The AFI's 100 Greatest American Films of all time

sorabji.com: Best movie you ever saw: The AFI's 100 Greatest American Films of all time
THIS IS A READ-ONLY ARCHIVE FROM THE SORABJI.COM MESSAGE BOARDS (1995-2016).
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Thursday, June 18, 1998 - 11:41 am:
    OK. So here's the list:

    1. "Citizen Kane," 1941
    2. "Casablanca," 1942
    3. "The Godfather," 1972
    4. "Gone With the Wind," 1939
    5. "Lawrence of Arabia," 1962
    6. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939
    7. "The Graduate," 1967
    8. "On the Waterfront," 1954
    9. "Schindler's List," 1993
    10. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952
    11. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946
    12. "Sunset Boulevard," 1950
    13. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957
    14. "Some Like it Hot," 1959
    15. "Star Wars," 1977
    16. "All About Eve," 1950
    17. "The African Queen," 1951
    18. "Psycho," 1960
    19. "Chinatown," 1974
    20. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975
    21. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940
    22. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968
    23. "The Maltese Falcon," 1941
    24. "Raging Bull," 1980
    25. "E.T. -- the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982
    26. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964
    27. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967
    28. "Apocalypse Now," 1979
    29. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington," 1939
    30. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948
    31. "Annie Hall," 1977
    32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974
    33. "High Noon," 1952
    34. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962
    35. "It Happened One Night," 1934
    36. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969
    37. "The Best Years of Our Lives," 1946
    38. "Double Indemnity," 1944
    39. "Doctor Zhivago," 1965
    40. "North by Northwest," 1959
    41. "West Side Story," 1961
    42. "Rear Window," 1954
    43. "King Kong," 1933
    44. "The Birth of a Nation," 1915
    45. "A Streetcar Named Desire," 1951
    46. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971
    47. "Taxi Driver," 1976
    48. "Jaws," 1975
    49. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937
    50. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969
    51. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940
    52. "From Here to Eternity," 1953
    53. "Amadeus," 1984
    54. "All Quiet on the Western Front," 1930
    55. "The Sound of Music," 1965
    56. "M*A*S*H*," 1970
    57. "The Third Man," 1949
    58. "Fantasia," 1940
    59. "Rebel Without a Cause," 1955
    60. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981
    61. "Vertigo," 1958
    62. "Tootsie," 1982
    63. "Stagecoach," 1939
    64. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1977
    65. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991
    66. "Network," 1976
    67. "The Manchurian Candidate," 1962
    68. "An American in Paris," 1951
    69. "Shane," 1953
    70. "The French Connection," 1971
    71. "Forrest Gump," 1994
    72. "Ben-Hur," 1959
    73. "Wuthering Heights," 1939
    74. "The Gold Rush," 1925
    75. "Dances With Wolves," 1990
    76. "City Lights," 1931
    77. "American Graffiti," 1973
    78. "Rocky," 1976
    79. "The Deer Hunter," 1978
    80. "The Wild Bunch," 1969
    81. "Modern Times," 1936
    82. "Giant," 1956
    83. "Platoon," 1986
    84. "Fargo," 1996
    85. "Duck Soup," 1933
    86. "Mutiny on the Bounty," 1935
    87. "Frankenstein," 1931
    88. "Easy Rider," 1969
    89. "Patton," 1970
    90. "The Jazz Singer," 1927
    91. "My Fair Lady," 1964
    92. "A Place in the Sun," 1951
    93. "The Apartment," 1960
    94. "Goodfellas," 1990
    95. "Pulp Fiction," 1994
    96. "The Searchers," 1956
    97. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938
    98. "Unforgiven," 1992
    99. "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," 1967
    100. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942

    I have seen 39 of these movies. I'm ashamed that I have not seen some of them, such as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner. I'm curious as to how everyone feels about this list. My favorite movie of all time is on the list but it's ONLY #34, To Kill A Mockingbird. I have a problem with movies like Fargo, Platoon, and The Deer Hunter being on the list, while movies like The Shawshank Redemption, The Sting, and Whatever Happened to Baby Jane did not get slots.

