Mulholland Drive is big winner for top spot in 2000’s polling
by Sam Juliano
David Lynch’s surrealist mind bender, Mullholland Drive, captured the top spot in the long-running 2000’s poll conducted by WitD by a comfortable margin, according to Voting Tabulator Extraordinaire Angelo A. D’Arminio Jr. from his Fairview home yesterday. D’Arminio announced that 40 ballots had been received, with a few of those revisions on earlier submissions. The total represents the most ever received for any of the decade pollings, though this development was largely expected because of the younger age of most of the voters. The Lynch masterpiece was probably the most cited film by professional critics as well, in assessing the best films of the past ten years.
Terrence Malick’s ravishing ruminative tone poem The New World was a strong second-place finisher, while the hugely popular oil saga There Will Be Blood, and the Coens’ Oscar winner No Country For Old Men expectedly finished in the top five. The No. 5 choice, Wong Kar-Wai’s In the Mood For Love was the highest for any foreign-language film, and the #6, Steven Spilberg’s A.I. Artificial Intelligence, represented a deep passion from WitD voters, who engineered this surprising high placement.
#2 The New World
#3 There Will Be Blood
#4 No Country for Old Men
#5 In the Mood For Love
#6 A.I. Artificial Intelligence
To access the top 25 choices, click on the continue icon:
The Top 25 choices with point totals are as follows:
1 478 MULLHOLLAND DRIVE (LYNCH, 2001)
2 385 THE NEW WORLD (MALICK, 2005)
3 337 THERE WILL BE BLOOD (ANDERSON, 0000)
4 297 NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN (COEN/COEN, 2007)
5 285 IN THE MOOD FOR LOVE (WONG, 2000)
6 271 A.I.: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (SPIELBERG, 2001)
7 258 ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND (GONDRY, 2004)
8 246 ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES (DOMINIK, 2007)
9 246 ZODIAC (FINCHER, 2007)
10 220 INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS (TARANTINO, 2009)
11 219 LOST IN TRANSLATION (COPPOLA, 2003)
12 209 SPIRITED AWAY (MIYAZAKI, 2001)
13 192 TALK TO HER (ALMODOVAR, 2002)
14 176 WALL-E (STANTON, 2008)
15 160 MIAMI VICE (MANN, 2006)
16 141 YI YI (YANG, 2000)
17 136 FAR FROM HEAVEN (HAYNES, 2002)
18 136 WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES (TARR/HRANITZKY, 2001)
22 133 WHITE RIBBON (HANEKE, 2009)
20 132 MEMENTO (NOLAN, 2000)
19 131 PANS LABYRINTH (DEL TORO, 2007)
21 128 DOGVILLE (VON TRIER, 2003)
23 109 THREE TIMES (HOU, 2005)
24 106 BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN (LEE, 2005)
25 103 ATONEMENT (WRIGHT, 2007)
Yeah, I can’t really make claim to noticing any real surprises in the results. Maybe Spielberg’s film was somewhat eye-opening, but I saw it coming on the voting thread.
Nice to see love for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Assassination of Jesse James.
You guys really did a stupendous job with this project once again!
Thanks Frank, and your participation right along was deeply appreciated!
Aha. This is great news. A film that a few will turn away from.
But only 3 of my top 50 made it to the top 25 here. But no complaints at all.
Thanks JAFB!
Your attention to the polling from the very start was a very special advantage!
I guess I’m not so out of touch with movies of the 00s as I thought! I’ve actually seen 15 of the 25, and the three I named in an earlier comment as the three American masterpieces of the 00s came in 1-2-3. Great work by all concerned–above all, of course, Allan, Sam, and Angelo. Congratulations to all of you on the completion of a huge and unbelievably ambitious undertaking, virtually an internet reference work on the history of cinema.
Thanks very much for the compliments and high regard for this undertaking, R.D. I did suspect you underrated your own exposure to the work of this decade.
Wow 9 of mine made the list. 7 in the top 10. I’m such a conformist!!!! Can’t believe AI placed so high. The reputation of that film is warranted. Spielberg’s best movie ever in my opinion. I’m just happy Dreamgirls didn’t place lol. I wonder where it finished once everything was tabulated. As a Michael Mann fan though I’m shocked Miami Vice came in at 15. I don’t see what people enjoy about that particular film. In time Public Enemies will come to be regarded as the more accomplished work (I hope).
