Over on the Literature forum, BethR points us to an IMAGE Journal listing of 100 Great Books "that grapple in a serious way with religious faith." Alan suggested that we ought to put together our own such list of films and, listophile that I am, I'm taking his suggestion.

For starters, I'm going to ask people to post as many "nominees" as they can come up with. Once we've got us a real big list, I'm going to come up with some sort of ballot for everyone to vote for various films, to see if we can come up with some sort of ranking. (May end up deciding it's best just to list the 100 films chronologically or alphabetically or something, but it would be good to have a way to settle on which films should make the cut, and which not.)

I'm sure many of you will want to know a bit more about parameters and definitions here: what sort of films are we specifically after? Explicitly religious films? Specifically "Christian" films? What's a Christian film? Films with Christian characters? Films with "Christian themes"? Films with Christ figures? Films that Christian movie fans just seem to especially love, for no good reason? Films made by Christians? I'll start a separate thread where we can hash over those questions, in order eventually to come up with a title for our list. But for the purposes of this thread, though, let's keep the category as absolutely wide open as we can, and let later balloting narrow things.

To prime the pump, here's a wide array of films that quickly come to mind;

THE MISSION
AU HASARD BALTHAZAR
JESUS OF MONTREAL
SISTER ACT
STEVIE
HELL HOUSE
ORDET
BABETTE'S FEAST
BRUCE ALMIGHTY
IKIRU
DEKALOG
JOSHUA
THE HIDING PLACE
THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
LEFT BEHIND
COTTON PATCH GOSPEL
BAD LIEUTENANT

etc....

It occurs to me that something very like this topic was recently launched on the Most Spiritual Film Of All Time thread. So I went through and compiled a list of the films that were mentioned there...

2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY
THE ADVENTURES OF BARON VON MUNCHAUSEN
AMERICAN BEAUTY
AMISTAD
ANDREI ROUBLEV
ANGEL HEART
BABETTE'S FEAST
BAD LIEUTENANT
BLADE RUNNER
BREAKING THE WAVES
CHARIOTS OF FIRE
DEKALOG
FEARLESS
FIELD OF DREAMS
FIGHT CLUB
THE FOUNTAINHEAD
GROUNDHOG DAY
IKIRU
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE
JACOB'S LADDER
JESUS OF MONTREAL
JESUS OF NAZARETH
LORD OF THE RINGS (Peter Jackson_
MAGNOLIA
A MAN ESCAPED
MASTER & COMMANDER
THE MATRIX
THE MISSION
ORDET
PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
THE SACRIFICE
SECRETS & LIES
SOLARIS (Tarkovsky)
THE SON (Le fils)
TENDER MERCIES
THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS
THE TRUMAN SHOW
VANYA ON 42nd STREET
WINGS OF DESIRE
THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
"Any film by Ozu..."
"Eric Rohmer's films..."

Can I add Son of Man? I know technically its not a film, its a filmed play, but its challengingly awesome, and er... Yancey & Chattaway like it too.

Also can we add Les mIserables (the Neeson version), Changing Lanes. Il VAngelo Secondo Matteo, Miracle Maker, Signs, Life is Beautiful &
Waking Life

Matt

The Big Kahuna
The Robe
Ben-Hur
Get On the Bus
The Spitfire Grill
The Passion of Joan of Arc
A Man For All Seasons
Caligula


That last one is a joke, folks...

Nick

There was a brief discussion similar to this in the PFCC section that not all have access to. It was a bit different; it was what we'd recommend as best rentals.

There I listed

QUOTE

Babette's Feast - Gabriel Axel - 1987 Jesus de Montreal - Denys Arcand - 1989 Rollerball - Norman Jewison - 1975 (not the 2002 abomination) Last Temptation of Christ - Martin Scorcese - 1988 Cool Hand Luke - Stuart Rosenberg -1967 (is it becoming obvious that I'm old?) Pleasantville (let the stones fly!) - Gary Ross - 1998 Quills - Philip Kaufman - 2000 The Day the Earth Stood Still - Robert Wise - 1951 Bedazzled - Stanley Donen - 1967 Shawshank Redemption - Frank Darabont - 1994 Romero - John Duigan - 1989 Brother Sun, Sister Moon - Franco Zeffirelli - 1972 Field of Dreams - Phil Alden Robinson - 1989 Places in the Heart - Robert Benton - 1984 Do the Right Thing - Spike Lee - 1989 Malcolm X- Spike Lee - 1992 Matewan - John Sayles - 1987 The Widow of St. Pierre - Patrice Leconte - 2000

Perhaps one of the Admins will move that discussion here.

Most of the titles that come to my mind have already been listed, except maybe:

Savior (1998)
Barcelona (1994)
Metropolitan (1990)

Diary Of A Country Priest
The Gospel According To St Matthew
The Last Temptation Of Christ

BethR wrote:
: Barcelona (1994)
: Metropolitan (1990)

You can't possibly mention those films without also mentioning the hymn-obsessed The Last Days of Disco (1998).

QUOTE

There was a brief discussion similar to this in the PFCC section that not all have access to.  It was a bit different; it was what we'd recommend as best rentals.

Thanks, Darrel! One question: would those all be films that you would see fitting into this (intentionally broad) category? Or are some of them just "Great Flicks" but without a particular resonance with spiritual or Christian themes? Not a rhetorical question, and not intending to nit pick: I just want to be sure which ones transfer from that list to this.

QUOTE

Perhaps one of the Admins will move that discussion here.

I second that motion. For motion. So moved. So, move?

:roll:

QUOTE

Most of the titles that come to my mind have already been listed, except maybe: Savior (1998) Barcelona (1994) Metropolitan (1990)

Not LAST DAYS OF DISCO? (Later interpolation: "Oh, Peter beat me to it...") And what is this SAVIOR of which you speak?

