The most powerful movie experiences of your life?

Tools    





And when I'm all alone I feel I don't wanna hide
One of my favorite movies of all time, Manhunter, directed by Michael Mann. It is the first (should have been the only) adaptation of Thomas Harris' Red Dragon. That scene with Will Graham and Jack Crawford in Crawford's office when Will Graham finally puts it together is AMAZING. It gives me goose bumps every time I see it. Incredible movie.

I would have to say that one of my most amazing movie experiences was seeing a free pre-screening of The Matrix before it was released in theaters at the Student Union building in undergrad. No one had ever seen it before. I had gotten stood up by my friend and wound up going myself. Everyone thought it was going to be another Johnny Pneumonic. That first scene rolls out and Trinity lays out three cops in about as many seconds. There was stunned silence. Then a girl about two rows back shouted, "You go girl!" Everyone cheered.
Thanks for the reply, mosswood. Shockingly, I've yet to see that Mann film. I've been meaning to complete his filmography, so I should get to it soon. I enjoyed The Matrix, but not to a particularly large extent. I'm sure a theatrical experience might have changed that, however, based purely on spectacle alone.

Sansho the Bailiff
Wizard of Oz
Spirited Away
Tokyo Story
Rear Window
The Grapes of Wrath
Mystic River
Shawshank Redemption
Thank you for the reply, Rauld. I completely agree on Mizoguchi's sweepingly poetic masterwork and Ozu's film. Mystic River, The Shawshank Redemption, The Grapes of Wrath, and Spirted Away are all great films, too, although none of them had much of a profoundly emotional impact on me.

Excellent post, Matteo. You always come across as very articulate and intelligent, so I enjoy reading your thoughts on films. I just wish you shared them with us more often.

As for your personal choices, the ones that I've seen are mostly excellent. The Elephant Man, for example, is one of the most moving films I've ever seen. Knowing that John Merrick once existed and suffered such deformities and ostracism makes the film even more powerful. I struggle not to cry every time I watch it.

I've never seen Detachment, but if it's powerful enough to appear on your list then I definitely think it's worth watching. It surprised me to see The Girl Next Door on your list. I read the book a few years ago and it's by far the most disturbing thing I've ever read. I finished it in two sittings because I couldn't put it down despite my horror and disgust. Days later, I was still depressed and couldn't stop thinking about it. I thought the film adaptation was rather average and tame compared to the book, but I can see why it would appear on your list. For similar reasons, Irreversible remains one of my most powerful movie experiences.

Generally speaking, however, when I think of the most powerful movie experiences I've had, it's usually due to awe and amazement more than an emotional response. For me, films of great ambition and enormous scope are usually the ones that pack the most powerful punch. 2001: A Space Odyssey, Apocalypse Now, Fitzcarraldo, Seven Samurai, and Once Upon a Time in the West are some of the first films that spring to mind. After the credits rolled for each film, I sat in stunned silence, still enthralled and immersed in the experience, knowing that I had witnessed one of the crowning achievements in cinema. Watching Gravity last year in IMAX-3D also gave me that same feeling. As everyone streamed out of the cinema, my friends asked me what I thought of the film, but I was still too speechless to respond. It felt like I had just watched a film thirty years before its time, a film with effects so groundbreaking that our current technology couldn't account for it.

Other powerful movies experiences:
Pulp Fiction: Immediately became my all-time favorite film and opened my eyes to the wider world of cinema and its boundless capabilities. Also triggered my transformation from simple movie lover to passionate cinephile.
Requiem for a Dream: Due to past experiences, movies about drug addiction and obsession often strike a chord with me, and this remains the best I've seen on the subject. There's a sequence near the end of the film that always twists my stomach into a knot.
There Will Be Blood: A modern-day masterpiece. I was fortunate enough to catch it in the theater and PTA's masterful direction and Day-Lewis's all-time great performance resonated with me for months afterward.
Eraserhead: By the time the climax arrives, I feel like my mind is tottering between reality and fantasy, my grip on sanity tenuously slipping away. If I watched this movie on repeat, over and over and over, I'd end up in a mental institute. The most psychologically disturbing film I've ever seen.
The Last Temptation of Christ: I'm from the southern United States, smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt, where seemingly everyone's a Christian and there's a steeple at every turn. Even though I'm not religious, I grew up with it and had to go to Bible study and all of that as a kid, so perhaps that's partly why this film resonates with me so strongly. I think all films about Jesus, regardless of personal beliefs or the quality of the film, are powerful to an extent simply because of the story being told. For me, Dafoe's exceptional performance and the vulnerable, humanistic portrayal of Jesus in this film feels the most honest and relatable. Atheist, Agnostic, whatever, I'm always moved by this film, which I think is one of Scorsese's most underrated and under appreciated. I rank it second in his filmography behind only Taxi Driver.

