Top ten movies stand the test of time and reign supreme

 THE WIZARD OF OZ

 Concluding our list is L. Frank Baum’s colorfully terrific The Wizard of Oz. The story of young Dorothy Gale and her chipper companion Toto surprised audiences with the unique use of black and white twisting out of control into beautiful Technicolor. The film is commonly viewed with the traditional themes of home, love and friendship; however, The Wizard of Oz is also an allegory for The Great Depression era. Symbols such as the yellow brick road, bricks of gold, are snuck cleverly into the film. Whatever the message, we can’t deny the impact this film still has on audiences today. How many of us bought a pair of ruby slippers and clicked our heels together three times after seeing this movie as kids? Audiences are instantly consumed into the spectacle with its charming dance sequences and catchy musical tunes. There is no denying you will wish you were somewhere over the rainbow.

VERTIGO

Face your fears with James Stewart and Kim Novak, as Alfred Hitchcock’s mysterious thriller Vertigo sweeps into the No. 9 slot. Vertigo will make your head spin as you follow the recovery of retired detective John Ferguson, who suffers from acrophobia, or the fear of heights. Tracing the wife of an old friend, Ferguson soon gets involved too close with his client, and the result is dizzying chaos. One of Hitchcock’s first films to use colorful graphics, don’t miss this movie if you’re looking for a good mystery that can also give you a slight spook.

SCHINDLER’S LIST

 Powerful, tense and heart-wrenching don’t even come close to describing Steven Spielberg’s successful Schindler’s List. Based on the true story of Oskar Schindler, this seven Academy Award-winning film highlights the brutality of the Holocaust as well as focuses on a man that eventually turned into a symbol of hope for those suffering. Not only is the storyline terrific, the cinematography only complements that script. Even the simple use of color at specific points is incredibly compelling to watch as an audience member. Through strong mise-en-scence, the viewer gets insight into a character, especially Oskar, even before he begins to speak. This historical drama, no matter how disturbing, is not one to miss.

LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

This 1962 picture starring Peter O’Toole tells the tale of the unconventional hero T.E. Lawrence, British army officer during the first World War situated in Arabia. To be upfront with my readers, this film was extremely tough to get through. Standing at nearly four hours long, Lawrence of Arabia is a historical biopic that challenges the means of movie-making. High impact action and romance side stories are absent as the movie uses the desert as its stage. The film doesn’t use spectacle but simply tells the story in its entirety.

GONE WITH THE WIND

Join the ever-sassy Scarlett O’Hara and her tumultuous relationship with the mysterious Rhett Butler as the South learns how to survive during the Civil War. This film definitely stands out for its time by having a strong female lead, resulting in the passing of the Bechdel Test. While Gone With the Wind is known as an essential romance movie, the movie has so many more aspects that O’Hara leads, such as the survival of the Tara plantation.

SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN

 Grab an umbrella and prepare to be splashed with fun as Singin’ in the Rain dances its way to the fifth-place slot. Residing as AFI’s best movie musical, Classic Rewind has reviewed the film that pioneered the way for the Arthur Freed Unit at MGM Studios. We can all thank the irresistible comedic charm of Donald O’Connor and the classic suave charisma of Gene Kelly for the monumental amounts of movie musicals such as The Wizard of Oz and Easter Parade that followed.

RAGING BULL

 Another repeat on Classic Rewind, Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull takes the fourth place slot. Surprisingly, for being such a fan of Scorsese’s work, this was not my favorite film. That being said, certain aspects of this film are made with the highest quality; Thelma Schoonmaker took home the Oscar for Film Editing for the film. Another aspect is the unique perspective of a protagonist the audience doesn’t want to root for in a sports film. Robert De Niro also received the Best Actor Academy Award for this movie. While De Niro’s performance as boxer Jake La Motta is frustrating all for the right reasons, this gritty film is tough to get through if you’re looking for characters you actually go away liking. If you try hard enough, you might be able to view La Motta’s actions as extreme determination to do well in his sport, but I don’t think that makes any of his actions justified.

CASABLANCA

 Suspense, gambling wagers, secrets and romance: what a beautiful friendship these elements make! The 1942 classic Casablanca truly can capture any movie viewer. Following cynical loner Rick unexpectedly running into his past love, Ilsa, who turns out to be accompanied by another man, this film has you switching sides every five minutes. Set during World War II, the movie is filled with the acceptable amount of flashbacks, usually starting with the motif song, “As Time Goes By,” to give the reader just enough information to follow the plot. A turn of events causes an unpredictable ending that I wasn’t sure how I felt about the first time I watched it. While this is obviously very biased considering it is my favorite movie, I would encourage you to watch this film and then watch When Harry Met Sally after to spot all the connections between the two.

