Blog
75 years. 75 people. 63 different films.
15/09/08 by gia
To mark the BFI's 75th birthday various people from the worlds of film and current affairs were asked to nominate one film to pass on to future generations. These are then put to the public vote and the top 5 films will be screened at the BFI from January.
Voting has been going on for a few weeks now and the current order of all 63 films is:
1. Blade Runner nominated by James Christopher
2. Quadrophenia nominated by Jaime Winstone
3. The Godfather nominated by Baz Bamigboye
4. Stalker nominated by Cate Blanchett
5. Pulp Fiction nominated by Noel Clarke
6. Lawrence of Arabia nominated by Thomas Hoegh and Sir Roger Moore
7. The Third Man nominated by Adrian Wootton and Stephen Frears
8. A Matter of Life and Death nominated by Shami Chakrabarti, Margaret Hodge MP, Liz Rosenthal and Tanya Seghatchian
9. Singin' in the Rain nominated by Philip French
10. Metropolis nominated by Ken Russell
11. The Wizard of Oz nominated by Nathalie Press
12. Billy Elliot nominated by Matt Lucas
13. Once upon a Time in America nominated by John Woodward
14. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb nominated by Chiwetel Ejiofor
15. Vertigo nominated by Lizzie Francke
16. Cabaret nominated by Greg Dyke
17. The Battle of Algiers nominated by Paul Greengrass and Rebecca O'Brien
18. Back to the Future nominated by Alison Owen
19. West Side Story nominated by David Arnold
20. Empire of the Sun nominated by Leslie Philips
21. Kes nominated by David Morrissey
22. Tokyo Story nominated by Gurinder Chadha and Joanna Hogg
23. Otto e mezzo nominated by Lisa Ray
24. Apocalypse Now nominated by Martha Fiennes
25. Mississippi Burning nominated by Bill Nighy
26. Kind Hearts and Coronets nominated by Terence Davies
27. Raging Bull nominated by Asif Kapadia
28. Night of the Hunter nominated by Trudie Styler
29. If.... nominated by Stewart Till
30. L'Atalante nominated by Julien Temple, Lynda Myles and David Mackenzie
31. Spartacus nominated by Tony Robinson
32. The Seventh Seal nominated by Lord Melvyn Bragg
33. Pather Panchali nominated by Nitin Sawhney
34. Raising Arizona nominated by Simon Pegg and Edgar Wright
35. Great Expectations nominated by Stephen Woolley
36. The Sacrifice nominated by Juliette Binoche
37. This is England nominated by Jason Solomons
38. The Women nominated by Kathy Lette
39. The Red Shoes nominated by Patrick Marber
40. Closely Observed Trains nominated by Ken Loach
41. Local Hero nominated by Lord David Puttnam
42. Valerie and her Week of Wonders nominated by Sigur Ros
43. Ryan's Daughter nominated by Jane Wright
44. Do the Right Thing nominated by Marc Boothe
45. Silent Light nominated by Michael Nyman
46. The Leopard nominated by Caroline Michel
47. The Innocents nominated by Miranda Richardson
48. A Hard Day's Night nominated by Barnaby Thompson
49. Bonnie and Clyde nominated by Mike Figgis
50. A Diary for Timothy nominated by Amanda Nevill and Leslie Hardcastle
51. Grizzly Man nominated by Mark Herbert
52. Ratcatcher nominated by Harry Treadaway
53. The Band Wagon nominated by Nicholas Hytner
54. Adulthood nominated by Ashley Walters
55. Friday Night Lights nominated by Max Minghella
56. The Times of Harvey Milk nominated by Paul Burston
57. A Star is Born nominated by Sarah Waters
58. Ivan the Terrible nominated by Phyllida Law
59. Fog of War nominated by Jess Search
60. Never Take No for an Answer nominated by Sir Ben Kingsley
61. The Card nominated by Frank Skinner
62. She's Gotta Have It nominated by Diane Abbott
63. Night of the Masterpiece nominated by Pierre Bismuth
If your favourite film isn't on that list, you can write in your choice in the comments section of the voting page and one of the BFI team will add it to the 'People's Choice' list. The top ten people's choice films will be added to the main list for voting.
If you think Lawrence of Arabia, which is currently in sixth position, should be seen on the big screen at the BFI instead of Blade Runner, Quadrophenia, The Godfather, Stalker or Pulp Fiction, get voting. The poll will close on 30 September.
How Do You Choose?
15/09/08 by gia
'What's your favourite film?'
How many times have you been asked that question and how many different answers have you given? With what criteria do you base your decision? That you never tire of it after repeated viewings? The thoughts and emotions it stirred in you the first time you watched it? The way it it shot, acted, directed? The topics it deal with have resonance with you? All of the above?
It's one of the most difficult questions to answer. Often the answer depends upon your mood or who you are talking to or what you are interested in on that particular day. Normally, when one is asked that, it's not going into print, it won't be there for all to see and read for ages afterwards. You can change your mind.
