So You Signed Up For HBO Max...
Like millions of other people this holiday season, you signed up for HBO Max in order to watch Wonder Woman 1984. This is not a post about that movie (which, like most superhero movies, I thought was just fine), but instead what to do with the rest of the month you spent $15 dollars for. With access to the classic Warner Bros., RKO, and MGM film libraries, HBO Max has a wide selection of Hollywood movies, as well as dozens of excellent films from around the world as well. Compared to other streaming services, HBO Max may have less overall content, but the quality of said content is much, much higher. With such a diverse, excellent selection of content, you the viewer have a chance to not only take a trip around the world, but also introduce yourself to some of the most important filmmakers in movie history. There's so much good stuff, in fact, that a month probably isn't enough time to watch it all. That said, considered this a curated list of some of the best stuff on the service, whether you're just trying to have a fun movie night or trying to get into foreign language film or even silent movies. Here's your guide to what to watch on HBO Max
Hollywood
Prestige
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| Citizen Kane |
In days of movie yore, there was little that Hollywood did better than prestigious productions with big stars, top notch production values, deep casts of character actors, and stories designed to worm their way into the pleasure centers of your brain. Not surprisingly, these films have become some of the most popular since their releases, classics in every sense of the word, essential starting points in movie fandom. The two biggest, most famous movies streaming on HBO Max are Casablanca and Citizen Kane (1941), two radically different movies - the former is all about feeling, that latter all about thinking - they are none-the-less often ranked as the best ever made. Are they? Well, that's for you to decide. So famous are these movies that there's little to say about them, though in the case of Citizen Kane I'd caution first time viewers that if you reach the end of the movie and are a little confused, or perhaps think "was that it?" you perhaps need to look a little deeper. Kane is a movie of nearly endless layers and intentional contradictions, but for all the magic and tricks, it's still a character study of one man, yet also a movie about how we can never really know another person truly.
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| The Adventures of Robin Hood |
Elsewhere are two films that represent what big Hollywood productions in the thirties did best: taking classic stories and presenting them in the most effective way possible. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) is the definitive swashbuckling adventure film, full of life and Technicolor, and impeccable cast, and exciting action sequences. Likewise, David Copperfield (1935) takes Charles Dickens' classic novel and boils it down to its essence in two hours: no how interesting the life of David Copperfield may be, what makes the story (and film) great is the characters, David is often a secondary in his own story, taking a back seat to the many wonderful Dickensian creations, from the daffy Aunt Betsey to the slimy Uriah Heap, phony Steerforth, tragic Little Emily, ditzy Dora and steadfast Agnes. Smartly then, what really happens in the film is only the background to spending time with the characters, all of which, in typical classic Hollywood fashion, are pitch-perfectly cast. (For those seeking more Dickens, you can also find good adaptions of Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, and A Tale of Two Cities streaming.)
Comedy
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| To Be or Not To Be |
When it was released in the middle of World War II, Ernst Lubitsch's classic black comedy was controversial with many critics because of the humor it found in war, death, and concentration camps. With the benefit of hindsight, however, we see that To Be or Not To Be isn't just one of the funniest movies ever made, it also shares with many other Lubitsch films an emotional and intellectual depth that is highly uncommon in comedies, classic or modern. Not only is the film hilarious, it highlights the little tragedies of war - why can't a troupe of actors just live their lives? - the heroism inherent in all people, and most profoundly, the importance of laughter in the face of evil, the triumph of intelligence and comedy over fascism and totalitarian rhetoric. By putting their own words in the mouths of his actors, Lubitsch and his collaborators expose the vileness of Nazi beliefs while simultaneously making them ridiculous in the eyes of the audience. Who fears what they can laugh at?
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| The Thin Man |
If you enjoy the screen chemistry between Powell and Loy, watch Libeled Lady (1936), which adds two more legendary romantic comedy stars, Spencer Tracy and Jean Harlow, to the screwball mix. Likewise, The Philadelphia Story (1940) is a famous, if occasionally mean-spirited, comedy with a cast of famous faces: Katherine Hepburn, Cary Grant, and James Stewart.
