classic films that will help me as a filmmaker ?

L

lightcameraction

Hello.

Could somebody share and old films that might help me out with filmmaking ? Recently I started watching old bulgarian films and they are absolutely fantastic and I've never watched any of the old films overall and I don't know why . And I'll start watching them one by one .

What would you recommend me?
 
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Alien
Halloween

Make sure you're caught up on the more modern classics first, then explore the older stuff. The three I mentioned are some rather obvious picks, but my point is only to highlight an era that put out some great films!
 
In my opinion, not exhaustive, and in no particular order....

Casablanca
The Maltese Falcon

Most Hitchcock movies, including
Vertigo
Rear Window
North by Northwest
Notorious
Psycho
The Birds
Strangers on a Train

The Conversation
The Apartment
Bonnie and Clyde
Downhill Racer
Ordinary People
the original Planet of the Apes

Older Woody Allen movies, including
Manhattan
Annie Hall
Interiors
Hannah and Her Sisters
 
BTW, what's "old" from your point of view? Anything prior to 1960? 1990?

What types of films would peak your interest? I recommended "12 Angry Men" and "Petrified Forest" because they have small casts and only a few sets. Do you care if they are sweeping epics like "Lawrence of Arabia" or slow but gorgeous sci-fi like "2001: A Space Odyssey"?

AFI Top 100 films:

http://www.afi.com/100years/movies.aspx

CITIZEN KANE (#1), CASABLANCA (#2), THE GODFATHER (#3), GONE WITH THE WIND (#4), LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (#5), THE WIZARD OF OZ (#6), THE GRADUATE (#7), ON THE WATERFRONT (#8), SCHINDLER'S LIST (#9) and SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (#10).

IMDB Top 250:

http://www.imdb.com/chart/top
 
lightcameraction said:
Thanks a lot for you answers!

Well,old for me is anything untill 1970 . I'm pretty familiar with 70s 80s 90s + films . :)
Click to expand...

Some suggestions you may or may not see elsewhere:

"The Conformist" (Italy, 1960 or so)

"Rififi" Or any other Jules Dassin

"La Ronde" (Max Ophul's 1950 version)

Anything/Everything by Kurosawa, Mizoguchi, or Ozu from the 50s/60s.

Everything/Anything by Andrey Tarkovskiy, Jan Kadar, and Kristof Kieslowsky (spellings pulled from IMBD, could be off).

"The Third Man"

"Touch of Evil" (Both Orson Wells)

"Double Indemnity" (the "must see" canonical Film Noir, there are more interesting films in the genre, but this one has all the essentials - explore the entire genre if you enjoy it)

Anything made during the German Expressionist or French Impressionist eras (concurrent, silent film days between the wars).

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, because it is shot/lit beautifully and quite unique.

Since I made some obvious suggestions despite meaning not to, you may as well watch a selection of Goddard, Truffaut, and August Renoir as well. Weekend and Contempt are probably my favorite Goddard and not commonly discussed. The Grand Illusion is really the only Renoir I remember, and outside 400 blows I don't think I saw much Truffaut. But those two are again, the obvious selections.
 
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Seven Samurai
2001: A Space Odyssey
Rashomon

And I agree with the mentioning of Annie Hall, Double Indemnity, and Contempt
 
Don't listen to what people think are the best films to watch, and don't study iconic films, why? Because you'll just be another film making clone. If you want originality, go watch a porno and literally spot the one good piece of direction in the whole movie.
 
Try to get your hands on some films by some of the greats; Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, John Huston, Frank Capra, John Ford, Billy Wilder, just to name a few of my personal favourites...
 
This feels a little like cheating, or using cliff notes, but oh well. I've heard it recommended that we do just as you say you want to do: go and watch all the great and classic films to learn from. Not all of us yet, but many of us have unprecedented access to see these now. I keep telling myself that I should go down these lists and watch them all. Hope to.

Not all of these are pre-1970. Sorry.

AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies - 10 Anniversay Edition

Looking at the films from that list that are pre-1970, I see that there are plenty to recommend. Plenty that I haven't seen, either, and need to.

Here's their list before the 10th Anniverary

While of course I think The Godfather is a great film, I'm not sure that I agree that it should bump Casablanca down.

British Film Intitute's The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time

And if it hasn't been mentioned yet, check out Alexander Nevsky
 
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