| My 29 Best Films By Antonio C. Abaya Written Sept. 23, 2004 For the Philippines Free Press, October 02 issue Since I switched from VHS to DVD in 1999, my film library has grown to about 1,700 titles about 80% of which were purchased online from amazon .com. In 2002 I had become such a good customer that amazon CE0 Jeff Bezos wrote me a letter thanking me for my patronage and sending me a free DVD copy of the recently released Braveheart. Someone has suggested that I pick out my favorite films. So below, in chronological order of their release, are my top 29, almost all purchased from amazon.com but many of which are now available in globalized DVD editions: 1. The Passion of Joan of Arc, by Carl Dreyer. (1928, France/Denmark, silent.) One of the greatest films ever made. Based on the actual court records of the trial and execution of the Maid of Orleans (played by Renee Falconetti) in 1431, the silent film captures the nuances of the drama through the exceptional use of camera close-ups. Be sure to get the Criterion Collection edition which includes an option to play Visions of Light with the film, a choral work which Composer Richard Einhorn was moved to compose after watching this film. 2. Modern Times, by Charlie Chaplin. (1936, US, silent.) Chaplin�s last silent comedy as he moved his art to, well, modern times. A biting satire on mechanization and industrialization in the urban milieu, Chaplin stars in it as a worker who goes berserk on the factory floor due to the repetitiousness of his chores. 3. Casablanca, by Michael Curtiz. (1942, US.) No film has immortalized so many memorable phrases and one-liners in the English language as this one. Sparkling dialogue plus chemistry between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman make this an enjoyable experience, over and over. 4. Ikiru, by Akira Kurosawa. (1952, Japan, in Japanese.) I am not a great fan of Kurosawa�s samurai films because I am put off by his characters� exaggerated motions and unnaturally gruff way of talking, which is probably a tradition in classical Japanese theatre. In the modern-day setting of this film, a government bureaucrat, who has been �dead� in his job for decades, finds out that he is dying of cancer and re-discovers life. 5. The Seventh Seal, by Ingmar Bergman. (1956, Sweden, in Swedish.) This is the only film that I ever watched twice in one sitting and which I drove miles to see again and again in other towns away from my home base near Chicago. A Swedish knight returns home from the Crusades, disillusioned and plagued by doubts about the existence of God. He plays chess with Death to gain time �for one meaningful act.� 6. The Apu Trilogy, by Satyajit Ray. (1955-59, India, in Bengali.) The three films in this trilogy (Pather Panchali, Aparajito, The World of Apu) chronicle the life and struggles of Apu and his family to survive, first in a rural village, later in a slummy flat in the holy city of Benares. 7. Black Orpheus, by Marcel Camus. (1958, Brazil, in Portuguese.) A retelling of the Orpheus-Eurydice legend, set in the favela slums of Rio de Janeiro during carnival season. Infectious samba music complements the natural mellifluousness of the Portuguese language. 8. Ballad of a Soldier, by Grigori Chukhrai. (1959, USSR, in Russian.) A young soldier knocks out two German tanks in battle and is rewarded with a furlough home to visit his mother. Delayed by one encounter after another, he finally reaches home but has enough time left only to embrace her for one wordless, emotionally charged eternal moment, before he must ship back to the front. 9. Lawrence of Arabia, by David Lean. (1962, GB). My all-around favorite film: a larger-than-life hero, spectacular desert cinematography, glorious soundtrack music and dramatic story-telling. 10. Battle of Algiers, by Gillo Pontecorvo. (1965, Algeria/Italy, in French.) Realistic, almost documentary-style retelling of the Algerian war of independence against France. 11. A Man and a Woman, by Claude Lelouch. (1966, France, in French.) An old-fashioned romantic story that avoids falling into the saccharine pit through deliberate restraint all around. Melancholy sweet-sad songs. 12. 2001: A Space Odyssey, by Stanley Kubrick. (1968, GB.) The best sci-fi film ever, in my opinion. Imaginative visual effects that do not dominate the story-telling. A malevolent super-computer. And an intriguing puzzle: the black rectangle. Was this rational thought trapped in three dimensions? 