Musical
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| On the Town |
HBO Max has quite a wide selection of musicals, from the earliest days of the genre to some of the classics from its golden age. On the Town is a great place to begin because of the way that it sets the stage of MGM's classic fifties period of musicals, taking the blueprint of a typical romantic comedy situation - boy meets girl, loses girl, finds girl - and infusing it with songs and dances that highlight everyday life, rather than a Broadway stage or upper-class nightclub. The heroes of On the Town aren't rich, they're average sailors, tourists in New York City, so scenes and dances take place in Rockefeller Center, museums, the Empire State Building, and other quintessential New York locations that a visiting sailor might seek out. Future MGM musicals would similarly take place in mundane locations, like a rainy city street or boxing gym. Highlighted by a cast featuring musical mainstays Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ann Miller, and Vera-Ellen, On the Town is everything a musical should be, and therefore a great starting point before getting into other musicals, of which there are quite a few available, including the famous Singin' in the Rain (1952), which is a logical next step after On the Town because they share many similar aspects, including star Gene Kelly.
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| 42nd Street |
Crime
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| Gun Crazy |
With a name like Gun Crazy, its not hard to picture the type of experience one is in for with this film. Even then, the film doesn't disappoint. A lower budget title without big stars, Gun Crazy is a Bonnie and Clyde-esque film about two lovers on the run after committing a series of crimes. Where the film stands out from just another violent film noir is in its exploration of power, toxic relationships, and uncontrollable impulses, all mixed together with a shockingly frank blending of sex and violence for a film released in 1950. Gun Crazy is a film noir, a type of morally grey, thematically dark crime film that came to prominence in the 1940s, beginning with a film like The Maltese Falcon (1941), the famous detective story starring Humphrey Bogart as Sam Spade. Gun Crazy is the more accessible film, but The Maltese Falcon is a genre-definer, a fine introduction to the world of film noir. Similarly, Brute Force gives you a flavor of noir at its darkest and most bleak core with a film about prison inmates suffering under the leadership of a cruel, fascistic warden. One of the most violent movies made in the 1940s, it still has the power to shock with just how tough and ruthless it is. On the softer side is Mildred Pierce (1945), one of the great "mother" stories in the movies, about the titular character's attempts to raise her children and make a success of herself as as single woman in 1940s America. Oh and with a murder and lurid sexual relationship thrown in for good measure.
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| Thief |
Horror and Suspense
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| North by Northwest |
Lets get this out of the way right now: North by Northwest is the best Alfred Hitchcock film, even though critics like to point to more "serious" movies like Vertigo, it is the pure, unadulterated roller-coaster ride of North by Northwest that takes the cake. It's funny, sexy, thrilling, intelligent, romantic, surprising, and if you've never seen it, make it your very next stop. If you like the film (how can you not?) there are a few other Hitchcock films from earlier in his career that will appeal to you. The 39 Steps (1935) plays like a dry run for North by Northwest while The Lady Vanishes (1938), Foreign Correspondent (1940), and The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) all contain the director's signature blend of thrills and comedy.
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| Carnival of Souls |
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| Shock Corridor |
Western
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| Rio Bravo |
This is an impossible choice, so I simply won't make it. Both films are classics of the Golden Age of the western film and, though both star John Wayne, they couldn't be more different. Rio Bravo is a fun, almost comedy-like experience where Wayne and his unconventional cohorts do battle with a gang of bad guys. The plot of the film doesn't really matter, its all about spending time with the characters and having fun seeing their relationships develop. The Searchers on the other hand is a descent in the racist heart of darkness at the core of the western film, questioning the way that Native Americans have been viewed by whites, not just as characters in films, but in the real settling of the west. The film presents as rawly and effectively as possible the damage that prejudice does to the the soul of man, and how hate destroys his ability to function within a family and society. Both are great, great movies and worthy introductions to the western genre, it just depends on what mood you are in.