Ron invited me to contribute to this thread, so I'll toss in some titles that haven't been mentioned that you've all probably heard me recommend plenty of times:

Day of Wrath
A Man Escaped or The Wind Blows Where It Wills
Andrei Rublev
Solaris (1974)
Stalker
Nostalghia
Open City
Europa '51
The Flowers of St. Francis
Stromboli
Blaise Pascal
The Night of the Hunter
My Night at Maud's
Perceval
many of Stan Brakhage's short films
Wild Strawberries
Winter Light
Nazarin
The Milky Way
Bedazzled (1967)
The Wrong Man
Therese
Strange Cargo
Stars in My Crown
The Blood of Jesus
Waking Life
Blue (1993)
Ponette


---more general spiritual themes

Pickpocket
L'Argent
Blade Runner
Umberto D.
Secrets and Lies
The Music Room (Jalsagar)
Red Beard
Dersu Uzala
The Idiot
Tokyo Story
Sansho Dayu
The Life of Oharu
The Nights of Cabiria
Days of Heaven
The Last Laugh
Sunrise
Eureka (2000)
Faces
Gertrud
Close-Up
The Sacrifice
The Wind Will Carry Us
La Promesse


...Nice sig, SoNowThen!

Thanks!




I guess if we can mention some that are vaguely spiritual / redemption based, then, uh, how about Raging Bull?

QUOTE

BethR wrote: : Barcelona (1994) : Metropolitan (1990) You can't possibly mention those films without also mentioning the hymn-obsessed The Last Days of Disco (1998).

You're right. What was I thinking? Or not thinking?

QUOTE

Thanks, Darrel!  One question: would those all be films that you would see fitting into this (intentionally broad) category?  Or are some of them just \"Great Flicks\" but without a particular resonance with spiritual or Christian themes?  Not a rhetorical question, and not intending to nit pick: I just want to be sure which ones transfer from that list to this.

On my list (and I think most of the ones there) there is a spiritual component. For example Quills certainly is not Christian in outlook, but it does allow us to think about the nature of evil.

THE PROMONTORY 100: Nominees
(as of February 18, 2004 - Keep 'em comin'!)

1. 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING (2002) P02
2. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
3. THE ADVENTURES OF BARON VON MUNCHAUSEN
4. AMERICAN BEAUTY
5. AMISTAD
6. L'AMORE ("Ways of Love," Roberto Rossellini, 1948) M
7. ANDREI ROUBLEV (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1969) M VR
8. ANGEL HEART
9. L'ARGENT
10. AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (Robert Bresson, 1966) M
11. AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle, 1987) VV
12. BABETTE'S FEAST ("Babettes Gaestebud", Gabriel Axel, 1987) M VR
13. BAD LIEUTENANT (Abel Ferrara, 1992) M
14. BARCELONA (Whit Stillman, 1994)
15. BEDAZZLED (1967)
16. BEN-HUR (William Wyler, 1959) VR
17. THE BICYCLE THIEF (Vittorio de Sica, 1948) VV
18. THE BIG KAHUNA
19. BLADE RUNNER
20. BLAISE PASCAL
21. THE BLOOD OF JESUS
22. BREAKING THE WAVES (Lars von Trier, 1996) M
23. BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON
24. BRUCE ALMIGHTY
25. THE BURMESE HARP (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) VV
26. CHANGING LANES (2002) P02
27. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (Hugh Hudson, 1981) VV
28. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977) M
29. CLOSE-UP
30. COOL HAND LUKE
31. COTTON PATCH GOSPEL
32. CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS (Woody Allen, 1989) M
33. DAY OF WRATH ("Vredens dag," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1943) M
34. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
35. DAYS OF HEAVEN
36. DEKALOG (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) VV
37. DERSU UZALA (Kurosawa, 1974) VV
38. THE DEVIL PROBABLY (Robert Bresson, 1977) M
39. DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST
40. DO THE RIGHT THING
41. DOGMA
42. DONNIE DARKO
43. EUREKA (2000)
44. EUROPA '51
45. FACES
46. FEARLESS
47. FIELD OF DREAMS
48. FIGHT CLUB
49. THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS (Roberto Rossellini, 1950) M VR
50. THE FOUNTAINHEAD
51. FRANCESCO (Liliana Cavani, 1989) VR
52. GANDHI (Richard Attenborough, 1982) VV
53. GATES OF HEAVEN
54. GERTRUD
55. GET ON THE BUS
56. GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964) VR
57. THE GREEN RAY ("Le rayon vert", Eric Rohmer, 1986) M
58. THE GREEN ROOM ("Le chambre verte," Francois Truffaut, 1978) M
59. GROUNDHOG DAY (Harold Ramis, 1993) M
60. HELL HOUSE (2002) P02
61. THE HIDING PLACE
62. THE IDIOT
63. IKIRU
64. INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE
65. INTOLERANCE (D.W. Griffith, 1916) VV
66. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra, 1946) VV
67. ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS
68. JACOB'S LADDER
69. JESUS OF MONTREAL
70. JESUS OF NAZARETH
71. JOSHUA
72. THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (Whit Stillman, 1998)
73. THE LAST LAUGH
74. THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
75. LEFT BEHIND
76. THE LIFE & PASSION OF CHRIST (Ferdinand Zecca, 1903) VR
77. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
78. THE LIFE OF OHARU
79. LORD OF THE RINGS (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003) P02 P03
80. LOVE AFFAIR (Leo McCarey, 1939) M
81. LUTHER (2003) P03
82. MAGNOLIA (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999) M
83. MALCOLM X
84. A MAN ESCAPED
85. A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Fred Zinnemann, 1966) VR
86. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (John Huston, 1975) M
87. THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST
88. MASTER & COMMANDER
89. MATEWAN
90. THE MATRIX
91. METROPOLITAN (Whit Stillman, 1990)
92. THE MILKY WAY
93. MIRACLE MAKER
94. LES MISERABLES (Bille August)
95. LES MISERABLES DU VINGTIEME SIECLE (Claude LeLouche)
96. THE MISSION (Roland Joffe, 1986) VR
97. MONSIEUR VINCENT (Maurice Cloche, 1947) VR
98. THE MUSIC ROOM (Jalsagar)
99. NAZARIN (Luis Bunuel, 1958) VR
100. MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S
101. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Charles Laughton, 1955) M
102. THE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA
103. NOSTALGHIA
104. NOT OF THIS WORLD
105. ON THE WATERFRONT (Elia Kazan, 1954) VV
106. OPEN CITY ("Roma, citta apperta," Roberto Rossellini, 1946) VV
107. ORDET ("The Word," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955) M VR
108. THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) VR
109. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
110. PERCEVAL
111. PICKPOCKET
112. PLACES IN THE HEART
113. PLEASANTVILLE
114. PONETTE
115. LA PROMESSE
116. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
117. QUILLS
118. RAGING BULL
119. THE RAPTURE
120. RED BEARD ("Akahige," Akira Kurosawa, 1965) M
121. RITE OF SPRING ("Acto da primavera," Manoel de Oliveira, 1963) M
122. RIVERS & TIDES (2003) P03
123. THE ROBE
124. ROLLERBALL (Norman Jewison)
125. ROMERO
126. THE SACRIFICE ("Ofret," Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986) VR
127. SANSHO DAYU
128. SAVIOR
129. SCHINDLER'S LIST (Steven Spielberg, 1992) VV
130. SECRETS & LIES
131. THE SEVENTH SEAL (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV
132. SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
133. SIGNS (2002) P02
134. THE SILENCE ("Tystnaden," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M
135. SIMON OF THE DESERT (Luis Bunuel, 1965) M
136. SISTER ACT
137. SOLARIS (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974)
138. THE SON ("Le fils," Dardennes Brothers) P03
139. SON OF MAN
140. SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR (2002) P02
141. THE SPITFIRE GRILL
142. STALKER
143. STARS IN MY CROWN
144. STEVIE (2003) P03
145. STRANGE CARGO
146. STROMBOLI
147. SUNRISE
148. TENDER MERCIES
149. THERESE (Alain Cavalier, 1986) VR
150. THREE COLOURS: BLUE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993)
151. THREE COLOURS: WHITE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) M
152. TILAI ("The Law," Idrissa Ouedraogo, 1990) M
153. TOKYO STORY
154. THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS (Ermanno Olmi, 1978) VV
155. THE TRUMAN SHOW
156. UMBERTO D
157. UTAMARO & HIS FIVE WOMEN (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1946) M
158. UNFORGIVEN (Clint Eastwood, 1992) M
159. VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) M
160. VANYA ON 42nd STREET
161. VOYAGE TO ITALY ("Viaggio in Italia," Roberto Rossellini, 1953) M
162. WAKING LIFE
163. THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE
164. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV
165. THE WIND WILL CARRY US (Abbas Kiarostami, 1999) M
166. WINGS OF DESIRE
167. WINTER LIGHT ("Nattvardsgasterna," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M
168. THE WRONG MAN
169. THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
170. "Many of Stan Brakhage's shorts..."
171. "Any film by Ozu..."
172. "Eric Rohmer's films..."


