I haven't seen
Das Boot yet, but I have seen
Late Spring and it was #2 on my ballot.
I was really drawn to the way
Late Spring builds upon its themes as it rolls along. Many scenes serve to provide emotional tension between Noriko and Shukichi, each one further hinting that Noriko's preferred life style with her father is coming to an end. Since this feeling kept growing in intensity as the film rolled along with more and more threats to this lifestyle being introduced, this made the final few scenes
WARNING: spoilers below
(the revelation that Shukichi lied about getting married, Shukichi showing that he preferred living with Noriko after all, and the final shot of the waves)
(the revelation that Shukichi lied about getting married, Shukichi showing that he preferred living with Noriko after all, and the final shot of the waves)
hit as hard as they did, and man, they really hit me hard. Sort of like
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, I sometimes forget how powerful both these films are only to be blown away by them all over again when I rewatch them.
Updated ballot:
1.
2. Late Spring (1949, Ozu) #26
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10. Le Samouraï (1967, Melville) #30
11.
12. Sansho the Bailiff (1954, Mizoguchi) #50
13.
14.
15.
16. The Battle of Algiers (1966, Pontecorvo) #56
17.
18.
19. The Mirror (1975, Tarkovsky) #86
20.
21. Red Desert (1964, Antonioni) #64
22.
23. Vampyr (1932, Dreyer) #84
24.
25.