# Two best films of the 20th century **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 8, 2010, 1:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710 "2010-05-08T01:22:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 10:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/21 "2010-05-08T10:07:00Z")
I agree with the OP about _Metropolis_. Strongly disagree with _Pulp Fiction_. My second would be \*Casablanca \*or _Toy Story_. One is the perfect mid-20th C. film in the way \*Metropolis \*is the perfect beginning (with the political concerns it addresses as much as the styles it invents), the other is a century-end vision of what the future of cinema will be. All hail the Machine. ---
**Author:** ![MTCicero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a4c791/32.png) [@MTCicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MTCicero)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/22 "2010-05-08T12:15:09Z")
**The Godfather, Part II** and **The Right Stuff**. Honorable mentions: **Lost In America** , **A Fish Called Wanda** , **Annie Hall** , **The Terminator** , **The Godfather** , **GoodFellas** , **Back To the Future** , and **The Quiet Duel**. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 12:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/23 "2010-05-08T12:31:08Z")
_Apocalypse Now_ _One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest_ ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/24 "2010-05-08T13:27:25Z")
_Casablanca The African Queen_ ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/25 "2010-05-08T14:28:40Z")
\*\*2001: A Space Odyssey Close Encounters of the Third Kind.\*\* (Honorable mentions Pulp Fiction & Back to the Future) ---
**Author:** ![MentalGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/439d5e/32.png) [@MentalGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MentalGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/26 "2010-05-08T15:21:50Z")
Casablanca Blade Runner ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/27 "2010-05-08T15:49:53Z")
“Citizen Kane’ It was a breakthrough with lighting and camera techniques that changed the industry. It had a great story, great acting . The original” War of the Worlds". It was the best of a huge genre of movies . Sci Fi movies were the mainstay in the 50s and 60s and have never gone away. It is under rated and under appreciated. "Manhattan’ "Ran’ overwhelming and enormous movie. “Roger Rabbit” You can not compare it to other movies. It was unique. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/28 "2010-05-08T15:53:42Z")
Citizen Kane and The Godfather. ---
**Author:** ![koufax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/7ea924/32.png) [@koufax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/koufax)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/29 "2010-05-08T17:14:06Z")
Schindler’s List Midnight Cowboy ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/30 "2010-05-08T17:16:18Z")
Citizen Kane and Battleship Potemkin. ---
**Author:** ![GESancMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gesancman/32/2923_2.png) [@GESancMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GESancMan)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/31 "2010-05-08T17:57:03Z")
_Monty Python and the Holy Grail_ _This Is Spinal Tap_ ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/32 "2010-05-08T19:39:05Z")
Casablanca There isn’t a second that even comes close. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/33 "2010-05-08T19:44:17Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > Casablanca > > There isn’t a second that even comes close. Treasure of Sierra Madre ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/34 "2010-05-08T19:56:39Z")
Amadeus The Adventures of Baron Munchausen ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/35 "2010-05-08T20:16:09Z")
Two? Gah, I don’t know if I can do it. Star Wars The Godfather Uggh. So many others I wanted to say. ---
**Author:** ![Emily\_Litella](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emily_litella/32/3370_2.png) [@Emily\_Litella](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emily_Litella)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/36 "2010-05-08T21:10:22Z")
Lawrence of Arabia Spartacus ---
**Author:** ![Jon10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8491ac/32.png) [@Jon10](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jon10)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/37 "2010-05-08T21:16:26Z")
Gone with the Wind The Godfather ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/38 "2010-05-08T21:55:40Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] Given that the undefined criteria for “best” are going to vary widely from one poster to the next, I’m going to use my definition of best as those which had the most lasting influence on cinematography and technique of storytelling (and limit the scope of effect to Western cinema). [/QUOTE] Ditto. CITIZEN KANE and STAR WARS. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2010, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/39 "2010-05-08T22:38:13Z")
Definitely _The Godfather_. Have to say _Gone With The Wind_, although \*Trainspotting \*remains my favorite movie for the last 15 years, so it deserves an honorable mention. Although it has a very different plot,\* Notorious \*has Claude Rains and Ingrid Bergman (Cary Grant instead of Humphrey Bogart) and I prefer it light years over _Casablanca_, which was good but not my favorite. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2010, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710/40 "2010-05-09T00:24:33Z")
A Clockwork Orange The Man in the White Suit [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/two-best-films-of-the-20th-century/538710.md?page=3)