Lists are great. They inspire discussion, create arguments, and tend to spiral off into fun new lists. When you do a list about the “BEST” of anything it goes from being fun to becoming a hotbed for arguments. There’s no such thing as a definitive list but I’ve decided to pull from my rather extensive life of film watching and put it to good use.
This is not the “film critic’s top 100” list. There’s no guarantee Citizen Kane or The Bicycle Thief will be in the top echelon or even on the list. This is the 100 movies I would put my name on as my top 100. If I died tomorrow this would represent the 100 films I find most vital, special, or ones that bonded to whatever it is that makes me me. I’m not including documentaries, though that might make for a nice supplemental list.
The first 80 will be in no particular order. The last 20 will be in very particular order. One a day, you have my word.
#54 – Blade Runner
Message Board Thread Discussion.
Master Index of the 100 Best Movies Ever.
Why is it here:
This is a bit of a polarizing movie but I don’t believe there’s much doubt about its place as one of the most visionary films of all time. It still bears fruit over thirty years after its release and still spawns rip-offs. Though his performance (for a reason, depending on your take on his character Deckard’s humanity) is a bit subdued, Harrison Ford is a perfect lead for the film trading his charisma and twinkle for maudlin and deadpan as a tech noir would require. Surrounded by quirky, intriguing, and frighteningly dangerous supporting cast, it creates a great foil. The real star here is Ridley Scott working from a frankly weak Philip K. Dick short story and throwing the kitchen sink at the screen in 1982 and weaving multitudes of riches in terms of visual design, science fiction hallmarks, and a palette for an entire subgenre to take shape. Also, considering the director is often faulted for a style over substance approach, this is filmmaking language of a master. This is anything but artifice. A perfect balance of an audience movie and a critic’s movie. There’s nothing like it.
Moments to savor:
Seeing the skyline of futuristic Los Angeles unfold at the filn’s outset. Brion James discusses his mother. Pris does some ballet. Deckard vs. Batty and the poetic nature of the finale. Zhora in the buff. The Toymaker’s pad.
Rewatchability:
High. I like revolving though the different versions of the movie. I find it fascinating. I don’t really care which one it is and feel that people that have too strong an opinion about that are missing the point.
Miscellany:
Why is it that the two movies featuring direct parts or shared universe with this movie suck a baby’s asshole? Soldier is was a pestilence and the presence of Deckard’s vehicle in The Phantom Menace did nothing to prevent it from putting a knife and fork to my dick.