable characters.
22. Sense and Sensibility (1995)
PG | 136 min | Drama, Romance
Rich Mr. Dashwood dies, leaving his second wife and her three daughters poor by the rules of inheritance. The two eldest daughters are the title opposites.
Director: Ang Lee | Stars: Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, James Fleet, Tom Wilkinson
Votes: 125,824 | Gross: $43.18M
Incredible performances from Emma Thompson and Alan Rickman. The moment when Elinor Dashwood (Thompson) learns that Edward Ferrars (Hugh Grant) has been released from his engagement is one of my all-time sentimental favourites.
23. Fargo (1996)
R | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
Minnesota car salesman Jerry Lundegaard's inept crime falls apart due to his and his henchmen's bungling and the persistent police work of the quite pregnant Marge Gunderson.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: William H. Macy, Frances McDormand, Steve Buscemi, Peter Stormare
Votes: 727,219 | Gross: $24.61M
For the sweet relationship between Marge Gunderson and her husband. And for William H. Macy's performance as the semi-unhinged Jerry Lundegaard. And for Steve Buscemi's performance as the completely unhinged Carl Showalter.
24. Shall We Dance? (1996)
PG | 136 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A successful but unhappy Japanese accountant finds the missing passion in his life when he begins to secretly take ballroom dance lessons.
Director: Masayuki Suô | Stars: Koji Yakusho, Tamiyo Kusakari, Naoto Takenaka, Eri Watanabe
Votes: 11,741 | Gross: $9.68M
For the script. And for another hilarious performance from Naoto Takenaka (incidentally, his character Tomio Aoki shares the same name as his character in Sumo Do, Sumo Don't)
25. The Birdcage (1996)
R | 117 min | Comedy
A gay cabaret owner and his drag queen companion agree to put up a false straight front so that their son can introduce them to his fiancée's right-wing moralistic parents.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest
Votes: 100,734 | Gross: $124.06M
In my opinion, this remake is superior to the French original. Perhaps the finest big screen performances from Nathan Lane and Hank Azaria. And for the fun of seeing Gene Hackman in drag. The dinner sequence with the soup bowls is one of the all-time great comic sequences.
26. Notting Hill (1999)
PG-13 | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A set of circumstances makes Anna Scott, a famous actress, fall in love with William Thacker, owner of a bookstore in Notting Hill. But the paparazzi's fascination with her complicates their bond.
Director: Roger Michell | Stars: Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts, Richard McCabe, Rhys Ifans
Votes: 342,560 | Gross: $116.09M
This is probably the real guilty pleasure on this list which doesn't stack up against the other heavyweights. But I don't mind seeing it again and again. Rhys Ifans' Spike is a standout.
27. The Matrix (1999)
R | 136 min | Action, Sci-Fi
When a beautiful stranger leads computer hacker Neo to a forbidding underworld, he discovers the shocking truth--the life he knows is the elaborate deception of an evil cyber-intelligence.
Directors: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving
Votes: 2,055,145 | Gross: $171.48M
For opening my mind. For the fight sequence between Neo and Morpheus. And for Agent Smith. And for introducing me to Carrie Ann Moss in leather.
28. The Sixth Sense (1999)
PG-13 | 107 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Malcolm Crowe, a child psychologist, starts treating a young boy, Cole, who encounters dead people and convinces him to help them. In turn, Cole helps Malcolm reconcile with his estranged wife.
Director: M. Night Shyamalan | Stars: Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, Toni Collette, Olivia Williams
Votes: 1,052,153 | Gross: $293.51M
For everything. The scene towards the end where Cole talks to his mother in the car is another one of my all-time sentimental favourites. Incredible performance by Toni Collette right through the film as a single mother trying to keep it all together...I wish she could have converted that Oscar nomination into a win.
29. Chocolat (2000)
PG-13 | 121 min | Drama, Romance
A French woman and her young daughter open up a chocolate shop in a small remote village that shakes up the rigid morality of the community.
Director: Lasse Hallström | Stars: Juliette Binoche, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Alfred Molina
Votes: 202,065 | Gross: $71.51M
For the chocolates. And for Alfred Molina's performance as Comte de Reynaud. Carrie Ann Moss is a nice bonus!
30. O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
PG-13 | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
Directors: Joel Coen, Ethan Coen | Stars: George Clooney, John Turturro, Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman
Votes: 331,063 | Gross: $45.51M
For the two separate performances of Man of Constant Sorrow. And everything else in between.
31. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
PG-13 | 178 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A meek Hobbit from the Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to destroy the powerful One Ring and save Middle-earth from the Dark Lord Sauron.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean
Votes: 2,008,646 | Gross: $315.54M
For the opening sequence, when I realized that Peter Jackson had exceeded my wildest expectations in bringing this beloved story to life.
32. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
PG-13 | 179 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
While Frodo and Sam edge closer to Mordor with the help of the shifty Gollum, the divided fellowship makes a stand against Sauron's new ally, Saruman, and his hordes of Isengard.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,785,282 | Gross: $342.55M
For the Ent attack on Isengard. And the scene where Gandalf breaks the spell on Theoden.
33. The Twilight Samurai (2002)
129 min | Drama, Romance
As the feudal Japan era draws to a close, a widower samurai experiences difficulty balancing clan loyalties, 2 young daughters, an aged mother, and the sudden reappearance of his childhood sweetheart.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Hiroyuki Sanada, Rie Miyazawa, Nenji Kobayashi, Ren Ôsugi
Votes: 25,529
Fantastic performance by Hiroyuki Sanada. Part of Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy.
34. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
PG-13 | 201 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Gandalf and Aragorn lead the World of Men against Sauron's army to draw his gaze from Frodo and Sam as they approach Mount Doom with the One Ring.
Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortensen, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom
Votes: 1,980,781 | Gross: $377.85M
A most satisfying conclusion to the trilogy. Classic action sequence involving Legolas and a Mumakil during the Battle of the Pelennor Fields. Coronation scene when the crowd bows to the hobbits always gets a lump in my throat.
35. The Hidden Blade (2004)
R | 132 min | Drama, History, Romance
A 19th Century samurai, held in low esteem due to an action by his late father, must resolve his history with a maid and with his close friend.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Masatoshi Nagase, Takako Matsu, Hidetaka Yoshioka, Yukiyoshi Ozawa
Votes: 7,207 | Gross: $0.04M
For the sequence at the end, when we realize what the hidden blade is. Part of Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy.
36. Match Point (2005)
R | 124 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller
At a turning point in his life, a former tennis pro falls for an actress who happens to be dating his friend and soon-to-be brother-in-law.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emily Mortimer, Matthew Goode
Votes: 228,182 | Gross: $23.09M
For the script and the fantastic performances. And a very satisfying ending.
37. Love and Honor (2006)
PG-13 | 122 min | Drama, History, Romance
A look at the relationship between a young blind samurai (Kimura) and his wife, who will make a sacrifice in order to defend her husband's honor.
Director: Yôji Yamada | Stars: Takuya Kimura, Rei Dan, Mitsugorô Bandô, Takashi Sasano
Votes: 4,288 | Gross: $0.02M
A believable, understated performance by Kimura Takuya. Dan Rei is superb as his wife. Part of Yoji Yamada's samurai trilogy.
38. Ratatouille (2007)
G | 111 min | Animation, Adventure, Comedy
A rat who can cook makes an unusual alliance with a young kitchen worker at a famous Paris restaurant.
Directors: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava | Stars: Brad Garrett, Lou Romano, Patton Oswalt, Ian Holm
Votes: 825,979 | Gross: $206.45M
For Lou Romano's voice as Linguini, for the kitchen sequences, for the scene when critic Anton Ego tastes the ratatouille dish and for the closing scene. The best animated film that Pixar has made and along with The Incredibles and The Iron Giant, proof that Brad Bird is one of the great directors of our time.
39. Departures (2008)
PG-13 | 130 min | Drama
Soon after buying an expensive cello, Daigo learns that his orchestra is disbanding. He moves back to his hometown with his wife, where he answers an ad for what Daigo thinks is a travel agency but is, in actuality, a mortuary.
Director: Yôjirô Takita | Stars: Masahiro Motoki, Ryôko Hirosue, Tsutomu Yamazaki, Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Votes: 55,008 | Gross: $1.50M
For the story and the music score by Joe Hisaishi.
40. Avatar (2009)
PG-13 | 162 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A paraplegic Marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
Director: James Cameron | Stars: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver, Michelle Rodriguez
Votes: 1,387,307 | Gross: $760.51M
For the utterly believable world that James Cameron has created...the flora, fauna and technology.
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