Well, Maurizio, you know well I completely agree with you on A.I’s greatness and the inexplicable regard for MIAMI VICE. Ha!
Hi! Sam Juliano, Allan Fish, and WitD readers…
Congratulation! goes out to all the voters (Wonders in the Dark readers, ) who voted for the No#1 and No#2 choices…and to you, Sam Juliano, Allan Fish, and the tabulator extraordinaire Angelo D. Arminio Jr., on a successful completion of the decade countdown.
Oh! I see Ratatouille didn’t Win, Place, or Show…No?
Oh! well, still congratulation to the readers who voted for No#1 and No#2 in the poll.
DeeDee 😉 🙂
Rats on RATATOUILLE, Dee Dee!!!
Well, as I stated to some others here, your own loyalty and ceaseless enthusiasm (not to make the many links, you tube posting and other assortment of goodies) helped make this a landmark undertaking at WitD, and you are hereby thank a million times over!
Tony D’Ambra’s work of course on the sidebar grouping together the composite results of the decade pollings and all the screen caps was equally invaluable!!!
Predictable, but I can’t argue with a film I placed in my top 10 myself. However, those who voted for Miami Vice and officially trolled the entire poll should be prepared for hanging, drawing and quartering with a touch of keel-hauling thrown in. I would suggest watching a weekend of Uwe Boll, which for a true cineaste would be torture, but if you enjoyed that piece of shit, you’d probably love Boll.
Lol Allen. Public Enemies is better right……..
Yes it is, and it’s nothing great itself. Mann’s never made a great film. Heat came semi-close, The Insider was solid, Collateral was both under- and overrated and Manhunter not bad, until it dated beyond belief as an 80s relic, but the rest of his entire oeuvre is utterly disposable.
To each his own. I would rate both Heat and Public Enemies as great. I do agree with your assessment of Miami Vice though. To come in at 15 is a total head scratcher. The rest of your opinions on The Insider, Collateral, and Manhunter are similar to mine.
He had one masterpiece – the one 90s film you didn’t even mention here (and I DON’T mean Ali!).
“Last of the Mohicans” is a great movie, Joel, but I still place it behind the glory of “Heat”. Also, Mann’s probably the wishy-washiest of filmmakers when it comes to director’s cuts, and LotM is notorious for the differences between its theatrical and DVD versions (with yet another new cut on the way for Blu Ray, apparently). With “Heat”, at least, he got it all right the first time.
Not a huge fan of Mohicans. I rate both Heat and Public Enemies way ahead. I also like Thief and The Insider better.
“The Insider” is good, but it plays a little fast and loose with the truth behind the story at the end (Lowell Bergman didn’t really quit CBS after the 60 Minutes story). It’s evidence that Mann’s aesthetic was moving beyond the hermetic-seal effect of his previous work, something that would really take hold when he made the jump to digital.
I still really, really like “Manhunter”, even if it is pretty dated (at times it looks like the greatest episode of “Miami Vice” never made). Among his modern stuff, I’d say “Ali” is pretty underrated.
“Also, Mann’s probably the wishy-washiest of filmmakers when it comes to director’s cuts, and LotM is notorious for the differences between its theatrical and DVD versions (with yet another new cut on the way for Blu Ray, apparently). ”
Interesting – I didn’t see it in theaters, and the only version I really know is the VHS – which I assume is the same as the DVD. What’s the difference between?
Re: Manhunter, I didn’t think it worked when I watched it, yet I couldn’t shake it afterwards. At any rate, I find it loads more interesting than Silence of the Lambs.
Frankly, I think “Heat” is one of the all-time great movies of the past few decades– I had it as my pic for the top of the 90’s. “Collateral” is probably my second favorite of his, a wonderfully sleek and streamlined thriller/character piece with beautiful DV cinematography. “Miami Vice” is a bit more ambitious, falls a little off the mark, but it’s still better than most of the other samesuch movies of the decade. It’s certainly loads better than “Public Enemies”, which just doesn’t work for me. I’m glad MV made it this high, but was hoping it’d be a real upset. Sad to see overrated crap like “Lost in Translation” ahead of it, but hey– at least it beat “Memento”.
Yeah I’m no fan of Lost In Translation either. Heat would make my top 5-6 for the 90’s as well.