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| Stagecoach |
Fifties Madness
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| A Face in the Crowd |
Among other things, Hollywood in the 1950s introduced the movie-going public to method acting, which to modern eyes can seem a bit hysterical, especially because so-called naturalism is the standard mode for modern movie acting. Following suit, many fifties movies embraced over-the-top drama and fevered stories. While again, some may find this off-putting, this type of heightened emotion helps the audience connect more deeply with the characters; it's merely one way of telling a story and, when done right, a particularly effective one. A Face in the Crowd is perhaps the most modernly relevant tale with a narcissistic and manipulative main character (shockingly played by Andy Griffith) who rises to fame through duping gullible rubes, all through the helpful promotion of the television medium (sound familiar?). A Face in the Crowd is a wild ride and one that, as you start comparing it to our modern landscape, grows particularly uncomfortable to watch. On a similar level, Some Came Running (1958) is a tough watch because of how raw its emotions and situations are, stripping human interactions of their societal cleanliness, exposing the ugliness underneath.
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| Rebel without a Cause |
A Journey Through World Cinema
United Kingdom
David Lean
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| Blithe Spirit |
The British film industry is America's nearest cousin, making it a logical first stop when venturing outside of Hollywood productions. However, just because they are speaking English doesn't mean there aren't significant differences between British and American films. First and foremost, British cinema is much more closely tied with the theater than in America, most British film stars shared their time equally between the stage and the screen, resulting in more overall traditional "acting" (i.e. an actor becoming a character) as opposed to Hollywood's more persona oriented stars, where roles are tailored for the star rather than the other way around. Neither way is easier or more difficult, but they are different, which will be apparent to viewers, as will British penchant for stage and literary adaptations, both of which are summed up nicely in the early career of director David Lean. Lean, best known now for his later period epics like Lawrence of Arabia (1962), began his career adapting films written by playwright Noel Coward before making film versions of two Charles Dickens stories, Oliver Twist and Great Expectations. Brief Encounter (1945) is probably the best film of the bunch but I think the wicked supernatural comedy of Blithe Spirit is a better starting point. Also available are the romantic comedy Hobson's Choice (1954) and Summertime (1955), a lovely little romance starring Katherine Hepburn. With all these comedies, your mileage may vary since British humor doesn't land with everyone, another reason why Blithe Spirit is a good starting point, since it's the most accessible of the bunch.
The Archers
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| The Red Shoes |
The collaborators, writer Emeric Pressburger and director Michael Powell (aka The Archers), were always outliers in the more conservative British film industry because they eschewed the buttoned-up nature of most British films, instead indulging in flamboyant experimentation and flights of fantasy. As a result, they produced some of the most memorable, beloved, and special films ever made, starting with their most famous film, The Red Shoes. To say that a film with a nearly 30-minute expressionist ballet sequence in the middle of it is the more accessible film speaks more to the fact that Black Narcissus (1947) is even more unusual. Both films feature some of the best filmmaking and Technicolor cinematography you're ever going to find and despite the seeming difficulty of their stories - love and obsession in ballet and an erotic film about nuns in the Himalayas - are actually pretty easy to watch and enjoy because they are so beautiful, well-made, intelligent, and ultimately engrossing.
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| The Thief of Bagdad |
Major Barbara (1941) and Pygmalion (1938) are typical British productions, top level adaptations of well-known plays by George Bernard Shaw with great acting. The latter is probably the better film but both are worth the time of those interested. The Four Feathers (1939), The Thief of Bagdad (1940), and Jungle Book (1941) are all excellent Technicolor fantasy adventures that are perfect for kids. The latter two are especially great for younger viewers because they feature a young protagonist (played by the incomparable Sabu) and plenty of ingenious special effects. Both films will seem familiar to fans of The Jungle Book (1967) and Aladdin (1992), as Disney liberally, ah, borrowed from them when making their animated versions of similar stories. Decidedly not for young kids, despite being an animated adventure film about talking rabbits, is Watership Down (1978), though it should be fine for most teenagers. It's a beautiful and thrilling film.
