What do you consider the perfect movie?

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Master and Commander was terrific. I loved how they did what I think was a fairly realistic depiction of just how alone the crew of a sailing ship was back then....no help, no communications, nothing but your own wits and knowledge of the trade. Add in a war and things get even more intense.
Agreed M&C was a special movie where they got it right.



The Shawshank Redemption
To Kill a Mockingbird
It's a Wonderful Life
Spirited Away
Mary and Max
Psycho (1960)
Pan's Labyrinth
The Pianist
Come and See
Fantasia



I'd go way back and nominate Casablanca. It has Silver Screen vintage, Hollywood stars, angst, wartime drama, star-crossed lovers, villainous Nazis, a great song, memorable monochrome imagery and, it's both enduring and completely easy for audiences. What could be better.
I agree re Casablanca. I think that The Third Man is near perfect. Honorable mention: Rear Window.



I two don't think there's such a thing as a perfect movie, but any movie is done well if it:
1) Accomplishes the goals it set for itself
2) Is entertaining to the intended audience

I agree with these statements.


One example might be Citizen Kane. Welles set out to make the perfect film by checking all the film element boxes (Script, Lighting, Cinematography, etc.) I think he accomplished that goal. And while many will not be entertained by the story line, I believe it is good enough to entertain those it intended.



Using the same criteria, one does not have to include only those movies that tick all the film element boxes. I would include the Godfather 1 &2 (never 3), Goodfellas (mainly for its story and pacing), Hannah and her sisters (especially the creation of tension and it's comic relief.)



Master And Commander (2003).



Now, if people don't like the subject matter of colonial-era naval films....
Love this movie, but which colonial era are you referring to?
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Love this movie, but which colonial era are you referring to?
The era typically referred as the "Colonial" era... here in the "American" colonies, that is...
(Basically, anywhere between 1620 - early 1800's.)

The Aubrey / Maturin series takes place during the Napoleonic wars - the novel series spans the years of 1800 - 1815. The movie version takes place circa 1805.

Some ironic trivia (from Wikipedia):
The film combines elements from 13 different novels of Patrick O'Brian, but the basic plot mostly comes from The Far Side of the World. However, in the film version, the action takes place in 1805, during the Napoleonic wars, instead of 1813 during the Anglo-American War of 1812, as the producers wished to avoid offending American audiences.[8] In consequence, the fictional opponent was changed from the USS Norfolk to the French privateer frigate Acheron.



I agree with Pahak completely, there is no such thing to me as a perfect film. There are several favorite films that are "near perfect" examples of e which is the closest term I use. Movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Pulp Fiction, The Big Sleep, Chinatown, Kiss Me Deadly. Within their genre I feel those are close to flawless examples.

As for the Godfather it's not even in my top 5 gangster movies.



Some ironic trivia (from Wikipedia):
The film combines elements from 13 different novels of Patrick O'Brian, but the basic plot mostly comes from The Far Side of the World. However, in the film version, the action takes place in 1805, during the Napoleonic wars, instead of 1813 during the Anglo-American War of 1812, as the producers wished to avoid offending American audiences.[8] In consequence, the fictional opponent was changed from the USS Norfolk to the French privateer frigate Acheron.
This clears up some confusion. In the movie the conflict is between England & France so I didn’t see the colonial connection.



This clears up some confusion. In the movie the conflict is between England & France so I didn’t see the colonial connection.
I found this incredibly interesting - the film is aimed at Americans, so they didn't want the Americans to be the bad guys in the film as they originally were in this particular story from the book series!

In today's climate, the movie might be more popular if the Americans WERE the bad guys (as in the book) - at least to the BLM / Antifa crowds.

(Although they'd be more inclined to burn a movie theater down than to go there to watch a movie about the war of 1812 - they might be afraid they'd learn a little history even if the story is fictional, but set during a real war... they're too busy taking down statues of abolitionists and generals who won the Civil War because they don't know what the word "abolitionist" means and have no knowledge of actual history).



A movie that tells a great story as well as great acting-one such film for me is..In The Heart Of The Sea.