P02: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee (2002)
P03: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee (2003)
M: Museum of Modern Art exhibition, "The Hidden God: Faith & Film" (2003)
VR: The Vatican Film List: Religion (1995)
VV: The Vatican Film List: Values (1995)

I'll post here in the next day or two---we should keep the nominations open until...3/1?

ALSO--I question calling this a top-100 "Christian" films list, but instead the Top 100 list from Christian Film Lovers...

Am I missing it, or has "The Apostle" not been mentioned yet? Or how about "Unbreakable," a nifty meditation on vocation?

QUOTE

ALSO--I question calling this a top-100 \"Christian\" films list, but instead the Top 100 list from Christian Film Lovers...

I like this distinction, but maybe we should insert a hyphen -- "Christian Film-Lovers," so the new wording isn't mistakenly read as "Christian-Film Lovers," which, just to be clear, might mean we love only "Christian films."

Whale Rider and the X-men franchise.

i mentioned this in another thread, but it fits here, too--i refer you to the work of my friend seth, who explores the idea of "christian" cinema and reviews "christian" films. be sure to read his introduction.

Ron wrote:

QUOTE

what is this SAVIOR of which you speak?

"In the beginning was the Word..."--oh, you mean the movie Savior? :wink:

ImdB says: 1998 movie, dir. Predrag Antonijevic, written by Robert Orr, starring Dennis Quaid as an American mercenary in Bosnia. Summary & review here:

http://www.mediacircus.net/savior.html

This account just hints at the Christian symbolism implied by the title. I put this movie on par with The Bad Lieutenant for unsparingly showing an individual reduced to the depths, and then redeemed by grace and acting on it.

Jean de Florette
and
Manon des Sources

both deal with fallenness very effectively.

QUOTE

I'll post here in the next day or two---we should keep the nominations open until...3/1?

Yeah, that sounds like a good target.

QUOTE

ALSO--I question calling this a top-100 \"Christian\" films list, but instead the Top 100 list from Christian Film Lovers...

Yes, a good question to engage. Personally, I'm convinced that "Christian" makes an excellent noun but an appalling adjective, and am pretty sure that's the last thing we want to actually title our list. I kinda just slapped it on there as shorthand. In any case, may I encourage you to pursue these questions in the separate thread set up for that discussion? Thanks!


Ron

Where....is Shadowlands...?

Here're ten more in addition to Shadowlands for consideration--I left out titles that have already been listed above...


Amadeus (Milos Forman, 1984)
American History X (Tony Kaye, 1998)
Cry Freedom (Richard Attenborough, 1987)
Jeremiah Johnson (Syndey Pollack, 1972)
Peter and Paul (Robert Day, 1981)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (Steven Spielberg, 1981)
Ran (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)
A River Runs Through It (Robert Redford, 1992)
The Seventh Sign (Carl Schultz, 1988)
Yentl (Barbra Streisand, 1983)

Agnes of God

I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the films of Hal Hartley, some of which -- Amateur, Henry Fool, Book of Life -- may be pertinent here.

I'll second Book of Life, X-men & The Apostle

Also If we're going to add evrything can I suggest Bruce Almighty. High art it's not, but it takes a surprisingly good look at spiritual issues given the shallowness of its genre.

Matt

I probably won't have access to email until next Wednesday, so in the meantime here's the latest update on the list, incorporating your further suggestions and some others I came up with. Keep 'em coming!