Japan
Akira Kurosawa
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| Yojimbo |
Due to the accessible nature of his engrossing action films, Akira Kurosawa is the biggest name in Japanese cinema. His most famous movies are brilliant, intense samurai stories with liberal amounts of off-beat humor to counterpoint the violence and tension. Yojimbo is a perfect starting point because it is one of his simplest stories yet still gives you the complete Kurosawa experience. The Hidden Fortress (1958) is most similar to Yojimbo and a good next step, though if you're looking for a more thematically deep experience, Kurosawa's two most famous films - the structurally revolutionary Rashomon (1950) and epic Seven Samurai (1954) - are also great choices. The latter especially is one of the greatest films ever made, an epic in every sense of the word; despite running over three hours it never drags for a moment and is honestly essential viewing for every movie fan. More advanced Kurosawa studies include Ikiru (1952), his only non-period film streaming, though its meditation on life and death is still profoundly moving. Throne of Blood (1957) is a delightfully fun adaptation of Macbeth with samurai. If you still can't get enough of samurai after this, there are several series of films streaming, including Hiroshi Inagaki's Samurai Trilogy of films and the hyper-violent and bloody Lone Wolf and Cub series.
Yasujiro Ozu
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| Late Spring |
Compared to the epic action of Kurosawa, the Japanese master filmmaker Ozu seems to be the complete opposite. Calm domestic dramas of family conflict, Ozu made films that might appear boring. And yet, the depth and power of these movies are astounding, even more so those of Kurosawa. Despite their slow pace, the films of Ozu slowly draw the viewer into the world of its distinct characters while building into a profoundly moving experience quite unlike any other. Tokyo Story (1953) is Ozu's most famous film but I think that Late Spring (1949) is a better starting point because of how it completely crystalizes the themes and style that would define all the films he made after it. If you like Late Spring, you'll certainly like Tokyo Story and Late Autumn as well. Ozu takes some patience, to be sure, but the rewards are greater than in other movies.
Studio Ghibli
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| Kiki's Delivery Service |
What if I told you that HBO Max had the greatest collection of animated movies available? No, they didn't make a deal with Disney, it's the Studio Ghibli films that give them that title. Though far less known than their American counterparts, over the last 30-plus years Studio Ghibli has produced a series of films that rival any other creative output in movie history, including Pixar. Like Pixar, Ghibli combines wildly creative fantasies with deep inner meaning and emotional resonance, so that far from being just entertainment, they are instead some of the most mature works of art that the movies have produced. Though distinctly Japanese, Ghibli films are accessible to people of all ages and nationalities and available to be streamed with both subtitles or English language dubbing, so kids that don't want to read subtitles don't have to (though this is a great way of introducing children to subtitled films). Make no mistake, these movies are just as much for adults as they are for children and a few (Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso especially) are a little more violent and intense for some younger viewers.
It's difficult to really pick a starting point, because there are so many good options, so I just went with my personal favorites of the films though really any one of Castle in the Sky, Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, My Neighbor Totoro, Whisper of the Heart, Spirited Away, Ponyo, Howl's Moving Castle, or The Secret World of Arrietty is a fine place to begin. With Princess Mononoke and Porco Rosso great for slightly older kids. The Tale of Princess Kaguya is one of Ghibli's best films, but due to its length and style might be better reserved for a later viewing.
France
Jean Renoir & Max Ophuls
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| The River |
This is cheating a little, since The River is in English, but it serves as a great bridge to Jean Renoir's filmmaking style and humanist themes. It's also one of the most stunning Technicolor films ever made and worth watching on its own, separate from any introduction to Renoir. A Day in the Country (1936) is pure Renoir and a perfect next step after The River, as both heavily involve rivers and are influenced by the impressionist painters of Renoir's youth (yes, he's the son of that Renoir.) Moreover, A Day in the Country is a deceptively simple film that grows from a warm portrait of a simple day trip into a personal experience with deep reverberations throughout the lives of two people.
