Reading the Appreciating Classic Film thread got me thinking. We can't have fallen so far in movie quality. Yes, the multiplexes are filled with CGI bloated eye-candy, yes most films are forgettable popcorn pap, and yes it's hard to figure out just what certain actors are being paid multi-million dollar salaries for. But surely there are films being made that are classics, or rather will come to be called classics as the years go by. Of course that raises the question as to what defines a classic film. A simple criterion will be timelessness, hard to judge when a film is still playing in the cinema. These are film which will still be watched sixty or seventy years down the line, have performances, themes and scripts that stay relevant no matter how much time passes. They also exceed the boundaries of their genre. I'm not saying that they should be fit for general audiences, rather they ought to make an impact beyond their target audience, generate word of mouth and buzz that a PR man would dream of. I'd like to say more, but that would invite comparisons to established classics in terms of actor performances, dialogue and visuals, as well as add a whole lot of my personal opinion, where the fact is that there's no reason why profanity, sex and violence should be precluded from timeless status. It's about what a film means to someone who watches it. Of course judging a modern classic is a matter more of speculation than hindsight, opinion rather than fact. So let's throw it open. What do you consider a modern classic? Which films do you think people will still be watching at the end of the 21st Century? As for rules, let's make it easy, although it will give nonagenarian Trek BBSers an unfair advantage. The films have to have been made within the poster's lifetime, although the more recent a film, the better. Arbitrary though it is, it will annoy everyone, as while I can happily nominate Jaws, Raiders or Star Wars, I'm already frustrated at not being able to mention The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. Anyway, my first example of a film that ought to be considered as a classic of our age. The Dish (2000) A delightful Australian period comedy, about the 1969 moon landing, and the radio observatory in Australia tasked with ensuring that the world got to see the live pictures of the landing. Wonderful characters, a gentle, almost parochial sense of humour, yet it somehow recaptures the sense of wonder and optimism the world must have felt when Armstrong first set foot on the moon.
The Commitments. The Usual Suspects. and there is no way to avoid Pulp Fiction. Also, Under the Tuscan Sun and Pretty Woman, for the sentimentalist in all of us(well, at least the non-sociopaths.)
For me part of the very definition of classic movie is "standing the test of time and generations". So anything still important and/or popular under, say 10-15 years can't be a classic. (Hence the phrase "instant classic" is an oxymoron.) We can certainly GUESS that a movie MIGHT become a classic, but until it stands that one test of longevity, it's just a "really great" movie to me. --Ted
I think this thread is interesting. There tends to be the notion among some movie fans (or at least that's my impression) that there's simply no 'classic's beyond the 50's, the 60's or whatever, take your pick. There are similar tendencies when it comes to music I think. I tend to disagree with this take. I think classics are certainly being made up until this very day. The fact that they're 'commissioned' - something that's often used against today's creative landscape - doesn't actually matter in my opionion. What matters is the end result. However, I also think it's very hard to guess (and, lets face it, that's all it is at this point) which of today's or 'newer' movies will, in fact, be considered classics in the future. But then, that's not a reason not to try, is it? So, here goes, my personal take on what's going to be considered a 'classic' years down the line, in no particular order: Blade Runner: Arguably, this one has already become a classic. I think what will make this last is it's themes that will become more, not less, important in the future as well as its striking style in visuals and music that create a unique atmosphere. Terminator: This is one of the most consequent movies I've ever seen. It's a highly-trained athlete of a movie in that it's powerful and doesn't have a gram of fat on it. It captures a fear and dread that I think will remain with people as long as weapons of mass destruction remain on this planet. And, again, there's themes here e.g. in the realm of AI and machines that will become more and more relevant in our future, I think. Terminator 2: In many ways, T2 is the exact opposite of The Terminator. Not only does Arnie play the good guy but it's also more of a pumped-up bodybuilder than a well-trained athlete - it's literally bulging with effects, explosions and all-out action. What I think will make this stand to the test of time is that, again, it resonates with deep-down fears about war and annihilation. Although it has lighter moments that it predecessor did not have, it's still got those moments of despair and hopelessness. I think another point that will make this endure is the fact that it's incredibly well made. Even though these are relatively early computer-generated effects, they were used extremely well so they still work today and IMHO will continue to work. Sixth Sense: What strikes me about this movie is that it's really such a quiet tale and a beautiful film. The fears that Cole has are fears everyone can identify with - the monsters under the bed are probably well known to just about everyone. And the question of what happens after death is also something that occupies all of us. All of this works so wonderfully, I think, because the characters work. There's an emotional core to this