More than a century has passed since the Lumiere brothers first showed their cinematography to the public. Cinema has entered our lives so much that we cannot imagine how it is to live in a world where there are no cinemas or a new film cannot be downloaded on the Internet.
Much time has passed since the first movie show hosted by the Lumiere brothers. Movies first got sound, and then color. In recent decades, the technologies that are used when shooting films are developing rapidly. Over the years, tens of thousands of films were shot, a whole galaxy of brilliant directors and talented actors was born.
Most of the films that have been made over the past century have long been forgotten and interesting except to film critics and film historians. But there are paintings that are forever included in the "golden" cinema fund, they are still interesting to the viewer today and are still being watched. There are hundreds of such films. They are shot in different genres, by different directors, at different intervals. However, there is one thing that unites them: they make the viewer completely immerse themselves in the reality that lives in front of him on the screen. A real cinema created by a master of his craft is always a different reality that draws in the viewer like a vacuum cleaner and makes you forget about everything in the world for a while.
We have compiled for you a list of ten, which included the best films of all timealthough, frankly, it was not easy to do this, this list could easily be increased several times.
10. The Green Mile
This film was released in 1999, it was shot on one of the best works of Stephen King. The director of the picture was Frank Darabont.
This film tells about a block of suicide bombers in one of the American prisons. The story told in the film takes place in the early 30s of the last century. It contains people sentenced to death, in the near future an electric chair awaits them and they will walk a green mile to the place of their execution.
A very unusual prisoner - a black giant named John Coffey - gets into one of the cells. He is accused of killing and raping two little girls. However, later it turns out that this person is innocent, in addition, he has paranormal abilities - he can heal people. However, he must accept death for a crime that he did not do.
The main character of the film is the head of this block - policeman Paul. John Coffey cures him of a serious illness and Paul seeks to understand his case. When he realizes that John is innocent, he is confronted with a difficult choice: to commit an official crime or execute an innocent person.
The picture makes you think about eternal human values, about what awaits us all after the expiration of the life span.
9. Schindler's List
This is a brilliant film, it was shot by one of the most famous directors of our time - Stephen Spielberg.
The plot of this film is based on the fate of a major German industrialist Oscar Schindler. The plot unfolds during World War II. Schindler is a big businessman and a member of the Nazi party, but he saves thousands of doomed Jews. He organizes several enterprises and employs only Jews. He spends personal money in order to redeem and save as many prisoners as possible. During the war, this man saved 1,200 Jews.
The film received seven Oscars.
8. Save Private Ryan
This is another brilliant film of all time, shot by Spielberg. The film describes the final stage of World War II and the action of American troops in France.
Captain John Miller receives an unusual and difficult task: he and his unit must find and evacuate Private James Ryan. The military leadership decides to send the soldier home to his mother.
During the execution of this mission, John Miller himself and all the soldiers of his unit die, but they manage to complete their mission.
This film raises the question of the value of human life, even during war, when it would seem that this value is zero. A wonderful ensemble of actors, magnificent special effects, brilliant work of the operator are selected in the film. Some viewers cite excessive pathos of the picture and excessive patriotism, but, in any case, “Saving Private Ryan” is one of the best films about the war.
7. Dog Heart
This film was shot in the USSR in the late 80s of the last century. The director of the picture is Vladimir Bortko. The script is based on the novel of the same name by Mikhail Bulgakov.
If Western cinema is strong in its special effects, tricks and huge budgets of films, then the Soviet film school usually focused on acting and directing work. “Heart of a Dog” is a magnificent film, which was made according to the great work of the great master. He raises acute human questions and harshly criticizes the monstrous social experiment that was launched in Russia after 1917, costing the country and the world millions of human lives.
The plot of the picture is as follows: in the 20s of the last century, the brilliant surgeon Professor Preobrazhensky sets up a unique experiment. He transplanted human organs to an ordinary purebred dog, and the dog begins to turn into a man.
However, this experience had the most sad consequences: a person obtained in such an unnatural way turns into a complete bastard, but at the same time manages to make a career in Soviet Russia. The moral of this film is very simple - no revolution can turn an animal into a person useful to society. This can only be done daily work and work on yourself. Bulgakov’s book was banned in the USSR, the film could be made only before the very agony of the Soviet system. The film amazes with the brilliant play of the actors: the role of Professor Preobrazhensky is, of course, the best role of the brilliant Soviet actor Evgeny Evstigneev.
6. Island
The film was released in 2006, it was shot by a talented Russian director Pavel Lungin.
The events of the film begin during World War II. The Nazis capture a barge on which there were two people: Anatoly and Tikhon. Anatoly cowardly agrees to shoot his comrade. He manages to survive, he settles in a monastery, leads a righteous life and helps people who come to him. But repentance for the terrible sin of youth does not give him rest.