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| Lola Montes |
Jean Cocteau
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| La Belle et la Bete |
Poet and idiosyncratic filmmaker Jean Cocteau only made a few films but each one bears his distinctive stamp of ingenious visual trickery and heartrending romance. Beauty and the Beast is an adaption of the story that Disney made familiar to everyone, though the Cocteau film is very different and is closer to the original tale. On the other hand, Orpheus (1950) updates the famous Greek tale to Paris in the 1950s, with clever translations of the mythological story to the setting. In both films, Cocteau experiments with special effects that, while simple by today's standards, still stand the test of time remarkably well, in some ways they work better than layers of ugly CGI. Beauty and the Beast is definitely the more accessible film but Orpheus is worth exploring on its own. For those interested in seeing more of the Orpheus myth, also streaming Black Orpheus (1959), which takes the tale to Brazil during the carnival.
Jacques Demy
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| Les Parapluies de Cherbourg |
On the opposite side of the scale from Godard lies Jacques Demy, who makes the bubblegum pop of French movies, though make no mistake there is an emotional depth to his movies that rivals the most intense drama. The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is his best and most famous film, a great introduction to foreign language film because it is "sung through" meaning that is a musical where no one talks, they only sing. The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967) is more traditional, with talking and singing, and less emotionally powerful but no less entertaining of a film. These movies are pure pleasure and a great way to wile away a cold afternoon. Let movies take you places, it's fun!
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| Cleo de 5 a 7 |
Also streaming is Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962), directed by Demy's wife and fellow filmmaker Agnes Varda. A very different type of film - from a very different type of filmmaker - Cleo from 5 to 7 is an existentialist exploration of the life of a singer, Cleo, as she waits to find out if she has cancer or not. Taking the experimentation of 1960s French cinema but telling a story from a uniquely female perspective, an unfortunate rarity in the movies.
Jacques Tati
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| Mon Oncle |
Speaking of fun, comedian and filmmaker Jacques Tati's filmography is chock full of it. Though there is talking in his films, Tati's style is a throwback to silent comedians like Buster Keaton where most of the gags are visual, rather than verbal. That makes Tati another great gateway drug to foreign film, since visual comedy is more universal and easy for anyone to understand: a complicated pun might not make sense in all countries, but a person slipping on a banana peel is funny in any language. Tati's films have a preoccupation with the difficulties that technology places on modern life, so many of his films have elaborate and difficult machines that cause more trouble than they help. In a society where technology seems to help and hinder at complete random, Tati's films are more relevant - and funny - than ever. If you like Mon Oncle, be sure to watch Monsieur Hulot's Holiday (1953) next.
Jean-Luc Godard
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| Vivre sa vie |
Cinema's foremost experimental mainstream filmmaker, even the most straightforward of Jean-Luc Godard's films can be difficult to get into for those that aren't well versed in cinematic history and language, so consider this to be more "advanced studies" and not really the best for those just getting into international film. That said, if you're willing to give them a try, Godard's filmography contains nearly infinite pleasures. His first grouping of films are the most conventional, so Vivre sa Vie, Breathless (1960), his most famous film, and Masculin Feminin (1966) are the best place to start. Vivre sa vie gives good primer on what Godard is trying to, as it is layered with references to other movies and art, and contains Brechtian effects that discomfort the viewer. This while delivering one of his most tender and tragic stories, all built around French icon Anna Karina. Later 60s films like Weekend (1967) are more didactic and experimental and therefore not recommended as a starting point.
