Cinema and Cities
by aysegulersin | created - 08 Nov 2016 | updated - 20 Jun 2019 | PublicFilms that capture the soul of the city that they take place in.
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1. Port of Shadows (1938)
Not Rated | 91 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A military deserter finds love and trouble (and a small dog) in a foggy, French port city.
Director: Marcel Carné | Stars: Jean Gabin, Michel Simon, Michèle Morgan, Pierre Brasseur
Votes: 9,965 | Gross: $0.03M
2. Before Sunrise (1995)
R | 101 min | Drama, Romance
A young man and woman meet on a train in Europe, and wind up spending one evening together in Vienna. Unfortunately, both know that this will probably be their only night together.
Director: Richard Linklater | Stars: Ethan Hawke, Julie Delpy, Andrea Eckert, Hanno Pöschl
Votes: 339,557 | Gross: $5.54M
3. Manhatta (1921)
Not Rated | 11 min | Documentary, Short
This groundbreaking silent documentary captures the beauty and majesty of the New York City in its streets, skyscrapers, bridges, rail yards and harbors.
Directors: Charles Sheeler, Paul Strand
Votes: 1,638
4. Paris Is Burning (1990)
R | 78 min | Documentary
A chronicle of New York's drag scene in the 1980s, focusing on balls, voguing and the ambitions and dreams of those who gave the era its warmth and vitality.
Director: Jennie Livingston | Stars: Brooke Xtravaganza, André Christian, Dorian Corey, Paris Duprée
Votes: 17,621 | Gross: $3.78M
5. Fire at Sea (2016)
114 min | Documentary
Capturing life on the Italian island of Lampedusa, a frontline in the European migrant crisis.
Director: Gianfranco Rosi | Stars: Samuele Pucillo, Mattias Cucina, Samuele Caruana, Pietro Bartolo
Votes: 6,056 | Gross: $0.12M
6. Mountain (2015)
83 min | Drama
A young Orthodox Jewish woman becomes ensconced in a nocturnal community of prostitutes and drug dealers that congregates in the ancient cemetery atop Jerusalem's Mount of Olives.
Director: Yaelle Kayam | Stars: Shani Klein, Avshalom Pollak, Hitham Omari, Eli Cohen
Votes: 283
7. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Not Rated | 89 min | Drama
In post-war Italy, a working-class man's bicycle is stolen, endangering his efforts to find work. He and his son set out to find it.
Director: Vittorio De Sica | Stars: Lamberto Maggiorani, Enzo Staiola, Lianella Carell, Elena Altieri
Votes: 175,241 | Gross: $0.33M
8. Victoria (II) (2015)
Not Rated | 138 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
A young Spanish woman who has recently moved to Berlin finds her flirtation with a local guy turn potentially deadly as their night out with his friends reveals a dangerous secret.
Director: Sebastian Schipper | Stars: Laia Costa, Frederick Lau, Franz Rogowski, Burak Yigit
Votes: 63,162
9. Taxi Driver (1976)
R | 114 min | Crime, Drama
A mentally unstable veteran works as a nighttime taxi driver in New York City, where the perceived decadence and sleaze fuels his urge for violent action.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Cybill Shepherd, Albert Brooks
Votes: 921,306 | Gross: $28.26M
10. Mulholland Drive (2001)
R | 147 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
After a car wreck on Mulholland Drive renders a woman amnesiac, she and a Hollywood-hopeful search for clues and answers across Los Angeles in a twisting venture beyond dreams and reality.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Jeanne Bates
Votes: 384,060 | Gross: $7.22M
11. Shame (2011)
NC-17 | 101 min | Drama
A sex addict's carefully cultivated private life falls apart after his sister arrives for an indefinite stay.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Michael Fassbender, Carey Mulligan, James Badge Dale, Lucy Walters
Votes: 206,309 | Gross: $4.00M
12. Gueros (2014)
Not Rated | 106 min | Comedy, Drama
Tomas is too much for his lone mother so she sends him to live with his older brother Federico, aka Sombra, in Mexico City.
