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More than a century has passed since the Lumiere brothers first demonstrated their “cinema” to the public. Cinema has become such a part of our lives that we can’t imagine how it is to live in a world where there are no cinemas or a new film cannot be downloaded on the Internet.
A lot of time has passed since the first film show hosted by the Lumiere brothers. Movies first received sound, and then color. In recent decades, the technologies that are used in filming have developed rapidly. Over the years, tens of thousands of films have been shot, a whole galaxy of brilliant directors and talented actors has been born.
Most of the films that have been made over the past century have long been forgotten and are of interest only to film critics and film historians. But there are pictures that have forever entered the “golden” fund of cinema, they are still interesting to the viewer today and they are still being watched. There are hundreds of such films. They are filmed in different genres, by different directors, at different time intervals. However, there is one thing that unites them: they force the viewer to completely immerse themselves in the reality that lives in front of him on the screen. Real cinema, created by a master of his craft, is always a different reality that draws the viewer in like a vacuum cleaner and makes you forget about everything in the world for a while.
We have compiled a list of ten for you, which includes the best films of all time, although, to be honest, it was very difficult to do this, this list could easily be increased several times.
10 The Green Mile
This film was released in 1999, it is based on one of the best works of Stephen King. The film was directed by Frank Darabont.
This film tells about the death row in one of the American prisons. The story told in the film takes place in the early 30s. People sentenced to death are kept here, in the near future they will have an electric chair and they will walk along the green mile to the place of their execution.
A very unusual prisoner enters one of the cells – a black giant named John Coffey. He is accused of murdering and raping two little girls. However, later it turns out that this man is innocent, in addition, he has paranormal abilities – he can heal people. However, he must accept death for the crime he did not commit.
The main character of the film is the head of this block – the policeman Paul. John Coffey heals him of a serious illness and Paul seeks to understand his case. When he realizes that John is innocent, he faces a difficult choice: commit an official crime or execute an innocent person.
The picture makes you think about eternal human values, about what awaits all of us after the expiration of the life span.
9. Schindler’s list
This is a brilliant film, it was directed by one of the most eminent directors of our time – Steven Spielberg.
The plot of this film is based on the fate of a major German industrialist Oskar Schindler. The story takes place during World War II. Schindler is a big businessman and member of the Nazi Party, but he saves thousands of doomed Jews. He organizes several enterprises and employs only Jews. He spends his personal money in order to ransom and save as many prisoners as possible. During the war, this man saved 1200 Jews.
The film won seven Oscars.
8. Saving Private Ryan
This is another brilliant film of all time directed by Spielberg. The film describes the final stage of the Second World War and the action of American troops in France.
Captain John Miller receives an unusual and difficult assignment: he and his squad must locate and evacuate Private James Ryan. The military leadership decides to send the soldier home to his mother.
During this mission, John Miller himself and all the soldiers of his unit die, but they manage to complete their task.
This film raises the question of the value of human life, even during the war, when, it would seem, this value is equal to zero. The film has a wonderful ensemble of actors, excellent special effects, brilliant work of the cameraman. Some viewers blame the picture for excessive pathos and excessive patriotism, but, in any case, Saving Private Ryan is one of the best films about the war.
7. dog’s heart
This film was shot in the USSR in the late 80s of the last century. The director of the film is Vladimir Bortko. The screenplay is based on the novel of the same name by Mikhail Bulgakov.
If Western cinema is strong with its special effects, stunts and huge film budgets, then the Soviet film school usually emphasized acting and directing. “Heart of a Dog” is a magnificent film, which is made according to the brilliant work of the great master. He raises acute universal questions and harshly criticizes the monstrous social experiment that was launched in Russia after 1917, costing the country and the world millions of human lives.
The plot of the picture is as follows: in the 20s of the last century, the brilliant surgeon Professor Preobrazhensky sets up a unique experiment. He transplants human organs into an ordinary mongrel dog, and the dog begins to turn into a man.
However, this experience had the most unfortunate consequences: a person obtained in such an unnatural way turns into a complete scoundrel, but at the same time manages to make a career in Soviet Russia. The moral of this film is very simple – no revolution can turn an animal into a person useful to society. This can only be done by daily work and work on yourself. Bulgakov’s book was banned in the USSR, the film could only be made just before the very agony of the Soviet system. The film impresses with the brilliant acting of the actors: the role of Professor Preobrazhensky is, of course, the best role of the brilliant Soviet actor Yevgeny Evstigneev.
6. Island
The film was released in 2006 and was directed by the talented Russian director Pavel Lungin.
The events of the film begin during the Second World War. The Nazis capture a barge on which there were two people: Anatoly and Tikhon. Anatoly cowardly agrees to shoot his comrade. He manages to survive, he settles in a monastery, leads a righteous life and helps people who come to him. But repentance for the terrible sin of youth haunts him.