Robert Bresson
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| L'Argent |
Even more challenging than Godard is Robert Bresson, a filmmaker who made movies in his own distinct and unwavering style. This includes diminishing that performance of his actors to the point that they seem to be blank slates, "models" for him to work with. While at first this may seem awkward to viewers, eventually you realize that these blank slates are perfect for the audience to project their own thoughts and emotions onto the characters, making for a surprisingly intimate experience. That doesn't mean that these movie aren't difficult to get into, they certainly are, just that the rewards for such dedication are plentiful. L'Argent is actually Bresson's final film, but it encapsulates his style very well. Based on a story by Leo Tolstoy, it tracks the progress of a forged 500-franc note to its shocking conclusion, delving into spiritual allegory along the way, as many Bresson films do. The Trial of Joan of Arc (1962) is an even more rigid example of Bresson's filmmaking, and a good choice for those with an interest in history.
A Selection of Others
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| Eyes without a Face |
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| Le Samurai |
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| Belle de Jour |
Germany
Rainer Werner Fassbinder
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| Lola |
Also only for mature viewers comfortable with a certain type of content are the films of Rainer Werner Fassbinder, which are often difficult for new viewers because many of them aren't "entertainment" in the strictest sense of the word. Instead they are intense characters studies in heightened melodrama, similar to the fifties films like Some Came Running mentioned above, but with even more raw emotion and devastation. These are often depressing movies and even the most traditional entertaining among them - Lola - can feel like a real kick in the chest by the end. If you like Lola, I suggest The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) and The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972), but with a long, healthy break in between viewings. Doing otherwise can be harmful to ones health.
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| The Testament of Dr. Mabuse |
Italy
Roberto Rossellini
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| Roma citta aperta |
With Rome, Open City, the movement towards stark realism that would become known as Italian neo-realism was fully born. Rossellini started making Rome, Open City right in the middle of World War II, just as American soldiers were taking possession of the city after the Nazis had fled. The circumstances in the film, as well as many of the characters and stories were real, and experienced by those that were making the film as they lived under Nazi occupation. Even without that background, Rome, Open City is an astoundingly powerful story of the physical, emotional, and spiritual toll that war takes upon a people and a true masterpiece of world cinema.
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| Journey to Italy |
Vittorio De Sica
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| Ladri di biciclette |
One of Rossellini's cohorts in neorealism, Vittorio De Sica made the most famous example of the movement with Bicycle Thieves. While Rossellini was making his films about the war and religious experiences, De Sica focused his attention on the poor of Rome, detailing their plight with both brutal honesty and undeniable compassion. Bicycle Thieves concerns a struggling family in Rome who finally find hope when the father gets a job. Unfortunately this job requires a bicycle, which is subsequently stolen from him. Along with his young son, the man searches desperately for the thief, both father and son growing in the process. If a cute little kid in despair wasn't enough for you, De Sica's Umberto D. (1952) goes one better, revolving around a little old man and his cute dog. Both films are definite gut punches and hardly the feel-good experience some look for in the movies, but they are undeniably powerful vehicles of compassion and empathy for those less fortunate.
Michelangelo Antonioni
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| L'Avventura |
Part of the move away from neorealism in Italian cinema was lead by Michelangelo Antonioni, who recognized that neorealism - which reflected the struggles of post-War Italy - was no longer relevant in the late fifties and sixties when Italy was experiencing an economic boom. Fittingly, then, Antonioni's films reflect that reality and deal with issues of the modern world and the inability of people to connect with one another. Antonioni's films are filled with beautiful, stylish people and are filmed with stunning cinematography at a slow, contemplative pace. Plot is of secondary importance here, instead it is the mood and themes that Antonioni is trying to evoke that take center stage. Characters try and fail to connect with one another and the world, instead going through life - even exciting life events - looking for diversions, ways that they can drown their lack of purpose and feeling. No director is better than Antonioni at presenting the harsh reality and frailty of human relationships. If that sounds depressing, well it sort of is, but it is also highly intellectually and emotionally stimulating if you give the movies a chance on their own terms. A common criticism of Antonioni is that "nothing happens" and while, from a strictly plot sense that is somewhat true, it is also missing the point of the movie. L'Avventura is a great example of this, since it presents a "mystery" then proceeds to act as if the mystery doesn't matter at all. The joys of these movies isn't the classic "finding out what's next" that most people want from movies, but deconstructing the motivations and feelings of both the characters and the director. This type of puzzle-solving isn't for everyone, but again, if you meet the film on it's own terms, you'll be rewarded.
