235 Best Movies

David liked to read, compile, and exchange lists of best movies. His own lists were a result of much thought, although the actual lists looked more like drafts than finished products. The list below was compiled several years ago.

235 Best Movies:

notes: 1) films are in no particular order

2) films are grouped by director

3) directors are in no particular order

4) films in bold type are especially dear to me

5) films underlined are… ineffable, directed by a demi-god

RAGING BULL — martin scorsese
GOODFELLAS — martin scorsese
THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST — martin scorsese
DO THE RIGHT THING — spike lee
SEX, LIES, AND VIDEOTAPE — steven soderbergh
TRAFFIC — steven soderbergh
MENAGE — betrand blier
NAKED — mike leigh
SECRETS AND LIES — mike leigh
SCHINDLER’S LIST — steven spielberg
JAWS — steven spielberg
THE GRAND ILLUSION — jean renoir
RULES OF THE GAME — jean renoir
THE BICYCLE THIEF — vittorio de sica
ALIEN — ridley scott
BLADE RUNNER — ridley scott
BLACK HAWK DOWN — ridley scott
MURMUR OF THE HEART — louis malle
ATLANTIC CITY — louis malle
LOCAL HERO — bill forsyth
CHOOSE ME — alan rudolph
HANNAH AND HER SISTERS — woody allen
CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS — woody allen
THE PIANO — jane campion
JESUS OF MONTREAL — denys arcand
THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE AND HER LOVER — peter greenaway
ASHES AND DIAMONDS — andrez wajda
DRUGSTORE COWBOY — gus van sant
ELEPHANT — gus van sant
NORTH BY NORTHWEST— alfred hitchcock
NOTORIOUS — alfred hitchcock
DANGEROUS LIASIONS — stephen frears
THE HIT — stephen frears
JEAN DE FLORETTE — claude berri
MANON DES SOURCES — claude berri
CHOCOLAT — claire denis
APOCALYPSE NOW — francis ford coppola
THE CONVERSATION — francis ford coppola
THE GODFATHER — francis ford coppola
THE GODFATHER, PART II — francis ford coppola
SALVADOR — oliver stone
JFK –– oliver stone
THE CHANT OF JIMMIE BLACKSMITH — fred schepisi
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION — fred schepisi
CHINATOWN — roman polanski
BARTON FINK — joel & ethan coen
THE BIG LEBOWSKI — joel & ethan coen
O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? — joel & ethan coen
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN — joel & ethan coen
ROAD WARRIOR — george miller
JU DOU — zhang yimou
RAISE THE RED LANTERN — zhang yimou
LANDSCAPES IN THE MIST — theo angelopoulos
TO SLEEP WITH ANGER — charles burnett
THE LAST WAVE — peter weir
WITNESS — peter weir
FEARLESS — peter weir
WINGS OF DESIRE — wim wenders
THE AMERICAN FRIEND — wim wenders
PARIS, TEXAS — wim wenders
MEPHISTO — istvan szabo
THE FRENCH LIEUTENANT’S WOMAN — karel reisz
JULES AND JIM — francois truffaut
THE 400 BLOWS — francois truffaut
BREAKER MORANT — bruce beresford
THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE — krzysztof kieslowski
BLUE — krzysztof kieslowski
RED — krzysztof kieslowski
THE DECALOGUE — krzysztof kieslowski
WILD STRAWBERRIES— ingmar bergman
THE SEVENTH SEAL— ingmar bergman
FANNY AND ALEXANDER — ingmar bergman
THE HAIRDRESSER’S HUSBAND— patrice leconte
THE TERMINATOR — james cameron
TERMINATOR II — james cameron
AGUIRRE, THE WRATH OF GOD — werner herzog
ROBOCOP — paul verhoeven
THE CONFORMIST — bernardo bertolucci
LAST TANGO IN PARIS — bernardo bertolucci
BLOW-UP— michelangelo antonioni
L’AVENTURA — michelangelo antonioni
THE MARRIAGE OF MARIA BRAUN — rainer werner fassbinder
THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VAN KANT — rainer werner fassbinder
BERLIN ALEXANDERPLATZ — rainer werner fassbinder
IN A YEAR OF THIRTEEN MOONS — rainer werner fassbinder
REVERSAL OF FORTUNE — barbet schroeder
THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING– philip kaufman
THE SEVEN SAMURAI — akira kurosawa
HIGH AND LOW — akira kurosawa
RASHOMAN — akira kurosawa
KAGEMUSHA — akira kurosawa
LA HAINE — mathieu kassewitz
HEATHERS — michael lehmann
THE MISFITS — john huston
THE MIRACLE — neil jordan
THE CRYING GAME — neil jordan
2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY — stanley kubrick
DOCTOR STRANGELOVE–stanley kubrick
THE SHINING — stanley kubrick
CLOCKWORK ORANGE –stanley kubrick
TO LIVE AND DIE IN LA– william friedkin
THE SEARCHERS — john ford
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS — alexander mackendrick