THE PROMONTORY 100: Nominees
(Feb 20, 2004)

1. 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING (2002) P02
2. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
3. THE ADDICTION
4. THE ADVENTURES OF BARON VON MUNCHAUSEN
5. AGNES OF GOD (Norman Jewison)
6. AMADEUS (Milos Forman, 1984)
7. AMATEUR (Hal Hartley)
8. AMERICAN BEAUTY
9. AMERICAN HISTORY X (Tony Kaye, 1998)
10. AMISTAD
11. L'AMORE ("Ways of Love," Roberto Rossellini, 1948) M
12. ANDREI ROUBLEV (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1969) M VR
13. ANGEL HEART
14. THE APOSTLE (Robert Duvall)
15. L'ARGENT
16. AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (Robert Bresson, 1966) M
17. AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle, 1987) VV
18. BABETTE'S FEAST ("Babettes Gaestebud", Gabriel Axel, 1987) M VR
19. BAD LIEUTENANT (Abel Ferrara, 1992) M
20. BARCELONA (Whit Stillman, 1994)
21. BECKET
22. BEDAZZLED (1967)
23. THE BELIEVER
24. BEN-HUR (William Wyler, 1959) VR
25. THE BICYCLE THIEF (Vittorio de Sica, 1948) VV
26. THE BIG KAHUNA
27. BLACK ROBE
28. BLADE RUNNER
29. BLAISE PASCAL
30. THE BLOOD OF JESUS
31. BOOK OF LIFE (Hal Hartley)
32. BREAKING THE WAVES (Lars von Trier, 1996) M
33. BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON
34. BRUCE ALMIGHTY
35. THE BURMESE HARP (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) VV
36. CHANGING LANES (2002) P02
37. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (Hugh Hudson, 1981) VV
38. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977) M
39. CLOSE-UP
40. COOL HAND LUKE
41. COTTON PATCH GOSPEL
42. CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS (Woody Allen, 1989) M
43. CRY FREEDOM (Richard Attenborough, 1987)
44. A CRY IN THE DARK
45. DAY OF WRATH ("Vredens dag," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1943) M
46. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL
47. DAYS OF HEAVEN
48. DEAD MAN WALKING
49. DEKALOG (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) VV
50. DERSU UZALA (Kurosawa, 1974) VV
51. THE DEVIL PROBABLY (Robert Bresson, 1977) M
52. DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST
53. DO THE RIGHT THING
54. DOGMA
55. DONNIE DARKO
56. ELEPHANT MAN
57. EUREKA (2000)
58. EUROPA '51
59. FACES
60. FEARLESS
61. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Norman Jewison)
62. FIELD OF DREAMS
63. FIGHT CLUB
64. THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS (Roberto Rossellini, 1950) M VR
65. THE FOUNTAINHEAD
66. FRANCESCO (Liliana Cavani, 1989) VR
67. GANDHI (Richard Attenborough, 1982) VV
68. GATES OF HEAVEN
69. GERTRUD
70. GET ON THE BUS
71. GODSPELL
72. GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964) VR
73. GRAND CANYON
74. THE GREEN RAY ("Le rayon vert", Eric Rohmer, 1986) M
75. THE GREEN ROOM ("Le chambre verte," Francois Truffaut, 1978) M
76. GROUNDHOG DAY (Harold Ramis, 1993) M
77. HARDCORE
78. HELL HOUSE (2002) P02
79. HENRY FOOL (Hal Hartley)
80. THE HIDING PLACE
81. THE IDIOT
82. IKIRU
83. AN INSPECTOR CALLS
84. INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE
85. INTOLERANCE (D.W. Griffith, 1916) VV
86. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra, 1946) VV
87. ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS
88. JACOB'S LADDER
89. JEAN DE FLORETTE
90. JEREMIAH JOHNSON (Syndey Pollack, 1972)
91. JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR (Norman Jewison)
92. JESUS OF MONTREAL
93. JESUS OF NAZARETH
94. JOSHUA
95. THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (Whit Stillman, 1998)
96. THE LAST LAUGH
97. THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST
98. THE LAST WAVE (Peter Weir)
99. LEFT BEHIND
100. THE LIFE & PASSION OF CHRIST (Ferdinand Zecca, 1903) VR
101. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL
102. THE LIFE OF BRIAN
103. THE LIFE OF OHARU
104. LORD OF THE RINGS (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003) P02 P03
105. LOVE AFFAIR (Leo McCarey, 1939) M
106. LUTHER (2003) P03
107. MAGNOLIA (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999) M
108. MALCOLM X
109. A MAN ESCAPED
110. A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Fred Zinnemann, 1966) VR
111. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (John Huston, 1975) M
112. THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST
113. MANON OF THE SPRINGS ("Manon des sources")
114. MASTER & COMMANDER
115. MATEWAN
116. THE MATRIX
117. METROPOLITAN (Whit Stillman, 1990)
118. THE MILKY WAY
119. MIRACLE MAKER
120. LES MISERABLES (Bille August)
121. LES MISERABLES DU VINGTIEME SIECLE (Claude LeLouche)
122. THE MISSION (Roland Joffe, 1986) VR
123. MOLOKAI
124. MONSIEUR VINCENT (Maurice Cloche, 1947) VR
125. THE MUSIC ROOM (Jalsagar)
126. NAZARIN (Luis Bunuel, 1958) VR
127. MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S
128. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Charles Laughton, 1955) M
129. THE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA
130. NOSTALGHIA
131. NOT OF THIS WORLD
132. ON THE WATERFRONT (Elia Kazan, 1954) VV
133. OPEN CITY ("Roma, citta apperta," Roberto Rossellini, 1946) VV
134. ORDET ("The Word," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955) M VR
135. THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) VR
136. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST
137. PERCEVAL
138. PERSONAL VELOCITY
139. PETER & PAUL (Robert Day, 1981)
140. PHONE BOOTH
141. PICKPOCKET
142. PLACES IN THE HEART
143. PLEASANTVILLE
144. PONETTE
145. LA PROMESSE
146. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE
147. QUILLS
148. RAGING BULL
149. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, 1981)
150. RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985)
151. THE RAPTURE
152. RED BEARD ("Akahige," Akira Kurosawa, 1965) M
153. RITE OF SPRING ("Acto da primavera," Manoel de Oliveira, 1963) M
154. A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (Robert Redford, 1992)
155. RIVERS & TIDES (2003) P03
156. THE ROBE
157. ROLLERBALL (Norman Jewison)
158. ROMERO
159. THE SACRIFICE ("Ofret," Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986) VR
160. SANSHO DAYU
161. SAVING GRACE (Robert M. Young, 1985)
162. SAVIOR
163. SCHINDLER'S LIST (Steven Spielberg, 1992) VV
164. SECRETS & LIES
165. THE SEVENTH SEAL (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV
166. THE SEVENTH SIGN (Carl Schultz, 1988)
167. SHADOWLANDS
168. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION
169. SIGNS (2002) P02
170. THE SILENCE ("Tystnaden," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M
171. SIMON OF THE DESERT (Luis Bunuel, 1965) M
172. SISTER ACT
173. SLING BLADE
174. SMOKE
175. SOLARIS (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974)
176. THE SON ("Le fils," Dardennes Brothers) P03
177. SON OF MAN
178. SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR (2002) P02
179. THE SPITFIRE GRILL
180. STALKER (Andrei Tarkovsky)
181. STARS IN MY CROWN
182. STEVIE (2003) P03
183. THE STRAIGHT STORY (David Lynch)
184. STRANGE CARGO
185. STROMBOLI
186. SUNRISE
187. TEARS OF THE SUN
188. TENDER MERCIES
189. THERESE (Alain Cavalier, 1986) VR
190. THE THIRD MIRACLE
191. THREE COLOURS: BLUE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993)
192. THREE COLOURS: WHITE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) M
193. TILAI ("The Law," Idrissa Ouedraogo, 1990) M
194. TO END ALL WARS
195. TOKYO STORY
196. THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS (Ermanno Olmi, 1978) VV
197. THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL
198. THE TRUMAN SHOW
199. UMBERTO D
200. UNBREAKABLE
201. UTAMARO & HIS FIVE WOMEN (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1946) M
202. UNFORGIVEN (Clint Eastwood, 1992) M
203. VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) M
204. VANYA ON 42nd STREET
205. VOYAGE TO ITALY ("Viaggio in Italia," Roberto Rossellini, 1953) M
206. WAKING LIFE
207. A WALK TO REMEMBER
208. WHALE RIDER
209. WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND
210. THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE
211. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV
212. THE WIND WILL CARRY US (Abbas Kiarostami, 1999) M
213. WINGS OF DESIRE
214. WINTER LIGHT ("Nattvardsgasterna," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M
215. WIT
216. WITNESS
217. THE WRONG MAN
218. X-MEN
219. X-2
220. THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY
221. YENTL (Barbara Streisand, 1983)
222. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME
223. "Many of Stan Brakhage's shorts..."
224. "Any film by Ozu..."
225. "Eric Rohmer's films..."