13. Cabaret, by Bob Fosse. (1972, US.) The last decadent days of pre-Nazi Berlin as reflected in the cynical songs and dances at the Kit Kat Club. The choreography by Fosse is a preview of his even bigger success in his auto-biopic All That Jazz (1979). 14. Aguirre, Wrath of God, by Werner Herzog. (1972, West Germany, in German.) When Pizarro and his conquistadors landed in Peru to conquer the Inca empire, a party of 40 separated from the main force and climbed down the Andes to the Amazon river in a doomed search for El Dorado. A riveting portrait of megalomania, though I found it a bit disconcerting to hear Spanish colonizers and their Indian porters talking in German. 15. The Godfather, Parts I and II, by Francis Ford Coppola. (1972-74, US.) The best gangster film ever. The rise of the Sicilian immigrant Vito Corleone, from community do-gooder to Mafia boss, and the fall of his son Michael, trace a unique trajectory in the pursuit of the American Dream. Part III is below par. 16. Swept Away, by Lina Wertmuller. (1975, Italy, in Italian.) The battle of the sexes and the class struggle rolled into one steamy erotic romp set in a deserted Mediterranean isle. Don�t be misled by a stupid Hollywood film of the same title. 17. I, Claudius, by Herbert Wise. (1976, GB, a BBC mini-series.) Based on Robert Graves� history of Imperial Rome as seen through the eyes (and pen) of Claudius, one of the later emperors. Ancient history was never this fascinating. 18. Bugsy Malone, by Alan Parker. (1976, GB.) An infinitely charming film for children. The 1920s Chicago gangster era is recreated with barely pubescent child actors and actresses. Their Ford Model Ts are pedal-powered and their Tommy guns fire volleys of cream puffs. The only film in this list not yet available in DVD, original or globalized.. 19. Annie Hall, by Woody Allen. (1977, US.) Most comedies lose their �funnyness� after two or three viewings. This one still makes me laugh even after ten. Woody Allen is the perfect nerd who wears his angst on his face. 20. Das Boot, by Wolfgang Petersen. (1981, West Germany, in German.) The Second World War as seen from the losing side, as they cower within the claustrophobic confines of a submarine under attack. 21. Out of Africa, by Sydney Pollack. (1985, US.) A non-ideological view of European colonialism in Africa in the eyes of a Danish outsider. Spectacular cinematography, memorable soundtrack music and luminous performance by Meryl Streep make this one of my top favorites. 22. The Last Temptation of Christ, by Martin Scorsese. (1988, US.) Based on a novel by Nikos Kazantzakis who was excommunicated from the Greek Orthodox Church for it, directed by a Roman Catholic, and produced by a Calvinist, this film was banned in Manila by Manoling Morato. Its sin: its fictive Jesus, dying on the Cross, imagines for a fleeting instant what it would have been like if he had married Mary Magdalene, had children with her and lived an ordinary life to a ripe old age. Judas Iscariot shames him back to his messianic mission. 23. The Decalogue, by Krysztof Kieslowski. (1988, Poland, in Polish.) Made for Polish TV, each of the ten 55-minute episodes in this mini-series focuses on one of the Ten Commandments, as lived by residents in the same seedy apartment block in Warsaw. Not a religious film in the traditional sense: many or most of the characters are atheist or agnostic, but a deeply spiritual film nonetheless. 24. Scent of a Woman, by Martin Brest. (1992, US.) Meet Col. Frank Slade, a retired army officer embittered by his blindness, as he sets out to live to the fullest what he plans to be the last day of his life. Al Pacino gives a virtuoso performance. 25. Strawberry and Chocolate, by Tomas Gutierrez Alea. (1993, Cuba, in Spanish.) The relationship between a straight university student and a gay one who at first had schemed to seduce him. A sensitive, non-judgmental treatment of homosexuality from, of all places, Cuba. 26. Schindler�s List, by Steven Spielberg. (1993, US.) �Whoever saves one life, saves the world entire,� says the Talmud. The German industrialist Oskar Schindler saved 1,200 Jewish lives in Poland by keeping them employed in his factory as the Holocaust swallowed millions of others. Based on a true story. 27. The Piano, by Jane Campion. (1993, Australia/New Zealand.) New Zealand�s unique vegetation and the painted faces of Maori characters give this film an eerie, other-worldly look, but it is still the same eternal triangle, at the apex of which is a mute woman who expresses herself through her piano. 28. Shakespeare in Love, by John Madden. (1998, GB). A light-hearted romp through Elizabethan England as the Bard suffers writer�s block while struggling with his new play �Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate�s Daughter.