Director: Alonso Ruizpalacios | Stars: Tenoch Huerta, Sebastián Aguirre, Ilse Salas, Leonardo Ortizgris
Votes: 5,108
13. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
R | 119 min | Comedy, Drama
A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Stars: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough
Votes: 666,747 | Gross: $42.34M
14. Breathless (1960)
Not Rated | 90 min | Crime, Drama
A small-time crook, hunted by the authorities for a car theft and the murder a police officer, attempts to persuade a hip American journalism student to run away with him to Italy.
Director: Jean-Luc Godard | Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg, Van Doude, Jean-Luc Godard
Votes: 87,968 | Gross: $0.34M
15. Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005)
Not Rated | 90 min | Documentary, History, Music
Award-winning director Fatih Akin takes us on a journey through Istanbul, the city that bridges Europe and Asia, and challenges familiar notions of east and west. He looks at the vibrant ... See full summary »
Director: Fatih Akin | Stars: Alexander Hacke, Ahmed Ulug, Cem Yegul, Mehmed Ulug
Votes: 6,498 | Gross: $0.07M
16. Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Approved | 115 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A young New York socialite becomes interested in a young man who has moved into her apartment building, but her past threatens to get in the way.
Director: Blake Edwards | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, George Peppard, Patricia Neal, Buddy Ebsen
Votes: 192,232
17. Roman Holiday (1953)
Passed | 118 min | Comedy, Romance
A bored and sheltered princess escapes her guardians and falls in love with an American newsman in Rome.
Director: William Wyler | Stars: Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn, Eddie Albert, Hartley Power
Votes: 147,710
18. Vicky Cristina Barcelona (2008)
PG-13 | 96 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Two friends on a summer holiday in Spain become enamored with the same painter, unaware that his ex-wife, with whom he has a tempestuous relationship, is about to re-enter the picture.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, Javier Bardem, Christopher Evan Welch
Votes: 268,959 | Gross: $23.22M
19. Steam: The Turkish Bath (1997)
94 min | Drama, Romance
Francesco inherits an old palace from a Turkish aunt and moves to Istanbul to renovate it.
Director: Ferzan Özpetek | Stars: Alessandro Gassmann, Francesca d'Aloja, Carlo Cecchi, Halil Ergün
Votes: 7,215 | Gross: $0.66M
20. Magic Carpet Ride (2005)
106 min | Comedy, Drama
A struggling, suicidal young comedian meets a car thief who is willing to teach him a few things about his profession.
Director: Yilmaz Erdogan | Stars: Yilmaz Erdogan, Tolga Çevik, Demet Akbag, Altan Erkekli
Votes: 35,492
21. The 400 Blows (1959)
Not Rated | 99 min | Crime, Drama
A young boy, left without attention, delves into a life of petty crime.
Director: François Truffaut | Stars: Jean-Pierre Léaud, Albert Rémy, Claire Maurier, Guy Decomble
Votes: 128,118
22. Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo (2016)
Unrated | 97 min | Drama, Romance
Two men meet in a sex club, become entangled in a passionate embrace, and spend the night getting to know each other. As they wander through the empty streets of Paris, they must confront the feelings that are growing between them.
Directors: Olivier Ducastel, Jacques Martineau | Stars: Mario Fanfani, Geoffrey Couët, François Nambot, Bastien Gabriel
Votes: 3,906
23. Sign of the Lion (1962)
103 min | Drama
A French-American in Paris lives by sponging off his working friends, and throws a party using borrowed money when his rich American aunt dies, believing firmly in his horoscope.
Director: Éric Rohmer | Stars: Jess Hahn, Michèle Girardon, Van Doude, Paul Bisciglia
Votes: 2,352
24. An Unmarried Woman (1978)
R | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A wealthy woman from Manhattan's Upper East Side struggles to deal with her new identity and her sexuality after her husband of 16 years leaves her for a younger woman.