I like TRANSLATION, but yeah when a few Nolan’s and a few Jackson’s make an individual list one really shouldn’t grip about the pollsters adding a Mann.
Interesting that Jackson didn’t make the poll results at all, though – not a single Lord of the Rings! I wonder if this would have been the case had the poll been taken 5 years ago…
I dunno, according to that logic, Joel, more recent critic-approved blockbusters like TDK or “Avatar” might’ve shown up here, but didn’t. Likewise, I would’ve been happy to see one of Lucas’ films on the poll, but even if it’d been blessed by the ghost of Pauline Kael herself, most people would’ve kept their lists open for the lesser-known art films that get lost in the mix. That’s primarily what these kinds of countdowns are for, anyway. It’s only the mad faithful fringe that put mainstream favorites like those on their lists, and no matter how many critics vouched for them in the past, even the LOTR films are unlikely to break any real top-25 lists.
Besides, they spent so much time a the top back when they came out, it’s only natural that they’ve fallen since then, having nowhere else to go, especially with the sobering stuff Jackson has made since then. After the likes of “King Kong” and “The Lovely Bones”, you’ve got one hell of a “morning after” experience, and I shouldn’t wonder if a good many cineastes now might question if their original judgement of the Tolkien films was filtered through beer-colored glasses.
Well, I generally see eye-to-eye with you & Jamie on LOTR, I wouldn’t be as surprised to see them on this list as I would TDK and Avatar. I don’t think either of those films were quite as critic-approved; maybe it’s just the literary pedigree but they seem to have a reputation placing them outside of blockbuster territory. Which I don’t think is really fair because I don’t really see the depth there – to me they are more akin to TDK & Avatar, but I know a lot of people don’t really see them that way. Anyway, it’s interesting that they didn’t make the cut here, given the love for them among many here.
And hey, if we were weighting choices by quantity of passion rather than individual votes, I think your enthusiasm for the prequels would have at least place them in the top 30!
Joel, even if I’ve espoused many problems with them in the past, I’d put “Avatar” and TDK far, FAR ahead of the LOTR movies based purely on quality– originality always trumps adaptations (one of the reasons I’ll probably still revisit “Inception” while it’s in theaters one more time). Okay, yeah, I did put FOTR ahead at #26 in my own countdown, but it’s so strong at times I barely even consider it part of the rest of the wretched series. And I’ll admit that it was mainly out of spite, just out of voting-distance of the top 25– were I to make my list again, it wouldn’t even make the nearlies.
I’m shocked so many American films made it into the final ten. With the wealth of foriegn films this past decade, I thought we’d have seen, at the very least, a 60/40 split. As for MULHOLLAND, eh, I’m sorry to see that not only did a lot buy into it but passionately loved the film (myself, I loathe the film, but that’s just me). That major love was lavished on art films like JESSE JAMES and THE NEW WORLD gives vme hope that our young friends here also have a keen eye for art. All in all, a fun count. Allan did a wonderful job with his presentation. Ok, let’s move on, we got spooky stuff to assess….
Nah, Dennis, I agree there should be nowhere near so many US films in there, but the fact is the recent status of the decade means more voters, which means flotsam and jetson. It’s no surprise at all, but it is wholly wrong.
The American films in the top ten are of high quality except number 10 (which I think is horrible). It would be different if the list was filled with summer blockbuster garbage or superhero movies. While the American edge is pretty high it’s filled with mostly great films. This is primarily a US website so it’s not a shock to have that numerical superiority. I think most people gravitate to foreign films after time when reputations get cemented and enlarged. I would guess that nowhere near as many people loved Fellini, Bergman, and Kurosawa in the 60’s as they do now. Americans need time to see the value in something foreign lol. If you take this poll again ten years from now I guarantee the number of non US movies rises from 9 to about 13-14 with top ten going from 1 to 3-4……..
I had 11 foreign films in my top 25. Though I would definitely replace The Man Who Wasn’t There with Werckmeister Harmonies if making a list again. I saw that film again after many years and it was wonderful. 9 US films in the top 10 is rather bias I must admit. I am also guilty of this crime. I should just start watching Fox News……..
This poll is also a collective, so it’s ALWAYS going to gravitate towards the norm, it’s just the nature of the beast. A collection of voters is never going to be individualistic, and only the individual can show this sort of individuality… and if you want that browse the lists on the appropriate page.
