Most Historically Significant Films

[IanTheCool]

Alright, this is where you can say which films you think had the most influential impact on film ihstory. Here are the films taht i think are the main ones:

Citizen Kane for defining and perfecting many storytelling and cinematography techiques

Birth of a Nation obivously for being essentially the first full length motion picture

Wizard of Oz i think this ones pretty obvious. it really brought family films to the foreground and was a amsterpiece of set and costume design.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs for being the first full length animated movie, as well as setting disneys dominance over the genre for the next 60 years

Gone With the Wind for turning movies into more than movies, and instead making them into events. It really set the tone for full-cale epics and sagas. Put simply, it made movies big.

Star Wars for essentially redefining why we go to the movies, as well as the leap in special effects and adventure.

King Kong also for its huge leap in special effects as well as its lasting influence of adventure which has been instilled in filmmakers even to this day.

Battleship Potemkin for showing taht film could be used for political agendas and also its cinematographic revolutions.

On The Waterfront this film is revolutionary because of its acting. I think this is the film that really brought films out of the stylized movie star acting of the 30's and 40's and brought it down to a grittier and more realistic aproach to acting.


So there we go. I think these are probably the most influential. Obviously there are many others. What do you think were very significant films in movie history and why?

[Where's my elephant?]

I understand The Graduate was quite significant for young adults back then.

I think An American Werewolf In London is significant as well since it won the 1st ever makeup Oscar and it basically set the blueprint for the horror/comedy genre. Plus, the makeup is ahead of it's time especially the 1st stage of decomposing for the guy's dead zombie friend.

While I'm at it, Beverly Hills Cop is significant for becoming the 1st real successful action/comedy genre and (speaking of Murphy) 48 Hrs. for the buddy action movie genre.

[Ramplate]

actually Snow White was the first full length animated movie in America
In the world it was 4th.

The first full-length animated feature film to come out of the United States. (The first ever were Apóstol, El (1917) and Sin dejar rastros (1918) by Quirino Cristiani but both films are considered lost. The oldest full-length animated feature film that can still be seen today is Abenteuer des Prinzen Achmed, Die (1926), which clocks in at 65 minutes, and was animated entirely in silhouette.)

[FranklinTard]

2001 a space odyssey, for obvious reasons.

[JBond]

Tron. ;)

[FVD]

I'd probably throw in some of the Kurosawa films notably Hidden Fortress which not only inspired the characters of C-3P0 and R2-D2 but evokes the unlikeliest of heroes.

Ben Hur probably oughta get a mention with regards to it's epic chariot race.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High was perhaps the genesis of the teen comedy movement if not American Graffiti.

Psycho not to mention Hitchcock's other works will never be matched in terms of film in the suspense thriller genre.

I suppose the Godfather and Jaws deserve a mention too.

[IanTheCool]

2001 a space odyssey, for obvious reasons.

ah yes, i forgot that one.

[IanTheCool]

A couple more that are significant:

The Jazz Singer, for being the first talkie. (though not by much)

The Robe for being the first movie in widescreen format (im pretty sure anyways....)

[Knerys]

A couple more that are significant:

The Robe for being the first movie in widescreen format (im pretty sure anyways....)

Ha, no one I know has ever seen that movie. Nice.


Nice choices so far.

I will add:


The Lord of the Rings Trilogy - If only for the sheer massive undertaking it took to put that on screen.

The Matrix - For blending stunt work and camera technique into something that was heavily influenced it respective genres for nearly the past decade.

Blade - Proving comic movies can be serious and cool and not just campy.

The Cabinet of Doctor Caligari - The pinoneer of all horror.

[Starwars411]

Saving Private Ryan comes to mind. One of the most realistic depictions of war I've ever seen.

[JBond]

On that subject, "The Day After" comes to mind.

[Scorpio82]

"Plan 9 from Outer Space."

A movie so bad that almost half a century later, we're still talking about it. That's historical significance right there.

[Ramplate]

The Grapes of Wrath

[sepho]

Big Trouble in Little China

[Handsome Rob]

I'd personally add:
Metropolis
1984
Farenheit 451

[prizm]

nosferatu

forbidden planet

alien

T2:judgement day

dr no

gone with the wind

wizard of oz

[petergriffin246]

Pirates of The Carribean because it proves that film based off a ride CAN work if done right. Also it was the first pg-13 disney movie

[IanTheCool]

The Grapes of Wrath
why?
Big Trouble in Little China

why?

