VIEWING DATES: November 27 to December 1, 2023
#76 – CITY LIGHTS (1931)
D: Charlie Chaplin
S: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Florence Lee, Harry Myers, Al Ernest Garcia
Subtitled A Comedy Romance in Pantomime, Charlie Chaplin’s second entry is, therefore, the grandfather of rom-coms. Here, The Tramp falls in love with a blind girl and goes extraordinary lengths to afford treatment. There’s as just much hilarity as there is mush, especially in the climactic boxing match and his mercurial friendship with an alcoholic, who turns hostile when sober. The film would later on gain more traction with voters. It shot up to 11th place in the updated list.
#75 – DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
D: Kevin Costner
S: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney Grant
Watching this take on Michael Blake’s novel is a voyage in itself, more so when you opt for the extended 237-minute cut, where you get to relish the storytelling even more. But much as it’s a landmark achievement from a first-time director, nobody really buys the White Savior angle anymore. What bugs most is that Kevin Costner’s narration still sounds like Kevin Costner and not his character.
#74 – THE GOLD RUSH (1925)
D: Charlie Chaplin
S: Charlie Chaplin, Georgia Hale, Mack Swain, Tom Murray, Malcolm Waite
Charlie Chaplin’s highest entry is also the list’s second oldest. In fact, it’s less than a year away from its centennial. Set during Alaska’s Klondike Gold Rush, we find The Tramp braving blizzards and hunger to search for elusive fortune. Naturally, dangers lurk. Given the protagonist, so do the hijinks. And spoiler alert: that shoe is made of licorice, not leather.
#73 – WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
D: William Wyler
S: Laurence Olivier, Merle Oberon, David Niven, Flora Robson, Donald Crisp, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Hugh Williams
Adaptations of Emily Bronte’s novel are now dime a dozen, but William Wyler’s abridged take remains the standard. Yes, this covered only half of the book, but Laurence Olivier and Merle Oberon were the definitive onscreen Heathcliff and Catherine. We also have Gregg Toland’s black and white cinematography to thank for the much-needed touch of eeriness.
This film was first of five entries from 1939, the most celebrated year in classic cinema, and first of three entries from Wyler, whose second ranks a notch higher.
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