Breathless (1960)
“Wait. So… that’s it?
That’s the movie that redefined cinema? That’s the movie that changed editing
and structure? That proved that the only rule is that there are no rules? I
guess I don’t see it. Maybe I just don’t get it. I mean, haven’t we seen this
done before?”
Yep, we sure have. But only since.
The Deer Hunter
(1978)
I was too disturbed to appreciate it. Like many of my
still-favorite films, I first saw The
Deer Hunter when I was very young. Probably too young. And it did a number
on me. It was so sad and lonely and hopeless, I couldn’t ever imagine saying I
“liked” it. But then something strange happened: it never went away. I couldn’t
get the film out of my mind. It was full of little moments that haunted me: De
Niro picking a fight with a distraught soldier at a wedding, De Niro not
recognizing his best friends in-country, the spilt wine, the rats, the most
melancholic cover of “God Bless America” ever conceived. The Deer Hunter is still one of the most disturbing movies I’ve
ever seen, which is why it took me a while to appreciate its full, raw beauty.
The Shining
(1980)
I’ve never seen a Stanley Kubrick film that I absolutely
loved on first viewing. I love them all now, but it took multiple viewings of
each. The Shining especially. Again,
I was probably too young to appreciate why Kubrick used 146 long minutes to
tell his story. Too young to understand the film’s slow build up, not to
mention its fever dream obscurity. Now, I can’t make it through Halloween
without watching it at least once.
The Abyss (1989)
When I was young, I resented Titanic’s
success, which meant I disliked nearly other James Cameron film by proxy.
Basically, I didn’t like The Abyss
because I didn’t like Titanic (gotta
love the rationalization skills of a 12 year old). But once I separated the two
films, I quickly grew to admire The Abyss.
In fact, I think it’s Cameron’s best film. Terminator
2 will always be my favorite, but I find the most cinematic value in The Abyss.
The Big Lebowski
(1998)
A funny thing happened a few years ago. I was having dinner
with my friend and his girlfriend. He had just attempted to show her The Big Lebowski for the first time, and
she said she turned it off because she couldn’t get into it.
Her: “I know it’s some sort of cult classic, but it wasn’t
working for me.”
Me: “I was the same exact way the first
time I watched it.”
Her: “Plus it’s so damn long, like two and a half hours.”
Me: “Nah, clocks in at just under two, but I get that it can
feel long initially.”
Her: “It’s at least two and a half hours.”
So we made a bet. If I was right, she had to give the film
another go. Needless to say, she loves the movie now.
Synecdoche, New York
(2008)
I wanted to get it so badly. I wanted to open myself to the
film’s obscure depiction of isolation, despair and worthlessness. But I just
couldn’t. Nothing clicked. It ended and I didn’t have plans to look at it again. And then we lost him. We lost him and people talked, wrote
tributes. Synecdoche, New York was
mentioned often, occasionally capped with words like “crowning achievement.” So
I went back. And, slowly but surely, the puzzle pieces started to fit. It began
to work. And now, every time I watch it, it reveals itself more to me.
Greenberg (2010)
Noah Baumbach’s Greenberg
is the only film on this list that I actively disliked the first time I watched
it. I found it to be a self-indulgent, vapid waste of time. But when I went
back to the film for my Directors post on Baumbach, something kind of remarkable
happened. I let the film wash over me, and I found myself seriously
appreciating it. Age has a lot to do with this, as does an enhanced appreciation
for editing and composition styles of European cinema. And really, how can you not like that final scene?
Moneyball (2011)
Moneyball was the
victim of the cinematic sugar high I felt from Drive. I first saw Bennett Miller’s patient and calculating film about
30 seconds after I first saw Nicolas Winding Refn’s pulp electronica thrill
ride. They were in the theater at the same time, the timing worked out, so I
caught them both. Moneyball simply
couldn’t hold my attention. I wanted to go back and be wowed by Drive again. I wanted that energy, that
high. Today, Moneyball is one of the
most compulsively rewatchable films I own. The film has its own unique energy, it
just takes a little while to uncover it.
Warrior (2011)
Warrior hit too
close to home. It brought up so many feelings regarding my own family. It was
so emotionally brutal, but also uncommonly vulnerable. After I first saw it, I
denied its effect on me. But, much like The Deer Hunter, I knew I had to revisit
Warrior. I caught it again the day
before it left theaters, and by the end, I was a complete mess. Warrior is one of the best films I’ve
ever seen about family, it just uses MMA as an outlet to facilitate
its drama.