    What do YOU think?
By Wisper on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 02:29 am:
    woo-hoo #46- Clockwork Orange!! (not as good as the book, but still.)
    Citizen Cane is a damn fine movie. Damn damn damn fine.
    SO many movies to see, so little time.
By Wisper on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 02:31 am:
    p.s.
    what, no Spice World?
    I'm ever so surprised.
By Skottey on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 12:22 pm:
    PJboy... you are fucking crazy, how dare you declare that FARGO should not be on the list? That would be near the top of my list along with Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Groundhogs Day, Se7en, Clerks, Pulp Fiction, Mallrats, Trainspotting, Swingers and Chasing Amy. I have other favorites not on this list. I myself have only seen about 30-35 of these movies.

By Skottey on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 12:25 pm:
    Oh yeh..........I almost forgot another one of my favorites, Howard Sterns Private Parts, even if you hate Stern with a passion you have to love this movie.

    One more......
    Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
By Skottey on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 12:34 pm:
    Almost forgot......... Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, that was another of my favorites, and I cannot forget "WIZARD OF OZ" with the alternate soundtrack, "Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon" after the third Lion Roar.
By PetRock on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 01:25 pm:
    I've seen 59 of these completely and a good number of the rest in bits and pieces.

    I'm ashamed to say that I have yet to see such classics as Raging Bull, Lawrence of Arabia, To Kill A Mockingbird (I've seen most of it but never all of it in one sitting), On The Waterfront, Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire, and I could go on and on.....

    The reason your favorites aren't on here, or did not place higher, is because the majority of the voting was done by the so-called professionals (critics, directors/actors, news journalists....) with very few "celebrities" (Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, etc) to skew the voting.

    It has been drilled into my head for years that Citizen Kane is a classic....exactly why I cannot say. Sure it's a great movie, but why is it consistently picked as THE greatest? Dunno....

    (but I seriously doubt anyone would put Mallrats or Austin Powers in the top 100 unless you polled a bunch of 7th graders....heh.)
By Skottey on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 02:32 pm:
    Hey, don't be so mean, I loved Mallrats and Austin Powers and I am 23 years old. When I was in 7th grade I spent most of my time masturbating to porno movies, I would not have liked either of these films at that age.
By Frau nate on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 03:26 pm:
    61. probably the ones that jimbo hasn't seen.

    citizen cane sucked hard. it's the best movie ever because when you're in intro to films they tell you "hey, this is the best movie ever."

    my fav on that list is probably butch cassady & the sundance kid.

    or the godfather.
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 04:47 pm:
    Skottey, while not dissing your likes, no one makes movies like they did way back when. As awesome a movie as Titanic was, it in no way compares to most of the flicks on the list. Fargo is an excellent movie, but to me not worthy of making the cut. It's all opinion. And as the AFI said, they released the list to spark debate and to rekindle interest in the older movies.

    Ok, Frau, I have seen the following 39 flicks:

    2. "Casablanca," 1942
    4. "Gone With the Wind," 1939
    6. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939
    8. "On the Waterfront," 1954
    11. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946
    13. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957
    15. "Star Wars," 1977
    16. "All About Eve," 1950
    17. "The African Queen," 1951
    18. "Psycho," 1960
    22. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968
    25. "E.T. -- the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982
    26. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964
    27. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967
    30. "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre," 1948
    34. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962
    39. "Doctor Zhivago," 1965
    42. "Rear Window," 1954
    43. "King Kong," 1933
    48. "Jaws," 1975
    49. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937
    50. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969
    53. "Amadeus," 1984
    55. "The Sound of Music," 1965
    58. "Fantasia," 1940
    60. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981
    61. "Vertigo," 1958
    62. "Tootsie," 1982
    63. "Stagecoach," 1939
    64. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1977
    65. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991
    71. "Forrest Gump," 1994
    75. "Dances With Wolves," 1990
    78. "Rocky," 1976
    84. "Fargo," 1996
    87. "Frankenstein," 1931
    91. "My Fair Lady," 1964
    97. "Bringing Up Baby," 1938
    100. "Yankee Doodle Dandy," 1942
By Skottey on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 06:02 pm:
    I like old movies, there are several I have enjoyed, just not the ones they call classics.
    Sometimes when I am not on the Internet and there is nothing to watch on any of my 10 premium movie services or pay-per-view (which is way to often) I tune to AMC or TCM and watch some of the old movies, I also had a girlfriend (sorry pj, I am not gay) that always wanted to watch old movies, I enjoy a lot of them, but for the most part I really don't even know the names. One that I liked that I know the name of was "Lady in a Cage". Recently I watched one that featured Marilyn Monroe and a Man in New York City. She lived upstairs from him and he wanted to fuck her brains out bad. It was good, don't know the name, maybe you classic film lovers could help me out here.