Answering the question 'What one film would you want to share with future generations?' is considerably more difficult. Whereas, down the pub, you might answer the question flippantly with 'Star Wars' in order to get your 'Star Trek' fan friend all worked up, when the answer really matters would you give such a flippant answer? What exactly do you base your decisions on?
Here is what a few people who have nominated their own films have said:
Withnail and I
Submitted by Craig
Hilarious, sad, uplifting and wonderfully British. Stands up to multiple viewings like no other film I have ever seen and appears timeless. It's as fresh now as it was 20 years ago. A fantastic and near Perfect film.
The Life Of Brian
Submitted by Tim
but, but, but where is The Life of Brian, it deserves to at least be on the list. It still makes me laugh out loud in places after 25 years. It is fun and will cheer anyone who watches it. It has its flaws, but at least they haven't release five different cuts of the film - in my mind it stand as the funniest film of all time.
High Noon
Submitted by Amanda
Where is High Noon on the list...Stunning cinematography, superb imagery, moral dilemmas, set virtually in realtime..and who can forget the soundtrack.... "Oh, to be torn twixt love and duty".
The Colour Purple
Submitted by J M
The Colour Purple should be at the top of the list. It is one of the greatest in my opinion. It teaches hope, pride, courage, strength and most of all love. Celie is one of the best characters to grace the screen in many years and hers is the star that shines the brightest. She overcomes every obstacle that comes her way, sometimes easy but most times hard, with growing determination to be better than the sum of her parts. She shows diginity and respect can win the day over violence and aggression. That isn't to say she is weak, she is the strongest woman because of her friends and because of her life's lessons and through her example her friends also grow personally and spiritually. Yes it is a long film but I dare anyone to watch it and not come away changed in some small way.
The Elephant Man
Submitted by Larelle
A beautiful piece of cinematography. Undoubtedly David Lynch's best film in my eyes, with absolutely outstanding performances by John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins. It's a story I find both heartrending and uplifting. The final scene always leaves me in weeping sobs. The use of Barber's Adagio For Strings in the final scene makes it all the more poignant. It is a must-see film. Beautiful, stark and real.
Heat
Submitted by Simon
Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, Val Kilmer, Jon Voight and all directed by Michael Mann. Job Done. The best crime film every made with the best shootout ever.
Battle Royale
Submitted by James
A fantastic explotation film that as well as being highly entertaining gives one of the best and most balanced portrayals of the teenage mindset and its incompatability in an adult controlled environment.
Goodbye Lenin
Submitted by Jenny
A fabulous acount of life in the GDR- the film shows how events, often portrayed through misery and suffering were the norm for others. The cast are fantastic, the content and subtle humour in the script fantastic- this film should not only be shown to future generations but incorporated into schools history curriculum!
Gone With The Wind
Submitted by Michael
Produced by the great David O. Selznick, this is a film of epic proportions in every sense, be it cast, directing, lighting or sets.
Based upon a work in and around the Amercan civil war, a struggle of
both hearts and minds grasps the imagination as never before for
the film public of 1939. Add to this, ten Acadmy awards, leaves us in
no doubt, this great work should not be dismissed.
Trainspotting
Submitted by Robin
Can't believe it hasn't already got at least some recognition! Danny Boyle never made a finer film. Irvine Welsh's dystopia summed up in a wonderful swirl of celluloide with a soundtrack to (almost!) die for.
Du rififi chez les hommes
Submitted by john
Paris never looked more dangerously beautiful.
"Du Rififi Chez les Hommes" is a magnificent film-noir, certainly Dassin captures the milieu of seedy clubs and Parisian back streets like no-one else and the final drive through Paris by a dying man is one of the most iconic closing sequences of any movie.
The screenplay has credibility, supported by an awesome direction of Jules Dassin, stunning performances of the cast and great cinematography.
Casino Royale
Submitted by Richard
It's not your average James Bond film. This one has a much deeper message than Good vs Evil. This film focuses very much on morality and duty and whether it's right to kill for your country (Vesper - "Just because you've done something, doesn't mean you have to keep doing it.")
It also focuses on the power of love, as Bond's love for Vesper drives him to quit his job and forget his true calling. For me it's a masterpiece and it should definitely be considered for special commendation.
So what did you choose and why?
People's Choice
22/09/08 by gia
As of this writing the readers' write-in top ten is as follows:
1. The Shawshank Redemption
2. Casablanca
3. 2001: A Space Odyssey
4. Brazil
5. Cinema Paradiso
6. Pan's Labyrinth
7. Some Like It Hot
8. Star Wars Trilogy (only episodes 4-6)
9. Withnail & I
10. Brief Encounter
So, The Shawshank Redemption is number one in the 'people's choice' list. Clearly there are a lot of IMDB users visiting the BFI's site. Famously, or infamously, The Shawshank Redemption has been the number one film on IMDB for ages now. The Dark Knight will probably overtake it soon.
Now, I think the film is good... but not great. If I could pass on one film for my children and their children to watch, it would most definitely not be The Shawshank Redemption. I'm perplexed by the choice. Can anyone illuminate me?
