In the past century, films have been the greatest gift to human life. Different genres have given a number of masterpieces that have made a great impact on cinema. The stories and characters are unforgettable.
Following are some films that help in broadening the knowledge of cinema, horizons, and cultures.
1. Modern Times
Talk about Cinema and how one can not start with the legendary Chaplin. His films have given a new direction to the cinema. One of his creations is Modern Times. Giving his last tribute to his most successful character, Tramp.
The film shows how Little Tramp, working on a start-of-the-art factory finds himself stuck in the world of machines. Tramp works hard between those machines, facing mishaps every day but still could not find himself coping up with them. Along with that, he goes through many legal hassles which results in him going to jail. In his journey, he finds an orphan girl, and both struggle to make their space in the modern world.
The film covers different terms along with modernization, like, industrialization, law enforcement, bureaucracy, survival, and many more. It showcases the changing of the 21st Century and people confronting issues with that.
2. Chungking Express
Portraying the loss of a breakup and how it affects normal life through two different romantics tales, Chungking Express is a perspective of a romantic loss. Directed by Wong Kar-Wai, the film shows the sadder side of love and the way it eats daily life.
Taiwan Cop 223, He Qiwu gets dumped by his girlfriend. The breakup makes him buy a can of Pineapple with an expiration date of May 1 as a hope that he will get over her on this date. In the process of that, he gets his eye a blonde wig, a mysterious woman who happens to be a drug dealer.
In parallel to the story, Cop 663, is a heartbroken man, dealing with a breakup by a flight attendant. Faye, a waitress at a local cafe secretly loves him. One day when Cop’s ex-girlfriend drops the key at the cafe. Faye finds herself going into Cop’s house, cleaning and decorating it, and clean up his life.
The film shows the affected pattern of life after a breakup facing loneliness, unifying patterns of day-to-day life. It makes ponder upon little things and people, one meets for a moment of time and how they can leave a big impression in your life.
3. Citizen Kane
An American tragedy of a man who pushes himself to win everything around him with vision, greed, and passion that makes him bring himself to ruin, Citizen Kane is one of the Best Films in the world.
The film deals with the death of a newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane who dies after saying his final word “Rosebud”. Among many reporters and newspapers trying to write about Kane, Jeffry Thompson, a reporter is assigned to unearth Kane’s final word. Thompson investigates with people close to Kane which included his second wife, Susan Alexander Kane, and a prominent banker, Walter Parks Thatcher. Soon Jeffry fears that he may never get to the bottom of Kane’s mysterious last word.
The film bought a new form of an in-camera effect called depth of field. The film showed every aspect of Charles to be loved by the public and his effort to reach it all. But in contrast to that, he never had his own love to give.
4. The Godfather Trilogy
Regarded as one of the best trilogies in the history of Cinema, The Godfather is based on the novel by Mario Puzo.
The story spanning from 1945-1955 of a family chronicles. An Italian- American mafia family, headed by Vito Corleone, The Godfather. The film focuses on reluctant Vito’s youngest son, Michael Corleone, and his father’s efforts to transform his son into a mafia. Soon Michael gets involved in the cycle of crime which affects his married life but he finds himself getting drawn into it deeper and deeper.
Directed by Francis Ford Cappola, showcased violence as a game-changer masterpiece. The film changes the perspective of people towards the stereotypical Italian-American people. The film is referenced to the auteur theory and Cappola’s artistic and commercial importance.
5. The Bicycle Thief
The Bicycle Thief talks about the struggles of life and desperation of causing one to become evil and sacrifice their morality.
Set in the period of post World War II, Italy is surviving its economy, Antonio is an unemployed man who has got a job but the job demands a bicycle. His wife, Maria works day and night to get him a bicycle so that he can work and she succeeds. The cycle gets stolen on the first day of his job. Antonio takes his son, Bruno to search the city to get his bicycle back, learning lessons along the way.
Directed by Vittorio De Sica, the film is the biggest present to the Italian Neorealism wave of the Cinema. Ideologically, it portrayed the life of ordinary people of the working class. The shooting took place in real locations rather than on the sets. It reflected the changes in politics in the Italian psyche post World War II and people suffering from depression and poverty, every day.