    Off the subject- The other night I watched a noteworthy Tom Cruise movie titiled Losin' It, I am not a Cruise fan but I liked that movie. He was also good in Interview with a Vampire.
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Friday, June 19, 1998 - 07:05 pm:
    Skottey, you don't have to apologize for not being gay. *smile* Luckily we have quite a few team members on this side. And I know the Monroe flick of which you speak, but I too cannot think of the name.
By Uh on Saturday, June 20, 1998 - 01:02 pm:
    7 year itch?
By Frau bilznich on Saturday, June 20, 1998 - 03:59 pm:
    hmph. i guess i've seen 64 of them. that's what you get when you try to count and talk to the woman at the same time. "where do you want to go to lunch?" "44 45" "what?"

    1. "Citizen Kane," 1941
    2. "Casablanca," 1942
    3. "The Godfather," 1972
    4. "Gone With the Wind," 1939
    6. "The Wizard of Oz," 1939
    7. "The Graduate," 1967
    9. "Schindler's List," 1993
    10. "Singin' in the Rain," 1952
    11. "It's a Wonderful Life," 1946
    13. "The Bridge on the River Kwai," 1957
    15. "Star Wars," 1977
    17. "The African Queen," 1951
    18. "Psycho," 1960
    19. "Chinatown," 1974
    20. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," 1975
    21. "The Grapes of Wrath," 1940
    22. "2001: A Space Odyssey," 1968
    25. "E.T. -- the Extra-Terrestrial," 1982
    26. "Dr. Strangelove," 1964
    27. "Bonnie and Clyde," 1967
    28. "Apocalypse Now," 1979
    32. "The Godfather Part II," 1974
    34. "To Kill a Mockingbird," 1962
    36. "Midnight Cowboy," 1969
    39. "Doctor Zhivago," 1965
    40. "North by Northwest," 1959
    41. "West Side Story," 1961
    42. "Rear Window," 1954
    43. "King Kong," 1933
    46. "A Clockwork Orange," 1971
    47. "Taxi Driver," 1976
    48. "Jaws," 1975
    49. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," 1937
    50. "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid," 1969
    51. "The Philadelphia Story," 1940
    52. "From Here to Eternity," 1953
    53. "Amadeus," 1984
    54. "All Quiet on the Western Front," 1930
    55. "The Sound of Music," 1965
    56. "M*A*S*H*," 1970
    58. "Fantasia," 1940
    59. "Rebel Without a Cause," 1955
    60. "Raiders of the Lost Ark," 1981
    61. "Vertigo," 1958
    62. "Tootsie," 1982
    64. "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1977
    65. "The Silence of the Lambs," 1991
    68. "An American in Paris," 1951
    69. "Shane," 1953
    71. "Forrest Gump," 1994
    72. "Ben-Hur," 1959
    75. "Dances With Wolves," 1990
    77. "American Graffiti," 1973
    78. "Rocky," 1976
    79. "The Deer Hunter," 1978
    83. "Platoon," 1986
    84. "Fargo," 1996
    86. "Mutiny on the Bounty," 1935
    87. "Frankenstein," 1931
    88. "Easy Rider," 1969
    89. "Patton," 1970
    94. "Goodfellas," 1990
    95. "Pulp Fiction," 1994
    98. "Unforgiven," 1992
By Skottey on Saturday, June 20, 1998 - 04:47 pm:
    Thanks Uh,
    that was the movie I was trying to think of.
By Goddess on Monday, June 29, 1998 - 10:24 pm:
    Okay. So my friend told me to see "A Clockwork Orange" He said it was about "rape and pillage" and "psychadelic drugs". Has anyone out there seen this, and can comment on this movie? i'm interested in hearing your opinions.
    p.s. My favorite movie is "City of Angels", but "Grosse Pointe Blanke" was soooo funny -- (and John Cusack is a god)
By Lee Brandt on Thursday, July 23, 1998 - 07:54 pm:
    Raiders of the Lost Ark is the most exciting movie ever made and deserves to be ranked much higher than #60. Also, Ben-Hur at #72? are they insane? Both of these should be in the top 10.
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Friday, July 24, 1998 - 02:31 pm:
    Citizen Kane is terrible in my opinion. VERY hard to follow. The acting is 3rd rate. I kept thinking while watching it, "This is the best American movie ever made?" Jesus!
By Pete on Saturday, July 25, 1998 - 08:23 pm:
    I thought it was pretty damn good myself....but that is just imho.
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Saturday, July 25, 1998 - 08:34 pm:
    I just can't see it.
By The Razor on Monday, July 27, 1998 - 01:45 am:
    Context my friends... Context... CITIZEN KANE is older than dirt, but at it's time it pushed cinema as an art form in directions it had not even considered going... It may be the greatest film ever made, but I'll wager some of you are too young to see it. I'm not slamming you. It's just that it's about things that just don't matter when you're a teenager or in your twenties. Just like The Breakfast Club didn't go over well with Baby Boomers.

