Catherine A. Surowiec
Historian; Editor, Pordenone Silent Film Festival catalogue
UK
Voted for
Film | Year | Director |
---|---|---|
À NOUS LA LIBERTÉ | 1931 | René Clair |
L'Atalante | 1934 | Jean Vigo |
Citizen Kane | 1941 | Orson Welles |
Kind Hearts and Coronets | 1949 | Robert Hamer |
Love Me Tonight | 1932 | Rouben Mamoulian |
The Marriage Circle | 1923 | Ernst Lubitsch |
Napoléon | 1927 | Abel Gance |
Partie de campagne | 1936 | Jean Renoir |
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans | 1927 | F.W. Murnau |
Top Hat | 1935 | Mark Sandrich |
Comments
Greatness is always relative; the lens of our lives reflects personal experience, taste, and perspective. The films on my list comprise old cinematic friends who have stood the test of time and have enriched my life for years. Once again, there were many candidates, with variants per category. The list could easily have been different, taking into account representatives of genre, decade, technical expertise, and creative talents behind and in front of the camera, as well as their place in film history. These films have been chosen for diverse reasons, but in each case, I could watch them over and over, with affection and amazement, and still see something new every time. The bottom line is something that strikes a chord within us, and survives countless viewings. Call it magic.