"TEN BEST MOVIES I'V SEEN"--PT. II

.....It seems that I still have a few readers left, three of whom have already commented on my list of ten best movies I remember having seen since 1924.  Well, it is time to lift the aweful suspense about the last five; I only mentioned the first five in the posting of Dec. 14, 2010. BTW, that day was the 43rd birthday of one of my most intellectual and youngest commenters, Jon Tessler; also--besides myself-- a veteran of the U.S. Navy and still living in Norfolk, VA.  For those who are curious, Jon is RH+'s son; therefore my stepson.  When I first met him in 1978 (the year of his Bar Mitzvah) I could not actually see him because his room was completely decorated with his clothing and he was under the covers, and his monstrous dog, Max, who at first glance I thought to be King Kong, was the room's security guard. 

.....Well, then let's get into the last five films on my list, the first being the film THE RED SHOES which I first saw in 1948.  It is a British film about a young ballerina who joins an established ballet company and who eventually becomes it's lead dancer in a ballet called "The Red Shoes".  The story is loosely based on the fairy tale of the same name written by Hans Christian Andersen.  It was the first time I had ever seen a ballet, and its form, and poetry, and beauty captivated me.  Although, the story line has become hazy over the years, I will never forget the emotion and catharsis I experienced.  Go see it when it comes around.

CHARIOTS of FIRE is a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Lidell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew, who runs to overcome prejudice. The film's title was inspired by the line, "Bring me my chariots of fire," from a poem by William Blake, although the original phrase, "chariot(s) of fire" comes from the Bible.  Having been a track and field coach since 1952, I was naturally drawn to this film which won the Academy Award in 1981.

.....Skipping blithely ahead eight years to 1989, I saw one of the best--if not THE best--Shakespearean film I had ever seen, even better than Olivier's "Hamlet".  It starred a marvelous actor, Kenneth Branagh in HENRY V.  This was the definitive "Henry V" film ever made--in my opinion, of course.  I was raised on William Shakespeare.  I was always enthralled by Shakespeare and the language I experienced in his plays.  I taught Shakespeare in high school, college, and post-college (that referring to classes of senior citizens during my retirement).  Hank 5 was a born leader, and this film documents that.

.....Five years later, in 1994, I saw FORREST GUMP starring Tom Hanks. The story depicts several decades in the life of Forrest Gump, a simple Alabama man who travels across the world, sometimes meeting historical figures, influencing popular culture, and experiencing firsthand historic events of the late 20th century.  This film won the Academy Award that year, and rightfully so.  I'd love to see it once more.

.....And now, I finally arrive at the tenth film on my list of the ten best I've seen--that is, of those I can recall.  And that film is SHAKESPEARE in LOVE which appeared in 1998, a mite before the 21st Century--(where I'll have to start a new 10 best for this century, I suppose.)   The film purports to portray Shakespeare in a love affair at the time he was writing "Romeo and Juliet".  (Whatever happened to Anne Hathaway?  Was Will a regular Tiger?).  The film won seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actress (for Gryneth Paltrow), and Best Supporting Actress (for Judi Dench).  It was the first comedy film to win the Best Picture award since "Annie Hall" in 1977.

.....So, there you have it, my friends. Oh, I know I left a few winners off my list such as, "On the Waterfront," "Citizen Kane," "Mutiny on the Bounty," "The Wizard of Oz," "Marty," and "My Fair Lady." among others.   Perhaps next I'll write about the ten best vegetables I've ever eaten.