In the last 120+ years, the craft of cinema has developed into a global entertainment powerhouse, supplanting both books and plays. Millions of movies in thousands of languages have spawned from hundreds of film industries around the world, a large fraction of which are eminently forgettable.
In fact, it might be argued that even the most memorable films are static entities that stick to the status quo and have minimal pop-cultural relevance. That said, there are very few notable examples that have actively altered the fabric of the filmmaking medium and earned their place as touchstones of cinematic history.
Updated on October 26th, 2022 by Ajay Aravind: History has no meaning other than what people assign to it. The art of cinema appreciation doesn't belong to a catered elite of film critics and academics, but to the general public. It is we who choose the greatest films of our respective generations, whether consciously or unconsciously. Although movies with substance are often prized above blockbuster popcorn flicks, both types of cinema have shaped filmmaking in undeniable ways.
15 Lawrence Of Arabia Has Gone On To Influence Iconic Artists
Lawrence of Arabia is based on British Army Colonel T.E. Lawrence's autobiography, Seven Pillars of Wisdom. The movie was an instant grand slam, accumulating ten Academy Award nominations and winning seven. Lawrence of Arabia is generally considered to be among the most prominent movies of the 20th century, an honor it has retained for six decades.
The film has gone on to influence iconic artists, including Steven Spielberg, George Miller, Ridley Scott, and even Frank Herbert (best known for writing the Dune series). The Library of Congress has preserved Lawrence of Arabia in the U.S. National Film Registry for its historical significance.
14 Moonlight Illustrates The Potency That Cinema Can Wield If Given The Opportunity
Moonlight is a recent film, but that hasn't stopped it from becoming a game-changer. It follows the life of its captivating protagonist, going through his relatively blissful childhood, torrential teenage years, and finally tossing him into the confusing vortex of adulthood.
Moonlight shattered the coming-of-age mold and rebuilt it, brick by brick — an illustration of the potency that cinema can wield if given the opportunity. Sexuality and identity are the twin anchors of Moonlight's narrative, and every viewer is bound to have a different interpretation of the sophisticated journey the movie takes them on.
13 In The Mood For Love Achieved A Level Of Recognition Beyond The Domestic Scope Of Its Narrative
Wong Kar-Wai's In the Mood for Love is widely considered one of the greatest movies of the 21st century. Praised by The BBC for speaking "so fluently in the universal language of loss and desire," this Chinese-language film achieved a level of recognition far beyond the domestic scope of its narrative.
In the Mood for Love doesn't rely on tiresome romantic tropes or melodramatic exposition. On the contrary, it gently pulls the audience into its poignant rain-drenched landscape. The protagonists don't get a happy ending because that's not how the world works. Cotton-candy conclusions are reserved for fairy tales, whereas reality is unpredictably complex.
12 12 Angry Men Was Nothing Short Of Radical For Its Era
12 Angry Men's all-white, all-male jury which wields total control over a Latinx youth's life (or death) would have never worked in 2022. For 1957, however, the movie was nothing short of radical.
12 Angry Men refuses to name its titular jurors in an attempt to reflect the neutrality of the due process, but the film simultaneously makes it clear that the justice system needs a serious overhaul. 12 Angry Men garnered near-universal fame for its hopeful message, leaving viewers to come to their own conclusions with the narrative evidence presented to them.
11 Monty Python And The Holy Grail Is A Postmodern Masterpiece That Defined An Entire Generation Of Comedy
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is arguably the Holy Grail of comedy movies. The film extracts its era-defining humor from a bottomless mine of surreal satire, twisting the Arthurian legend into a postmodern masterpiece that remains as relevant as ever.
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a series of sketches braided together with ingenious rigor, ultimately metamorphosing into a perennially quotable piece of movie history. Interestingly, John Cleese once claimed that "the ending annoy[ed] [him] the most," but most critics and fans find the film's conclusion to be flawless.
10 The Sound Of Music Is Arguably The Most Influential Musical Ever Made
The Sound of Music is a lighthearted retelling of the real-life von Trapp family and their experiences under the Nazi regime. With the transcendent Julie Andrews at its helm, the film managed to shatter records at box offices on a global scale, earning over $2.5 billion (including inflation).
The Sound of Music surprisingly didn't do well in Austria, the country of its setting, but the movie nevertheless magnified tourist presence in Salzburg. No musical film has had as much of an impact as The Sound of Music. On the other hand, critic Pauline Kael criticized the movie as a "sugar-coated lie people seem to want to eat."
9 Philadelphia Examines The Impact Of The HIV/AIDS Epidemic With Infinite Grace
Directed by Jonathan Demme, Philadelphia stars Tom Hanks in the role of Andrew Beckett, a gay man whose life turns upside down when his employers terminate him for having AIDS. This gut-wrenching movie examines the impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the United States through the eyes of its queer protagonist.
Andrew Beckett can only be described as a trueblue revolutionary: an infinitely patient soul who maintains his dignity until the bitter end. Philadelphia garnered widespread acclaim, earning over $200 million at the box office and winning the Best Actor Oscar for Hanks' evocative performance.
