The best movies of all time?

Which of these countries' movies do you guys think are the best?
If we’re talking about the heavy hitters on the global stage, I’d say the top three are definitely the US, France, and the UK. Let's just set India aside for now, shall we?
I'll go ahead and list our two local ones—one American and one American.
The strongest one in this part of the country? Definitely the American one.

Even with all the debates about what counts as American or what’s just leftover American stuff, you gotta wonder, right?
Is everything filmed in that old American territory considered a local production?
Everyone's basically just American after '91, right? Same goes for the other side too.

Since you were already diving into American cinema, you really should have touched upon Asian film as well, just to give us a broad overview. It’s also a mistake to overlook the "Mediterranean circle"—you know, the heavy hitters from Italian and Spanish cinema (think Fellini, Visconti, De Sica, Rossellini, or even Almodóvar?). French cinema basically carries enough weight to stand on its own without help, and while bringing up Scandinavian films might feel like splitting hairs, it's still worth noting...

You think anyone would actually vote for Italian cinema?

What about Spanish films? Does that even count? I mean, sure, except for maybe one director...

Which Scandinavian one would you pick?
If we group them all together, isn't that just unfair to the ones standing alone?

Anthony Kim18 said:You think anyone would actually vote for Italian cinema?

What about Spanish films? Does that even count? I mean, sure, except for maybe one director...

Which Scandinavian one would you pick?
If we group them all together, isn't that just unfair to the ones standing alone?

Using "would someone vote for it" as a metric isn't exactly a heavy hitter for an argument, is it? I usually find myself in the minority whenever people start "voting" on movies, so that doesn't really bother me... but I don't think you can just gloss over Neorealism as a movement. It’s a different story with German cinema; I’d almost say it barely exists as a cohesive entity, even though 1920s Expressionism basically laid the groundwork for film as an Art form. But unlike the Italian scene, German film hasn't really evolved along a single, meaningful trajectory since then.

As for the Spaniards, they have a distinct style that definitely appeals to some, and they aren't short on talent either: Fernando Trueba, Bigas Luna, Victor Erice, Alex de la Iglesia, Carlos Saura, Julio Medem, plus the transplant Alejandro Amenabar... oh, and of course Luis Bunuel...

So nobody would even bother voting for a Spaniard or an Italian?! Anthony Kim18?!! Come on man, you're forgetting about Asia too, just like Joseph Lee3 mentioned...

Joseph Lee3 said:Using "would someone vote for it" as a metric isn't exactly a heavy hitter for an argument, is it? I usually find myself in the minority whenever people start "voting" on movies, so that doesn't really bother me... but I don't think you can just gloss over Neorealism as a movement. It’s a different story with German cinema; I’d almost say it barely exists as a cohesive entity, even though 1920s Expressionism basically laid the groundwork for film as an Art form. But unlike the Italian scene, German film hasn't really evolved along a single, meaningful trajectory since then.

As for the Spaniards, they have a distinct style that definitely appeals to some, and they aren't short on talent either: Fernando Trueba, Bigas Luna, Victor Erice, Alex de la Iglesia, Carlos Saura, Julio Medem, plus the transplant Alejandro Amenabar... oh, and of course Luis Bunuel...

And what about Almodóvar? Nothing? Fair enough...

Joseph Lee3 said:Since you were already diving into American cinema, you really should have touched upon Asian film as well, just to give us a broad overview. It’s also a mistake to overlook the "Mediterranean circle"—you know, the heavy hitters from Italian and Spanish cinema (think Fellini, Visconti, De Sica, Rossellini, or even Almodóvar?). French cinema basically carries enough weight to stand on its own without help, and while bringing up Scandinavian films might feel like splitting hairs, it's still worth noting...

I'm with you; Italian and Spanish filmmaking definitely deserve their own spotlight, especially the former. If you feel like Spain is lacking true auteurs, just rename the category to "Spanish-language films" and pull in some titles from Latin America. I’d do that in a heartbeat. Personally, I've never seen a hard line between British and American movies anyway; they all kind of blur together. And honestly, don't blame me if I skip the Italians and Spaniards to include North American cinema—that just feels unrealistic.

American cinema is definitely the best, though I think this poll is missing all those great indie cult classics...

What kind of racist slang are we even talking about here? 🙂

Honestly, this poll would actually be fair if we just stuck to the three most accessible continents for cinema. I'm talking North America, Europe, and Asia. That's the only way there's anything real to debate here...

Jerry Martin19 said:What kind of racist slang are we even talking about here? 🙂

It isn't really racist... I don't view that word as an insult... It's more like a term of endearment... 😉

Jerry Martin19 said:Honestly, this poll would actually be fair if we just stuck to the three most accessible continents for cinema. I'm talking North America, Europe, and Asia. That's the only way there's anything real to debate here...

See, I wasn't looking at whole continents, I wanted to get down to specific nations...

Anthony Kim18 said:See, I wasn't looking at whole continents, I wanted to get down to specific nations...

You listed Americans, Mexicans, and Americans in general, but you left out Asians and the Japanese... That's a pretty big oversight. Plus, there's plenty more to be said regarding Germans and Spaniards...

redowl90 said:It isn't really racist... I don't view that word as an insult... It's more like a term of endearment... 😉

aha. 🙂

they definitely miss the mark for me.