Director: Paul Mazursky | Stars: Jill Clayburgh, Alan Bates, Michael Murphy, Cliff Gorman
Votes: 6,052 | Gross: $24.00M
25. Basquiat (1996)
R | 107 min | Biography, Drama
The brief life of Jean Michel Basquiat, a world renowned New York street artist struggling with fame, drugs and his identity.
Director: Julian Schnabel | Stars: Jeffrey Wright, Michael Wincott, Benicio Del Toro, Claire Forlani
Votes: 22,093 | Gross: $2.96M
26. La Dolce Vita (1960)
Not Rated | 174 min | Comedy, Drama
A series of stories following a week in the life of a philandering tabloid journalist living in Rome.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Marcello Mastroianni, Anita Ekberg, Anouk Aimée, Yvonne Furneaux
Votes: 78,233 | Gross: $19.52M
27. Kedi (2016)
Not Rated | 79 min | Documentary
A profile of an ancient city and its unique people, seen through the eyes of the most mysterious and beloved animal humans have ever known, the Cat.
Director: Ceyda Torun | Stars: Yaman Barlas, Sari, Arzu Göl, Kemal Suncu
Votes: 15,884 | Gross: $2.83M
28. Cléo from 5 to 7 (1962)
Not Rated | 90 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
Cleo, a singer and hypochondriac, becomes increasingly worried that she might have cancer while awaiting test results from her doctor.
Director: Agnès Varda | Stars: Corinne Marchand, Antoine Bourseiller, Dominique Davray, Dorothée Blanck
Votes: 27,323
29. Inland Empire (2006)
R | 180 min | Drama, Fantasy, Mystery
As an actress begins to adopt the persona of her character in a film, her world becomes nightmarish and surreal.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Karolina Gruszka, Krzysztof Majchrzak, Grace Zabriskie, Laura Dern
Votes: 62,213 | Gross: $0.75M
30. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
R | 104 min | Drama
Two best friends living on the streets of Portland as hustlers embark on a journey of self discovery and find their relationship stumbling along the way.
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo, William Richert
Votes: 61,778 | Gross: $6.40M
31. Mala Noche (1986)
Not Rated | 78 min | Drama
A story of amour fou. Walt is madly in love/lust with a young illegal Mexican immigrant. However, the object of his unrequited affection doesn't even speak any English and finds Walt really... See full summary »
Director: Gus Van Sant | Stars: Tim Streeter, Doug Cooeyate, Ray Monge, Nyla McCarthy
Votes: 4,330
32. She's Gotta Have It (1986)
R | 84 min | Comedy, Romance
Story of a woman and her three lovers.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Tracy Camilla Johns, Tommy Redmond Hicks, John Canada Terrell, Spike Lee
Votes: 16,319 | Gross: $7.14M
33. Do the Right Thing (1989)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
On the hottest day of the year on a street in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, everyone's hate and bigotry smolders and builds until it explodes into violence.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson
Votes: 112,491 | Gross: $27.55M
34. All About My Mother (1999)
R | 101 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
A comedy-drama about a bereaved mother, and overwrought actress, her jealous lover, and a pregnant nun.
Director: Pedro Almodóvar | Stars: Cecilia Roth, Marisa Paredes, Candela Peña, Antonia San Juan
Votes: 102,928 | Gross: $8.26M
35. Hong Kong Trilogy: Preschooled Preoccupied Preposterous (2015)
90 min | Documentary, Comedy, Drama
A story of Hong Kong told by three generations of real people: 'preschooled' children, 'preoccupied' young people, and 'preposterous' senior citizens.
Director: Christopher Doyle | Stars: Alex Bedwell, Jason Cheung, Selene Cheung, Thierry Chow
Votes: 141
36. Accattone (1961)
Not Rated | 117 min | Drama
A pimp with no other means to provide for himself finds his life spiraling out of control when his prostitute is sent to prison.
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini | Stars: Franco Citti, Franca Pasut, Silvana Corsini, Paola Guidi
Votes: 10,163
37. A Brighter Summer Day (1991)
Not Rated | 237 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
Based on a true story, primarily on a conflict between two youth gangs, a 14-year-old boy's girlfriend conflicts with the head of one gang for an unclear reason, until finally the conflict comes to a violent climax.
