I decided to post my top 50 movies list, after filtering through all my previous favorite lists. I also decided to not separate animation and live action because they are all movies (just made using different methods).
After several years watching movies one can make a top 50 list that is truly a personal list, not a list made up by other's people's favorites in the sense that one does understand their own taste better and hence knows how to find movies that fit well into one own's aesthetic preferences. Mine are of dark/serious films that are often powerful, with several exceptions of course.
The list so far:
50. A Man Escaped (1956) (Bresson, France)
49. The Apu Triology (1955-59) (Ray, India)
48. Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) (Tahataka, Japan)
47. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) (Leone, Italy)
46. Schindler's List (1993) (Spielberg, US)
45. Ghost in the Shell (1995) (Oshii, Japan)
44. The Human Condition (1959-1961) (Kobayashi, Japan)
43. Fanny and Alexander (1983) (Bergman, Sweden)
42. Back to the Future (1985) (Zemekis, US)
41. Gunbuster (1988) (Anno, Japan)
40. Taxi Driver (1975) (Scorsese, US)
39. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) (Tarr, Hungary)
38. The Road Warrior (1982) (Miller, Australia)
37. Ping Pong (2014) (Yuasa, Japan)
36. The Terminator (1984) (Cameron, US)
35. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) (Jackson, US)
34. Whisper of the Heart (1995) (Kondo, Japan)
33. Shoah (1985) (Lanzmann, France)
32. Andrei Rublev (1966) (Tarkovsky, Russia)
31. Serial Experiments Lain (1998) (ABe, Japan)
30. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (Miyazaki, Japan)
29. Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986) (Beizai, Iran)
28. All Quiet in the Western Front (1930) (Milestone, US)
27. Late Spring (1949) (Ozu, Japan)
26. Star Wars & Empire (1977-1980) (Lucas, US)
25. Only Yesterday (1991) (Takahata, Japan)
24. Ugetsu (1953) (Mizoguchi, Japan)
23. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) (Herzog, Germany)
22. Eraserhead (1979) (Lynch, US)
21. Seven Samurai (1954) (Kurosawa, Japan)
20. Castle in the Sky (1986) (Miyazaki, Japan)
19. Porco Rosso (1992) (Miyazaki, Japan)
18. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) (Takahata, Japan)
17. 8 1/2 (1963) (Fellini, Italy)
16. Apocalypse Now (1979) (Coppola, US)
15. Now then Here and There (1999) (Daichi, Japan)
14. Bicycle Thieves (1948) (De Sica, Italy)
13. The Mirror (1975) (Tarvosky, Russia)
12. 300 (2007) (Snyder, US)
11. Spirited Away (2001) (Miazaki, Japan)
10. Kaiba (2008) (Yuasa, Japan)
9. Blade Runner (1982) (Scott, US)
8. Tokyo Story (1953) (Ozu, Japan)
7. Maho Shojo Madoka Magica (2011) (Shimbo, Japan)
6. 2001 (1968) (Kubrick, UK)
5. Stalker (1979) (Tarkovsky, Russia)
4. Ikiru (1952) (Kurosawa, Japan)
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) (Miyazaki, Japan)
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) (Miyazaki, Japan)
1. Haibane Renmei (2002) (ABe, Japan)
.................................................................................................... ................................................................
50. A Man Escaped (1956) (Bresson, France)
While I watched about a dozen Bresson movies the one that I decided to include in this list is the one that I felt the stronger visceral connection with. A Man Escaped is such a great movie thanks to it's minimalism that grounds it very strongly on the fictional reality being depicted as the lack of all the hollywood tropes and everything else makes it feel so close to reality. It reminded me of the time I spend in the Brazilian army (because I was there involuntarily, since Brazil still drafts people even though the last time we went to a serious war effort was in 1864 ), since the feel of physical conditions there and in a Brazilian army barracks are not that different (though our food was better and the mattresses had decent bed sheets and blankets).
Although the main character looks kinda like an idiot, I strongly identified with his struggle. And the minimalist feel good ending was so rewarding.
The tension:
The boredom:
The direction and cinematography are first class as well, monochrome movies are rarely as beautiful as this one (in it's own way, thanks to it's minimalist elegance). So now I can also claim to have a French film in my top 50.