Thank you very much, Captain Spaulding, I appreciate the kind words mate. I've always enjoyed reading your posts, too. You have an excellent grasp for the medium.

I have not read The Girl Next Door, but if the film is, indeed, tame in comparison, then I might have to give it a reading. Of course, why I would want to subject myself to such dejection and sorrow is even beyond me, but I appreciate any work - regardless how emotionally deleterious it may be - that can impact you in such a way. I find it strangely fascinating. But yeah, the film dispirited me beyond believe. It's truly tragic and harrowing.

Detachment is a film I almost always instantly recommend. I connected with it on an extremely profound level, but even those that may not find it emotionally involving can probably appreciate its ambitious and rather unconventional stylistic approach.

I can definitely see what you mean when it comes to powerful experiences and its relation to large-scale projects. Like your wonderfully described experience with Gravity, I was completely overwhelmed and stunned after watching 2001: A Space Odyssey in orgasmic 70mm a few weeks back. That feeling where words literally can not describe how you feel is cinema at its most gloriously effective and impacting. That is cinema. I have yet to see Gravity, however, but my local IMAX still screens it (albeit infrequently), so I might have to reserve my viewing until then because, apparently, watching it in 3D is an unmatchable experience. I agree with your addition of Apocalypse Now, especially that immersive opening sequence.

Pulp Fiction is what triggered me from 'simple movie lover to passionate cinephile', too. It's a work I still consider a favourite and one that holds a special place in my film heart. I also wholeheartedly agree on Eraserhead. That's simply one of the most evocative, expressive and absorbing experiences of my life. Lynch draws you into this decaying, industrialised, crumbling world so seemingly and keeps you trapped there. The imagery is simply remarkable. The sound design is simply remarkable. The photography is simply remarkable. The film is simply remarkable.

I also agree with There Will Be Blood. How I would love to see it in theatres like you did. I'd say it's PTA's most complete and accomplished work, purely from a technical level (Punch-Drunk Love is my personal favourite of his films). It's a simply a fantastic character study that manages to transcend all customary conventions on how to tell a tragic and epic story. I must get to The Last Temptation of Christ. I watched it many years ago but remember so very little. Your write-up has intrigued me greatly, so I may bump it up on my viewing list. Again, thanks for the reply.

Watched "The Hunt", Danish film the other day and have been thinking about it since, especially the next day.

Amazing how a life can be turned upside down all due to a child's misunderstood comment to an adult.
Thanks for the reply, Gandalf. I've been meaning to see this film. I'm glad you liked it so much.



I'm pretty bad with this kind of question as I forget and then see someone else's list and think 'oh yeah, THAT one...' But a couple of films that affected me are The Deer Hunter, Melancholia, and the Breakfast Club. I think the Deer Hunter was a film I saw when I was quite young and was the first film about Vietnam that I'd seen.
The Breakfast Club I saw when I was a teenager and it spoke to me
Melancholia had such a powerful ending, I wont go into detail if you haven't seen it but the music, everything, just left me speechless, and that doesn't happen very often



Matteo, I like your personal touch on this thread and the way you engage people by actually 'talking' to them. So many threads like this one, just end up with people posting their movie list without any personal interaction. We need more threads like this. Kudos.

I've compiled a list of everyone's 'powerful movie' choices. I hope to watch some of them in the near future. You've all had great choices!



Watched "The Hunt", Danish film the other day and have been thinking about it since, especially the next day.