The Master (2012)
Preconceived notions are the worst possible thing you can
take into a film. That’s why I ignore trailers, reviews, and marketing
materials. I like to go in as blind as I can. But it was impossible to not have
fixed thoughts on The Master before
seeing it. I wanted the visceral power of There
Will Be Blood. That was my one request. But, seeing as how There Will Be Blood is one of the most
viscerally powerful films ever made, I was bound to let myself down. Instead,
what I got was an experimental mind fuck; a meditation on isolation, rage, and
control. I left the theater knowing I had witness greatness, yet I couldn’t
hail it as great. Today… The Master
is as great as great movies get.
You May Also Like
Brilliant list, once again.
ReplyDeleteI'd place Goodfellas on this list for myself. I found it so overrated when I first saw it...nice but nothing special...and then I rewatched it and realized that it's really, really a great film.
My favorite of 1990? No, but a much better film than I had remembered.
Thanks man! Cool story about Goodfellas. That was definitely me with The Shining. Thought it was initially very overrated. Wroooong.
DeleteBreathless and Synecdoche, New York definitely fits in with that list of films. I didn't understand what was so great about them at first. Especially the latter as I was confused by it though I thought it was good. Years later through re-watches, it stuck with me as I now regret not putting the film in my recent list.
ReplyDeleteOne film that didn't stick with me in its first viewing was Heaven's Gate where the re-watch I did last year definitely helped out though it is still a flawed film.
I think with some films, there are those that can't be seen just once as they need to be seen again and again to maybe comprehend what it's about and more because the filmmaker was doing something that knew wasn't going to get some kind of immediate reaction.
Then you have a film like Southland Tales where I remember Richard Kelly at the press conference for its premiere at Cannes in 2006 as he said that this is a film that should be seen multiple times for people to understand it. Well, the first time I saw it. I thought it sucked and in subsequent viewings, it still fucking sucks.
This comment is gold. I love your sincerity in talking about Heaven's Gate and then everything you said in your third paragraph. Then that final graph about Southland Tales had me rolling. It's true, some films just plain suck, no matter how many times you see them.
DeleteFantastic list! I really love what you said about Synecdoche especially. I miss PSH so damn much.
ReplyDeleteI really disliked Husbands and Wives when I first watched it. The handheld camera, the pure viciousness of the dialogue, the fact that Woody paired himself with *another* 18 year old, all of it really turned me off. Needless to say, watching it again, it's probably one of my favourite Allen films, definitely top ten, maybe even five. Judy Davis is so perfect. Even so, I'm still a bit uncomfortable with the Allen-Lewis pairing.
Thanks! Husbands and Wives... totally get where you're coming from. It has always been in my Allen Top 3, but if I discovered it any earlier than I initially did, I don't think I would've appreciated it. He literally tossed out all the rules with that one. He said he wanted to make a film like he was a film student, and I think it succeeds. The age discrepancy between the main star and his love interest... well... that's cause for another post entirely.
DeleteI felt the same way about a lot of these movies like The Shining and The Big Lebowski as well. And maybe i should give Moneyball another shot because i have only seen that one once and i just thought it was really boring and cheesy at times. But a major movie like this for me has to be Zodiac. I remember the first time i saw it i was about 17 or 18 years old i think. It was in 2007 right after it came out on DVD. I had rented it with a couple of other movies, but didn't get around to watching it until the day i had to return the movies, so i just put it on early in the morning right after waking up. That was a bad idea because i was not able to focus on the movie at all. I was still a little tired and i was just thinking about all the other stuff i had to get done that day and felt the movie was taking way too long to finish. I was making at a chore to watch it just because i had already rented it and didn't want to waste my money. So because i didn't pay attention to the movie i missed a lot of details and by the end i was just confused and thought the movie was a boring mess. It took me a few years before i finally revisited it again and fell in love with it. Now it is one of my all time favorite movies. Definitely in my top 10. So after that i am never watching a movie when i don't really feel like it just because i have to return it soon or something like that. That is not a good way to watch a movie.