THE GODFATHER

 When Don Corleone says he will make you an offer you can’t refuse, he means it! Making its second appearance on Classic Rewind, The Godfather ranks No. 2 on AFI’s 100 Years…100 Movies list. As I have written about previously, this movie is one of my absolute favorites. For a movie with such a high intensity level, Marlon Brando’s superb acting almost seems refreshing, such a juxtaposition that strangely works very well.

 CITIZEN KANE

 Reigning at the No. 1 spot is Orson Welles’ 1941 hit Citizen Kane. The film chronicles the expensive life of Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper tycoon and political candidate extraordinaire. Living a life full of costly statues, various wives and money to spend, Kane utters one simple word before his death: “Rosebud.” The meaning of this word becomes the biggest mystery that newspaper reporters everywhere are trying to solve. The film focuses on the character of Kane starting from his childhood all the way to his death. Even with his whole life being displayed, Kane is not a character the audience fully understands. Signed away to a great deal of money in his childhood, Kane lives a luxurious life while claiming to be the “man of the working people.” The movie is supposed to be loosely based on newspaper muckraker William Randolph Hearst. Interestingly enough, Scorsese’s new film, The Wolf of Wall Street, mirrors this film closely in terms of Kane versus Scorsese’s Jordan Belfort. Considering both films are based off real people, this could just be coincidence. Citizen Kane broke though barriers with its new camera use and makeup concepts. Through the use of the wide-angle camera lens, the walls seem to be zooming past the audience rather than the still camera shots used in most movies previous to Citizen Kane. Director and star Orson Welles was only 26 years old when he portrayed the life of Charles Kane. This shows not only the excellent makeup use to age Welles, but also his believability as an actor to play such a range of ages. Combining biography, character development and mystery, Citizen Kane is a must-see movie.

Ali can sting like a bee, but La Motta never backs down in Scorsese’s biographical sports drama

With punches thrown, blood soaked sponges and the quick flash of 1940’s cameras, Raging Bull is a gritty film about the life and boxing career of Jake La Motta. Topping AFI’s Top 10 Sports Films, director Martin Scorsese does not leave out the gruesome details of La Motta’s career and what he risked to be a boxing title champion. La Motta’s “present-day” life, one of stand-up routines and bar scenes, set in the 1960s frames the movie as this epic biopic travels through La Motta’s tumultuous ‘40s and ‘50s career.

Jake La Motta is portrayed by Robert De Niro, who won an Academy Award for the role. De Niro went through various weight fluctuations and boxing training to become this character. Certain elements of the film, including the way La Motta views and treats women, mainly his second wife, stayed true to La Motta’s own written biography. The film displays aggressive and abusive behavior from La Motta toward wife, Vickie, stemmed from an undetermined paranoia. Obsessed with Vickie, who she is with and what she does when he’s away, Jake eventually drives her out of his life, along with his other close companions; mainly his brother Joey who serves as his friend and manager.

An interesting take on a sports film, Raging Bull presents more than just gory face-smashing boxing matches. While the movie focuses heavily on La Motta obsessing over his sport and having that obsessiveness transfer to his daily life, the movie includes a good sense of American history.  During this time in boxing the mafia was in charge of the Board, meaning the mob decided who won and who would fight whom. As true to the actual events taking place, La Motta’s brother Joey gets involved with mafia member, Salvy. However, with Jake’s determination to win only because he was the better fighter, the mafia becomes displeased with his refusal for help and turns the boxing world against him.  Adding this to the film added suspense and development in the psyche of the character Jake La Motta.

As a warning to those interested in the film, the title is most definitely fitting. Raging Bull is not a sports movie with an overall theme of hope attached to it, much like the sports dramas of today. La Motta is portrayed as a hot head with a violent temper and is not seen even as a tragic hero. What is interesting about this sports biopic is that you don’t necessarily want to cheer for Jake, the assumed protagonist. La Motta is seen as the bully; however, there isn’t a true protagonist you cheer for rather than La Motta. While I liked the different aspects of the film, I wouldn’t recommend it for those looking for an uplifting film of a struggling athlete turning to a better life.  This film is completely the opposite.

For those of you who have seen Raging Bull, do you agree with the analysis? Was Raging Bull what you expected from a sports film? I want to hear your thoughts so comment below!