45. Badlands

‘He wanted to die with me and I dreamed of being lost forever in his arms.’

 Capturing the naivety of youth with a poetic spare-ness that is almost chillingly beautiful, Badlands represents the painstaking and wondrous process of being caught in a time between childhood and adulthood and all the dreams and delusions that lye in between. Anchored by an ingenious use of the voiceover which perfectly demonstrates the youthful and energetic nature of the lead character and a score that’s beauty touches the soul, Badlands is quite simply unforgettable.

 

 Defining Moment: Holly’s childhood items in flames as the house burns down, is a wonderfully captured moment symbolising the end of youth.  

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ug3iJ7F5F9k&feature=related

46. Duck Soup

‘I had a perfectly pleasant evening but this wasn’t it.’

 Practically every Marx Brother film is filled with constant wisecracks and one-liners but none are as sophisticated, satirical and cleverly portrayed as in Duck Soup, their much acclaimed comic masterpiece. The well developed structure of the film and consistent development of characters and story give this Marx Brother film a certain quality lacking in their other humorous outings and seems to have remained the most fresh out of the bunch too. For it still to remain so poignant, fresh and funny almost seventy years after its release is testament to the quality of the film and its makers.

 

Defining Moment: The final battle sequence which brilliantly satirises people’s perceptions and outlook on war whilst providing some hilarious visual moments. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=rdQ9jh5GvQ8

47. The Matrix

What would otherwise be a strange, disjointed sci-fi story with inconsistent acting is transformed by the groundbreaking use of special effects which offer the film some simply spellbinding visual moments. The film is a technical marvel and makes up for it’s poor character development and moments of melodrama with action sequences that are still fresh and exhilarating on much repeated viewings.

 

Defining Moment:  The train fight scene which is in turn both chilling, unpredictable, entertaining and tense. 

48. BLADE RUNNER

‘Soon this will all be lost, like tears in the rain.’

 

Whilst some scenes linger and the film is placed with a protagonist who is hard to warm to, the triumph of Blade Runner lies in its visually stunning set pieces and imagery which remain strong in the mind long after viewing. The contrasts of colour and atmospheric use of sound is like an attack on the senses and grips you into the film’s world with a sense of awe. In terms of scientific commentary the film is not so effective but it still manages to entertain and enthral throughout.

 

Defining Moment: The final battle sequence which is a visual masterpiece. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTzA_xesrL8

49. SHORT CUTS

An epic feature length ensemble piece about the ironic manner in which close lives and stories interlink and comment on one another. This is a hugely ambitious, wonderfully crafted story about life behind closed doors and slices of different sides of American life. Altman successfully develops character and plot within each scene and makes for a gripping, sometimes funny, often sad but consistently gripping three and a half hours of film.

 

Defining Moment:  The misunderstanding about the photographs. 

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=DwCA6tRl1hY&feature=related