movie that, I think, will always hold up. And the performances even enhance that. Add to that the beauty in visuals, music and atmosphere, and you've got what I think will probably be a classic. Unbreakable: Unbreakable, in my mind, succeeds for many of the same reasons that Sixth Sense does: A quiet tale, a beautiful movie through and through. Its focus is slightly different in that it deals with how we become who we are and what that means for our lives. In any case, I think these are, again, themes that everyone can relate to on some level. The Big Lebowski: People are weird. And some people are really weird, at least if you look at them from the perspective of an observer. And that's exactly what happens here. This isn't a funny movie in the sense of a comedy but it's hilarious nonetheless because the characters tend to do and say things that just make you invariably laugh. It's a weird, very funny and on some levels very sad movie that I think simply works on a character level. And that's why I think it'll hold up. Lost in Translation: I think Lost in Translation is one of those movies that manages to capture universal themes (ageing, loneliness,, finding your place in the world) as well as capturing zeitgeist and the feeling of a place, Japan and Tokyo in this place. Movies like this tend to become almost like documentaries of the time on an emotional level, which I think is always interesting, as well as giving you enough themes to think about in the current day and two characters who are just incredibly likeable. Airplane!: I think this is one of the funniest movies ever made. Yes, it's silly and goofy in many parts but it's also quite witty and clever in others, I think. One of the things that really sells this, I think, is the terrific performances by people such as Lloyd Bridges, Peter Graves or Robert Stack. The parts they're playing are spot-on send-up of the types of part they'd usually play. As a consequence, these characters still seem to have the seriousness and the gravity of the 'serious' counterparts from other movies but the reality here is far from it. A Scanner Darkly: A sad, beautiful tale with a striking visual style that fits perfectly with the ever deteriorating world of Bob Arctor. Add to that the powerful foundation provided by Philip K. Dick's book as well as the alround great performances, and you've got what I think is a little gem and something that will hold up very, very well in the future. Again, here's a film whose themes will become more and more relevant over time. Solaris (Soderbergh): I think this film works so well because it knows exactly what it wants. It focusses on a specific part of the book which is one of its core themes: What makes us who we are? What defines us as people? How do we deal with things that are strange to us (whether they're wholly strange like Solaris or partly strange like the human-like beings created by Solaris)? That particular story is told in striking images with beautiful music and terrific acting. Again, it's a quiet tale, and I think it's one that will hold up in the future. Batman Begins: I think what sets Batman Begins apart from most other superhero movies is that, first and foremost, it's a terrific movie that happens to deal with a superhero. It touches on themes that will always be relevant, I think, such as how we define ourselves, how we find our place in life and why we do what we do. What further lifts this film, I think, and sets it apart from similar films or most other films, for that matter, is the more artistic approach (think of the drug-induced visions in the narrows, for example) and the will to take the time that is necessary to tell the story. This movie has its action sequences but what really makes it work IMHO are the quiet scenes that leave time for character development. I think this movie might very well become a classic in the future. Ghostbusters: This is similar to Lost in Translation in that it captures zeitgeist (here it's the 80's through and through) and similar to Airplane in that it's just incredibly funny. But it's different in that it's not melancholic like the former or silly (well, not quite as silly, anyway) as the latter. The comedy works so well, I think, because of the characters. Many of the funniest scenes evolve naturally from who these guys are and how they deal with their situation. And I think this is a constellation that's always funny to imagine: These guys are scientists (arguably Nerds) who are just about as far removed from being heroes as you can get yet there they are. I think something else that will help make this one last is that, let's face it, people are probably always going to be fascinated by and enjoy ghost stories.
That's certainly true. Many musical classics were actually written and composed as hackwork. Handel's Messiah, for example, was composed in just 24 days, for a charity concert, and borrows liberally from Handel's previous work. Yet it's now considered one of the greatest works of all music. The same holds true for film. Detour, for example, was originally just another B-movie, produced by one of Hollywood's "Poverty Row" studios, the now-forgotten Producers Releasing Corporation. It was shot in just six days, on a budget of just twenty thousand dollars, and runs for only 68 minutes. Yet today, it's considered a classic film noir, and has been selected for preservation as part of the US National Film Registry for its cultural, historical, and aesthetic significance. But I also agree that it's very difficult for us to separate the wheat from the chaff, simply because a classic, by definition, is timeless--a work which generation after generation has enjoyed and found valuable. I wouldn't even try to guess which of today's movies will still be considered significant a hundred years from now. I probably wouldn't even agree that many of those films were any good.