Amazing how a life can be turned upside down all due to a child's misunderstood comment to an adult.
I agree with you about "Jagten".. one of the most important lines in the movie is ....

"We always assume that children don't lie. Unfortunately they lie often."

People tend to think that children would never lie about certain things. That if they say them, they must be true.

I think the most powerful movie experiences I have ever had was watching films like "Der Ewige Jude" and "Nuit et Brouillard", to see the atrocities of mankind are the most shocking things on film. Even the films "Germany Year Zero" and "Ivan's Childhood" have an impact on the people who watch them.



GBGoodies just made me think of another film that has an emotional attachment experience.

The Passion of Christ ~ The scene where Jesus is carrying the cross and Mary recalls him falling as a young boy. The mother's instinct to want to comfort and protect her child from any type of harm. That scene brings tears to my eyes.. to think of it... to watch it.... to be reminded of it, for I have children of my own and to feel the pain and grief that she felt to see him fall, while walking carrying that large heavy cross and the crown of thorns upon his head, blood flowing down his face blurring his vision.



The first that came to mind was "Less than Zero." I was a sheltered kid from the suburbs and had seen a lot of the idealistic "Brat Pack" 80s movies prior to this one. I simply wasn't emotionally prepared for the level of realism in this one. This movie had such a big emotional impact that I can remember a lot of details about the night I saw it almost 30 years ago. I was so dumbfounded by Julian's (Robert Downey Jr.'s character) death that I got angry. I used to always chatter incessantly at the end of most movies, but just walked to the car in silence at the end of this one. It was a weird night.



And when I'm all alone I feel I don't wanna hide
I'm pretty bad with this kind of question as I forget and then see someone else's list and think 'oh yeah, THAT one...' But a couple of films that affected me are The Deer Hunter, Melancholia, and the Breakfast Club. I think the Deer Hunter was a film I saw when I was quite young and was the first film about Vietnam that I'd seen.
The Breakfast Club I saw when I was a teenager and it spoke to me
Melancholia had such a powerful ending, I wont go into detail if you haven't seen it but the music, everything, just left me speechless, and that doesn't happen very often
Thanks for the reply, Rexy. The Deer Hunter, whilst problematic in some areas, is still an extremely forceful film and one of the best anti-war works of the 70s. The Russian Roulette scenes were incredibly powerful and tough to watch. It just felt a bit too long and poorly-paced, ultimately, especially that overlong wedding sequence.

I've yet to see Melancholia, but I am certainly planning to. I've heard the ending is particularly noteworthy, too. The Breakfast Club, for sure, is an interesting selection, and one that I partially agree with. It's a wonderful slice of adolescent drama and quite moving at times. I'm sure we can all relate to at least one of those characters in some way or another.

I loved that scene with "Late For The Sky" - Travis' face, the zoom in, and the picture of the empty shoes, god's only (lonely) man.
It's simply amazing, isn't it? If I was forced to pick only one scene from Taxi Driver that thematically encapsulates what the work is all about, I'd pick that moment. Have you seen Animal Kingdom? I'm rather sure Michod pays a homage to that scene:



Matteo, I like your personal touch on this thread and the way you engage people by actually 'talking' to them. So many threads like this one, just end up with people posting their movie list without any personal interaction. We need more threads like this. Kudos.

I've compiled a list of everyone's 'powerful movie' choices. I hope to watch some of them in the near future. You've all had great choices!
Thank you very much, CR. I'm always interested in what other users here have to say and I created this thread in aim to have a detailed explication about our collectively powerful film experiences.

Definitely let us know what you think of some of the films you've come across on this thread. I have already added a few works to my increasingly growing to-see list based on some of the titles brought up.

I agree with you about "Jagten".. one of the most important lines in the movie is ....

"We always assume that children don't lie. Unfortunately they lie often."

People tend to think that children would never lie about certain things. That if they say them, they must be true.

