Masterpieces of American cinema

Vikramdeep Johal describes the top ten Hollywood hits of all times

USUALLY, making lists is a customary annual activity for the media. Now, however, in the dying years of the century, nay, millennium, the public is being inundated with the best of these lists. The best novels, the most influential heroes, the greatest performers — with plenty of enthusiasm, the wheat of a hundred, if not a thousand years is being separated from the chaff, though not without a controversy or two. The public, of course, is enjoying it thoroughly. Therefore, the news that the American Film Institute has picked top 100 American films of all time can hardly surprise anyone. However, for an American film buff, it is nothing short of an event, a good opportunity of comparing his/her choice of the greatest movies with that of the experts.

Glamorous, vibrant, larger-than-life words like these are often used to define American cinema, commonly known as Hollywood. To a great extent, the selection made by the Institute’s panel is in keeping with this image. Most of the movies listed are popular classics which have stood the tests of time and taste. Orson Welles’ tour de force Citizen Kane occupies the number one spot and really, there won’t be many who disagree with this choice.

One can easily find many familiar names from all the major genres: musicals (Singin’ in the Rain; My Fair Lady; West Side Story); western (High Noon; Stagecoach; Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid); science fiction (Star Wars, 2001: A Space Odyssey, E.T.); horror (Psycho; Jaws; Dracula) and comedies (Some Like It Hot: It Happened One Night, Tootsie). War epics like Bridge on the River Kwai and Patton as well as gangster dramas like The Godfather (parts 1 and 2 ) and Goodfellas are also present.

Although Hollywood cinema has been dominated almost all along by the big studios — Warner Brothers, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal Pictures — quite a few directors have been successful in making their presence felt. Some of the best works of these filmmakers adorn the list. Steven Spielberg takes the cake — five of his movies are mentioned (E.T. Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Schindler’s List). The master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, comes in next via Rear Window, Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho.

The silent era, which lasted for more than three decades, is represented by three films – Charles Chaplin’s The Gold Rush and City Lights along with D.W. Griffith’s path-breaking epic Birth of a Nation. The Jazz Singer, first of the talkies (made in 1927), also finds a place.

The top ten spots are filled by undisputed masterpieces, each having a huge fan following. These are the films that have made deep inroads into the public psyche. Indian viewers today can watch and enjoy many of them sitting in their homes, courtesy of movie channels and cable networks. Here then are the terrific ten, the creme de la creme.

1. Citizen Kane (1941) Ironically, a film made entirely without studio interference is at the top. A landmark film in the annals of American, rather world cinema, it was made by a 25-year-old Orson Welles who regarded the film medium as "the biggest toy train set any boy ever had." Based on the life of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst — who tried in vain to prevent its screening — it remains unequalled for its dazzling cinematic inventiveness (its revolutionary deep-focus camerawork and innovative dissolve editing still wins appreciation at film institutes all over the world).

2. Casablanca (1943) An evergreen classic that doesn’t age as time goes by, this entertaining wartime romance and propaganda piece has acquired legendary status over the years. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman gel magically as the doomed lovers. Arguably the finest achievement of the American studio system, this melodrama’s characters and dialogues are extremely popular (just like our Sholay and Mughal-e-Azam).

3. The Godfather (1972) The father of all gangster films. Marlon Brando plays Don Corleone, the aging head of a Mafia clan whose youngest son and successor is played brilliantly by Al Pacino. Based on the Mario Puzo bestseller, it is stylish, atmospheric and very violent movie that keeps the viewer spellbound throughout. The haunting Godfather theme tune is used beautifully throughout the picture.

4. Gone with the Wind (1939) The American Civil War and the decline of the Old South is vividly brought to life in this spectacular epic that won Eight Academy Awards. The story of the love-hate relationship between Scarlet O’Hara (Vivien Leigh) and Rhett Butler (Clarke Gable) is overlong (three hours and forty minutes) but still watchable, thanks, to the inspired performances and the marvellous visuals.

5. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) David Lean directed this screen biography of T.E. Lawrence, the enigmatic English leader of the Arab revolt against Turkey during World War I. The awesome beauty of the desertscapes is memorably captured in this dazzling yet profound movie which won seven Oscars, including best picture, best direction, cinematography and music. British actor Peter O’Toole gives a flawless performance as the homosexual protagonist.

6. The Wizard of Oz (1939) This lavishly mounted musical fantasy stars Judy Garland as a farm girl who has adventures in the wonderful world of Oz only to learn that happiness was in her own backyard all the time. It begins (and ends) in black and white but changes to Technicolour for the dreamland sequences. An ideal film for children, it is a favourite of movie channels (recently shown by TNT as movie of the month).

7. The Graduate (1967) In his first major role, Dustin Hoffman plays a college graduate who is lured into a physical relationship by the wealthy and bored wife of his father’s friend. The plot thickens when he falls in love with her daughter, much to the mother’s chagrin. This bitter-sweet comedy features some melodious songs by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.

8. On the Waterfront (1954) A powerful melodrama about violence and corruption on the docks of New Jersey. Marlon Brando displays the magic of method acting in the role of an ex-pugilist and is ably supported by the rest of the cast, which includes Eva Marie Saint, Rod Steiger and Karl Malden. Directed admirably by Elia Kazan, this hard-hitting film has inspired Hindi remakes like Parinda, Kabzaa, Ghulam and to some extent, Deewar.

9. Schindler’s List (1993) This story of a German war profiteer who managed to save the lives of over a thousand Polish Jews during the Holocaust is widely regarded as director Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece. Shot in black and white, it has a stark documentary feel to it. There are many disturbing moments (remember the scene in which Nazi general Amon Goth shoots Jews from his balcony as a routine morning exercise).

10. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) In the history of movie musicals, no single scene is more fondly remembered than Gene Kelly’s song-and-dance routine through a rain-soaked city street. (It is poetry in motion!). The film also works wonderfully as a fun-filled comedy, with an inventive plot about the chaos that reigned in Hollywood during the transition from silent movies to talkies in the late twenties. A delightful entertainer from start to finish.

As happens with any list, this one too suffers from a few glaring omissions. Conspi-cuous by their absence are the comedies Ninotchka and The Player, the sci-ficlassic Blade Runner, the musicals Cabaret and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, political thrillers All the President’s Men and JFK as well as the horror gem Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

All in all, the list is impressive without holding many surprises and is highly representative of an industry that has sold dreams to billions and has virtually monopolised global entertainment for the better part of this century.