ReplyDeleteSooo glad you gave Zodiac another chance, because yeah man... wow. Watching a movie when you don't feel like it is rough. Your mind just isn't in the place to enjoy it, so you're already working against the movie without even seeing a frame of it. Definitely been there.
DeleteWould love to hear what you think about Moneyball should you give it another go.
Right on about The Abyss. Particularly with the Director's Cut, it's up there with The Terminator as my favorite from Cameron. I do think it's lessened by dislike for Cameron, its length, and people feeling it's too sentimental with the love story. It all works for me.
ReplyDeleteSame here! And I loved that movie even more after I watched the Making-Of, which I believe you turned me onto actually. What a production that beast was.
DeleteI know. After learning more about the behind-the-scenes info, I admired the movie ever more.
DeleteGreat list! Pretty much any Coen Brothers film could be added to this list, in my opinion. They just get better every. single. time.
ReplyDeleteHell yeah. But I've never seen a Coen Bros. film that I didn't at all "get," the first time, as badly as Lebowski. But their movies definitely grow on you for sure.
DeleteYou are the god of lists. :-) I especially love this one. This happens with me a lot. I watch a movie again and respond to it very differently because I'm in a different stage of my life, or looking at it from a different angle, or just in the right (or wrong) mood. It took me a second viewing to warm up to so many great movies.
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
DeleteAge, I find, has a lot to do with it for me. Added perspective, life experience, all those things weigh in. So glad you like the list!
Head-on (2004) and Princess Bride (1987) are two films that comes to mind which I now really like and could barely finish when I first saw those in my 20s.
ReplyDeleteThe Shining definitely requires multiple viewings to fully appreciate, love that film. The Big Lebowski still hasn't won me over, fun story about your friend's girlfriend, maybe a rewatch is needed for me as well ;)
Head-On... damn, that movie. I haven't watched that one in years, whatta doozy. Would love to know what further Lebowski viewings do for you!
DeleteSurprised Blade Runner didn't receive a mention in either the article or the comments. I've seen the film twice in all of its versions and I'm still just in awe of the visuals and slightly bored by the meandering story.
ReplyDeleteI hear what you're saying, but it doesn't sound like you've had a full about-face with that one. I'm talking about films I either didn't like or was apathetic to my on my first viewing, then had a complete 180 on in subsequent viewings. Sounds like you're still grappling with some of Blade Runner, you know? But I've always been curious, which is the best version of that film? Aren't there like 7?
DeleteI totally feel that same way about James Cameron. I know I shouldn't, but I'm just so pissed off that he made that crappy Avatar and Avatar made all the money in the world, and also the crappy Titanic and Titanic made all the money in the world and to THIS DAY is beloved by teenage girls for no other reason than Leo's cute. I also feel a similar feeling to an extent about (controversial thoughts coming through) Paul Thomas Anderson. Like, I really liked The Master, Magnolia, and Boogie Nights, I'm on the fence about Punch Drunk Love (everyone calls it delightful and uplifting, I think it's one of the most disturbing movies ever made), but There Will Be Blood was just so mediocre, and everyone treats it like it's the best thing to happen to cinema since the kinetoscope, that I feel a little bugged everytime I hear praise for him (everytime someone compares it to No Country for Old Men, I'm pretty sure they go the two reversed). Anywho, on to more positive thoughts.
ReplyDeleteI hear a lot of people say what you said about Kubrick, but oddly enough, I loved each and everyone of them on first viewing (except Lolita, but perhaps If I gave that a rewatch, it'd grow on me).
I know I have a ton of this kind of movie, but the only four I can think of right now are Pulp Fiction, Dawn of the Dead, From Here to Eternity, and It Happened One Night.
Before I saw Pulp Fiction, everyone kept telling me that it was one of the most violent and disturbing movies ever made, so I went in expecting some of the most depraved torture porn my eyes will ever witness, and when it wasn't, and was actually a character study that featured some gunshots (and, okay, that redneck scene was a little bit fucked up), I was a little bit muffed. Now, however, I think it's amazing.
I loved Night of the Living Dead (and was also in a school play of it, but that's neither here nor there). I loved the atmosphere it built up, I loved Duane Jones's performance (that man not making more movies is a goddamn tragedy), I loved the bleakness of the ending. Everyone keeps telling me that it's cheesy camp, but that sentiment is completely lost on me. So when I heard that Dawn of the Dead was even better, I was excited, but I wasn't expecting the more satirical tone it had, and my initial feelings was that it was just goofy. However, I rewatched it recently, and now it's one of my favorites.