    Personally, I prefer a much later film by Wells. A TOUCH OF EVIL truly rocks. Seeing this film on the big screen is a religious thing...

    I'm really pleased to see that JAWS made the list. What a great movie. I'm glad that BLADE RUNNER was nominated, but sadly, it didn't make the cut.

    All in all, the list is great, although if you ask me, number one should really be LAWRENCE OF ARBIA... I love that movie. The first time I saw was on the big screen and I was spellbound. It's majestic. It's perfect.
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Monday, July 27, 1998 - 07:11 am:
    I'm nearing 30, and was actually looking forward to the supposed sarcasm in this movie and the comparisons to William Randolph Hearst. Nevertheless, I was still and still am greatly disapointed.
By Chordata on Monday, July 27, 1998 - 03:08 pm:
    I have seen 6 of the 100 movies.

    I am such a bastard.

    P.S. Where's "Eraserhead?"
By Cobalt on Monday, July 27, 1998 - 10:58 pm:
    26. And like someone before me, bits and pieces of many others.

    To 'Goddess' who wanted to know about ACO, I'd personally read the book first - at least the American version, which is the one the movie is based on. (last chapter deleted, some tidbits gone, the language still hard to follow.) And you have to be prepared for it.

    I have few complaints...near the end of the list things seemed almost arbitrary....and I never liked Citizen Kane. Ah, well, I was forced to watch it when I was younger, so that explains a lot of it...
By Kmorris on Monday, July 27, 1998 - 11:25 pm:
    NO movie makes me feel the way ROCKY does after i watch it. this is a movie that leaves the viewer with an impression like none other. so many of the films listed above it on the list cant claim to do such a thing. SHOULDNT IT BE HIGHER THAN #78?????? DONT JUDGE IT BECAUSE OF THE SEQUELS!!!
By Jim aka PajamaBoy on Tuesday, July 28, 1998 - 07:44 am:
    If they judged Rocky based on the sequels, it would NEVER have made the list.