Again though I’m saddened, horror gets the shaft. Has a horror film not made by Murnau or Kubrick ever placed in one of these? If you want to cry and save it for this.
Did any of Cronenberg or Carpenter’s stuff place in the 80’s, Jamie? I consider their best work sci-fi, but you can easily call it horror, as well.
Not in the polls I don’t think.
HALLOWEEN seems like a possibility but the 70’s had quite a few mainstream heavyweights.
The only horror film I saw that I really loved this entire decade was Let The Right One In. If you have some suggestions for me Jamie I will gladly seek them out. The horror genre for me is deader than a corpse in a slasher movie.
Maurizio:
I know Jamie will give you a list of superb choices for horror films, but allow me to add my two cents:
I really got into the Korean horror movement of the past decade. I think that A TALE OF TWO SISTERS, THIRST, and OLDBOY are really effective horror films. They’re a different kind of horror film, that’s for sure. Far more cerebral, and, in the case of THIRST as good a vampire film as LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, tongue in cheek.
I also loved THE DESCENT and William Friedkin’s BUG. Del Toro’s THE DEVIL’S BACKBONE is good as is THE ORPHANAGE. If you like slashers I thought the best of the decade (not a high accolade, but still…) was the Australian nasty number WOLF CREEK.
Jamie will supply the real list now…hehe.
Thanks Kevin!! I have seen The Descent and along with The Strangers I consider it a good film if not great. I have also seen Wolf Creek which I like slightly less than the two above. I will check out the rest based on your expert knowledge of horror. I have been catching up on this particular genre to get ready for your countdown. You and your brother both have great blogs which I visit often though I rarely respond (tisk tisk). Me and my better half watched Terror Train a couple of months back and enjoyed the cheesy allure of 80’s slasher flicks…….
I could of sworn I have seen The Devil’s Backbone and The Orphanage though I have no recollection of either. Hmmmm here I come mid thirties……..
Maurizio, I don’t think you could be more wrong about horror being ‘dead in the water right now’ in fact, if you look over horror history, I believe the 00’s have been the greatest decade ever (only the 70’s is in competition). I’d offer a few titles but then who wants to ruin the coming countdown? I will say I rate 11 horror films over ‘Let the Right One In’ for the 2000’s (and possibly more if I opened up the genre to stuff like GOZU by Miike), and Kevin has named 2 or 3 of them.
Great to see my top two films — INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS and MIAMI VICE — make it in. Sam…Both of these entries made it in above FAR FROM HEAVEN!!! This must be killing you! Haha.
I have thick skin so I don’t take offense to what Allan says above in regards to MIAMI VICE, but I assure you that I sincerely believe that it is one of the best films of the decade. There was no trolling on my part. In fact, I would say those of us that love that move no more trolled the poll with MIAMI VICE than others did with A.I., ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND, ATONEMENT, anything by von Trier, or any of the STAR WARS films (which didn’t make the top 25, but still…I saw them on lists). People like what people like. Whatever.
I know going into these polls that I’ll have a very generic list in terms of breadth; but, that doesn’t mean I haven’t put any less thought into or have purposely trolled the polls. I just find it extremely rewarding that I’m not the only one out there that saw MIAMI VICE for the misunderstood masterpiece it was. To me, it is no different than Malick’s THE NEW WORLD: both are meditative tone poems, executed by brilliant visual filmmakers.
agreed Kevin, my ‘wtf’ moments are with PAN’S LABYRINTH, and AI (though I must admit anything Spielberg does I will be surprised to see on any ‘best of’ list; though I did put MUNICH– his masterpiece in my opinion– on my list). I don’t understand why anyone likes those films and never will, but if I tried to understand these things in my day to day life I’d never get anything done. So I move on.
BTW, your argument reminds me: I need to see MIAMI VICE again, I’ve only seen it once when it was in the theater.
Aye Kevin, I am personally devastated by that result!!! Ha!!! But I did see it coming as the ballots started flooding in. This is a claer case where I am on the outside looking in. Still I was grateful FFH did get in at the #17 position at least. But congrats on the very high placement there of some of your favorites!
As you know, Kevin, I am totally on the same page with you in regards to MIAMI VICE. I second your comment about it being a misunderstood masterpiece. I really feel that Mann pushed the boundaries of the crime film narrative by paring it down to its essential components and eschewing dialogue for stunning visuals. I’m glad to see that it made the list!