I think the most powerful movie experiences I have ever had was watching films like "Der Ewige Jude" and "Nuit et Brouillard", to see the atrocities of mankind are the most shocking things on film. Even the films "Germany Year Zero" and "Ivan's Childhood" have an impact on the people who watch them.
Thanks for the reply, MovieGal. Interesting call on The External Jew. It's certainly an intellectually curious film to watch just to see how the medium of filmmaking can be used as a perilous propaganda platform to disseminate some of the most inhumane and discriminatory beliefs to a public.

I like your call on Ivan's Childhood. For sure, Tarkvosky's most accessible work, but still incredibly powerful. Wonderful technical adeptness exhibited for a directorial debut, too.

GBGoodies just made me think of another film that has an emotional attachment experience.

The Passion of Christ ~ The scene where Jesus is carrying the cross and Mary recalls him falling as a young boy. The mother's instinct to want to comfort and protect her child from any type of harm. That scene brings tears to my eyes.. to think of it... to watch it.... to be reminded of it, for I have children of my own and to feel the pain and grief that she felt to see him fall, while walking carrying that large heavy cross and the crown of thorns upon his head, blood flowing down his face blurring his vision.
It's been years since I've seen Gibson's film, but I remember being quite disconcerted with it. I do greatly admire what Jim Caviezel did, though:

- He has openly admitted that his role as Jesus Christ has become a detriment to his career in Hollywood
- He suffered from pneumonia and hypothermia on set
- He dislocated his shoulder on set
- He literally got struck by lighting on set
- He would wake up at 2.00am in the morning for make-up and not finish until 8.00am on some days

The amount of hardship he endured is nothing short of admirable. I also really appreciated the amount of risk Gibson invested - he essentially funded, what was a highly controversial film, himself.

The first that came to mind was "Less than Zero." I was a sheltered kid from the suburbs and had seen a lot of the idealistic "Brat Pack" 80s movies prior to this one. I simply wasn't emotionally prepared for the level of realism in this one. This movie had such a big emotional impact that I can remember a lot of details about the night I saw it almost 30 years ago. I was so dumbfounded by Julian's (Robert Downey Jr.'s character) death that I got angry. I used to always chatter incessantly at the end of most movies, but just walked to the car in silence at the end of this one. It was a weird night.
Thanks for the reply, Modine. I can't say that I've seen (nor heard) of Less than Zero, but it does look somewhat interesting. Thanks for the indirect recommendation.



Gangster Rap is Shakespeare for the Future
I had one of my most profound experiences at the cinema a month ago viewing Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Puppetmaster. I had seen the film once before, but it was before I knew Hou very well at all and was also viewed on a mediocre VHS copy. I left the film without any sort of conviction towards it, which is a common reaction for me with Hou's films. Last month, I saw The Puppetmaster in a packed house at Museum of the Moving Image in 35mm, and it was a deeply profound experience.

I found myself entirely rediscovering the film, and engaging with Hou's films on a deeper level than ever before. The film is the peak of Hou in terms of his aesthetic goals, that is, showing history as it's lived. The entire film feels like experience rather than narrative. Much like living through history, understanding comes after experience. Like this, emotions come in waves, often times without warning, and sometimes without context for feeling. Hou's craft is so evocative here that it's not necessary to comprehend in order to engage in the moment. The meaning of things may not come until late in the film, or until weeks after watching the film because everything is tied to both the complexity inherent in the image and that inherent in history.

In aesthetic terms, the film was also a deep insight into the evolution of Hou as a filmmaker. A surprising amount of the film is made up of recurring compositions in the way of Mizoguchi's The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums. Subtle shifts in the compositions of various locations over the film add weight to the environments and greatly evoke an ineffable but definite feeling of change. Contrary to most critical discourse on Hou's career, the transition from the static camera found in his 1980s films to his nearly entirely mobile camera from Good Men, Good Women is wholly apparent here. The most startling example of it being a pan that follows the grandfather as he walks down from the house's loft, but the camera stops as he begins to fall down the stairs, leading to his death. Hou realizes the evocative power of camera movements in subtle ways in The Puppetmaster that only become more overt as he continued making films. The Puppetmaster is generally reasonably mobile, far more than A City of Sadness even. Those who were disappointed by Hou's overt camerawork in Good Men, Good Women seem to have been following inherited knowledge about Hou, as opposed to studying the changes themselves.