    I feel the same way about Rear Window and To Kill A Mockingbird. They should both have been much higher up. Well they are in my book, so that's all that matters.
By Starchy on Tuesday, July 28, 1998 - 09:40 am:
    Chordata: for your skillful endorsement of Eraserhead, I am pleased to announce that you are now officially my Latin Lover(tm). No, no need to thank me, it's an honor you truly deserve...
By Chordata on Tuesday, July 28, 1998 - 07:58 pm:
    Sweeeeeeeeeet.
By Matt on Thursday, September 28, 2000 - 01:04 am:

    I become very disturbed when I learn of anyone who didn't like Citizen Kane. I wouldn't hold it against them, of course, but, you see, I'm actually only 15, but I believe it to be the greatest film of all time. I was never bored or confused. I was always enthralled. The images, the cinematography, the structure, and the everlasting paradoxes the movie leaves to linger with me. No movie has inspired me more as a filmmaker (or some kid who wants to be a filmmaker anyway). I also think 2001: A Space Odyssey and Raging Bull should be in the top ten.

By Alice B. Toklas on Friday, September 29, 2000 - 03:46 pm:

    I agree with Matt above and I am also young. I'm only nineteen and I thought they did an amazing job with the film. It has stayed at the top because it made some great breakthroughs in film. But I also know that we are entitled to our own opinions and I can see why others may not like it. There are so many amazing films that I have a hard time choosing, just for myself, which ones are the best.

By Tired on Saturday, September 30, 2000 - 03:23 pm:

    It's an entirely different universe here. Where did you people come from?

By Isolde on Saturday, September 30, 2000 - 03:27 pm:

    I just watched Rocky! "I ain't never talked to no door before...I feel like a jerk.."

By Nick on Tuesday, April 16, 2002 - 10:43 am:

    I have 36 of these movies on video tape. I would have to say that What's Eating Gilbert Grape? is the most under-rated movie of all time as is Lasser Holstrom (he directed it along with The Cider House Rules and My Life as a Dog). It's incredible how many great movies are not included : I nominate increasing the list to 200. Anyone up to the task?

By Me... on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 - 06:38 pm:

    ive only seen 9 of the movies...but im also only 14. also, i saw "its a wonderful life", but due to the movie itself, i couldnt watch it. it made me VERY sick. ugh. sorry to those who like it. and, i think they should make two lists...one of the top 100 before color, and one of the top 100 after color.

By Antigone on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 - 07:56 pm:

    You're only 14? Are you shittin' me?

    We're all going to jail.

By Nate on Tuesday, April 15, 2003 - 07:57 pm:

    because the colored movies are second class movies. no one likes the coloreds.

    ever notice that most of those movies are made by JEWS? that the CHOSEN PEOPLE are the most CREATIVE people on EARTH?

    (and the BESTEST.)

By Rowlf on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 08:23 am:

    I'm at 39 too...

    several of them (Raging Bull, for example) are nowhere near as good as I thought they would be.. probably due to hype

By Spider on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 08:50 am:

    I've seen 37.

    My eyebrow raised at some of them.

By kazoo on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 09:17 am:

    I've seen 40.

    There are several that I disagree with, but that Forest Gump is on there actually makes me physically angry.

By semillama on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 09:25 am:

    I've seen 51.

By eri on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 10:26 am:

    I have seen 36. I raised my eyebrow to quite a few of them, but whatever. After all, I have only seen 36 of them.

By semillama on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 10:37 am:

    The Internet Film Laser Squad has a great (yet sadly unfinished) critique of the AFI's 1000 funniest movies of all time at seanbaby.com.

By patrick on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 01:37 pm:

    ive seen 41 thought its safe to say i could only really converse intelligently on about half that as i often need to see a flic twice to really get into it.

By Nate on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 02:37 pm:

    yeah right. converse intelligently my ass.

By Nate on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 02:42 pm:

    i think i've seen 64 of them.

By semillama on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 02:53 pm:

    If you think the choices on this list are questionable, check out the 100 best comedy list...

By patrick on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 02:55 pm:

    "converse intelligently my ass."

    as many years as most have been around here, and heard about your ass, yes this is entirely possible.

By Rowlf on Wednesday, April 16, 2003 - 05:07 pm:

    critics cant review comedy.

    I'm not so upset that Forrest Gump is on there so much as I'm upset at what its ahead of on that list..

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