Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time
I was recently asked to contribute to Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time poll.
It’s not easy putting together my selections—the list of my favorite films and the greatest films ever made do not necessarily feature the same films. Even at that, I feel like I could have moved these films around a bit. I love Jurassic Park but Schindler’s List is Steven Spielberg’s greatest cinematic legacy. Even with my 10th slot, I was all set to submit my selections but decided to replace Fiddler on the Roof with Singin’ in the Rain at the last minute. Unfortunately, some films do end up getting left out because it’s just so hard to choose one over another.
My choices are in the following order:
Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman put in performances that would also define both of their careers. It was a match made in heaven in casting the film. A love story that was also doomed from the very beginning.
Who would have ever thought that an unproduced play, Everybody Comes to Rick's, from Murray Burnett and Joan Alison would become one of the greatest films ever made? It certainly helps that the casting fell into place. Perhaps what is the most surprising about the film's production is the shooting of scenes not knowing what is coming next. I would not say that the film was rushed into production but one must wonder if a polished script would have given us these results. Given the circumstances, Michael Curtiz certainly did a brilliant job behind the camera.
Schindler's List isn't only Steven Spielberg's epic masterpiece but the film is what cemented his legacy as both a filmmaker and human.
We can say everything we want to about all the great Steven Spielberg blockbusters but Schindler's List is his masterpiece. This is the film that cemented Spielberg's legacy not so much as a filmmaker but as a person. Without this film, it's very well possible that Spielberg wouldn't start up the USC Shoah Foundation. The foundation made it possible for more Holocaust survivors to tell their story. Spielberg first caught the attention of Thomas Keneally's novel ten years earlier but he wasn't at the stage in his career to make this film.
Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park remains an innovative, groundbreaking and inspiring classic as it did when it was originally released in June 1993.
The moment when jeeps stop and Dr. Grant looks up remains one of those awe-inspiring moments. The framing and their reactions hit so well. Grant doesn't look away as he turns Ellie's face towards the sight of the Brachiosaurus standing in front of their own eyes. It's only then that we hear Hammond's classic line, "Welcome to Jurassic Park!"
Perhaps what should be celebrated the most about Jurassic Park is that it was the beginning of the end of an era in visual effects and the start of another. The dinosaurs in the film appear by way of animatronics and visual effects. It's a spectacle to behold in that regard--truly innovative and groundbreaking. The advancement of special effects in Jurassic Park helped pave the way for a change in blockbuster filmmaking. Without the technology that was invented for this film, so many other films might never have seen the day of life. The win at the Oscars for Best Visual Effects is one that speaks for itself as this film stands the test of time.
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