I'm someone who doesn't believe in purism for watching films. I think that you should watch a film however you feel most comfortable with it, or however is available to you. However, I don't think I could ever see The Puppetmaster in a different format now that I've seen it in 35mm because I think my experience and understanding of the film was somehow directly tied to the format.
__________________
Mubi






Thanks for the reply, Modine. I can't say that I've seen (nor heard) of Less than Zero, but it does look somewhat interesting. Thanks for the indirect recommendation.
Dude, you seem like a really nice person so I'll warn you that Less than Zero really isn't a great movie. It's one of the most visually stunning movies you'll ever see and there is a lot of wealth porn (you'll understand if you see it) but the plot is horrendously weak and the character development is almost nil. The movie is supposed to be based on Bret Easton Ellis' (he also wrote the book American Psycho) book "Less than Zero" but it's really nothing like the book at all. The movie failed on a lot of levels.



Thank you very much, CR. I'm always interested in what other users here have to say and I created this thread in aim to have a detailed explication about our collectively powerful film experiences.

Definitely let us know what you think of some of the films you've come across on this thread. I have already added a few works to my increasingly growing to-see list based on some of the titles brought up
.
I've thought quite a bit about this thread and what constitutes a powerful movie. For me it's mostly powerful scenes that have staid with me.

Many films can move me, but that emotional feeling they invoke quickly fades. Maybe that's true for everyone.

Intellectual I can say, 'ya that was one heck of a powerful movie' but the associated feelings have long sense dissipated.

It's certain scenes from movies, that I can replay in my mind and invoke a strong emotion. The most powerful scene, that I've encountered is from a TV mini series:

War and Remembrance (1988) At the end of the story two of the main characters who are Jewish and have been evading capture by the Nazis are rounded up and sent to a concentration camp.
I can't describe the scene adequately. It was the most haunting images I've seen...The two Jewish characters are forcibly removed from the Warsaw Ghetto and loaded onto a train for a 'work' camp. We see a very long stretch of old rusty train track roll by. After what seems like an eternity a large ominous building appears in the dark and the train passes through the gates.

I won't tell you anymore, in case you watch it. I will say, I knew nothing of the filming locations used when I watched that scene. But I knew that concentration camp building and the old train track, looked nothing like a movie set. I latter learned that the building was indeed Auschwitz.



The Color Purple is particularly powerful...................in disturbing the crap out of you.



And when I'm all alone I feel I don't wanna hide
I had one of my most profound experiences at the cinema a month ago viewing Hou Hsiao-Hsien's The Puppetmaster. I had seen the film once before, but it was before I knew Hou very well at all and was also viewed on a mediocre VHS copy. I left the film without any sort of conviction towards it, which is a common reaction for me with Hou's films. Last month, I saw The Puppetmaster in a packed house at Museum of the Moving Image in 35mm, and it was a deeply profound experience.

I found myself entirely rediscovering the film, and engaging with Hou's films on a deeper level than ever before. The film is the peak of Hou in terms of his aesthetic goals, that is, showing history as it's lived. The entire film feels like experience rather than narrative. Much like living through history, understanding comes after experience. Like this, emotions come in waves, often times without warning, and sometimes without context for feeling. Hou's craft is so evocative here that it's not necessary to comprehend in order to engage in the moment. The meaning of things may not come until late in the film, or until weeks after watching the film because everything is tied to both the complexity inherent in the image and that inherent in history.

In aesthetic terms, the film was also a deep insight into the evolution of Hou as a filmmaker. A surprising amount of the film is made up of recurring compositions in the way of Mizoguchi's The Story of the Last Chrysanthemums. Subtle shifts in the compositions of various locations over the film add weight to the environments and greatly evoke an ineffable but definite feeling of change. Contrary to most critical discourse on Hou's career, the transition from the static camera found in his 1980s films to his nearly entirely mobile camera from Good Men, Good Women is wholly apparent here. The most startling example of it being a pan that follows the grandfather as he walks down from the house's loft, but the camera stops as he begins to fall down the stairs, leading to his death. Hou realizes the evocative power of camera movements in subtle ways in The Puppetmaster that only become more overt as he continued making films. The Puppetmaster is generally reasonably mobile, far more than A City of Sadness even. Those who were disappointed by Hou's overt camerawork in Good Men, Good Women seem to have been following inherited knowledge about Hou, as opposed to studying the changes themselves.