Now, the inclusion of a film that has spawned a drinking game garners my approval. Withnail & I is one of those pure gems of British film that the rest of the world never really discovered. Is it, however, worthy of passing onto future generations as one of the 'films you must see before you die'?
What do you think of the readers' top 10?
World Cinema
25/09/08 by gia
An interesting and glaring omission on this list is that there are few 'world cinema' films. Perhaps because the question was asked by the British Film Institute to mainly British people that the list contains mainly British, European or American films.
The exceptions are Yasujirō Ozu's Tokyo Story- nominated by directors, Gurinder Chadha and Joanna Hogg- and Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali - nominated by composer Nitin Sawhney.
There have been a several write-in votes for World Cinema films. I will divide them by country.
Brazil
Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund's City of God nominated by Alison and Sheldon Smith, Andrew Crook, Chris Taylor
China
Ziang Zemou's Raise the Red Lantern and Red Sorghum nominated by Jean James, Paul, Alexander
Chao Wang's The Orphan of Anyang nominated by Miss Moo
Hou Hsieu Hsien's Flowers of Shanghai nominated by Peter
Tsai Ming- Liang's I Don't Want To Sleep Alone nominated by Annie Morrad
Wong Kar-Wai's films Chungking Express, 2046 and In the Mood for Love were nominated by Peter Wood, Michael O, Alan Wen, Priya Prakash, Ross Wilson, Mackandal
Egypt
Youssef Chahine's Le Destin nominated by Miss Moo
India
Satyajit Ray's Apu Trilogy nominated by Jean James
Ashutosh Gowariker's Lagaan nominated by Swords
Guru Dutt's Pyaasa nominated by Miss Moo
Iran
Abbas Kiarostami's The Wind Will Carry Us nominated by Miss Moo
Japan
Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away nominated by Rowan and Richard Wilcock
Shinji Aoyama's Eureka nominated by Ian
Yasujirō Ozu's Late Spring nominated by Lawrence Lynch
Yasujirō Ozu's Record of a Tenement Gentleman nominated by Martin Dumont
Takeshi Kitano's Hana-bi nominated by Victoria
Hayao Miyazaki's Princess Mononoke nominated by Seth
Kenji Mizoguchi's Sansho Dayu nominated by Victor Fong, Alan Boshier, Martin Russell, Frankie
Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira nominated by Richard Wilcock, Agacooker
Takeshi Kitano's Zatôichi nominated by Vivienne Ward
Akira Kurosawa's films Throne of Blood, Rashômon, Yojimbo, Sanjuro, Red Beard, The Hunter Where the Tiger Roams, Ikiru, Ran, Dersu Uzala and Seven Samurai were nominated by several people including The American Jean James, Mark Magee, Venkat Siddareddy, Rosie Gilbert, Mike, Miss Moo, Peter Wood, Fabrizio Catalano, Glenn Man, Gary Copping, Martin Slack, Nick Savvides, John Dee, Roland Rance, Hieronomous, Glyn, Ian France, Andy, Maria Beltane, Karl Flinter, Sam Lennox, Jon, Francisco, Frankie, TOny
Korea
Chan-wook Park's Oldboy nominated by Fabrizio Catalano, Nick Savvides, Mackandal, Andy
Lee Chang-Dong's Oasis nominated by Miss Moo
Mexico
Alejandro González Iñárritu's Amores Perros nominated by Nick Savvides, Tom Hickson
Alberto Gout's Aventura en Río nominated by Clermont Ferrand
Phillipines
Lino Brocka's Manila:In the Claws of Neon by Ungas
Ishmael Bernal's Himala nominated by Ungas
My own nomination? Takashi Koizumi's The Professor and His Beloved Equation.
Top 5 Update
04/10/08 by gia
The top 5 has changed dramatically over the past week. It's now looking less like an IMDB fanboy's dream list and more like a list of classic films of merit.
As of this writing the top 5 is:
1. The Women
2. The Third Man
3. The Wizard of Oz
4. A Matter of Life and Death
5. Lawrence of Arabia
Following relatively close behind are numbers 6-10:
6. Stalker
7. Quadrophenia
8. The Battle of Algiers
9. Blade Runner
10. The Godfather
It's an unusual top 5, I'll grant you that, but personally I'm happy that Pulp Fiction has dropped down the list. I'm even happier with the idea of seeing The Wizard of Oz on the big screen at the BFI. I think I've only ever seen in on a television.
Which films in the current top 5 are you most excited about seeing in a cinema?
Results
10/10/08 by gia
The final results are in. These are the 5 films to pass on to future generations that will be showing at the BFI from January.
1. Quadrophenia
2. Stalker
3. The Third Man
4. The Women
5. The Wizard of Oz
Missing out on the coveted top 5 are:
6. The Battle of Algiers
7. A Matter of Life and Death
8. Lawrence of Arabia
9. Blade Runner
10. The Godfather
Thank you to everyone who voted and hopefully we'll be seeing you at the BFI come January.