Director: Edward Yang | Stars: Chang Chen, Lisa Yang, Kuo-Chu Chang, Elaine Jin
Votes: 12,792
38. Even the Rain (2010)
Not Rated | 103 min | Drama, History
As a director and his crew shoot a controversial film about Christopher Columbus in Cochabamba, Bolivia, local people rise up against plans to privatize the water supply.
Director: Icíar Bollaín | Stars: Gael García Bernal, Luis Tosar, Karra Elejalde, Juan Carlos Aduviri
Votes: 14,228 | Gross: $0.56M
39. Spirits of the Dead (1968)
R | 121 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
A trio of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations about a cruel countess haunted by her cousin's stallion, a sadistic soldier haunted by his doppelgänger, and an alcoholic actor haunted by the Devil.
Directors: Federico Fellini, Louis Malle, Roger Vadim | Stars: Jane Fonda, Brigitte Bardot, Alain Delon, Terence Stamp
Votes: 6,950
40. Tabutta Rövasata (1996)
76 min | Drama
Mahsun is homeless and unemployed. He lives in Rumelihisari (one of the most picturesque and oldest quarters of Istanbul), and tries to stay alive with the help of local fishermen. Mahsun ... See full summary »
Director: Dervis Zaim | Stars: Ahmet Ugurlu, Tuncel Kurtiz, Aysen Aydemir, Serif Erol
Votes: 11,071
41. The Pleasure of Being Robbed (2008)
Not Rated | 71 min | Drama
A curious and lost Eleonore looks for something everywhere, even in the bags of strangers who find themselves sadly smiling only well after she's left their lives. They owe her their thanks.
Director: Josh Safdie | Stars: Bat 'Batman' Baxter, Alex Billig, Wayne Chin, Jerry Damons
Votes: 2,056 | Gross: $0.01M
42. Heaven Knows What (2014)
R | 97 min | Crime, Drama
A young woman struggles to reconcile her love for her boyfriend and for heroin, as she finds out that suicide is the only way for her boyfriend to forgive her for her misdeed.
Directors: Benny Safdie, Josh Safdie | Stars: Arielle Holmes, Caleb Landry Jones, Buddy Duress, Necro
Votes: 9,249 | Gross: $0.08M
43. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, War
In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo | Stars: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash
Votes: 65,701 | Gross: $0.06M
44. Cairo Station (1958)
Not Rated | 77 min | Crime, Drama
A newspaper salesman at the train station in Cairo develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who sells refreshments.
Director: Youssef Chahine | Stars: Farid Shawqi, Hind Rustum, Youssef Chahine, Hassan el Baroudi
Votes: 5,356
45. Roma (2018)
R | 135 min | Drama
A year in the life of a middle-class family's maid in Mexico City in the early 1970s.
Director: Alfonso Cuarón | Stars: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Diego Cortina Autrey, Carlos Peralta
Votes: 169,856
46. The Departed (2006)
R | 151 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
An undercover cop and a mole in the police attempt to identify each other while infiltrating an Irish gang in South Boston.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg
Votes: 1,423,034 | Gross: $132.38M
47. Tangerine (2015)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
A hooker tears through Tinseltown on Christmas Eve searching for the pimp who broke her heart.
Director: Sean Baker | Stars: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan
Votes: 35,531 | Gross: $0.70M
48. Sorry to Bother You (2018)
R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success, propelling him into a universe of greed.
Director: Boots Riley | Stars: LaKeith Stanfield, Tessa Thompson, Jermaine Fowler, Omari Hardwick
Votes: 88,254 | Gross: $17.49M
49. In Bruges (2008)
R | 107 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
After a job gone wrong, hitman Ray and his partner await orders from their ruthless boss in Bruges, Belgium, the last place in the world Ray wants to be.
Director: Martin McDonagh | Stars: Colin Farrell, Brendan Gleeson, Ciarán Hinds, Elizabeth Berrington
Votes: 461,704 | Gross: $7.76M
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