# Recommend some visually stunning movies (in whatever way). **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 15, 2003, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237 "2003-02-15T06:38:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joshmaker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a587f6/32.png) [@joshmaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joshmaker)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/21 "2003-02-15T19:19:45Z")
Of the movies that have been listed here: Brazil, Blade Runner, Citizen Kane, Dark City, What Dreams May Come, and Waking Life are all visually amazing. To suggest an old classic: The Third Man, starring Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten, is set in the visually stunning city of Vienna, still partly in ruins from World War II, and features some of the most beautiful film noir style cinematography ever captured on film. (Not to mention great acting and a fantastic script) [http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/third\_man.html](http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/greatmovies/third_man.html) ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/22 "2003-02-15T19:36:59Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Tuckerfan \* > \*\ ***Koyaanisqatsi**! **Koyaanisqatsi**! **Koyaanisqatsi**! **Koyaanisqatsi**! **For All Mankind**! > > **Koyaanisqatsi** is a visual documentary with soundtrack by Philip Glass there’s been half a dozen threads about it, great film! > > **For All Mankind** is a documentary about the space program directed by the screenwriter for **Apollo 13** (another good choice). Totally stunning, plus the commentary tracks include interviews with various Apollo astronauts. \*\* I second Koyaanisqatsi. Pure visual genius. ---
**Author:** ![Landshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/77aa72/32.png) [@Landshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Landshark)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/23 "2003-02-15T19:53:54Z")
I’d say **2001: A Space Odyssey** - Directory Stanley Kubrick and his crew did some great things visually in this, especially considering it debuted in 1968. And I think it still holds up visually today. ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/24 "2003-02-15T19:59:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Malthus \* > \*\*I second Koyaanisqatsi. Pure visual genius. \*\* I will third that and add that it has taken YEARS to get this released on DVD. I would love to see people buy this in droves and prove that it was worth it for them to release it. ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/25 "2003-02-15T20:00:47Z")
_The Fifth Element_ _The City of Lost Children_ ---
**Author:** ![CheapBastid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8baadc/32.png) [@CheapBastid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CheapBastid)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/26 "2003-02-15T20:05:13Z")
I’m also on board with: **City of Lost Children** **Blade Runner** **What Dreams May Come** **Munchaussen** **LotR:FotR** **Legend** seems to have been left out though. ---
**Author:** ![ChaosGod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac91a4/32.png) [@ChaosGod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChaosGod)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/27 "2003-02-15T20:09:37Z")
\*\* Titanic \*\* ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/28 "2003-02-15T20:10:31Z")
Anything by Ken Russell, who was a sucker for a cool visual – I’d especially recommend **The Boyfriend** , for its all-round surrealism. Another guy who can do a good visuals is David Cronenberg – how about **M. Butterfly**? ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/29 "2003-02-15T20:12:22Z")
Anything directed by Terry Gilliam (Brazil, Twelve Monkeys, etc). ---
**Author:** ![grendel72](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/91b2a8/32.png) [@grendel72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grendel72)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/30 "2003-02-15T20:19:27Z")
I’ll second **City of Lost Children** , and any Jenuet movies… **Ma Vie En Rose** is an insanely brightly colored movie with some cool special effects. **Godzilla vs. Biollante** and **Wrath of Daimajin** are two giant monster movies from Japan that look absolutely amazing, seriously. **Velvet Goldmine** is pretty dang colorful, and it has a nekkid Ewan McGregor in it as well. **Suspiria** is quite colorful as well, although it’s a fairly violent horror movie and that might not be your cup of tea. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/31 "2003-02-15T21:20:30Z")
**Casablanca**. Almost every frame is a worthy of being made into a poster. The lighting is superb. It has some artistic ideas in its use of light and shadow. Camera angles are interesting and almost always suit the storyline. Considering how quickly it was shot, director of photography must have been a natural genius. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/32 "2003-02-15T21:25:27Z")
Castaway, if just for the airplane scene. Must be seen on a large cinema screen to be appreciated. I was literally in awe. ---
**Author:** ![smaft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@smaft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smaft)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/33 "2003-02-15T21:32:58Z")
Nobody’s mentioned it yet, so I thought I’d throw in Ridley Scott’s **Legend**. It’s not necessarily a great movie, but it’s visually amazing. You’ll want to see it on the biggest screen you can. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/34 "2003-02-15T21:33:04Z")
\*\*Horseman on the roof \*\* Visually lush. I cannot really recall the plot to much as there were subtitles involved. ---
**Author:** ![ant22783](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@ant22783](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ant22783)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/35 "2003-02-15T21:47:18Z")
koyaanisqatsi. Is that correct spelling? I Usually see a movie that I like a few times but I only had one chance to see this and it was at least 20 yrs ago. All I remember about it was that you should watch it. ---
**Author:** ![NightRabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbce88/32.png) [@NightRabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NightRabbit)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/36 "2003-02-15T21:50:03Z")
**Man with a Movie Camera** by Vertov is an oldie, but very visually impressive. A film before its time! ---
**Author:** ![lout](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@lout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lout)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/37 "2003-02-15T21:54:00Z")
Days of Heaven ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/38 "2003-02-15T21:54:21Z")
**[Days of Heaven](http://us.imdb.com/Title?0077405)**. The most visually stunning film every made. I’m not talking cheap flash; I mean one amazingly beautiful shot after another. Good story, too. Take a look and see why Hollywood considers Terrence Malick a genius. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/39 "2003-02-15T21:56:51Z")
Microcosm those 50s technicolor spectaculars, especially Westerns with great scenery – How The West Was Won, etc. Any Star Wars movie Also a couple of softcore nekkid recommendations: The Mistress Club Playtime In both cases, the leads have gorgeous bodies and they’re beautifully photographed. I didn’t really think the Mistress Club was all that hot, I just noticed its leads (whom I’ve seen photographed less effectively in other Skinamax films) looked especially gorgeous in Mistress Club. Playtime, OTOH, is very sexy for a Skinamax film. Taken is a hardcore flick with a more mature Ginger Allen that has an excellent outdoor sex scene set on a lakeside, very nice color. Also, there’s a Jenna Jameson pirate movie XXX that’s got some nice pirate ship shots, but it’s not that well cinemagraphed. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2003, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237/40 "2003-02-15T22:22:36Z")
Watched _Taxi Driver_ last night for the first time in a long time. Still visually stunning on the small box. (Saw it in a Real Theater 20+ years ago.) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recommend-some-visually-stunning-movies-in-whatever-way/155237.md?page=3)