The MoFo Top 100 of the 60s: Countdown

__________________

The Breakdown...



3rd (23 points), 5th (21 points), 6th (20 points), 7th (19 points), 8th (18 points), 18th (8 points), 21st (5 points)



3rd (23 points), 5th (21 points), 2x 7th (38 points), 9th (17 points), 14th (12 points), 21st (5 points)



Army of Shadows was the only film to receive 114 points. Another film received 116 points, but Charade appeared on less lists than it so appears first.

Have seen neither of these, though I definitely should. I recently saw a Jean-Pierre Melville film - Le Samourai - and liked it a lot, so I ought to try some more.

I haven't seen "Army of Shadows", but I have seen "Charade" - twice (unless I really hate something, I always like to give something a second try). I don't care for it. Not at all.

I am starting to get to the point where I think no more of my movies will be making the list. I am not stupid, I know one more will, at least, but still.... I don't have much hope in life with my movies that I like that best making the list.

I say that now and the next 10 will be all movies that I put on my list!

__________________
I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity - Edgar Allan Poe

Neither of those were close to making my list, although I liked both. I barely remember Charade though.

Very happy Army of Shadows made it! It was not on my list, but would have if I had watched it before I turned in my list. Maybe another one of his films is coming?

__________________
Fear and Loathing in MoFo... The Gunslinger 45's Top 50 Favorite Films

In the 10 Ring: Gunslinger45's reviews

I saw Charade a long time ago which I liked.

Army of Shadows is an almost autobiographical film about the French Resistance during WWII. It's the accumulation of details that matter in a Melville film, and this is one that Melville and novelist Joseph Kessel (who wrote the source for Belle de Jour) know from their own wartime experiences. It has a really strong cast, and I like it about as much as I like all Melville films, which means I recommend it but didn't consider it for my list. In case you didn't know, it wasn't released in the U.S. until 2006.

Charade has been a fave since forever. Of course, I didn't vote for it. Director Stanley Donen (Singin' in the Rain) directs in his best Hitchcock style a witty Peter Stone (The Taking of Pelham One Two Three) script. Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant make a great team, and the supporting cast of Walter Matthau, George Kennedy, James Coburn, Ned Glass and others is terrific. The only problems are that it's a tad overlong and probably has a couple of too-silly scenes, but hey, it's one of my wife's faves too.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page

Good, that makes two of us, now I don't feel bad. I don't like Charade either and yet I do really like Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn movies.

Cool! Charade made it. I believe it was 21st on my list. Just happy to see it among the favorites. I pretty much agree with everything mark f said about it.

__________________
"Miss Jean Louise, Mr. Arthur Radley."

I voted for a Shindo film but it wasn't Onibaba - it's a good movie though. I actually gave it exactly the same rating as Repulsion so I guess I approve of them showing up together - Repulsion is a mid-range Polanski film for me.

Red Beard is very good and Breathless is excellent - didn't vote for either but they are both worthy films. I did vote for other movies by both directors though.

Army of Shadows is also very good. I've seen five Melville films and given them all similar ratings - I really enjoy his films but perhaps don't love them. Not seen Charade.

My list:

1. Late Autumn
2. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
8. The Human Condition III
13. In the Heat of the Night
17. Red Desert
22. Viridiana
25. Fail-Safe

Seen 35 of 44

0/2

__________________

I'm surprised to see Charade make it. I didn't get to rewatch it so it wasn't in contention for my list, but I do like it.

Two more criterion's, Mark

Army of Shadows is excellent. It did not make my list, but it's well worthy of it's place on the list.

Embarrassingly, I had for all this time, assumed Charade was a Hitchcock film. I have no idea why. I have not seen the film, I'm sure if I had I would be in a better position to say (obviously). But, I don't know, something about that poster just screams Hitchcock to me.

Yup, looks like a Hitch movie from the poster. Especially this one

Melville's Le Samourai quicky became one of my all-time favorite films after I watched it. But unfortunately I never got around Army of Shadows or any other Melville for that matter... But I will, definitely.

__________________
/watching movies for mark f/
MovieMeditation's Cinema Reviews // Film Diary 2015 // Letterboxd Profile // MovieMeditation's Top 50 Horror

Quite a bit to catch up on.

In The Heat of the Night is very good. I really like the acting in it, both Poiter and Steiner were great, fine script too.

Really, really, really gutted that Contempt and Breathless have shown up. That all but guarantees the Goddard I voted for didn't make it, I won't name it on the 1% chance I'm mistaken. Those two and the one I voted for were the three Godard's I watched for this. Was most surprised by Breathless, by the look of the three I thought I'd like that the most and ended up liking it least. I was wondering if I was starting to get kind of used to his style, as each new one I watched I liked more.

L'Avventura was a bit of a dissapointment. It was stunningly beautiful, but I failed to connect with it. Certainly interested in rewatching it in the future as well as trying other Antonioni films.

Army of Shadows is the third from my list, I had it at #6. It was my second favourite from my new watches for this. Its hard to believe a film two and a half hours long or whatever it is could this compelling. The story is expertly crafted, it has the (I'm guessing) trademark atmosphere and use of silence from Melville. It also has one of my favorite performances from the decade from Lino Ventura. Fantastic film can't wait to see it again.

The rest I haven't seen.

Seen - 20/44
My List - 3/25

6.Army of Shadows
21.Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?
25.From Russia With Love

I bought my copy of Charade from the drugstore for $1.99 before Criterion released it.

The excellent Army of Shadows was number seven on my list. I remember placing Le Cercle Rouge in a similar position for the Seventies list, and I think I was also disappointed by how low down it finished. These are films that I think if more people watched, would easily finish in the top half, maybe even the top twenty-five.

I bought it on Blu-ray earlier this year. I had already seen three Melville films, and I knew this was hailed by many as a masterpiece, or at least one of his. I know it was absolutely hated by the French Cahiers du Cinema group for political reasons, it's a celebration of De Gaulle and Melville openly described himself as a right-wing anarchist. A great shame considering his influence on the new wave, and the artistry of his filmmaking. Mark mentions it got released in the US in 2006, and I also know it appeared on a lot of critics' top ten lists for that year, deservedly so. It's great that we live in a time where we have such great access to films that were at times impossible to see for other generations. Watching in on Blu-ray was a pleasure, Melville's teal cinematography has a cool look about it that makes his films beautiful to watch, and his construction of certain scenes, particularly those dealing with suspense, is fantastic. His films ooze style, and this time his style meets a fascinating subject, the French resistance, something he partook in himself, giving us a unique perspective on the war. It's an interesting political war film that you don't see often, I like how the individual characters are treated. They are not caricatures belonging to either side, heroes or villains, they are humans that are employed under different regimes, often dragged into evil. The subdued atmosphere that comes with Melville makes the film even more powerful, there's a certain scene in the first half that is very difficult to watch, and the overall ending I found to be extremely moving.

I knew the film would make the list, and it's placement isn't too low, but hopefully this means more people will continue to discover the great Jean-Pierre Melville, and enjoy his films. It sounds like a cliché but his cinematic style is really f*cking cool, it worked in the fantastically suspenseful gangster film Le Cercle Rouge and it works here too in his very human, very personal and touching film about his life and his country.

I haven't seen Charade but it looks like something I'd enjoy a lot. I've always known it as a Hitchcock inspired film, and it looks to have the ingredients of a fun movie. In particular I'm a huge fan of Cary Grant, so I'll definitely give it a go at some point.

2 very good films that didn't make my list.


As it was said before, Charade feels very much like a Hitchcock film, it's excellent.

__________________
I do not speak english perfectly so expect some mistakes here and there in my messages