J.D., you are certainly not alone in those sentiments. Thanks for sharing them here!
An interesting list.
I’ve only seen 7 of these myself.
And I agree with a couple of folks, despite being in the usa, there should surely have been a few foreign films in there somewhere.
Coming from someone who makes no lists, but also likes foreign films, almost more than stateside ones these days.
Nicely done all the same.
Michael, luckily a fair number of the very best foreign language films did made the final cut, but as a general perception I do quite agree with you.
A fantastic countdown! The top three here were also my top there (though I had TWBB at #1 followed by Mulholland Drive and then The New World). Not surprised at all by the top five — but that A.I. sixth place showing is a shocker – and Miami Vice makes the list??????? Really? But again, not too surprising if one was keeping tabs on the entries.
The biggest surprise for me (and a pleasant one at that) was Atonement slipping in at #25. Sam, I imagine you are as excited as I am about that one!
Is it 2020 yet? I want another decade to rank! HA HA!
Great comment David!
Aye, I was simultaneously shocked and thrilled that ATONEMENT barely made it in, but felt it really deserved it!
As to the comparative popularity of foreign films over time, my impression was that the big names like Fellini were popular in a way no foreign director has been for a long time. La Dolce Vita, for instance was one of the most popular movies at the U.S. boxoffice in 1961, and for years afterward Fellini and Bergman films in particular would get pretty wide openings, playing in the equivalents of today’s multiplexes. That seemed to come to an end as the heroic generation of directors departed the scene without a new cohort of celebrity directors to replace them. The prejudice against dubbing has probably also diminished the profile of foreign films in America compared to 40 or 50 years ago.
Anyway, I made a conscious effort to put foreign films quite high on my list (though below Zodiac) to break the montony of American (and 2007) films at or near the top. I’m surprised to see only one foreign film in the top ten because I don’t think the U.S. dominated cinema that much this decade, and I would have expected other posters here to agree. But it’s more likely that our foreign-film preferences differ more widely than our American preferences. There’s a stronger consensus, from what I see here, on what the best American films were than what the best films were elsewhere. Given that difference in certitude, it was probably inevitable that certain U.S. films would dominate the list.
Excellent analysis here Samuel, and one that sizes up both sides. While Allan has decried the relative dominance of American cinema in this decade, let’s not forget that in our previous decade polls, foreign language cinema was far more dominant, and three films (8 1/2, FANNY AND ALEXANDER and THE BICYCLE THIEF were #1 finishers) The American films that DID dominate the 2000’s poll were prohibitive critical favorites that have been effusively praised on both sides of the Atlantic.
I’m disappointed not to see any of Godard’s films make it on either list but happy to see Zodiac at least get the credit it deserves. A great film that was snubbed by almost everyone in 2007 but now considered by many as a great accomplishment of the decade. Not sure where all the love for Miami Vice is coming from either (and why more people included on their lists than Yi Yi?).
Anu, I’m one of the paradoxical ones who included “Vice”, but I share your confusion over Godard’s lack of presence on the list.
Anu, I speak here only for myself, and I do love Godard, but the 2000’s in my humble opinion do not represent the master’s best work. I don’t see a single film of his worthy of placement during this decade. His great work is really from the 60’s to the 80’s. The 2000’s are really the decade of the new visionaries from the Far East and others from France.
Mulholland and TWBB predictably too high, Basterds’ and AI’s placings a pleasant surprise.
Very good points there, 1.
Despite my reservations over one or two titles, the list offers a good head-up! Domination of American mainstream cinema is perhaps a bit undeserved (for this particular decade), but isn’t jarring as majority of choices are interesting, & have a strong authorial (or should I say ‘auteuristic’) voice.
Personally, would have liked to see Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Satoshi kon, Weerasethakul, Panahi, Jia Zhang-ke and Bielinsky in this list!
Those are all terrific auteurs there, Dualist, and their films did make many lists. The Werasethakul made my own Top 5, and I am also a huge fan of Adoor, Panahi and Zhang-ke, and have supported their work on my own lists for past decades.
Bob Clark,
Have you written something about “Children of Men” and in general, Sci-fi films past decade? Needless to say, I’m a sucker for your extended essays. Always lucidly written, informative and thought provoking!