While I've developed a real soft spot for Asian cinema lately—think Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea—I still find myself gravitating toward the USA. Honestly, most of my all-time favorites come from Hollywood. Even though a lot of what's coming out of the States right now feels pretty mediocre, there's always that one standout gem that makes it all worth it.

If I actually had the choice, I’d probably lean toward the cinema coming out of the Spanish-speaking world. 🙂
Most of the time, though, I find myself watching American films—just like everyone else does. I have a soft spot for French, British, and Asian cinema too, so picking a single "best" is a lost cause. Every nation, when they're at their peak, tends to produce its own version of Fellini, Bergman, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, or Kubrick...

Joseph Lee3 said:Using "would someone vote for it" as a metric isn't exactly a heavy hitter for an argument, is it? I usually find myself in the minority whenever people start "voting" on movies, so that doesn't really bother me... but I don't think you can just gloss over Neorealism as a movement. It’s a different story with German cinema; I’d almost say it barely exists as a cohesive entity, even though 1920s Expressionism basically laid the groundwork for film as an Art form. But unlike the Italian scene, German film hasn't really evolved along a single, meaningful trajectory since then.

As for the Spaniards, they have a distinct style that definitely appeals to some, and they aren't short on talent either: Fernando Trueba, Bigas Luna, Victor Erice, Alex de la Iglesia, Carlos Saura, Julio Medem, plus the transplant Alejandro Amenabar... oh, and of course Luis Bunuel...

Look, wouldn't it be fairer if every single country in the world got its own option, even if 99% of them ended up with zero votes?
Usually, even in real statistics, the options with tiny numbers of votes are either ignored or lumped together.
That's why I just grouped them all under "others."

Joseph Lee3 said:Using "would someone vote for it" as a metric isn't exactly a heavy hitter for an argument, is it? I usually find myself in the minority whenever people start "voting" on movies, so that doesn't really bother me... but I don't think you can just gloss over Neorealism as a movement. It’s a different story with German cinema; I’d almost say it barely exists as a cohesive entity, even though 1920s Expressionism basically laid the groundwork for film as an Art form. But unlike the Italian scene, German film hasn't really evolved along a single, meaningful trajectory since then.

As for the Spaniards, they have a distinct style that definitely appeals to some, and they aren't short on talent either: Fernando Trueba, Bigas Luna, Victor Erice, Alex de la Iglesia, Carlos Saura, Julio Medem, plus the transplant Alejandro Amenabar... oh, and of course Luis Bunuel...

I couldn't agree more.

Man, I honestly don't even know where to start with this one. They completely skipped over the Spaniards and the Germans, and they didn't even throw in a mention of Canadians for the sake of regional representation—not that I’d be lining up to vote for them anyway, but still... what's missing are the Italians and people from Asia. It's just... hardly a complete list, is it?

Anthony Kim18 said:Look, wouldn't it be fairer if every single country in the world got its own option, even if 99% of them ended up with zero votes?
Usually, even in real statistics, the options with tiny numbers of votes are either ignored or lumped together.
That's why I just grouped them all under "others."

It doesn't really matter; at the end of the day, this is your poll. 🙂 You set the rules however you think is best. I was just jumping into the conversation... honestly, I love it when people debate national cinemas like this, even without a formal poll.

Personally, my heart belongs to France. My top three directors are all French—Jean Renoir, Henri-Georges Cluzot, and Jacques Tati—so I'm happy to cast my vote there. 😬 In my view, French cinema has managed to stay at the "top" longer than most when you weigh quality against quantity; they’ve produced more original movements and directors than almost anyone else. They were somewhat of a late bloomer compared to, say, German cinema, but while the German-speaking world essentially scattered across the globe (think Lubitch, Lang, Emmerich, Murnau, Wilder...), the French tend to stay pretty true to their own roots. That said, I’ve struggled to sit through much French film over the last 30 years or so. A Jean-Pierre Jeunet film? Honestly, it was a struggle... though I suppose it's "auteur" driven, which is probably what matters most.

Someone mentioned how similar American and British cinema can feel: 🙂

Historically, the British have fought a bloody battle against American dominance, made even harder by the fact that they share a language. In reality, Americans indirectly cut them down at the root back in the 1920s. Panicked about their domestic industry being completely wiped out, the British passed the Film Law (around 1927) which mandated a certain quota of British films in theaters across the UK. It turned out to be a double-edged sword; in a rush to meet those quotas, studios started churning out absolute garbage. These were the infamous "quota quickies," which the British are still pretty embarrassed about today. Since then, they've been cutting at the heels of American film, though there is a school of thought that thinks it’s great when British movies are made to mimic Hollywood perfectly—like "Weddings and a Funeral" and stuff like that. Though everyone admits that’s basically the only way they turn a real profit.

Regardless, I think the British have a few cinematic gems they can actually brag about: that specific brand of British comedy rooted in vaudeville—back in the 1930s, they were making films that haven't been matched since (just look at "Oh Mr. Porter!")—and that wave of social realism from the late 50s and 60s. That era gave us legends like Mike Leigh and Ken Loach. And I can't forget the unmatched duo of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger, or the entire horror institution built by Hammer... the British definitely have things to show for themselves. 😍