From Here to Eternity and It Happened One Night are pretty much the same story. I watched them in broad daylight at home with my mom doing something/talking to the dog/complaining/whatever, and my first thoughts were along the lines of "It's alright. It's old." Then, I saw it them in my Film History class in high school, in a darkened room, everyone was silent, and I now love them both.
Ahh, bummer about There Will Be Blood. The film is, to me, an American masterpiece. And one of the few contemporary ones at that. But, as I often say: we like what we like.
DeleteI've never understood people calling Pulp one of the most violent films ever made, except that maybe the people who say that just haven't seen that many movies. There's a certain pulpiness to Tarantino's violence (duh) that takes away from how emotionally brutal it is. The wrestling match and the dog attack in Django are awful, but they are supposed to be awful.
From Here to Eternity is one of those films I didn't expect to like at all, but absolutely loved the first time out. So glad you like it now too.
Hey, maybe There Will Be Blood will be an about-face film too.
DeletePeople calling Pulp Fiction one of the most violent films ever is like people calling
Inception one of the most confusing films ever, which is to say, they really need to watch a lot more films.
Eraserhead! Another about-face film for me was Eraserhead. The first time I tried watching it, I turned it off after about 10 minutes. Now, it's a surrealist masterpiece, and one that I often think of when I think of great cinema.
Another one, not a film, but an album, would be Radiohead's Kid A. The first time I heard it, thought it was weird and a little boring. Now, my favorite song is Everything Is In Its Right Place, and Radiohead is hands down my favorite band.
By the way, "about-face" is an interesting term. Where did it originate?
Ohhhh Eraserhead, great call. That one definitely takes time to ease into.
DeleteKid A changed my idea of music. I like OK Computer well enough, but Kid A was such a redefinition of anything I'd ever heard. I discovered that album and the band M83 around the whole time, and it really opened up my creative side.
"About-face" is a military term literally meaning "turn the opposite direction." Officers often yell this to their soldiers during a march.
Another great list Alex, this is such a great site, thank You for it!
ReplyDeleteOne very similar list could be about films that You like or even love immediately - even You don't really understand it. And then each time You watch it again You understand a little more and by that also understand a little more about Yourself with each viewing, because something in You got it immediately. Examples for that for me:
- Inherent Vice: Always get totally lost halfway through and feel like Doc myself, but there is this melancholy and this thing about the lost idealism of 1967 and the money and power grabbing California culture that destroys it all etc. that just fits, so I have to come back to it again and again ...
- Vanilla Sky: I'm still not sure if this all make sense but somehow at the end it seems like it - and that feeling makes for a good film I think
- Once upon a Time in America: Didn't understand what was happening and why Max came back who betrayed who etc. - but the music and the epic structure and the friendship thing made me an addict; the first 5 - 7 times I watched this I did it on video in a (bad) German translation in black and white on a very small portable TV - and it was just magic
Again thank You for this great site and keep going, looking forward to every new post !!
Sven
PS.: What about including Michael Cimino in Your directors list ?
Thanks so much, Sven! I really appreciate that! Inherent Vice is one I need to revisit again. I've only seen it twice, and while I did get very lost, I think you make a great point by saying that getting lost is kind of the point (as Doc does as well).
DeleteFor the directors posts, I usually try to profile directors whose bodies of work I enjoy overall. Those things take a long time to do, you know? Unfortunately, I only love one of Cimino's films, though I have a few yet to see, namely Desperate Hours.
I wouldn't recommend Desperate Hours that much. Year of the Dragon, Heaven's Gate, The Sicilian and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot are both very original and have some moments that You won't forget, and of course The Deer Hunter is close to perfect ... actually it is I think. What I find so interesting is the personal journey of that guy, from a successful director of TV commercials in NY in the late 60s to a part of the artsy New Hollywood in the early 70s (including some screenplays and Thunderbolt and Lightfoot) to the total surprise of The Deer Hunter (question for me is: Who was really the driving force and most important for this huge success: Cimino, DeNiro, V.Zsigmond, ... luck ... ??), then Heaven's Gate (huge in itself, did You read the book "Final Cut" by Steven Bach ? You must!), then it went downwards, Year of the Dragon (great look, great music, great actors, but somehow a little crazy and ... maybe too much in the face), The Sicilian with its (failed) try at opera / epic / Godfather-copy, but still with a lot of beauty ... and then it went worse with Desperate Hours and in 1996 The Sunchaser ... and then Cimino disappeared, hasn't made a movie since then. Then he reappeared, wrote a novel and ... well ... looked and talked very weird, just a shadow of the past. Something very fascinating about that all I think, and so far it hasn't been covered anywhere.
