by Brian Eggert
7/29/2007

1. Casablanca (1942)
2. Seven Samurai (1954)
3. Brazil (1986)
4. The Third Man (1949)
5. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
6. The Searchers (1956)
7. Notorious (1946)
8. The Rules of the Game (1937)
9. Gone With the Wind (1939)
10. Grand Illusion (1937)
11. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
12. Vertigo (1958)
13. Sullivan’s Travels (1941)
14. Citizen Kane (1941)
15. North by Northwest (1959)
16. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
17. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
18. Touch of Evil (1958)
19. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
20. Bob le flambeur (1956)
21. Double Indemnity (1944)
22. The Lady Eve (1941)
23. Ikiru (1952)
24. Paths of Glory (1957)
25. The Treasure of Sierra Madre (1948)
26. City Lights (1931)
27. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
28. Yojimbo (1961) & Sanjuro (1962)
29. Wages of Fear (1953)
30. The Indiana Jones Trilogy (1981, '84, '89)
31. Written on the Wind (1956)
32. King Kong (1933)
33. The Wild Bunch (1969)
34. The Godfather (1972)
35. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
36. Modern Times (1936)
37. The Thin Man (1934)
38. Rebecca (1940)
39. Barry Lyndon (1975)
40. Rashomon (1950)
41. Mon Oncle (1958)
42. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (2001-2003)
43. To Be or Not to Be (1942)
44. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
45. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
46. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
47. Amadeus (1984)
48. Fanny and Alexander (1982)
49. Raging Bull (1980)
50. Brief Encounter (1945)
51. M. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
52. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
53. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
54. My Darling Clementine (1946)
55. Taxi Driver (1976)
56. Schindler’s List (1993)
57. The Fly (1982)
58. Psycho (1960)
59. Spartacus (1960)
60. White Heat (1949)
61. Alien (1979)
62. Hara-Kiri (1962)
63. The Thing (1982)
64. Goodfellas (1990)
65. Dawn of the Dead (1978)
66. Red River (1948)
67. Ran (1985)
68. Minority Report (2002)
69. Rififi (1955)
70. Blade Runner (1982)
71. Bringing Up Baby (1938)
72. Black Narcissus (1947)
73. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
74. Ben-Hur (1959)
75. The Big Red One (1980)
76. Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
77. Apocalypse Now (1979)
78. Ace in the Hole (1951)
79. The Kid (1921)
80. Umberto D. (1952)
81. The Great Dictator (1940)
82. Videodrome (1983)
83. Limelight (1952)
84. House of Games (1987)
85. Ugetsu (1953)
86. Memento (2000)
87. High Noon (1952)
88. The Aviator (2004)
89. The Exorcist (1973)
90. The Heiress (1949)
91. The Star Wars Trilogy (1977, ’80, ’83)
92. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
93. Rushmore (1998)
94. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
95. Jaws (1975)
96. Pulp Fiction (1994)
97. Rio Bravo (1959)
98. The English Patient (1996)
99. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
100. Finding Nemo (2003)

Read more about these films by clicking the link below:
www.imdb.com

In response to the American Film Institute’s recent 10th Anniversary revamp to their AFI’s 100 Years... 100 Movies list, Deep Focus Review has concocted its own top 100 list. Except, I’ve put a little more thought into mine...

Whittling down my favorite films to a very terse 100 proved much more difficult than I could imagine. Not only that, but trying to round out the list to include movies from every decade and genre meant making personal sacrifices. For example, my favorite directors are Alfred Hitchcock and Akira Kurosawa; if I would have included my most beloved films from these two filmmakers, their inclusions would take up half of the list.

I’ve been brooding for more than a month over posting this list. Committing to only 100 films is difficult, and almost painfully risky I feel. So, I’ve decided this list will change annually, or more, as I’m just a human being and my opinions are subject to change.

There may be curious choices you’ve never seen on a list of this type. I’ve included cult favorites like Dawn of the Dead and The Thing, contemporary masterpieces like The Aviator and Minority Report, and I’ve even snuck in a few trilogies as one entry.

As it is the “American” Film Institute, AFI’s list centers only on American film. Makes sense, right? Our list includes international cinema, not because Deep Focus Review represents all cultures (we are, after all, from Minnesota), but because cinema is an international art form. Stories are universal, regardless of language. I aimed for a list comprised of all genres and from various countries, though admittedly the list is dominated by English-language film. Included is a range of cultural representation. Swedish, Italian, Japanese, and British cinemas all made their mark on this film lover, and therefore, they make appearances on the list.

Business also influences AFI’s numerous lists. On the recent AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Movies list, Titanic and The Sixth Sense were newly added—movies that were included because they broke box-office records. No one would claim these pictures are two of “the best movies ever”, but no one can deny their commercial appeal either. Their inclusion speaks to the AFI’s desperation to list films that people will recognize. That, or they’re trying to sell DVDs. If you look at the AFI’s Top 100 page (which you can visit HERE), you’ll see the Flash-powered list is arranged by DVD cover, reminding you how much of a commercialized process the AFI’s title selection is.

In a way, lists are pointless. Every critic’s Top Whatever seems off somehow. Every time I read these lists, there are always a few questionable choices. Case in point, I was annoyed enough by AFI’s recent selections that I was inspired to devise my own. I expect you’ll find a few of my choices questionable too: Where’s It’s a Wonderful Life? Where’s Bonnie and Clyde? Where’s The Graduate? All great films, but not “the best” in my opinion.

Lists are subjective, superficial, and silly. You might complain that Citizen Kane is not #1, that it is #13. How could Brazil beat out Citizen Kane? After reading my Definitives essay on Brazil, you’ll see how I believe Terry Gilliam’s 1986 film to be the Citizen Kane of the modern age. Brazil is both a great motion picture and my favorite motion picture. Deep Focus Review’s Top 100 Films is comprised of movies that are both my favorites and are what I believe to be “the best” from a historical perspective. There is a distinction between the two. “Favorite” is a personal choice based on tastes; “best” is a more technical and theoretical application. Combine the two from my subjective point of view and you have this list.

Lists challenge the reviewer to limit themselves and also inform the reader. More than anything, use this list as a guide. If you’ve seen them all, I hope you can enjoy their arrangement. If you see movies unfamiliar to you, use this imdb.com link to research it; there, you can read cast and crew info, trivia, technical specs, and so on. Also, it’s my goal—probably a five-year plan—to include each of the above-listed films into The Definitives, hopefully instilling enough interest in the respective film for you to rent or buy it. If I’ve written a Definitives review of it, the movie title will be linked. Click away and enjoy.

It’s been the mission of this site to inform and introduce readers to cinema they might otherwise not be exposed to. It’s my wish that you watch every movie on this list and hopefully learn something, either about yourself or film history, along the way.

If you want to discuss your experiences discovering or rediscovering these movies, email me.

Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review