When I asked everyone what their favorite movie was, I got a grand amount of answers, and am proud to be on the same site as all of these die-hard movie lovers. Now, I feel bad because my favorite movie won this site’s votes, but I am honoring it because it won with a great amount of votes more than the other movies (at least compared to the amount of people who voted). So, without further ado, here are the top three movies (there are like 10 though), based upon this website’s voting.
3. (TIE) (Each with Two (2) Votes)
>Godfather: Part 1
>Titanic
>Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
>Full Metal Jacket
>Last Samurai
>V For Vendetta
>A Clockwork Orange
>Lawrence of Arabia
2. (TIE) (Each with Three (3) Votes)
>Pulp Fiction
>Citizen Cane
And now for the #1 movie ever:
1. (With Six (6) Votes)
>The Departed
Well done, J.C. – and now that the list is here, a discussion can begin!
I hope that I’m not about to incite a massive flaming catastrophe of a thread, and I realise that this has been debated elsewhere before, but….here goes!
“The Departed” – admittedly not the greatest Scorsese fan at the best of times, I still didn’t think that this movie was anything too special, and *braces himself* thought that the original Hong Kong version “Mou Gaan Dou” was better. Even putting aside which was better, suggesting that a remake – particularly one that was at times line-for-line identical to the original – is the greatest film ever made seems a shame to me. Just looking at Scorsese flicks, I would say that “Taxi Driver”, for example, is a more powerful and original film. I would certainly suspect that there must be a pang of dissatisfaction deep down in Scorsese that the only film that has garnered him a Best Director oscar was for a remake.
FYI if this thread now turns into a long stream of abuse like pretty much every IMDB thread on the subject, I’m just not going to post in it again :)
I also liked Infernal Affairs, but no subtitles made it better, and I think that Damon and Wahlberg made this movie the extra-special shit. Now, I’m certainly not going to fight you because you have a sound point, and everyone has their own opinion, so who am I to tell you if you are wrong. I honestly liked Inception more than The Departed, though The Departed is still my very close second favorite movie. I think that the reason The Departed is awesome in many minds is that the music went PERFECTLY with what was happening, and you could tell that it was a Scorsese feature. The movie was also brilliantly shot and that is another reason for the acceptance of its awesomeness. But thanks for the comment, and what do you think about my comment, Mike?
While I agree with you that it is obviously easier watching a movie in your native language, I never find that reading subtitles interferes with my ability to absorb myself in a film, so I don’t find it a negative.
I honestly couldn’t comment on the score – I saw “The Departed” once 2 or 3 years ago, and have only seen “Infernal Affairs” one as well, about a year before that. As a result, I really couldn’t say much about the soundtracks.
I do agree that “The Departed” was brilliantly shot, but as with other underwhelming Scorsese flicks like “Casino” and “Gangs of New York”, the technical execution may be outstanding, but Scorsese brings us this at the expense of other, equally important, elements. Damon and Wahlberg (particularly) were very good, but I thought elsewhere the cast was lacking. The part of the crime boss is a pivotal part of the story for me, and Eric Tsang’s Sam is a much more interesting and seductive character, while retaining the dangerous edge. Nicholson had the latter, without so much of the former. Similarly, though mostly through slight changes to the plot, I like Andy Lau’s traitorous cop a lot more as a character than Damon’s role.
*SPOILER ALERT*
I particularly like the touch that it is Lau’s character that shoots Sam in “Infernal Affairs” – just that moment adds so much to the opportunistic and heartless nature of the man.
*SPOILER OVER*
More than anything else though, I think that the original is better paced. I love the way it drops you right in the action, with both leads as adults already, and then fills in the backstory as we go along. Scorsese opts for the more traditional strictly chronological route, which I think makes the film take a long time to get going and makes for a far less intriguing opening.
Anyway, those are my thoughts. :)
I think that you are thinking very well, but I disagree. I think that the Departed, which is a close second in my favorite films, is amazingly shot, and has great casting, though Leo was not too good in it. I really do think that it is overwhelmingly impacting in the sense of being a Scorsese-style, random cut movie, like many of the recently released are.
