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The Spectator's 50 Essential Films

"...a selection of the very best that cinema has to offer. This isn't just a celebration of motion pictures, but also a testament to The Spectator's own passion for the medium and respect to the silver screen. We've been guided by this wider legacy, as much as by our present deliberations, in choosing the final 50 films. A premium has been placed on wit, Britishness and intelligence — to distinguish this effort from other film lists. There are some notable absentees from our list: you won't find Casablanca, It's a Wonderful Life or Lawrence of Arabia anywhere; their absence is lamented, though we remain unapologetic. The 50 films that we're left with are a distinguished bunch: high points in modern cultural history and essential viewing. In the end, we hope that we've captured something of the breadth, mystery, intelligence and magic of the movies. As Jean-Luc Godard put it: 'Cinema is the most beautiful fraud in the world.' Now it's time to be deceived — and gladly."
236 users · 1,140 views
 
from spectator.co.uk · made by SteveAzo
avg. score: 19 of 51 (37%)
required scores: 1, 7, 12, 19, 32 
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How many have you seen?

Page 1 of 2
1
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
The Night of the Hunter (1955)
Rotten Tomatoes®   95%
2
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
3
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
4
Black Narcissus (1947)
Black Narcissus (1947)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
5
L'avventura (1960)
L'avventura (1960)
Rotten Tomatoes®   94%
6
The Searchers (1956)
The Searchers (1956)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
7
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
The Magnificent Ambersons (1942)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
8
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
Rotten Tomatoes®   94%
9
L'atalante (1934)
L'atalante (1934)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
10
Rio Bravo (1959)
Rio Bravo (1959)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
11
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
12
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather (1972)
Rotten Tomatoes®   97%
13
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
14
Grand Illusion (1937)
Grand Illusion (1937)
Rotten Tomatoes®   97%
15
Citizen Kane (1941)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Rotten Tomatoes®   99%
16
The Scarlet Empress (1934)
The Scarlet Empress (1934)
Rotten Tomatoes®   86%
17
Tokyo Story (1953)
Tokyo Story (1953)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
18
Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner (1982)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
19
Rear Window (1954)
Rear Window (1954)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
20
Point Blank (1967)
Point Blank (1967)
Rotten Tomatoes®   92%
21
The Red Shoes (1948)
The Red Shoes (1948)
Rotten Tomatoes®   97%
22
The Earrings of Madame De... (1953)
The Earrings of Madame De... (1953)
Rotten Tomatoes®   97%
23
Shadows (1959)
Shadows (1959)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
24
Pickpocket (1959)
Pickpocket (1959)
Rotten Tomatoes®   93%
25
Viridiana (1961)
Viridiana (1961)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
26
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Rotten Tomatoes®   89%
27
City Lights (1931)
City Lights (1931)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
28
Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Pierrot Le Fou (1965)
Rotten Tomatoes®   88%
29
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Sunset Boulevard (1950)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
30
Notorious (1946)
Notorious (1946)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
31
M (1931)
M (1931)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
32
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
The Roaring Twenties (1939)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
33
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
Rotten Tomatoes®   100%
34
The Long Day Closes (1992)
The Long Day Closes (1992)
Rotten Tomatoes®   79%
35
Killer of Sheep (1978)
Killer of Sheep (1978)
Rotten Tomatoes®   98%
36
Gun Crazy (1950)
Gun Crazy (1950)
Rotten Tomatoes®   90%
37
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Rotten Tomatoes®   95%
38
Taxi Driver (1976)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Rotten Tomatoes®   96%
39
The 400 Blows (1959)
The 400 Blows (1959)
Rotten Tomatoes®   99%
40
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Rotten Tomatoes®   92%
Page 1 of 2
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