I'm someone who doesn't believe in purism for watching films. I think that you should watch a film however you feel most comfortable with it, or however is available to you. However, I don't think I could ever see The Puppetmaster in a different format now that I've seen it in 35mm because I think my experience and understanding of the film was somehow directly tied to the format.
Thanks for the reply, bluedeed. That's a nice write-up. I've yet to see it, myself, but yes, seeing any work projected in 35mm is the way the filmmaker intended it to be soon, and it's surely a remarkable experience. I'm assuming it was a good print, too, and the projectionists presented it accordingly? I like how you talk about experience over understanding. A lot of the great filmmakers intend for their work to be felt before understood - Robert Bresson, Stanley Kubrick and even David Lynch subscribe to these filmmaking tenets. Of course, film can still be intellectually stimulating (most of the great works are), but I personally view it more as an emotional experience first.

Dude, you seem like a really nice person so I'll warn you that Less than Zero really isn't a great movie. It's one of the most visually stunning movies you'll ever see and there is a lot of wealth porn (you'll understand if you see it) but the plot is horrendously weak and the character development is almost nil. The movie is supposed to be based on Bret Easton Ellis' (he also wrote the book American Psycho) book "Less than Zero" but it's really nothing like the book at all. The movie failed on a lot of levels.
Thank you for the head-ups, but I must say that I am still interested, albeit more cautiously now. :P

I've thought quite a bit about this thread and what constitutes a powerful movie. For me it's mostly powerful scenes that have staid with me.

Many films can move me, but that emotional feeling they invoke quickly fades. Maybe that's true for everyone.

Intellectual I can say, 'ya that was one heck of a powerful movie' but the associated feelings have long sense dissipated.

It's certain scenes from movies, that I can replay in my mind and invoke a strong emotion. The most powerful scene, that I've encountered is from a TV mini series:

War and Remembrance (1988) At the end of the story two of the main characters who are Jewish and have been evading capture by the Nazis are rounded up and sent to a concentration camp.
I can't describe the scene adequately. It was the most haunting images I've seen...The two Jewish characters are forcibly removed from the Warsaw Ghetto and loaded onto a train for a 'work' camp. We see a very long stretch of old rusty train track roll by. After what seems like an eternity a large ominous building appears in the dark and the train passes through the gates.

I won't tell you anymore, in case you watch it. I will say, I knew nothing of the filming locations used when I watched that scene. But I knew that concentration camp building and the old train track, looked nothing like a movie set. I latter learned that the building was indeed Auschwitz.
I see what you mean. We can recall a lot of works and explicate on why they were powerful, but very few films can have that degree of emotional resonance or longevity that sticks with you months or even years after watching it. One of the few films that still makes me nearly weep by just thinking about is Louis Malle's tragic and beautiful masterwork Au Revoir Les Enfants.



I can't believe I actually overlooked it when conducting my original OP. Even now, those feelings of dejection and despondency are being engendered. It's an absolutely remarkable film.

War and Remembrance certainly does look interesting, so I have added it to my viewing list. By doing a bit of reading into the miniseries, it seems like one of the more authentic and accurate depictions of the grim, egregious realities of anti-Semitism in WWII Europe.

The Color Purple is particularly powerful...................in disturbing the crap out of you.
Thanks for the reply, hello. It's been years since I have seen that one and I remember very little. It's good that you brought it up, however, because it's instantly reminded me of 12 Years a Slave. It's far from a perfect film, but there's a handful of truly disconcerting and perturbing moments, such as this:



One of the best things of Steve McQueen is his appreciation for the long take. Any other filmmaker would have cut at least 5 times in this scene, impeding its overall effectiveness. But this is all done in one take and the final results is something much more arresting, powerful and ultimately upsetting. In this day of digital editing, the long take is nearly dead. Thank God we've got filmmakers such as McQueen, Tarr, Paul Thomas Anderson, Maddin and various others who value it.



