Ranjita Biswas
Independent journalist
India
Voted for
| Film | Year | Director |
|---|---|---|
| Bicycle Thieves | 1948 | Vittorio De Sica |
| Hiroshima mon amour | 1959 | Alain Resnais |
| La dolce vita | 1960 | Federico Fellini |
| Citizen Kane | 1941 | Orson Welles |
| Wild Strawberries | 1957 | Ingmar Bergman |
| Rashomon | 1950 | Akira Kurosawa |
| Pather Panchali | 1955 | Satyajit Ray |
| Jules et Jim | 1962 | François Truffaut |
| Apocalypse Now | 1979 | Francis Ford Coppola |
| 2001: A Space Odyssey | 1968 | Stanley Kubrick |
Comments
Bicycle Thieves
A film that can resonate at any time, especially in our times. The effect of poverty, human conditions, love, compassion - all these are treated with great understanding and sensitivity.
Hiroshima mon amour
A comment on the effect of war as reflected through the interaction of two protagonists when love tries to make sense of the trauma of uncertain post-war times.
La dolce vita
The meaninglessness of a life without love, the loneliness behind the facade of glamour - a story repeated over and over again in our disconnected lifestyle.
Citizen Kane
Not for nothing this film is regarded as one of the greatest made. Elusive love and loneliness at the top are elements easily recognisable.
Wild Strawberries
Seems like a simple road movie about a renowned professor traveling with his daughter-in-law to receive an award but it is a comment on life's journey and rediscovering life's beauty in old age by the stern professor and how he opens up. Great acting by all.
Rashomon
What is the truth - perceived, or the real? What is justice? And who decides? A story of a murder told from four different angles by different people asks us this disturbing question. The master storyteller uses flashbacks to great effect. Kurosawa also opened the eyes of the outside world to the art of Japanese cinema through this film.
Pather Panchali
This groundbreaking film by Satyajit Ray is a paean to rural life and people in India, adapted from a well-known Bengali writer's book. Great characterisations, cinematography, music make this film an all-time world cinema great.
Jules et Jim
A pioneering film of the French New Wave that reflects on human relationships around love among three people.
Apocalypse Now
A disturbing comment on human reaction to war at different levels. A 'Heart of Darkness' that lies beyond us and opens up in isolation and degradation of values - and cruelty, in the uncertain times that war entails.
2001: A Space Odyssey
A science fiction film at first glance but with an underlying philosophy - of man's life cycle and his place in nature.
Further remarks
In the context of world cinema it is hard to hone down on the Best Ten. These are some of my favourite films but I am aware I have left very many in the process of selection.
My numbering is random, not in preferential order.