Dualist, there won’t be too many films from the past decade on my sci-fi list, but I’m sure they’ll be part of the conversation. “Children of Men” is a movie I liked a lot more in the theater than I do now, but it’s still one of the better ones to come out recently. It’s mentioned in my top hundred of the past ten years over at The Aspect Ratio (http://www.theaspectratio.net/newmillenniumfilm2.htm). I put it way behind the underrated “Moon” and “Sunshine”, but it’s still up there.
Duallist:
While I’m sure Bob will respond to you, I would like to add here that you have issued quite a compliment there for his exhaustive work. Bob is an extraordinarily gifted young man, and the author of some brilliant work here and elsewhere. He deserves the wonderful acknowledgement you have given him here. Bob will actually be chairing the science-fiction poll in the upcoming months, and you’ll get quite a dose there of his expertise and ability to size up that genre over an extended period.
As to the results of the poll, we all have our favorites for sure, but the mainstream choices are mainstream as per critical reception only. Few would have predicted against the Lynch, Malick, Anderson, Coens and Kar-Wai leading up the tabulations, especially when you consider that 40 people cast ballots. My own personal list was headed up by FAR FROM HEAVEN and SON FRERE, two films that few lists, though the former did make it into the Top 25.
Sam,
Your affectionate tone and generosity holds everyone together. Thank you for this wonderful site, best of its kind IMHO..
Dualist:
Thanks so much for that glowing compliment and very kind words. Your own contibultions have been quite excellent and deeply appreciated.
I’m very happy to see THREE TIMES make it and THE NEW WORLD so high (the two best in my opinion). I would harp about the lack of foreign-language films but I actually contributed to the problem with my America-centric entry.
I am sad though that Jean-Luc Godard’s newer films (as well as Rivette’s NE TOUCHEZ PAS LA HACHE) are seemingly dismissed out of hand because people accept the prevailing narrative that Godard has been in decline since the late seventies. I think it’s the exact opposite with FILM SOCIALISME (which is great) possibly even better than the excellent NOTRE MUSIQUE
I’ve already got July 2020 pencilled in for the revelation of this decade’s number one.
Stephen, while I am admittedly not much a fan of Godard’s recent work (and don’t feel it warrants inclusion on this Top 25) I respect your own estimation, and completely agree with you on DON’T TOUCH THE AXE, and absolutely brilliant Rivette film.
In his countdown Allan set the standard for all countdowners / poll hosters to follow.
Aye, Stephen, there can be no doubt on this. Thank you.
I’m a little surprised that The White Ribbon was the Haneke film to make it in the list, especially over Cache. 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days would have been a welcome addition as well. It’s a film that I love and thought was wonderfully made, but after having a Romanian professor who lived through that era give me reasons for its falsities, I’ve been questioning it ever since.
Also, on a completely different note Sam, you should add Please Give and its rating to the side bar! It’s still one of my favourites this year!
Thanks so much for the heads up on PLEASE GIVE, Dave. I will rectify that inexplicable absence right now. It is most definitely an exceptional work, I quite agree.
Interesting what you say there about that Romanian professor, and the re-evaluation of FOUR MONTHS, a film that I (like you) consider a masterwork. Also, it is curious too that THE WHITE RIBBON polls ahead of CACHE. Ah well…..
Dave,
I’ve often questioned whether these young Romanian film-makers have a full grasp of a time they barely knew and whether they see the opportunity to add their own flavour to the brew of East European miserabilism.
All I know is that some of these new films nail the attitude and character of many Romanian people during and after this time. The details are another matter and they are very important when one is putting over a view of your country that many will have no choice but to interpret as accurate.
It’s bad enough when all people think of is Vampires and Orphans when they hear the word Romania.
Ha Stephen! You have a very good point there sad to say!
Dave, what were the falsities? I’d be interested to hear more…
I’m trying to remember correctly.
Basically, in class, she took me aside after I said I really enjoyed the film. She admitted the filmmaker was very talented, but since she lived in Romania during that era and saw her friends and acquaintances resort to horrific means in order to have abortions, she found some of his tactics not in the best interest of those women.
First, she said there was no way that the abortionist would have forced sex on the two women. It would have been too risky for everyone involved if it progressed to pregnancy.