P02: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee, 2002
P03: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee, 2003
M: Museum of Modern Art exhibition, "The Hidden God: Faith & Film" (2003)
VR: The Vatican Film List: Religion (1995)
VV: The Vatican Film List: Values (1995)

TIME BANDITS (1981)

Until someone makes an adequate Narnia, there are the Time Bandits and Ralph Richardson's "Supreme Being." Plus:

KEVIN [to Mum & Dad]: Don't touch it! It's EVIL!"

BOOM!

I rest my case.

Dead Man Walking? Hello?

Here's some Studio Era films that have provoked spiritual/moral questions at screenings I've been a part of in recent years:

Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939)
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931)
Freaks (1932)
The Island of Lost Souls (1933)
The Devil & Daniel Webster (1941)
Meet John Doe (1941)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

and so have these:
Code Unknown (2000)
Dancing at Lughnasa (1998)
Burnt by the Sun (1994)
The Ice Storm (1997)
Pi (1998)

You Can't Take It with You
Strange Cargo
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness
The Bishop's Wife
Painted Desert
Mary Poppins
The Great Dictator
The Keys of the Kingdom
The Lilies of the Field
"M"
Metropolis
A Tale of Two Cities
The Scarlet Pimpernel
How Green Was My Valley
The Field

Not that such Disneytwaddle should make the list, but The North Avenue Irregulars and Hot Lead & Cold Feet both had explicit religious content...

Should I assume that we're only considering the 1990s version of Shadowlands? Or, since TV-movies like Peter and Paul have been mentioned, are we also considering the 1980s version of Shadowlands too? FWIW, I would add the 1950s and 1990s versions of Cry the Beloved Country to this list of nominees, too (though I've only seen the 1990s version).

QUOTE

Dead Man Walking?  Hello?

It's on the list--#48 in the Feb. 20 posting.

QUOTE

Should I assume that we're only considering the 1990s version of Shadowlands?  Or, since TV-movies like Peter and Paul have been mentioned, are we also considering the 1980s version of Shadowlands too?

Good question. I've always thought the 1980s version was better--by which I mean, the actors looked more like the real people they were supposed to be portraying, the theology was more solid, and the whole thing was less sentimental.

But I suppose we'll have to hammer this kind of question out in detail later.

QUOTE

QUOTE Dead Man Walking?  Hello? It's on the list--#48 in the Feb. 20 posting.

I swear that wasn't there this morning!!

QUOTE

FWIW, I would add the 1950s and 1990s versions of Cry the Beloved Country to this list of nominees, too (though I've only seen the 1990s version).

The 1950s version is certainly worthy. (I haven't seen the 1990s version.)

But who nominated Left Behind? C'mon--next we'll be nominating Thief in the Night, A Distant Thunder, The Late Great Planet Earth, The Cross and the Switchblade...

Note to Ron: The above should not be considered a nomination of those films. I will, however, suggest The Hiding Place as well as the original Star Wars trilogy.