SALAAM BOMBAY — mira nair
FIVE EASY PIECES— bob rafelson
JULIA — fred zinneman
M — fritz lang
DOUBLE INDEMNITY — billy wilder
LA JETEE — chris marker
FAREWELL MY CONCUBINE — chen kaige
CYCLO — tran anh hung
NORWEGIAN WOOD— tran anh hung
AMADEUS — milos forman
THE FISHER KING — terry gilliam
BRAZIL — terry gilliam
DOG DAY AFTERNOON — sidney lumet
RIVER’S EDGE — tim hunter
BLUE VELVET — david lynch
LEAVING LAS VEGAS — mike figgis
LES VOLEURS — andre techine
WILD REEDS — andre techine
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY — james ivory
SHORT CUTS — robert altman
MATADOR — pedro almodovar
LAW OF DESIRE — pedro almodovar
ALL ABOUT MY MOTHER — pedro almodovar
BEING THERE — hal ashby
HEAT — michael mann
THE INSIDER — michael mann
THE BLACK STALLION — carroll ballard
OLIVER! — carol reed
THE THIRD MAN — carol reed
STOP MAKING SENSE— jonathan demme
GLENGARRY GLEN ROSS — james foley
A LITTLE ROMANCE — george roy hill
THE WORLD OF HENRY ORIENT— george roy hill
BODY HEAT — lawrence kasdan
GRAND CANYON — lawrence kasdan
KLUTE — alan j. pakula
THE TIN DRUM — volker schlondorff
THE STUNT MAN — richard rush
DEATH IN VENICE — luchino visconti
8 1/2 — federico fellini
LA DOLCE VITA — federico fellini
THE FUGITIVE — andrew davis
TAMPOPO — juzo itami
THE DEER HUNTER — michael cimino
THE PHILADELPHIA STORY — george cukor
ALL THAT JAZZ — bob fosse
L’AMERICA — gianni amelio
PULP FICTION — quentin tarantino
MATEWAN — john sayles
ROUND MIDNIGHT — bertrand tavernier
THE SAND PEBBLES — robert wise
LA FEMME NIKITA — luc besson
KIDS — larry clark
CRUMB — terry zwigoff
SHOAH— claude lanzmann
ONCE WERE WARRIORS — lee tamahori
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI — david lean
A SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM — jan egleson
TRAINSPOTTING — danny boyle
RUSHMORE — wes anderson
THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL — wes anderson
BREAKING THE WAVES — lars von trier
MELANCHOLIA — lars von trier
THE ENGLISH PATIENT — anthony minghella
JERRY MAGUIRE — cameron crowe
WHEN WE WERE KINGS — leon gast
HOMMES, FEMMES: MODE D’EMPLOI — claude lelouch
LA PROMESSE — luc & jean-pierre dardenne
THE SON — luc & jean-pierre dardenne
LA CONFIDENTIAL— curtis hanson
WONDER BOYS — curtis hanson
ELECTION — alexander payne
SELF-MADE HERO — jean-paul audiarde
ICE STORM — ang lee
THE SWEET HEREAFTER— atom egoyan
FIGHT CLUB — david fincher
SEVEN — david fincher
THE SOCIAL NETWORK — david fincher
ZODIAC — david fincher
AMERICAN BEAUTY — sam mendes
LATE AUGUST, EARLY SEPTEMBER — olivier assayas
CLEAN — olivier assayas
THOSE WHO LOVE ME CAN TAKE THE TRAIN — patrice chereau
WAKING THE DEAD — keith gordon
TOY STORY — john lasseter
BOYS DON’T CRY — kimberly pierce
CENTRAL STATION — walter salles
BEHIND THE SUN — walter salles
WINTER SLEEPERS — tom twyker
THE MATRIX — warchovski brothers
AMORES PERROS — alejandro gonzalez-inarritu
BABEL— alejandro gonzalez-inarritu
DONNIE DARKO — richard kelly
Y TU MAMA TAMBIEN — alphonso cuaron
TIME OUT— laurent cantet
ADAPTATION— spike jonze
HER — spike jonze
IRREVERSIBLE — gaspar noe
THE BOURNE IDENTITY — doug liman
THE BOURNE SUPREMACY — paul greengrass
AMELIE — jean jeunet
ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND — michel gondry
CITY OF GOD — fernando meirelles
THE MOTHER — roger michell
OASIS — chang-dong lee
THE SEA INSIDE— alejandro amenadebar
THERE WILL BE BLOOD — paul thomas anderson
THE MASTER — paul thomas anderson
HEAD-ON — fatih akin
NOBODY KNOWS — kore-eda hirokazu
DOWNFALL — oliver hirschbiegel
RIZE — david lachapelle
2046 — wong kar-wai
LIVES OF OTHERS — florian henckel von donnersmarck
THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES… — andrew dominik
A FACE IN THE CROWD — elia kazan
ON THE WATERFRONT — elia kazan
WALK ON WATER — eytan fox
BIRTH — jonathan glazer
SUMMER PALACE — lou ye
THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES — juan jose campanella
WINTER’S BONE — debra granik
THE DARK KNIGHT — christopher nolan
BATMAN BEGINS — christopher nolan
YIYI — edward yang
I AM LOVE — luca guadagnino
SHAME— steve mcqueen
A SEPARATION — asghar farhadi
BLUE IS THE WARMEST COLOR — abdellatif kechiche
WALKABOUT — nicholas roeg
THE SPORTING LIFE — lindsay anderson
IDA — pawel pawlikowski

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