I AGREE, MIKE!! Scorsese has done very little since Raging Bull and Taxi Driver that have lived up to that quality. Gangs of New York, in my opinion, is a far better film than The Departed. Wahlberg was the only really great thing about that movie, and I think that was mostly because his acting ability came as such a surprise. Scorsese has done WAY better than this, and I think that so many people loved it only because of Nicholson and the fact that Scorsese directed it. Not because it was truly great. And, the fact that Scorsese has ever won an Oscar for best director still surprises me. There are so many directors out there that are far better in terms of quality, directors that have much better eyes for subtlety. I know that I am going to be trampled on for saying this, but I really feel that it is true. David Mamet, David Cronenburg, Michael Mann, Darren Aronofsky, Sam Mendes, Terrence Malick, Ridley Scott, now THOSE are GREAT directors. I just don’t feel Scorsese is quite up to par with them. And most of them haven’t won an Oscar, although they deserve to!! Stanley Kubrick certainly deserves to have his films on this list, and I’d never argue that, although I think Eyes Wide Shut is one of his best works. But V for Vendetta? Last Samurai?? Even Pulp Fiction? All decent films, but not great, and the only one of those three that will really stand the test of time is Pulp Fiction. But, it is pulpy, as the title suggests, and more a very high quality B-movie, which is signature Tarantino and all he is really capable of. I’ve said my piece. Now, let the killing begin and the tearing my opinion down…
i also agree but couldnt you say that scorsese put whalberg in the position to be great. And couldn’t you also say that about any film with great actors? You can’t say ” oh the Godfather is good only because Al Pacino is good”or “Titanic was only good because Dicaprio and Winslett had such good chemisty”. Making good/great films depends on everyone not just the actors.
This list was very good; I still have to see some of them. But i am in total schock that Last Samurai made the list. Good movie? yes. One of the greats of all time? No way. And just stop and look at the list look at the greats that didn’t make it onto the top 3. I had a late vote i wasnt thinking to straight but movies like Scarface, and Fight Club were not even in the running (and those are only two there are so much more). Both amazing films that could deffinatley beat out movies like The Last Samurai. I guess my point is…is there really a point in making a list this small for something so huge. You can talk to me on any given day and my list would be completely different then the day before and I would think that would be the case with any movie lover.
I agree with you Nikko that the list is too short to be at all comprehensive. To be fair, J.C. asked people what their favourite movie was and we received what is, I am sure, an accurate portrayal of the favourite movies of the people who responded. The fact that Kubrick didn’t make the list at all, even though he is the greatest director for me is a real shame, but I didn’t choose a Kubrick movie – Coppola’s best pipped his best for the top spot.
In reality I find it very hard to say what the best film I’ve seen is. I could compile a top 50 easily enough that would give a good flavour of the movies that I highly rate, but even under that system, I’m sure I would be left with some dissatisfaction at a few gems that would have to be left out. I think the best thing for us to do is to review all our top movies in depth, explaining exactly why we feel that everyone else should watch them!
I agree… a lot of greats were forgotten. Fight Club and Seven are both great Fincher movies. Heat was completely left out, and I can think of a great many more.
And, Nikko, perhaps you are right about Scorsese putting Wahlberg in a position for greatness. I am completely aware that a film is about more than just acting. If you read any of my reviews, you definitely would know that. In fact, it is rare that I follow any actors (Gary Oldman and Ralph Fiennes are exceptions) or watch a film just for its cast (though I’ll admit to watching the Harry Potter moives because of their cast… it is just incredible how many great actors have done these movies!!). I follow directors, composers, and cinematographers more, myself. Like I am always interesting in whatever Dante Spinotti or Darius Khondji were the directors of photography for. After all, Spinotti is Michael Mann’s go to guy, and Khondji has worked with a lot of fantastic directors on equally fantastic movies. But, enough of the aside.
As for making a top 50, I’ve been trying to compile what I would feel would be my top 50, but that is so hard. You’re right, Mike. Heck, even my top 10 changed very recently after seeing Inception, dropping William Friedkin’s Bug down to #11… (If you become a friend of mine on Facebook, you can see my working list in its entirety… Their Flixster app makes that easy.)
I know I sort of went off a little, but I’d already been a little enraged for having some people completely destroying my choices for favorite films, which I know is an excuse, not a reason… But, I stand by my opinions. That’s not to say I don’t thoroughly enjoy Tarantino or Scorsese films. I am a fan, for sure. It just surprises me that either one of those two would make the list but not Malick or Fincher or some other truly masterful directors…