I don't really have anything new to add, which is why I haven't posted sooner, however I would like to second You Can't Take It With You and was glad to see the post mrmando. But let's not be too hard on a thief in the night

Close-Up is an interesting look at grace within the legal system so I really like that selection.

A Pure Formality is a new one I would add to this list.

Romero
Entertaining Angels: The Dorothy Day Story
Diary of a City Priest
Repentance

Testament - Lynne Littman - 1983

[quote]Romero[/quote]

Haven't seen the other three you mentioned, though doubtless they are worthy, but I can't believe I forgot this one, which certainly should be on the list. Also one of Raul Julia's great roles.

Entertaining Angels was made by the same Catholic production company that made Romero; both are solid films which revisit Christians in history and important social issues.

Diary of a City Priest is a recent independent film based on the writings of a priest (David Morse) in an urban mission and is intended in some ways as an homage to Diary of a Country Priest although stylistically, it isn't that similar. It was recently released on DVD.

Repentance is a Georgian (Russian) film made in 1984 that uses a unique mixture of fantasy, black comedy, and drama to criticize Stalinism, suggest a spiritual revival, and let more than a few skeletons out of the closet. It was shelved until Gorbachev released it in 1987 and personally promoted it as the token film of glasnost. It played to sell-out crowds in Russia for months and months.

Mike, I just watched Mamoulian's Jeckyll & Hyde and I agree, it's pretty incredible. It was just released on a very nice DVD that includes the inferior '41 remake with Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman, an amiable commentary by a horror scholar, and the Hare & Hyde Bugs Bunny short. Recommended.

QUOTE

Mike, I just watched Mamoulian's Jeckyll & Hyde and I agree, it's pretty incredible.  It was just released on a very nice DVD that includes the inferior '41 remake with Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman, an amiable commentary by a horror scholar, and the Hare & Hyde Bugs Bunny short.  Recommended.

i totally second that motion.

QUOTE

Mike, I just watched Mamoulian's Jeckyll & Hyde and I agree, it's pretty incredible.  It was just released on a very nice DVD that includes the inferior '41 remake with Spencer Tracy and Ingrid Bergman, an amiable commentary by a horror scholar, and the Hare & Hyde Bugs Bunny short.  Recommended.

I just rented that today based off your message here. I plan on watching it later in the week.

THE PROMONTORY 100: Nominees
(Feb 25, 2004)

