Which of these films would you say is the best written?

I realize that Holden's post did try to qualify what constitutes a screenplay, but I do not see how you cannot "judge" a movie screenplay based on not knowing the language. A very significant part of any screenplay is the plot. I know you're not saying that you cannot understand the plot of a non-English-language flick, correct? As far as dialogue goes, you do get subtitles, so for all you know, the subtitles may well improve on the original dialogue, so I don't accept that as another reason to not count "foreign" films.

Anyway, no biggie. You do notice how I haven't voted.

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if you ever looked at different translations of a novel in a foreign language, the difference in the words are quite noticeable. The subtitles could improce on the original dialogue, but that wouldn't be the original dialogue. Besides, most subtitles always seen at least a little stilted in places. I remember seeing examples of two different translations of the manga Lone Wolf and Cub and the words were never the same, sometimes very different, and the dialogue in both seemed a little awkward and clumsy.

I think it's difficult to compare original and adapted screenplays (probably why they have different categories for them at the Oscars). My first thought on looking at that list was The Godfather, I think the film improved on the book greatly, but I would hesitate to say whether it was a 'better written' film than, say, Pulp Fiction, since adapting a book or other source is a very different process than writing an original screenplay.

I went with the godfather but i also love the mafia

I honestly don't think I've seen enough on the list to vote on this one.

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I voted Casablanca. The movies a work of art. It has great dialogue with many memorable quotes.

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Leicamaster

how so ?

I voted for Network, because it was so ahead of its time.

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Very difficult. I agree with Holden to an extent about how to go about judging a film's screenplay, but in the end, I just went with how which story impacted me the most, and how well the dialogue flowed within the story and plot points as well as the challenges of structure. In the end, I could only go with Citizen Kane, but I wouldn't have felt bad for choosing Pulp Fiction, too. How come Memento isn't listed?

How come Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf isn't listed?
What about Midnight Cowboy?
Mulholland Drive?

There are tons of movies that deserved to be in this poll.. I am sure other could even add more.
But that was not the point of the thread, the point was to bring the IMDB poll to MoFo for further discussion, to see how people react to these popular limited options.

If it's about the best movie ever written without a poll, the thread would go on to be an endless list of suggestions.

I personally thought Memento was just about an average thriller..

definitely Pulp Fiction

Pulp fiction, because of the great dialogue. But for it's time, Casablanca is pretty awesome.

What makes Pulp Fiction one of the best written?
It's a great movie no doubt, but I don't think it's the best written film from that list.

Hardly even the best of the year it was released in.

For it's time? I didn't get this.

I went with Dr. Strangelove. (which noone has mentioned)

My selection was a knee-jerk reaction to the poll as I opened the thread. Obviously, Holden's post make sense. But I thought about the satire and the dialogue that went into that film and voted for it. It was all about the words such as "this is the war room."

When I think "well-written," I look at the dialogue more than plot. Does anyone else?

I really cannot see how Pulp Fiction is thought to be so well-written. *shrugs*

well-written = dialogue, story, structure, grabbing, blah blah, you can find all of that in the script alone. Dialogue just moves the plot most of the time, but if you can use it succinctly and still make it powerful, you're doing well. That's why I voted for Rashomon.

I was torn between Pulp Fiction and Casablanca--I'm a huge fan of Tarantino. I love both films, but to me the setting itself acually tips the scales towards Casablanca; the heaviosity of people living in a desperate limbo under the shadow of the Nazis outweighs a loose-knit group of charismatic L.A. criminals. (Sorry Quentin, I still would unconditionally pay to see anything you make without question.)

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Is it the pace that makes people consider Pulp Fiction as the best movie ever written?
Then, I guess it has tough competition from The Rock & Con Air.

Looking at the votes, I'm surprised the Godfather movies are not doing very well. I am not surprised the only movie to receive no votes so far is Hannah and her Sisters. Even though the screenplay won an Oscar, it is clearly the least of the movies listed. Is it even Woody Allen's best screenplay?

i went with pulp fiction.

Which of the others mentioned do you think were good as well?

Hell no. Love and Death or anything from that era is better.