Once the admiral comes to him for help with his daughter. The devil entered the girl. Anatoly expels him, and later he recognizes in the admiral of that same sailor whom he once shot. He managed to survive and thus a terrible burden of guilt is removed from Anatolia.
This is a film that raises eternal Christian questions to the viewer: sin and repentance, holiness and pride. “Island” is one of the most worthy Russian films of the new time. It should be noted the brilliant play of the actors, the excellent work of the operator.
5. Terminator
This is a cult science fiction story, the first part of which was released in 1984. After that, four films were made, but the most popular are the first two parts, which were created by director James Cameron.
This is a story about the world of the distant future, in which people survived a nuclear war and are forced to fight against evil robots. Cars send a killer robot to the past, which should destroy the mother of the future leader of the resistance. The people of the future managed to send a soldier-defender into the past. The film raises many relevant topics of modern society: the danger of creating artificial intelligence, the possible threat of a global nuclear war, questions of the fate of man and his free will. The role of the terminator killer was played by Arnold Schwarzenegger.
In the second part of the film, cars are again sent to the past a killer, but now his goal is a teenage boy who must lead people into a battle against robots. People again send a defender, now they become a terminator robot, which is again played by Schwarzenegger. According to critics and viewers, the second part of this film turned out to be even better than the first (which happens quite rarely).
James Cameron created a real world in which there is a struggle between good and evil, and people must protect their world. Later, several more films were made about terminator robots (the fifth film is expected in 2015), but they no longer had the popularity of the first parts.
4. Pirates of the Caribbean
This is a series of adventure films, which was created by different directors. The first film was made in 2003 and immediately became insanely popular. Today we can already say that the films of this series have become part of popular culture. Based on them, computer games were created, themed attractions were installed in Disney parks. Pirate romance has entered our daily lives.
This is a vivid and colorful story that describes the events that took place in the New World in the period from the XVI-XVIII century. Films have a rather weak connection with real history, but they immerse us in the unique romance of sea adventures, boarding fights in powder smoke, pirate treasures hidden on distant and mysterious islands.
All films used amazing special effects, many scenes of battles, shipwrecks. The main role is played by the brilliant Johnny Depp.
3. Avatar
One of the best films ever made. Its director was James Cameron. This science fiction film completely transfers the viewer to another world, which is located at a distance of tens of light years from our planet. When creating this picture, the latest achievements of computer graphics were used. The budget of the picture exceeded $ 270 million, but the total fees for this film are already more than $ 2 billion.
The main character of the film is chained to a wheelchair because of an injury. He receives an invitation to participate in a special scientific program on the planet Pandora.
Land is on the verge of environmental disaster. Humanity is forced to seek resources beyond its planet. A rare mineral was found on Pandora, which is very necessary for earthlings. For several people (including Jack), special bodies were created - avatars that they must control. Aboriginal tribe lives on the planet, which is not enthusiastic about the activities of earthlings. Jack needs to learn more about the natives. However, events do not develop at all as planned by the invaders.
Usually in films about the contact of earthlings and aliens, aliens are aggressive towards the inhabitants of the Earth, and they have to defend themselves with all their might. In Cameron's picture, everything happens exactly the opposite: earthlings are cruel colonizers, and natives protect their home.
This film is very beautiful, the work of the operator is impeccable, the actors play perfectly, and the script, thought out to the smallest detail, takes us to the magical world.
2. The matrix
Another cult story, the first part of which appeared on the screens in 1999. The main character of the picture, programmer Thomas Anderson, lives an ordinary life, but he learns the terrible truth about the world in which he lives and his life is radically changing.
According to the script of this film, people live in a fictional world about which machines put information into their brain. And only a small group of people lives in the real world and is fighting with the machines that invaded our planet.
Thomas has a special fate, he is the chosen one. It was he who was destined to become the leader of human resistance. But this is a very difficult path, on which many obstacles await him.
1. The Lord of the Rings
This magnificent trilogy is based on the immortal book of John Tolkien. The trilogy includes three films. All three parts are filmed by director Peter Jackson.
The plot of the picture unfolds in the magical world of Middle-earth, which is inhabited by people, elves, orcs, gnomes and dragons. The war begins between the forces of good and evil and its most important element is the magic ring, which accidentally falls into the main character - the hobbit Frodo. It must be destroyed, and for this the ring must be dropped into the mouth of the fire-breathing mountain.
Frodo with his loyal friends goes on a long journey. Against the background of this journey, the epic events of the struggle between dark and light forces unfold. Bloody battles unfold before the viewer, amazing magical creatures appear, sorcerers weave their spells.
Tolkien’s book, based on which this trilogy was shot, was considered a cult in the fantasy genre, the film did not spoil it at all and was enthusiastically received by all lovers of this genre. Despite the slightly frivolous fantasy genre, this trilogy raises eternal questions for the viewer: friendship and fidelity, love and true courage. The main idea that runs through the whole story with a red thread is that even the smallest person is able to change our world for the better. Just take the first step beyond the threshold of the house.