1. 13 CONVERSATIONS ABOUT ONE THING (2002) P02
2. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Stanley Kubrick, 1968) An JB
3. THE ADDICTION () RR
4. THE ADVENTURES OF BARON VON MUNCHAUSEN () ML
5. AGNES OF GOD (Norman Jewison) DM
6. AMADEUS (Milos Forman, 1984) JB
7. AMATEUR (Hal Hartley) PTC
8. AMERICAN BEAUTY () RR
9. AMERICAN HISTORY X (Tony Kaye, 1998) JB
10. AMISTAD () JB
11. L'AMORE ("Ways of Love," Roberto Rossellini, 1948) M
12. ANDREI ROUBLEV (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1969) M VR DC
13. THE APOSTLE (Robert Duvall) A MP
14. L'ARGENT () DCst
15. AU HASARD BALTHAZAR (Robert Bresson, 1966) M
16. AU REVOIR, LES ENFANTS (Louis Malle, 1987) VV
17. BABETTE'S FEAST ("Babettes Gaestebud", Gabriel Axel, 1987) M VR DM JO An
18. BAD LIEUTENANT (Abel Ferrara, 1992) M BR JB
19. BARCELONA (Whit Stillman, 1994) BR
20. BECKET () RR
21. BEDAZZLED (1967) DM DC
22. THE BELIEVER () RR
23. BEN-HUR (William Wyler, 1959) VR NA
24. THE BICYCLE THIEF (Vittorio de Sica, 1948) VV
25. THE BIG KAHUNA () NA
26. THE BISHOP'S WIFE () MM
27. BLACK ROBE () RR
28. BLADE RUNNER () DCst JB
29. BLAISE PASCAL () DC
30. THE BLOOD OF JESUS () DC
31. BOOK OF LIFE (Hal Hartley) PTC MP
32. BREAKING THE WAVES (Lars von Trier, 1996) M AW DM
33. BROTHER SUN, SISTER MOON () DM
34. BRUCE ALMIGHTY () MP
35. THE BURMESE HARP (Kon Ichikawa, 1956) VV
36. BURNT BY THE SUN (1994) MHst
37. CHANGING LANES (2002) P02 MP
38. CHARIOTS OF FIRE (Hugh Hudson, 1981) VV An
39. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (Steven Spielberg, 1977) M
40. CLOSE-UP () DCst A
41. CODE UNKNOWN () MHst
42. COOL HAND LUKE () DM
43. COTTON PATCH GOSPEL () RR
44. CRIMES & MISDEMEANORS (Woody Allen, 1989) M
45. CRY FREEDOM (Richard Attenborough, 1987) JB
46. A CRY IN THE DARK () RR
47. CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY (Zoltan Korda, 1951) PTC
48. CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY (Darrell Roodt, 1995) PTC
49. DANCING AT LUGHNASA (1998) MHst
50. DAY OF WRATH ("Vredens dag," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1943) M DC
51. THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL () DM
52. DAYS OF HEAVEN () DCst
53. DEAD MAN WALKING () DB
54. DEKALOG (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) VV
55. DERSU UZALA (Kurosawa, 1974) VV DCst
56. THE DEVIL & DANIEL WEBSTER (1941) MHst
57. THE DEVIL PROBABLY (Robert Bresson, 1977) M
58. DIARY OF A CITY PRIEST () DC
59. DIARY OF A COUNTRY PRIEST () SNT
60. DO THE RIGHT THING () DM
61. DOGMA () RR
62. DONNIE DARKO () RR
63. DR. JEKYLL & MR HYDE (Mamoulian, 1931) MHst DC S
64. ELEPHANT MAN () RR
65. ENTERTAINING ANGELS () DC
66. EUREKA (2000) DCst
67. EUROPA '51 () DC
68. FACES () DCst
69. FEARLESS (Peter Weir) JB
70. FIDDLER ON THE ROOF (Norman Jewison) RR
71. THE FIELD () MM
72. FIELD OF DREAMS () DM MP
73. FIGHT CLUB () JW
74. THE FLOWERS OF ST. FRANCIS (Roberto Rossellini, 1950) M VR DC
75. THE FOUNTAINHEAD () JB
76. FRANCESCO (Liliana Cavani, 1989) VR
77. FREAKS (1932) MHst
78. GANDHI (Richard Attenborough, 1982) VV
79. GATES OF HEAVEN () RR
80. GERTRUD () DCst
81. GET ON THE BUS () NA
82. GODSPELL () RR
83. GOSPEL ACCORDING TO SAINT MATTHEW (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964) VR SNT
84. GRAND CANYON () RR
85. THE GREAT DICTATOR () MM
86. THE GREEN RAY ("Le rayon vert", Eric Rohmer, 1986) M
87. THE GREEN ROOM ("Le chambre verte," Francois Truffaut, 1978) M
88. GROUNDHOG DAY (Harold Ramis, 1993) M
89. HARDCORE () RR
90. HELL HOUSE (2002) P02
91. HENRY FOOL (Hal Hartley) PTC
92. THE HIDING PLACE () MM
93. HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY () MM
94. THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939) MHst
95. THE ICE STORM (1997) MHst
96. THE IDIOT () DCst
97. IKIRU () RR
98. THE INN OF THE SIXTH HAPPINESS () MM
99. AN INSPECTOR CALLS () RR
100. INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE () JW
101. INTOLERANCE (D.W. Griffith, 1916) VV
102. THE ISLAND OF LOST SOULS (1933) MHst
103. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (Frank Capra, 1946) VV
104. ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS () RR
105. JACOB'S LADDER () JB
106. JEAN DE FLORETTE () BR
107. JEREMIAH JOHNSON (Syndey Pollack, 1972) JB
108. JESUS CHRIST, SUPERSTAR (Norman Jewison) RR
109. JESUS OF MONTREAL () DM JB
110. JESUS OF NAZARETH () AW JB
111. JOSHUA () RR
112. THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM () MM
113. THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (Whit Stillman, 1998) PTC
114. THE LAST LAUGH () DCst
115. THE LAST TEMPTATION OF CHRIST () DM SNT
116. THE LAST WAVE (Peter Weir) RR
117. THE LIFE & PASSION OF CHRIST (Ferdinand Zecca, 1903) VR
118. LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL () MP
119. THE LIFE OF BRIAN () RR
120. THE LIFE OF OHARU () DCst
121. THE LILIES OF THE FIELD () MM
122. LORD OF THE RINGS (Peter Jackson, 2001-2003) P02 P03 RR JB
123. LOVE AFFAIR (Leo McCarey, 1939) M
124. LUTHER (2003) P03
125. M () MM
126. MAGNOLIA (Paul Thomas Anderson, 1999) M RR MP
127. MALCOLM X () DM
128. A MAN ESCAPED () DC An
129. A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (Fred Zinnemann, 1966) VR NA
130. THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING (John Huston, 1975) M
131. THE MAN WITHOUT A PAST () RR
132. MANON OF THE SPRINGS ("Manon des sources") BR
133. MARY POPPINS () MM
134. MASTER & COMMANDER () JB
135. MATEWAN () DM
136. THE MATRIX () RR
137. MEET JOHN DOE (1941) MHst
138. METROPOLIS () MM
139. METROPOLITAN (Whit Stillman, 1990) BR
140. THE MILKY WAY () DC
141. MIRACLE MAKER () RR
142. LES MISERABLES (Bille August) MP
143. LES MISERABLES DU VINGTIEME SIECLE (Claude LeLouche) RR
144. THE MISSION (Roland Joffe, 1986) VR RR MP
145. MOLOKAI () RR
146. MONSIEUR VINCENT (Maurice Cloche, 1947) VR
147. THE MUSIC ROOM (Jalsagar) DCst
148. NAZARIN (Luis Bunuel, 1958) VR DC
149. MY NIGHT AT MAUD'S () DC
150. THE NIGHT OF THE HUNTER (Charles Laughton, 1955) M DC
151. THE NIGHTS OF CABIRIA () DCst
152. NOSTALGHIA () DC
153. NOT OF THIS WORLD () RR
154. ON THE WATERFRONT (Elia Kazan, 1954) VV
155. OPEN CITY ("Roma, citta apperta," Roberto Rossellini, 1946) VV DC
156. ORDET ("The Word," Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955) M VR JW S An MP
157. PAINTED DESERT () MM
158. THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928) VR NA
159. THE PASSION OF THE CHRIST () RR
160. PERCEVAL () DC
161. PERSONAL VELOCITY () RR
162. PETER & PAUL (Robert Day, 1981) JB
163. PHONE BOOTH () RR
164. PI (1998) MHst
165. PICKPOCKET () DCst
166. PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY (1945) MHst
167. PLACES IN THE HEART () DM
168. PLEASANTVILLE () DM
169. PONETTE () DC
170. LA PROMESSE () DCst
171. PUNCH-DRUNK LOVE () MP
172. A PURE FORMALITY () A
173. QUILLS () DM
174. RAGING BULL () SNTst
175. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (Steven Spielberg, 1981) JB
176. RAN (Akira Kurosawa, 1985) JB
177. THE RAPTURE () RR
178. RED BEARD ("Akahige," Akira Kurosawa, 1965) M DCst
179. REPENTANCE (1984) DC
180. RITE OF SPRING ("Acto da primavera," Manoel de Oliveira, 1963) M
181. A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT (Robert Redford, 1992) JB
182. RIVERS & TIDES (2003) P03
183. THE ROBE () NA
184. ROLLERBALL (Norman Jewison) DM
185. ROMERO () DM DC
186. THE SACRIFICE ("Ofret," Andrei Tarkovsky, 1986) VR DCst An
187. SANSHO DAYU () DCst
188. SAVING GRACE (Robert M. Young, 1985) RR
189. SAVIOR (Predrag Antonijivec, 1998) BR
190. THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL () MM
191. SCHINDLER'S LIST (Steven Spielberg, 1992) VV
192. SECRETS & LIES () DCst MP
193. THE SEVENTH SEAL (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV
194. THE SEVENTH SIGN (Carl Schultz, 1988) JB
195. SHADOWLANDS (Norman Stone, 1985) PTC
196. SHADOWLANDS (Richard Attenborough, 1993) JB
197. THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION () DM
198. SIGNS (2002) P02
199. THE SILENCE ("Tystnaden," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M
200. SIMON OF THE DESERT (Luis Bunuel, 1965) M
201. SISTER ACT
202. SLING BLADE () RR
203. SMOKE () RR
204. SOLARIS (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1974) DC An
205. THE SON ("Le fils," Dardennes Brothers) P03
206. SON OF MAN () MP
207. SONGS FROM THE SECOND FLOOR (2002) P02
208. THE SPITFIRE GRILL () NA
209. STALKER (Andrei Tarkovsky) DC
210. STAR WARS original trilogy () MM
211. STARS IN MY CROWN () DC
212. STEVIE (2003) P03
213. THE STRAIGHT STORY (David Lynch) RR
214. STRANGE CARGO () DC MM
215. STROMBOLI () DC
216. SUNRISE () DCst
217. TALE OF TWO CITIES () MM
218. TEARS OF THE SUN () RR
219. TENDER MERCIES () RR
220. TESTAMENT (Lynne Littman, 1983) DM
221. THERESE (Alain Cavalier, 1986) VR DC
222. THE THIRD MIRACLE () RR
223. THREE COLOURS: BLUE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1993) DC
224. THREE COLOURS: WHITE (Krzysztof Kieslowski, 1994) M
225. TILAI ("The Law," Idrissa Ouedraogo, 1990) M
226. TIME BANDITS () BR
227. TO END ALL WARS () RR
228. TOKYO STORY () DCst
229. THE TREE OF WOODEN CLOGS (Ermanno Olmi, 1978) VV An
230. THE TRIP TO BOUNTIFUL () RR
231. THE TRUMAN SHOW (Peter Weir) JB
232. UMBERTO D () DCst
233. UNBREAKABLE () RR
234. UTAMARO & HIS FIVE WOMEN (Kenji Mizoguchi, 1946) M
235. UNFORGIVEN (Clint Eastwood, 1992) M
236. VERTIGO (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958) M
237. VANYA ON 42nd STREET () RR
238. VOYAGE TO ITALY ("Viaggio in Italia," Roberto Rossellini, 1953) M
239. WAKING LIFE () MP DC
240. A WALK TO REMEMBER () RR
241. WHALE RIDER () DM
242. WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND () RR
243. THE WIDOW OF ST. PIERRE () RR
244. WILD STRAWBERRIES (Ingmar Bergman, 1957) VV DC
245. THE WIND WILL CARRY US (Abbas Kiarostami, 1999) M DCst
246. WINGS OF DESIRE () JO JB
247. WINTER LIGHT ("Nattvardsgasterna," Ingmar Bergman, 1963) M DC
248. WIT () RR
249. WITNESS (Peter Weir) RR
250. THE WRONG MAN () DC
251. X-MEN () DM MP
252. X-2 () DM
253. THE YEAR OF LIVING DANGEROUSLY (Peter Weir) RR
254. YENTL (Barbara Streisand, 1983) JB
255. YOU CAN COUNT ON ME () RR
256. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU () MM A
257. "Many of Stan Brakhage's shorts..." () DC
258. "Any film by Ozu..."
259. "Eric Rohmer's films..." An