She also thought it was awful that the young woman who was pregnant was the antagonist – which I believe also she was made out to be. She was made to be careless and put her friend in constant danger. After seeing her friends go through the same ordeals, she thought this was tremendously disrespectful to the plights they endured. If I remember correctly, she said many women in Romania were quite upset after the film was released for this reason.
Also, although it’s small, she didn’t think the young woman would “go downstairs for a meal” after all that had happened.
Thanks, David – I’m not sure about the abortionist thing though, given the character I don’t think he would have been much concerned with consequences of his action, right?
It’s always interesting to see how filmmakers deal with touchy subjects. On the one hand, they want to retain drama, on the other there is a feeling of duty, of fidelity to representing reality. In a situation like this, in which a fictional story is gleaned from something that actually happened to many people – and which has not much been represented onscreen (unless I’m mistaken, being unfamiliar with Romanian cinema) – every choice one makes is a loaded choice. For me, the film worked but I can see how it would be too problematic for your teacher, given her proximity to what it showed. (Similarly, anyone who sees a fictionalization of someone they knew, or someone in their family, is going to treat it differently than someone who can approach it without those associations.)
Just for fun – the Allan Oscars (annual picks for best of the year, based on Allan’s placement in his countdown):
1895 – L’Arrivée d’un train en Gare de la Ciotat
1902 – La Voyage dans la Lune
1903 – The Great Train Robbery
1912 – The Cameraman’s Revenge
1913 – Fantômas
1914 – Gertie the Dinosaur
1915 – Les Vampires
1916 – Intolerance
1917 – The Immigrant
1918 – The Whispering Chorus
1919 – The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
1920 – The Last of the Mohicans
1921 – The Phantom Carriage
1922 – Nosferatu
1923 – La Roue
1924 – Greed
1925 – The Battleship Potemkin
1926 – The General
1927 – Sunrise
1928 – The Wedding March
1929 – Pandora’s Box
1930 – Earth
1931 – City Lights
1932 – The Music Box
1933 – Duck Soup
1934 – The Goddess
1935 – The Bride of Frankenstein
1936 – Mr Thank You
1937 – La Grande Illusion
1938 – Bringing Up Baby
1939 – La Règle du Jeu
1940 – His Girl Friday
1941 – Sullivan’s Travels
1942 – The Magnificent Ambersons
1943 – The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
1944 – Ivan the Terrible Part One: Ivan Grozyni
1945 – Les Enfants du Paradis
1946 – The Cat Concerto
1947 – Out of the Past
1948 – Bicycle Thieves
1949 – Late Spring
1950 – Rashomon
1951 – Ace in the Hole
1952 – Singin’ in the Rain
1953 – Tokyo Story
1954 – Sansho Dayu
1955 – Floating Clouds
1956 – The Searchers
1957 – Tokyo Twilight
1958 – Vertigo
1959 – Pickpocket
1960 – Psycho
1961 – L’Année Dernière à Marienbad
1962 – The Exterminating Angel
1963 – Le Mépris
1964 – Kwaidan
1965 – The Battle of Algiers
1966 – Persona
1967 – Marketa Lazarová
1968 – Once Upon a Time in the West
1969 – Eros + Massacre
1970 – Valerie and Her Week of Wonders
1971 – A Clockwork Orange
1972 – The Godfather
1973 – Scenes from a Marriage (TV version)
1974 – The Godfather Part II
1975 – Barry Lyndon
1976 – Duelle
1977 – Hitler: A Film from Germany
1978 – The Marriage of Maria Braun
1979 – Stalker
1980 – Heaven’s Gate
1981 – Le Pont du Nord
1982 – Fanny and Alexander (TV version)
1983 – A Nos Amours
1984 – Once Upon a Time in America
1985 – Ran
1986 – The Singing Detective
1987 – Au Revoir Les Enfants
1988 – Dekalog
1989 – The Asthenic Syndrome
1990 – GoodFellas
1991 – The Double Life of Veronique
1992 – The Long Day Closes
1993 – Three Colours: Blue
1994 – Three Colours: Red
1995 – Toy Story
1996 – Breaking the Waves
1997 – L.A. Confidential
1998 – The Truman Show
1999 – Magnolia
2000 – The House of Mirth
2001 – In a Land of Plenty
2002 – Irreversible
2003 – Dogville
2004 – 2046
2005 – The New World
2006 – Memories of Matsuko
2007 – The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford
2008 – Love Exposure
2009 – Red Riding Trilogy
And I’d still like to see his top 100 of all time!
