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January 7, 2008
50 Movies You Might Have Missed (6-10)
6. Downfall

This film gives us a glimpse of what it was like inside Hitler’s bunker in the final days of World War II through the eyes of his stenographer Tradul Junge. This film is based on Junge’s book of the same name and is stunning in the portrayal of the human side of this evil regime.

Many people believe that Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan should be required viewing in high schools. I would claim that this is the film kids should see. After having The Third Reich explained, the students should watch this film and see how blind faith in a man-made god leads to destruction.


7. The Hidden Fortress

The pairing of director Akira Kurosawa and actor Toshirô Mifune is perhaps the most critical collaborations in cinema history. The two forged sixteen brilliant films together including some of the most influential movies ever made. This is one such production.

Most people haven't seen this film but it is likely the person who made your favorite movie has and was deeply impacted by it. This film about a general who travels with a princess and two thieving buffoons to smuggle a cache of gold through enemy territory. It may not sound like much but this is one of the great works of world cinema.

As was usually the case, Mifune's larger-than-life presence threatens to overtake the other actor's performances and ultimately it is his work that is most memorable. Like Brando and Bogart, once Mifune took on a role he consumed it. His charisma and talent makes it impossible to see anyone else in the role.

This to be Kurosawa's second best film (Rashomon is his greatest work). It is good enough for you to immediately toss up on the top of your Netflix queue or to spend a few minutes searching the dusty corners of your local video store.


8. Singin' in the Rain

I know, I know, The Sound of Music should be my choice of the greatest film musical. Well, I hate The Sound of Music, the music is almost as irritating as the kids and for crying out loud, who wants to listen to Austrians sing? No, I back Singin' in the Rain. This hodge bodge of spare parts put together to make a full movie works so well and is a delight across the board. Even for people, like me, who are loathe to sit through anything that even remotely acts like a musical, this is a good pick. The dancing is mesmerizing, the music enjoyable and most importantly, the story, surrounding the lives of silent film actors as they attempt to make the jump into sound movies is brilliant. The humor in the film makes the gaudy moments excusable.

Even if you don't want to watch the movie, at least watch this bit of Donald O'Conner:

9. Kung-Fu Hustle

This is one of the few times I can say I was wrong in my initial reaction to a film. When I first saw this film I simply did not get it. Having seen it several times since, I can say that my original pan of the film was off the mark. I was wrong.

Director Stephen Chow's goofy, spastic film about Sing, a loser, who dreams of being a powerful gangster. When he accidentally sets off a war between a vicious gang and local citizens of a slum, Sing finds himself stuck in the middle. This film is short on substance but it makes up for it with dazzling visuals and a very funny delivery. Effectively, this film is little more than a fancy amusement ride but it is a very good amusement ride that I can recommend.


10. M

This classic German film from Fritz Lang (Metropolis) is truly timeless. The story tells of a hunt for a brutal pedophile played brilliantly by Peter Lorre. Most people know Lorre as the frog-eyed, sweaty guy from Casablanca or The Maltese Falcon. My Geddy Lee loving brother-in-law would know him from being portrayed in Looney Tunes (that’s Lorre being portrayed – not my Geddy Lee loving brother-in-law.) The police have difficulty finding the elusive murderer and begin to disrupt organized crime’s business across the city. Before too long, the gangs of underground criminals join the manhunt. Even after all of these decades, this film is still unsettling. The image of pre-World War II Nazis in this film is likewise unnerving.




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