P02: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee, 2002
P03: PFCC Most Significant Exploration of Spiritual Themes nominee, 2003
M: Museum of Modern Art exhibition, "The Hidden God: Faith & Film" (2003)
VR: The Vatican Film List: Religion (1995)
VV: The Vatican Film List: Values (1995)

A: Andrew
An: Anne
AW: AlanW
BR: BethR
C: Christian
DB: DanBuck
DC: Doug Cummings
DM: Darrel Manson
JB: Jason Bortz
JO: Jeffrey Overstreet
JR: J Robert Parks
JW: Jim Weed
MH: mike_h
ML: (M)Leary
MM: MrMando
MP: Matt Page
NA: Nick Alexander
PTC: Peter Chattaway
RR: Ron Reed
S: stef
SNT: SoNowThen

st (following an entry): "spiritual themes"

Being a much bigger fan of lists than I should be, I love this idea. But I'm also a bit uncomfortable that we're going to rush to a vote. I gotta imagine there aren't many of us who have seen even 75% of the movies on this list. Maybe this can be a long-term project, with people voting once they think they've reached critical mass and then continually updating as they see more nominated films. Or maybe it would be better for people to rate each of the films they've seen. This would give each movie an average score, plus a snapshot of how many people have seen the film. That way you wouldn't have to choose between 20 masterpieces; you could legitimately give "10" to each of them.

Just throwing out ideas.

And for other possibilities...
25th Hour
Apocalypse Now (amazing film on the nature of the human condition)
City of Lost Children (so many interesting issues on the nature of creation, esp. Milton's themes in Paradise Lost)
Dreamlife of Angels
Exotica (Atom Egoyan)
In this World
Lilya 4-Ever
Three Colors: Red (not sure why this one hasn't been mentioned)
Time of the Wolf
Werckmeister Harmonies
Yi Yi (I know Mike H has my back on this one)

J Robert

The Count of Monte Cristo - 2002; directed by Kevin Reynolds.
(I believe there are several older adaptations, but I'm not sure which one is more universally praised)

QUOTE

The Count of Monte Cristo - 2002; directed by Kevin Reynolds. (I believe there are several older adaptations, but I'm not sure which one is more universally praised)

Ya know, this film didn't generate a lot of discussion here, but I liked it quite a bit, especially on second viewing.

By the time I got around to seeing it that second time, I had seen Martin Scorcese's "Gangs of New York" -- a wildly uneven but extremely ambitious revenge movie -- and it occurred to me that the modest "Count" remake told a similar story much more efficiently, and with more redemptive overtones.

Good pick!

Yeah, CoMC was a cool movie.