9. 8 ½ (1963) Italian director Federico Fellini’s self-referential film is about the filmmaking process itself. Marcello Mastroianni plays an acclaimed, visionary director who gets lost in fantasy and memory whilst trying to craft his next masterpiece. It’s not surprising that the only group
who like 8 ½ more than the critics are directors. The film explores the tensions between art and industry, between real life and creative work. It’s a picture full of style, beauty, humour and intelligence. It’s also ponderous, indulgent and distancing. The characters are so loaded with symbolism
8. Battleship Potemkin (1925) Sergei Eisenstein’s Soviet propaganda film is the oldest film on the list. This silent film dramatises the mutiny which occurred on the Russian battleship Potemkin in 1905.
10. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
musical numbers, it’s a joyous watch.
The only musical and perhaps the most popular film on the list. Generation after generation have fallen in love with Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s feel-good classic and deservedly so.
For all its brilliance Singin’ in the Rain is far from the perfect movie and regularly feels like a collection of scenes rather than a coherent whole. Fortunately, any flaws are completely overridden by the pure genius of its lead actor, choreographer and co-director, Gene Kelly.
The script about two rival movie stars trying to survive the move to talking pictures superbly captures the comic reality of that famously difficult transition. Combined with several of the 20th Century’s most iconic
Verdict: Woody Allen once said that Singin’ in the Rain would be as fresh in 500 years as it was on the day it was released. He might just be right.
Eisenstein manipulatively pits a pure working class against the uncaring ruling elite. World politics may have changed a lot since 1925 but the underlying message about class and inequality still resonates today. Beyond the politics Battleship Potemkin is simply an outstanding action film. The groundbreaking quick-cut editing, use of violence and unforgettable sequence on the steps of Odessa continue to influence filmmakers today. Made with considerable help from the Soviet Navy, the visuals are so strong that words are completely unnecessary. Verdict: Forceful, efficient and provocative, Battleship Potemkin retains its power almost 90 years on. A perfect first silent film.
and ambiguity that it’s impossible to care about them. 8 ½ offers an intellectual rather than emotional experience. Verdict: This film is close to a piece of art and so is far more demanding than your average film. Your average film fan, however, won’t get back what they put in.