� 29. Chicago, by Rob Marshall. (2002, US.). I didn�t know that Richard Gere could sing. Or that Catherine Zeta-Jones could dance. Or that Renee Zellweger could I don�t know what. Learn something new everyday. What delicious fun this musical is, even after a dozen viewings. I have many other recommendations but I have no more space. Enjoy! ***** OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �My 29 Best Films� Tony: A refreshing change, and I applaud you for your recommended list. But your political comment is the best from the Philippine press, so keep it coming. By the way, former Malacanang journalist who is now recuperating from a kidney transplant here in Sydney, Oscar Landicho, asked if he could be on your mailing list. I will be passing on to him your regular commentaries in the meantime. Ayos lang. ~ Jimmy Pimentel, [email protected] Australia, September 27, 2004 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Antonio, Many thanks for taking the time in sending me your emails. While some of the films are familiar to me, the others would also interest me. Do you know a video shop that have such a collection? Please do continue sending your emails. Best, Alan Plata, [email protected] Pasig City, September 27, 2004 MY REPLY. No, I don�t, either here or abroad. Your best bet would be an online retail outlet like amazon.com. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww How many of these films were declared unfit for vuewing by the Roman Catholic Church? Ross Tipon, [email protected] September 27, 2004 MY REPLY. As far as I know, only �The Last Temptation of Christ.� As a matter of fact, a few years ago, on the 100th anniversary of the cinema, the Vatican created a Pontifical Council for Social Communications which picked out 45 films which it considered outstanding. Among the 45 were six in my 29 favorite films: �The Passion of Joan of Arc,� �The Decalogue,� �Schindler�s List,� �The Seventh Seal,� �2001 � A Space Odyssey,� and �Modern Times.� wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I just saw Ikiru this year and was awed by it. Nakakainggit ang collection mo. Cheers � Mahar Mangahas, [email protected] September 27, 2004 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Antonio An idae crossed my mind. With your top 29 films, I am sure I can get my friend Lester Harvey from Le Souffle to set up special weekly showings! His guests pay for his wine. We get a freebie! What do you think? Should I suggest? JayJay Calero, [email protected] September 27, 2004 MY REPLY. Go ahead, JayJay. I�m game. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Thank you very much for your movie list. I have watched some movies in your list but not all .I'll have to search for them. How come there was no Fellini, Bertolucci, Peckinpah, Truffaut in the list ? well, I was just wondering. How about another list ? Your top twenty favorite Jazz CDs or classical CDs. By the way , I'm just curious on what's your take on pirate DVDs. Could you please devote a column on your stand regarding piracy ? Thank you very much . Auggie Surtida, [email protected] September 27, 2004 MY REPLY. In such a narrow list, it is not possible to include everyone. But not to worry. I�m preparing a list of my 200 favorite films. Watch out for it. As for lists of my favorite jazz and classical music CDs, my jazz collection is too small, and my classical music CD collection, more than 1,000 discs, cannot be the basis for choosing the best CD recordings as I do not buy all the new recordings written up by critics. Perhaps a list of my favorite compositions. Some day, perhaps. As for pirated DVDs, let me think about it. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Would love to read about your next 29 best films, Tony! How about considering a "study group" one day - watching the film, then a discussion, with you as leader. And you should charge! Am now in West Virginia (my marital compromise: spend four months in my husband's home place, since we spend 8 months in Manila...love the "equality") but will be back late Oct. So don't start till I get back! cheers! Lolita Delgado Fansler, [email protected] September 27, 2004 MY REPLY. Thank you for your suggestion, but I can�t imagine anyone paying admission to hear me talk about films. Jayjay Calero (above) suggests showing the films in a restaurant. I like that better. At least, I don�t have to give a lecture, and I will get a free dinner. But I don�t know how the resto owner will react to his idea. If it gets off the ground, we�ll start around the time you get back. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww I've seen 22 of the 29. I can think of some more like Stanley Kubrick's "Paths of Glory", "Barry Lyndon & "Full Metal Jacket", Sam Pekinpah's "The Wild Bunch" & " Straw Dogs", Fred Zimmerman's "High Noon", Michael Cimino's "Heaven's Gate" & " The Deer Hunter", Quentin Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs", John Schlesinger's "Midnight Cowboy" and Dennis Hopper's "Easy Rider". CG D, [email protected] September 27, 2004 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww have you seen the three tony scott films? enemy of the state, man on fire and spy game? my three best and i have about 400 films. tony bennett's "unplugged" is my best musical. Antonio Evangelista, [email protected] September 27, 2004 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony, I just told EJ last week of your wonderful DVD collections. Please let us know of any sale in the future of your collections. I like your choice of your Best 29 Films. Anent Chicago, Catherine Zeta-Jones is really multi-talented. I read an interview of Anthony Hopkins when they did "Zorro". Mr. Hopkins revealed how talented my Catherine is: she can sing, dance and do theater. This woman not only has the real sex appeal, she has so many talents. ( I saw her movie "Terminal" twice - Manila and Bacolod!) Do i hear "UNFAIR' from many aspiring wannabes? Rick B. Ramos, [email protected] September 28, 2004 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww That's a great list. But can you list down your top 29 movies of the last 30 years? Thanks! Eric Suguitan, [email protected] September 28, 2004 MY REPLY. Just wait for my list of my 200 favorite films. I�m sure there will be at least 29 films in it from the last 30 years. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww xactly like mine. what a coincidence. regards and best always, techie bilbao, [email protected] September 28, 2004 MY REPLY. Amazing. But you know what they say, great minds think along the same lines. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, I see several films in your list that I like myself. But I noticed not a single Filipino film is in the list. Why is that? Yours truly, Vir Leynes, [email protected] September 29, 2004 MY REPLY. Simple. I haven�t seen a single Filipino film that I would put on the same level as the 29 in the list. Have you? wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Mr. Abaya, Thanks for sharing this list. Unfortunately for me, my own list of 'best', or maybe more accurately, 'favorite' films, is limited to stuff that came out during my lifetime. (Out of Africa, The Mission, Gandhi, Dead Poets Society, and My Life come to mind. I'm sure I can think of more but I'm firing this email off while waiting in an airport.) Your article has sufficiently intrigued me to check out the classics that you mentioned. I've only tried buying books through Amazon a few times, and while their service is excellent, my experience with getting the shipment from the post office here is not. I was just curious, do you have your shipment delivered to your home? Regards, Tonton Mapa, [email protected] September 30, 2004 MY REPLY. No. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: This column is quite a respite from your sword-brandishing style. Wow, so you also saw Carl Dreyer's "The Passion of Joan of Arc." Such a masterpiece with an equally enthralling musical score by Richard Einhorn. At your convenience(at any time within your lifetime... There are still many good things to do, I know), I wonder if you can kindly supply me the name(s) of the vocal talents employed by Mr. Einhorn? When I mention this film to someone else, I get the are-you-from-Mars look. I am a fan of Kurosawa...My friends and I will check out your other prescriptions--er, other suggestions. Thanks, Sal Teleg, M.D., [email protected] October 07, 2004 MY REPLY. The vocal talents in Voices of Light are the Anonymous 4 group, soloist Susan Narucki, and the Radio Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir. Enjoy! wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya: Thank you for the information. Thank you also for updating me about the other more relevant issues and particularly your perspective on these. Education truly never stops with the diploma--and with a great deal of openness. Best regards, Sal Teleg, [email protected] October 11, 2004 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |
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