[Ramplate]

Because Grapes of Wrath shows an epic struggle to survive the dust bowl and the journey west and social problems amidst the hundreds and thousands of out of luck people trying to survive and make a living in the middle of the great depression like no other film has.

If that's not a historical undertaking I don't know what is - the film had to make several changes from the book in order to be viewable for 1940 but it doesn't lessen it's impact. Some of the things in the book caused an uproar and many book burnings were held - still it won a Pulitzer and a Nobel Prize. The movie won 2 Oscars (nominated for 5 more), a Blue Ribbon Award, National Board of Review Best Picture, and a NY Film Critic's Circle Award, it was also made part of the National Film Registry which means a copy is preserved in the Library of Congress.

[IanTheCool]

Oh i almost forgot Toy Story! The first full-length CGI film.

[Ramplate]

Well if by historically signifcant you mean firsts then

Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
those are the two movies that brought about a PG-13 change in the Ratings to begin with

[Where's my elephant?]

Well if by historically signifcant you mean firsts then

Gremlins and Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
those are the two movies that brought about a PG-13 change in the Ratings to begin with

And they were both associated with Senor Spielbergo. ;)

In a way even though, it was two years ealier, another Spielberg production (Poltergeist) kind of influenced the PG13 since it was originally rated R.

[Ramplate]

yeah but the big bru ha ha hit when Gremlins tossed a woman up the stairs and clear out of her house and with the Indy witchdoctor holding a beating heart and them eating chilled monkey brains :D

[Carnage Escobar]

Night of the Living Dead- for basically inventing the zombie/horror genre

Toy Story- for being the first full-length cgi-animated film

Terminator 2- for being the evolution of cgi, although The Abyss should take that nod for using cgi first

Star Wars- if not for just the phenomenal impact it had in our culture and changed the face of filmmaking forever

Alien- for setting the bar for the sci-fi/horror genre

[IanTheCool]

Continuing with the CGI, Young Sherlock Holmes had the first CGI charactor

[Ramplate]

The Kiss (1896)
A fifteen-second kiss by May Irwin and John C. Rice in the movie brought the first demand for film censorship.

A Trip to the Moon (1902)
considered by many to be the first science fiction film, and utilizes innovative animation and special effects.

[PsYkOoOoO]

Hmm. What do you guys think about Sin City?

I think it was the very first adaptation to be filmed in that kind of style, isn't it?

I think a lot of movies are going to follow suit in its example.

[Scorpio82]

Adaptation, maybe, but "Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow" along with a couple other movies used similar styles to film their own movies. Unless you're talking about the color scheme in which "Pleasureville" beat it to that.

[JBond]

How about "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" ?

[Ramplate]

Humorous Phases of Funny Faces (1906) Possibly the first cartoon.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4838342989992674361&q=Humorous+Phases+of+Funny+Faces&total=7&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

Out of the Inkwell (1919) First Rotoscoping
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8705150218304827472

Gertie the Dinosaur (1914) First Keyframe animation
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=746195425819461946

[Knerys]

How about "Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within" ?
For what that movie tried to do, I would agree.

[Steve from Indy]

Don't forget The Day The Earth Stood Still.

[IanTheCool]

The Lost World for being a special effects milestone.

Also Metropolis ( i think someone already mentioned this one)

[Handsome Rob]

Yeah, I had mentioned Metropolis in mine, but totally left out The Day the Earth Stood Still (which was just mentioned above), that is a good one!

[Knerys]

I going add Jurassic Park for it's realism in it's use of CGI.

[Boro]

Heavyweights, if only for showing us what the PerkiSystem means in pure loss of poundage.

[IanTheCool]

I going add Jurassic Park for it's realism in it's use of CGI.

good call

[IanTheCool]

Heavyweights, if only for showing us what the PerkiSystem means in pure loss of poundage.

ummmm........ okay

[Scorpio82]

No. He's right.

[iv3rdawG]

Heavyweights, if only for showing us what the PerkiSystem means in pure loss of poundage.

Agreed.

[Ramplate]

Um no. No Ben Stiller flim deserves mention in the context of either of the words "Historical" or "Significant" --- ever.