I'm with the crowd who thinks we can't know what modern movies are destined to be classics. Classics stand the test of time and are cross-generational. And any movie less than about 25 years old just hasn't proven itself yet in the area of staying power. I think you are confusing the definition of the word 'classic' with some sort of perceived film fan snobbishness which does not necessarily exist. I'm not prepared to call any film made after about 1983 a 'classic' yet. Not because I don't think there were good films made after '83, but because they simply haven't had time to prove their relevance for a significant portion of the population of future generations yet.
A few I would nominate: Pulp Fiction, The Shawshank Redemption, Fargo, The Lord Of The Rings Trilogy, Finding Nemo, No Country For Old Men, Wall-E, and The Dark Knight.
In some cases, you can tell that a movie is going to stand the test of time while you're still in the theater. That's happened to me with Raiders of the Lost Ark and WALL*E, the sense that "50 years from now, people will still be watching this." If a movie can still hang onto public consciousness for a decade, I'd say it's passed the test. I did see that movie, it was nice, but it's not a classic because it never got into widespread public consciousness, much less holding onto it. It's in that much bigger category of movies - "good movies that everyone's forgotten about, if they ever knew about them." I agree about most, but I dunno about No Country For Old Men (didn't really do big box office to begin with - a sign that it hasn't broken into widespread public consciousness) and The Dark Knight (could be eclipsed by next summer's high-profile, well-made comic book character movie - or the summer after that). Here are the best movies I’ve seen made since 1998 (but not much from this year since I wait for most everything to come out on DVD), not sorted by quality but by notoriety, with a guess as to which ones will continue to be known in the future – those are the classics. The third category are movies that may seem like classics, but only because they were surrounded by notoriety and controversy, which may wear off and leave them forgotten non-classics. Some of the first category really made me cringe – to think that movies like American History X, Hotel Rwanda, O Brother Where Art Thou?, A Simple Plan and Zodiac are so easily forgotten. But realistically, I know they're not going to make the "classics" cut. Great Movies But Not Classics 25th Hour Affliction After Life American History X The Assasination of Jesse James Auto Focus The Aviator Badassssss! Bowfinger Boys Don’t Cry Capote Central Station Dark City Election Far From Heaven Galaxy Quest (but it’s a classic for Trekkies! ) Gods and Monsters Good Night and Good Luck Hotel Rwanda House of Sand and Fog The Illusionist The Insider Into the Wild The King of Masks The Last King of Scotland Lilo and Stitch Man on the Moon The Manchurian Candidate (2004) Master and Commander Michael Clayton Monster Mystic River Nowhere in Africa O Brother Where Art Thou? The Pianist (example of a high-profile movie whose notoriety has quickly faded) The Quiet American Rabbit-Proof Fence Ripley’s Game Sexy Beast Shrek 2 A Simple Plan The Simpsons Movie Spider-Man 2 Spirited Away Stranger Than Fiction The Talented Mr. Ripley There Will Be Blood Three Kings Touching the Void Weather Man Whale Rider Zero Effect Zodiac Possible Classics American Beauty Black Hawk Down Gladiator The Incredibles Letters from Iwo Jima (a great movie, already fading! ) No Country for Old Men Requiem for a Dream Shrek Toy Story 2 Controversial Movies (False Classics?) Brokeback Mountain Crash Lost in Translation (this one might hang onto minor classic status) True Classics Chicago Fargo Finding Nemo LOTR (all three) The Sixth Sense WALL*E
To name just a few possibilities: Schindler's List Memento Fight Club Unbreakable Saving Private Ryan Star Wars: The Clone Wars (OK that last one was a joke.)
Then lets talk about "modern" movies that fit that mold: From let's say 1980 to 1996 (12 years ago). I nominate Jurassic Park and Who Framed Roger Rabbit for starters.
STTMP ST XI Hoosiers Rudy The Emperor's New Groove The Shawshank Redemption How's that for going out on a limb??
^Listing a movie that has not even been released, and itself already has a very niche appeal strains the credibility of your post quite a bit.
Classics for me are movies I watch after I've flipped through all the channels and there is nothing on, or if one of these movies is on, I'll stay and watch it. Apollo 13 Contact Hunt for Red October Gorky Park Blade Runner
My Neighbour Totoro is a definite modern classic, for children and adults alike. Absolutely charming.
Schindler's List: easy call Toy Story: it'd be simple to argue "every pixar film" but toy story is the film that blew open the cg animated movie I'm not sure what is more classic "The little mermaid", "beauty and the beast" or "the lion king" i'll also suggest "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."