MovieMan…believe it or not last week I put together a list by year from 1930- Using the top finishers in our polls by year. I was considering posting every couple of days a decade at a time. What do you think?
Sounds good to me – if it’s being done as a post rather than as a comment it would be great to put pictures with each film, I think. Let me know if you have any trouble with this/feel it would take too long, and I’ll be happy to pitch in.
P.S. E-mail me when you have a schedule in mind for the posts so I can slot ’em in/make sure they don’t overlap too much with other stuff.
Fun to scroll through this way, was ‘Oscars’ though a few of these (most notably ‘In the Land of Plenty’ and ‘Fanny and Alexander’) are from TV so they couldn’t be eligible for ‘Oscars’. Though, if it’s an ‘Allan Oscars’ I guess all these would be eligible?
Whoa, Terrific work MovieMan.
How often do the Oscar’s even award a foreign language film for best picture? You need to remember it’s basically an American award so Allen’s list you posted is irrelevant. It would be more realistic to place all English Language movies. There already is an award for “Best Foreign Language Picture”.
Sheesh Maurizio, the “Oscars” tag was a more colorful way of saying “Allan’s best films of the year”! I liked your own list, though.
Btw, because I’m nuts, I actually know the year-by-year Oscar winners off the top of my head. I can tell you you’ve got 7 overlaps: All Quiet on the Western Front, Midnight Cowboy, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven, Schindler’s List (quite a streak there!).
Good point on your first sentence. I just wanted an excuse to make a list lol. Just 7 overlaps wow. I figured there would be a few more. The funny thing is that out of the 7 matches only the two Godfather’s and Unforgiven are movies I really love and would rate 5 stars.
My own list of ”English Language Best Pictures” starting in 1930 if I was a one man Oscar committee. I have no idea what the actual winners are but my list is probably much different.
1930- All Quiet On The Western Front
1931- City Lights
1932- I Am A Fugitive From A Chain Gang
1933- Duck Soup
1934- The Black Cat
1935- The 39 Steps
1936- Modern Times
1937- Lost Horizon
1938- Angels With Dirty Faces
1939- Stagecoach
1940- The Grapes Of Wrath
1941- Citizen Kane
1942- The Magnificent Ambersons
1943- The Ox-Bow Incident
1944- Double Indemnity
1945- Brief Encounter
1946- The Killers
1947- Out Of The Past
1948- Red River
1949- The Third Man
1950- In A Lonley Place
1951- Ace In The Hole
1952- High Noon
1953- The Big Heat
1954- Rear Window
1955- Night Of The Hunter
1956- The Killing
1957- Sweet Smell Of Success
1958- Vertigo
1959- Rio Bravo
1960- Psycho
1961- The Innocents
1962- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
1963- The Birds
1964- Dr Strangelove
1965- Repulsion
1966- Chimes At Midnight
1967- The Graduate
1968- 2001: A Space Odyssey
1969- Midnight Cowboy
1970- Five Easy Pieces
1971- McCabe And Mrs Miller
1972- The Godfather
1973- Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid/The Long Goodbye (due to PGABTK’s terrible theatrical release.
1974- The Godfather 2
1975- Night Moves
1976- Taxi Driver
1977- Eraserhead
1978- Days Of heaven
1979- Apocalypse Now
1980- Raging Bull
1981- Body Heat
1982- Blade Runner
1983- Tender Mercies
1984- Once Upon A Time In America
1985- Brazil
1986- Blue Velvet
1987- Full Metal Jacket
1988- The Thin Blue Line
1989- Henry V
1990- Goodfellas
1991- The Silence Of The Lambs
1992- Unforgiven
1993- Schindler’s List
1994- Ed Wood
1995- Heat
1996- Fargo
1997- LA Confidential
1998- The Thin Red Line
1999- Eyes Wide Shut
2000- Memento
2001- Mulholland Drive
2002- Road To Perdition
2003- Mystic River
2004- Sideways
2005- The New World
2006- The Fountain
2007- Zodiac
2008- The Reader
2009- Public Enemies
-5 points for picking ‘the birds’ over ‘hud’. lol.
I like seeing Liberty Valance on this list.