DeleteThe Deer Hunter is in my Top 5 of all time. I'll always cherish it. But, to your point/question, I think a lot of the credit of that film goes to De Niro, who is responsible for landing much of the cast. It's still Cimino's vision, but it doesn't necessarily feel like an auteur piece, which is perfectly fine.
DeleteI started Desperate Hours after your first comment, and turned it off after 45 minutes. It was just so bad. Maybe I'll finish it here someday.
It's so cool that Warrior is here. I saw it years ago and thought it was very good but wasn't floored with it. Last Saturday I saw Southpaw, which was at best mediocre, and then went "hey I want to see more fight movies! ooh Warrior has Hardy in it!" so I rewatched it and loved it. It has all those deep themes but at the same time it's very entertaining - I mean Kevin Dunn always brings it. And the acting is phenomenal. Jesus Christ that scene near the the slot machines....
ReplyDeleteI LOVE that you came around to loving Warrior. That slot machine scene is the most brutal scene in the movie. Both Hardy and Nolte bring their top games there. And if you're only allowed one "fuck" in a PG-13 movie, what better way to use it?
DeleteOoooo great idea for a list! This happens to me A. Lot. My biggest about-face is still probably American Beauty. HATED it at 14- thought it was creepy as hell because of the whole guy falling for his daughter's friend thing, and then I saw it again at 17 and it like blew my mind (pun not intended).
ReplyDeleteHaha nice. I know how much you like that one, so it's cool to know that you didn't at first. I haven't seen that flick in a damn long time.
DeleteGreat list Alex! Moneyball would make mine too. I think my no. 1 would be The Social Network. I merely liked it at first, but then I rewatched TSN a year later and I was like `how the hell did it lose anything toThe King's Speech`.
ReplyDeleteThanks Nika! I will never, ever, ever understand The King's Speech winning Best Picture AND Best Director. Given the competition (or not...), that is not a Best Picture-worthy film. Oh welllll.
DeleteGreat list.
ReplyDeleteI talk about this all the time and compare it to food you hated as a kid but liked later in life when your taste buds develop more.
Mine were:
The Accidental Tourist
Brazil
The Shining
Unforgiven
Fargo
The Godfather (was way too young when I saw it)
A.I. Artificial Intelligence
All of the above are now some of my favourite films ever.
Love this list, and I adore your food comparison. So true. It took me a while to come around to Brazil as well. It's a tough one to love, but I do love it now all the same.
DeleteI realize this is both (1) an old post at which I am commenting and (2) a dumb movie about which I am speaking but for me it would be "Lady in the Water".
ReplyDeleteFor me ... I remember watching it a couple times thinking "this is so dumb" and then finally noticing the scene in which the superintendent Heap experiences healing and thinking "sssshhhhhiiiittttt". There it is. And now finding everything around that beautiful moment tolerable.
Plus the prologue is pretty damn cool.
I never loathed that movie as much as most people. I think there are interesting aspects to it. I love when Reggie stands up to that beast. That's a nice moment.
DeleteLOVE this! Definitely agree on The Master and The Deer Hunter (one of my all-time faves now). The Big Lebowski is one I really must revisit, since I didn't "get" it when I saw it years ago. It's also the only film on this list that I don't love.
ReplyDeleteSome recent examples for me would be Hugo, The Immigrant, The Place Beyond the Pines, Somewhere, Children of Men, The Artist, and Before the Devil Knows You're Dead. Not that I didn't like them at first, but they improved a lot for me upon multiple viewings.
Good stuff, love your picks as well. I've only seen The Artist once, so I could stand to watch it again.
Delete"The Memory of a Killer" (2003)
ReplyDeleteb
Didn't like that one at first?
Delete