One day, the admiral comes to him for help with his daughter. The girl was possessed by a demon. Anatoly expels him, and later he recognizes in the admiral the same sailor he once shot. He managed to survive and thus a terrible burden of guilt is removed from Anatoly.
This is a film that raises eternal Christian questions for the viewer: sin and repentance, holiness and pride. Ostrov is one of the most worthy Russian films of modern times. It should be noted the brilliant play of the actors, the excellent work of the operator.
5. Terminator
This is a cult fantasy story, the first part of which was released on the screen in 1984. After that, four films were made, but the most popular are the first two parts, which were created by director James Cameron.
This is a story about the world of the distant future, in which people survived a nuclear war and are forced to fight against evil robots. The machines send a killer robot back in time to destroy the mother of the future leader of the resistance. The people of the future managed to send a defending soldier into the past. The film raises many topical issues of modern society: the danger of creating artificial intelligence, the possible threat of a global nuclear war, the fate of man and his free will. The role of the terminator killer was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the second part of the film, the machines again send the killer into the past, but now his target is a teenage boy who must lead people into battle against robots. People again send a defender, now it becomes a robot-terminator, again played by Schwarzenegger. According to critics and viewers, the second part of this film turned out even better than the first (which happens quite rarely).
James Cameron created a real world in which there is a struggle between good and evil, and people must protect their world. Later, several more films about terminator robots were made (the fifth film is expected in 2015), but they no longer had the popularity of the first parts.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
This is a whole series of adventure films, which was created by different directors. The first film was created in 2003 and immediately became wildly popular. Today we can already say that the films of this series have become part of popular culture. On their basis, computer games have been created, and themed attractions have been installed in Disney parks. Pirate romance has become part of our daily lives.
This is a bright and colorful story that describes the events that took place in the New World in the period from the XNUMXth-XNUMXth centuries. The films have a rather weak connection with real history, but they immerse us in the unique romance of sea adventures, boarding fights in gunpowder smoke, pirate treasures hidden on distant and mysterious islands.
All the films have amazing special effects, lots of fight scenes, shipwrecks. Johnny Depp plays the lead role.
3. Picture
One of the best films ever made. It was directed by James Cameron. This fantastic film completely takes the viewer to another world, which is located at a distance of tens of light years from our planet. When creating this picture, the latest achievements of computer graphics were used. The film’s budget exceeded $270 million, but the total collection of this film is already more than $2 billion.
The protagonist of the film is chained to a wheelchair due to an injury. He receives an invitation to participate in a special scientific program on the planet Pandora.
The earth is on the verge of an ecological catastrophe. Mankind is forced to look for resources outside its planet. A rare mineral was discovered on Pandora, which is very necessary for earthlings. For several people (including Jack), special bodies were created – avatars that they must control. A tribe of aborigines lives on the planet, which is not enthusiastic about the activities of earthlings. Jack needs to get to know the natives better. However, events do not develop at all as the invaders planned.
Usually in films about the contact of earthlings and aliens, aliens show aggression towards the inhabitants of the Earth, and they have to defend themselves with all their might. In Cameron’s picture, everything happens exactly the opposite: the earthlings are cruel colonizers, and the natives defend their home.
This film is very beautiful, the cameraman’s work is impeccable, the actors play excellently, and the script, thought out to the smallest detail, takes us to a magical world.
2. Matrix
Another cult story, the first part of which appeared on the screens in 1999. The protagonist of the picture, programmer Thomas Anderson, lives an ordinary life, but he learns the terrible truth about the world in which he lives and his life changes dramatically.
According to the script of this film, people live in a fictional world, information about which machines put into their brains. And only a small group of people live in the real world and fight against the machines that have taken over our planet.
Thomas has a special destiny, he is the chosen one. It is he who is destined to become the leader of the human resistance. But this is a very difficult path, on which numerous obstacles await him.
1. Lord of the Rings
This magnificent trilogy is based on the immortal book of John Tolkien. The trilogy includes three films. All three parts are directed by Peter Jackson.
The plot of the picture takes place in the magical world of Middle-earth, which is inhabited by people, elves, orcs, dwarves and dragons. A war begins between the forces of good and evil, and its most important element is a magic ring, which accidentally falls into the hands of the main character, the hobbit Frodo. It must be destroyed, and for this the ring must be thrown into the mouth of a fire-breathing mountain.
Frodo, along with devoted friends, sets off on a long journey. Against the backdrop of this journey, the epic events of the struggle between dark and light forces unfold. Bloody battles unfold before the viewer, amazing magical creatures appear, sorcerers weave their spells.
Tolkien’s book, on which this trilogy was based, was considered a cult in the fantasy genre, the film did not spoil it at all and was enthusiastically received by all fans of this genre. Despite the slightly frivolous fantasy genre, this trilogy raises eternal questions for the viewer: friendship and fidelity, love and true courage. The main idea that runs like a red thread through this whole story is that even the smallest person is able to change our world for the better. Just take the first step outside the door.