8 Blade Runner Is Considered Recognized As A Science-Fiction Trailblazer
Ridley Scott's Blade Runner established nearly all the norms utilized in Cyberpunk, explaining why it's acknowledged as a genre trailblazer. Blade Runner's legacy is a vibrant palette, incorporating innumerable movies, TV shows, anime, video games, and various other forms of media.
Furthermore, William Gibson, the so-called "noir prophet of Cyberpunk," was nearly discouraged from completing Neuromancer because he thought that "everyone would assume [he'd] copied [his] visual texture from this astonishingly fine-looking film." A much-awaited sequel was released in 2019 — Blade Runner 2049 received just as much critical acclaim as its predecessor.
7 Schindler's List Tore Through The World Like A Heartbreaking Thunderstorm
Steven Spielberg is, without question, a film artist of the highest caliber. His craftsmanship extends from electrifying blockbusters like Jaws (1975) and Jurassic Park (1993) to wonderfully intimate portraitures such as Lincoln (2012) and The Color Purple (1985).
That said, Schindler's List is possibly Spielberg's finest accomplishment. The movie tore through the world like an emotional thunderstorm, changing viewers in indescribable ways. The New Yorker's Terrence Rafferty applauded the movie's "narrative boldness, visual audacity, and emotional directness." Even stringent reviewers were forced to admit that Schindler's List surpassed their highest expectations.
6 Do The Right Thing Is A Masterfully Designed Exploration Of Race Relations
Do the Right Thing is a masterfully designed exploration of race relations. This Spike Lee film carefully dissects and unravels the intricate relationship network in the Bed-Stuy neighborhood of Brooklyn. Starring Giancarlo Esposito, Danny Aiello, Samuel L. Jackson, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro, Do the Right Thing garnered worldwide attention almost overnight.
Critic Roger Ebert wrote that it came "closer to reflecting the current state of race relations in America than any other movie." Do the Right Thing was mired in a sea of controversy when it was first released, but retrospective analysis overwhelmingly supports Spike Lee's directorial vision.
5 Citizen Kane Transformed The Film Industry On A Foundational Level
Orson Welles co-wrote, directed, and starred in Citizen Kane, a film that is more or less accepted as the "greatest of all time." It flopped miserably at the box office, but there is little doubt that the cinema medium owes Citizen Kane a debt of eternal gratitude.
While the movie was plagued by harsh criticism, largely from "the giants of journalism" its story parodied, critics gave Citizen Kane a rousing round of applause. Citizen Kane transformed the film industry on a foundational level, particularly in terms of cinematographic techniques and film language.
4 Inside Out Radiates A Ghibli-Esque Charm In Every Scene And Through Every Character
Anyone who thinks animated films can't make history hasn't watched Hayao Miyazaki's movies. Despite its American origins, Inside Out radiates a Ghibli-esque charm in every scene and through every character. A tenderly crafted story about a young teenager's coming-of-age, this transcendent film is one of the brightest gems in Pixar's glittering crown.
Very few movies have been able to encapsulate the essence of growing up with as much radical empathy as Inside Out. Young viewers can feel protagonist Riley's turbulent emotions evolving through the screen, whereas older audiences understand her parents' perspective. It's almost impossible to achieve such a delicate balance, but Inside Out makes it look so easy.
3 Fight Club Goes Significantly Deeper Than The Brutality On Its Surface
Fight Club was a topic of heated debate during its premiere at the Venice Film Festival, but critics would later refer to it as "the defining cult movie of our time." Fight Club's surface layer is coated with a concentrated dose of violence, although it's better characterized as a Matryoshka doll of masculinity.
The film contains so many interlocking strata of meaning that a single viewing (or ten, for that matter) isn't enough to fully grasp the visceral depth of its narrative. Through no fault of its own, Fight Club is perhaps one of the most misunderstood movies ever made.
2 Fargo Explores The Space Between Human Vitality And Sterile Nothingness
Fargo's barren, frigid landscape is at odds with its protagonist's warm nature, but it is this very conflict that is the crux of the movie. Frances McDormand's Marge Gunderson is the face, heart, and soul of this unsettling, yet graceful, story.
The Coens have been making groundbreaking films for a while now, such as No Country For Old Men (2007), The Big Lebowski (1998), and Miller's Crossing (1990). But they are yet to direct another movie that captures the gritty vitality of Fargo's characters and their unbreakable spirits. The eponymous FX television series was equally successful, winning numerous Emmys and Golden Globes.
1 The Rocky Horror Picture Show Is The Longest Continuously Running Movie Of All Time
The Rocky Horror Picture Show doesn't just defy textbook interpretation, it invents a whole new way of appreciating cinema. This mind-boggling musical pays homage to the genres of horror, comedy, and science fiction while sculpting a unique niche for itself. Tim Curry's ineffable Dr. Frank-N-Furter, a delightfully campy alien scientist with a penchant for blonde-haired boytoys, has since become a pop-cultural icon.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show effortlessly subverts societal conventions — orthodox concepts like gender and sexuality are effectively meaningless in Frank-N-Furter's bacchanalian mansion. Most importantly, The Rocky Horror Picture Show "holds the record for the longest continually running movie release of all time."