After several years watching movies one can make a top 50 list that is truly a personal list, not a list made up by other's people's favorites in the sense that one does understand their own taste better and hence knows how to find movies that fit well into one own's aesthetic preferences. Mine are of dark/serious films that are often powerful, with several exceptions of course.
The list so far:
50. A Man Escaped (1956) (Bresson, France)
49. The Apu Triology (1955-59) (Ray, India)
48. Tale of Princess Kaguya (2013) (Tahataka, Japan)
47. The Good, The Bad and the Ugly (1966) (Leone, Italy)
46. Schindler's List (1993) (Spielberg, US)
45. Ghost in the Shell (1995) (Oshii, Japan)
44. The Human Condition (1959-1961) (Kobayashi, Japan)
43. Fanny and Alexander (1983) (Bergman, Sweden)
42. Back to the Future (1985) (Zemekis, US)
41. Gunbuster (1988) (Anno, Japan)
40. Taxi Driver (1975) (Scorsese, US)
39. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) (Tarr, Hungary)
38. The Road Warrior (1982) (Miller, Australia)
37. Ping Pong (2014) (Yuasa, Japan)
36. The Terminator (1984) (Cameron, US)
35. The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) (Jackson, US)
34. Whisper of the Heart (1995) (Kondo, Japan)
33. Shoah (1985) (Lanzmann, France)
32. Andrei Rublev (1966) (Tarkovsky, Russia)
31. Serial Experiments Lain (1998) (ABe, Japan)
30. Kiki's Delivery Service (1989) (Miyazaki, Japan)
29. Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986) (Beizai, Iran)
28. All Quiet in the Western Front (1930) (Milestone, US)
27. Late Spring (1949) (Ozu, Japan)
26. Star Wars & Empire (1977-1980) (Lucas, US)
25. Only Yesterday (1991) (Takahata, Japan)
24. Ugetsu (1953) (Mizoguchi, Japan)
23. Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972) (Herzog, Germany)
22. Eraserhead (1979) (Lynch, US)
21. Seven Samurai (1954) (Kurosawa, Japan)
20. Castle in the Sky (1986) (Miyazaki, Japan)
19. Porco Rosso (1992) (Miyazaki, Japan)
18. Grave of the Fireflies (1988) (Takahata, Japan)
17. 8 1/2 (1963) (Fellini, Italy)
16. Apocalypse Now (1979) (Coppola, US)
15. Now then Here and There (1999) (Daichi, Japan)
14. Bicycle Thieves (1948) (De Sica, Italy)
13. The Mirror (1975) (Tarvosky, Russia)
12. 300 (2007) (Snyder, US)
11. Spirited Away (2001) (Miazaki, Japan)
10. Kaiba (2008) (Yuasa, Japan)
9. Blade Runner (1982) (Scott, US)
8. Tokyo Story (1953) (Ozu, Japan)
7. Maho Shojo Madoka Magica (2011) (Shimbo, Japan)
6. 2001 (1968) (Kubrick, UK)
5. Stalker (1979) (Tarkovsky, Russia)
4. Ikiru (1952) (Kurosawa, Japan)
3. Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) (Miyazaki, Japan)
2. My Neighbor Totoro (1988) (Miyazaki, Japan)
1. Haibane Renmei (2002) (ABe, Japan)
.................................................................................................... ................................................................
50. A Man Escaped (1956) (Bresson, France)
While I watched about a dozen Bresson movies the one that I decided to include in this list is the one that I felt the stronger visceral connection with. A Man Escaped is such a great movie thanks to it's minimalism that grounds it very strongly on the fictional reality being depicted as the lack of all the hollywood tropes and everything else makes it feel so close to reality. It reminded me of the time I spend in the Brazilian army (because I was there involuntarily, since Brazil still drafts people even though the last time we went to a serious war effort was in 1864 ), since the feel of physical conditions there and in a Brazilian army barracks are not that different (though our food was better and the mattresses had decent bed sheets and blankets).
Although the main character looks kinda like an idiot, I strongly identified with his struggle. And the minimalist feel good ending was so rewarding.
The tension:
The boredom:
The direction and cinematography are first class as well, monochrome movies are rarely as beautiful as this one (in it's own way, thanks to it's minimalist elegance). So now I can also claim to have a French film in my top 50.
Last edited by Guaporense; 05-27-15 at 01:44 PM.