Arijit Nandi
5. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Although highly praised in America, it would make any non-American audience cringe in revulsion. The battle scenes can be pretty much authentic but there is nothing else in the movie worth watching. It’s the second world war and there are no British, French or Canadian soldiers. Watch ‘Battle of Algiers’ or ‘City of Life’ or ‘Death‘ lest you want to get a more complete experience of war.
4. Casablanca (1942)
Does this even require a justification? I fail to fathom what makes this film appear in every list. Not only does this film leave a lot of loose ends in its plot which are never resolved (e.g. how does the letter of transit come into the possession of Rick in the first place?). Moreover, the characterizations are poor and static and the Second world war and the Nazi problems are conveniently weaved into the narrative just to accentuate Humphrey Bogart’s out-of-the-world charisma.
3. Schindler’s List (1993)
When it comes to the holocaust, very few directors succeed in making a good film out of it. ‘Schindler’s List’ is a good film, but not as great as it is made out to be. Depicting the holocaust is one thing while drifting into delirious melodrama every now and then is another. If you really want to get a fairly accurate idea of the holocaust, watch Polanski’s ‘The Pianist’ or Nemes’ ‘Son of Saul’.
2. Life is Beautiful (1998)
Not only did this film manage to win Oscars in three categories including that of the best foreign language film, Majid Majidi’s brilliant Children of Heaven lost to it. I can’t help feeling that this movie rarely rises above cheap sentimentalism which too, is achieved through making huge distortions in history. Guido’s (Roberto Benigni) time in the concentration camp would almost seem like a vacation on the Hawaii if compared to the treatment Jews received in actual concentration camps.
1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
Originally adapted from Stephen King’s novel, this film definitely deserves the first place in this list. And if you ask me why then it is ranked at #1 in the iMDB top 250 list, I’ll tell you that it has got this way of making one feel inspired and good about oneself that no casual audience would embark upon analyzing it critically. I admit that Andy’s escape and the warden’s retribution overwhelms us but we should also be willing to get over it and approach the film from a certain emotional distance. The entire plot of the movie stands upon a number of highly improbable coincidences which if noticed, I’m afraid, would make the entire movie-watching experience fall apart. For example, what would have happened had Andy (Tim Robbins) not been assigned to the cell in the corner? Who stuck Rita Hayworth’s poster on the wall? Because surely, I didn’t see him doing it while trying to escape.