One of the best things of Steve McQueen is his appreciation for the long take. Any other filmmaker would have cut at least 5 times in this scene, impeding its overall effectiveness. But this is all done in one take and the final results is something much more arresting, powerful and ultimately upsetting. In this day of digital editing, the long take is nearly dead. Thank God we've got filmmakers such as McQueen, Tarr, Paul Thomas Anderson, Maddin and various others who value it.
Speaking of Steve McQueen (the director, not the actor), Hunger with Michael Fassbender is an emotional film. One thing I love about McQueen's films, there is always a specific dialog between two characters that completes the whole film. I am a person who enjoys watching films about the IRA (both sides) and the dialog between Fassbender's character and the priest is amazing.




And when I'm all alone I feel I don't wanna hide
Speaking of Steve McQueen (the director, not the actor), Hunger with Michael Fassbender is an emotional film. One thing I love about McQueen's films, there is always a specific dialog between two characters that completes the whole film. I am a person who enjoys watching films about the IRA (both sides) and the dialog between Fassbender's character and the priest is amazing.

Absolutely. For a debut, it's a truly remarkable work. The level of precision, detail and perception McQueen adopts in telling - what is essentially - a politically sensitive issue is nothing short of admirable. I loved its 'unconventional' storytelling structure and that long take you linked is also impressive. There is one in Shame, too:





I might as well add a few others powerful experiences:

The Straight Story - It's amazing how real Lynch's brand of sentimentality is. This is such a simple, restrained film, and unlike anything he's ever done. Only further substantiates the versatility and humanity of Lynch.

Twelve Monkeys - Gilliam's most poignant film and arguably his best. It's a devastating emotional experience. This is some of the best 'hard' science fiction out there, and, most importantly, has a dramatic core that feels authentic and not contrived in the least.

Ikiru - Kurosawa was just as brilliant at the contemporary drama as he was the period epic. I challenge anyone to watch this film and not feel something. It's a beautiful tale about the human condition and what it means to live. Sure, such a description sounds cliche, but it's tackled in a really aesthetically impressive way in this film.

Dersu Uzala - Another Kurosawa, albeit more overlooked. I thought this was just as - if not more - impacting than Ikiru. A wonderful examination of humanity in the ruthless, harsh forests of Shkotovo. It's also just beautiful to look at, and Kurosawa's only work to be shot on 70mm.

Picnic at Hanging Rock - Powerful, but not in its traditional sense. This film spawns a highly distinctive, dreamlike atmosphere and has an OST to die for. It's a truly immersive experience and, for me, the single greatest film to come out of Australia.

Buffalo '66 - Unfortunately, there aren't too many films like this. A wonderful tale of letting go and trying to find happiness. I imagine anybody who grew up in a dysfunctional family or had a particularly dejecting time at high school can relate to this. It's superbly crafted on a technical level, too.



Absolutely. For a debut, it's a truly remarkable work. The level of precision, detail and perception McQueen adopts in telling - what is essentially - a politically sensitive issue is nothing short of admirable. I loved its 'unconventional' storytelling structure and that long take you linked is also impressive. There is one in Shame, too:


Yes. I am a huge fan of the director. His films are beyond words. We need more directors like him.



Ah yes I forgot to mention

On the Waterfront

This movie had a really boring first hour, I struggled to get through it and was sure I would hate this movie.
One of the very few films I've ever seen that had me completely reverse my opinion of it, there are three extremely powerful moments in the second half.

And of course the famous line I could've been a contender !



Matteo, if you watch War and Remembrance, bare in mind this caveat...it's a TV mini series. At a whopping 27 hours, there are lots of lulls in the production and at times it plays like a soap opera. No director, regardless of his last name could maintain a high degree of quality for 27 hours. Still if you have the time, it's worth watching.

One film that I just reviewed did have a profound impact, Never Let Me Go
http://www.movieforums.com/reviews/1...let-me-go.html

I seen Melancholia mentioned. Based on the movies you have talked about, I think you would find Melancholia in the same profound vane.