FOTR - AFI #50 best of all time

[Mister Underhill]

Those AFI lists are American films only, which accounts for some of the missing masterpieces you mention, like Ran (or rather, Seven Samurai).

Now everyone can debate whether or not FotR is really an American film...

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill

Those AFI lists are American films only, which accounts for some of the missing masterpieces you mention, like Ran (or rather, Seven Samurai).

Now everyone can debate whether or not FotR is really an American film...

Of course, silly of me. I was looking at an earlier 100 best list (1998) that mentioned AFI in the Google blurb, but which wasn't the actual AFI list. Bah! Never mind.

P.S. Except for the funding, FotR had really nothing whatsoever to do with the U.S. except for some pre-film casting calls in New York and L.A. (neither did Lawrence of Arabia or The Third Man, for that matter). There is a reason that FotR's premiere was in New Zealand and not in L.A.

[Elmo]

I like to think that Lord of the Rings was an international film.

[Sauron the White]

from Morthoron

Personally, I'd like to see A Man for all Seasons or The Lion in the Winter added. Superb dialogue, intellectually stimulating and droll as all get out. Add The Elephant Man to that list as well.

A big AMEN from my corner on that. I love Kate Hepburns speech on the nature of war and how it comes from our own faults rather than political and economic causes. Saw LION again recently and was struck at the very high level of the script allowing actors to say more than a couple of lines at a time. That is almost unheard of today with short lines by almost everyone.

ELEPHANT MAN should be on the list - its an outstanding film in every possible way. Great how Lynch captured the feel of an early 30's film while at the same time pushing some boundaries to give it a new feel.

I realize that many here prefer FOTR because it has less PJ changes than the other two movies --- BUT --- I am 100% sure that the AFI gives that no consideration at all. The AFI is notorious for downgrading any type of sequel as evidenced by both STAR WARS and the GODFATHER. EMPIRE is almost universally considered by film critics to be a far superior film to the original but is not even on the list while SW gets a ridicoulously high rating. Sure its a pop culture phenom - but great film? Please. GODFATHER II is also generally considered to have eclipsed its original but is further down on the list. AFI simply does not want to consider that sequels may be better.

[MatthewM]

I'm not surprised it was The Fellowship either, it is the best of the trilogy! Congrats to FotR!

[Beanamir of Gondor]

Originally Posted by Finduilas

I will never understand why Citizen Kane is so well liked.

Neither will I ever understand why Casablanca (#3 on the list) is so well-liked. The Big Sleep was a much better Bogart film, plus it had Ingrid Bergman.

*cough* Anyway. Despite the fact that RotK got all the Oscars, I've always felt that FotR was much closer to the books, and that's why it's the best of the three, to me.
I feel like a traitor saying that, because Book!Faramir was my favorite character, but yet again... the arguments about Gallant Captain Faramir apply to TTT, and there was too much of his personality left out of RotK.

[Fordim Hedgethistle]

Originally Posted by Beanamir of Gondor

Neither will I ever understand why Casablanca (#3 on the list) is so well-liked. The Big Sleep was a much better Bogart film, plus it had Ingrid Bergman.

ummm....Bergman was in Casablanca. Perhaps you meant somebody else?

Transparent Attempt To Keep This Post On-Topic: she's pretty hot too.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Sauron the White

A big AMEN from my corner on that. I love Kate Hepburns speech on the nature of war and how it comes from our own faults rather than political and economic causes. Saw LION again recently and was struck at the very high level of the script allowing actors to say more than a couple of lines at a time. That is almost unheard of today with short lines by almost everyone.

StW, it may please you to know that the movie Becket (1964, starring Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and John Gielgud) has finally been released on DVD. It's a superb bookend to The Lion in Winter, with O'Toole playing a much younger (and feistier) Henry II and Burton as Archbishop Becket. They just don't make movies like that anymore (FotR included).

[davem]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

StW, it may please you to know that the movie Becket (1964, starring Peter O'Toole, Richard Burton and John Gielgud) has finally been released on DVD. It's a superb bookend to The Lion in Winter, with O'Toole playing a much younger (and feistier) Henry II and Burton as Archbishop Becket. They just don't make movies like that anymore (FotR included).

Well, haven't checked yet if one of my favourites is on there, but here's some good news about it>

Olivier's Henry V http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../nhenry120.xml

Now that's a cavalry charge! Watch & weep PJ!

[Sir Kohran]

I'd like to see how FOTR counts as an American movie. The American author? The American director? The American writers? The American filming locations? The American production and design companies? I've got nothing against the US but this seems a bit forced.

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by davem

Well, haven't checked yet if one of my favourites is on there, but here's some good news about it>

Olivier's Henry V http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.../nhenry120.xml

Now that's a cavalry charge! Watch & weep PJ!

That is great news. Unfortunately, it will probably take forever to get over to the States, and even longer still to reach DVD format. Did you like the Kenneth Brannagh version? Totally different in viewpoint than the Olivier masterpiece, but quite good in its own right. To put a LotR spin on this post, I still consider Sir Ian McKellan's portrayal of Richard III one of the best Shakespeare adaptations I've ever seen. The look of utter malevolence on McKellan's face in the film's final scene is horrifying.