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| Red Desert |
Eastern Europe
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| Ashes and Diamonds |
The third and most famous of Andrej Wajda's trio of Polish war films, Ashes and Diamonds is a blistering tragedy about Polish resistance fighters attempting to assassinate a rival political leader at the end of World War II. In addition to its suspenseful and intense narrative, Ashes and Diamonds is one of the more beautiful films ever made. Wajda forgoes any restraint and lets every bit of flagrant style and symbolism, creating an undeniably "cool" film (a feeling helped by lead actor Zbigniew Cybulski) despite the harshness of the material. Whatever your experience with movies, Ashes and Diamonds is an essential.
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| Knife in the Water |
Denmark
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| Babbettes Gaestebud |
A wonderful little film about two devout Danish Protestants and their French maid, Babette's Feast is a simple enough story but as it goes on, you find a whole world of meaning opening up to you and a multitude of interpretations ranging from the sensual to the spiritual. Most of all, it is a movie about the love of good food and how important food is, not just to sustain our existence, but also to bring a little bit of divine pleasure to a mundane life. Slow moving but never boring, Babette's Feast is a great example of how world film, despite being "foreign," can be just as relevant and affecting to Americans as any Hollywood film.
Australia & New Zealand
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| Picnic at Hanging Rock |
One of the most fascinating, haunting movies ever made, Picnic at Hanging Rock is a test for many people because of the way it presents a mystery, before pulling the rug out from the audience. I won't exactly spoil what happens, just keep in mind as you watch the movie that the movie isn't about those that disappear but about those that are left behind, and how the central tragedy is how it affects them. Saying more would spoil the magic of the film. My Brilliant Career (1979) is a more "conventional" film but one with a delightfully unconventional protagonist, a headstrong young woman in 1890s Australia who wants to have her own career, not conform to what is expected of her gender. Director Gillian Armstrong crafts a beautiful, poignant and fun film that serves as a reminder to all young people, girl or boy, to make their own way in life, regardless of what is expected of them by others.
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| An Angel at My Table |
Canada
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| The Brood |
For horror fans, Canadian filmmaker David Cronenberg is synonymous with intelligence, creativity and most of all, "body horror" that is horror derived from the manipulation and mutilation of the human body. If reading that sentence made your skin crawl then Cronenberg's films are either exactly what you're looking for, or should be avoided like the plague, depending on how much you enjoy horror movies. The Brood is one of Cronenberg's earlier films but all the hallmarks of his filmmaking are there, including the involvement of the body. In the film, a therapist develops a technique for the internal strife of people to be externalized through growths on their body - essentially, you're mad, you focus, and your anger manifests itself with a tumorous growth - which is all well and good until he meets a woman with a few issues too many. Though a horror film, The Brood is most of all a movie about the trauma children of divorce suffer and the long-term damage done to their psyche when they become the object of their parents fights. Another Cronenberg film, Scanners (1981) is a more straight-forward science-fiction thriller, though true to form there are some significant moments when the human body is manipulated and destroyed.
India
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| Pather Panchali |
The debut of Satyajit Ray, India's most renowned director, Pather Panchali takes a similar approach to storytelling as the Italian neo-realists, telling straightforward stories about characters that are usually avoided by Hollywood: the poor, lower class workers, and children. The main character is Apu, played by 8 year-old Subir Banerjee, a young boy living in 1910s Bengal. Apu and his family struggle to survive and make a better life for themselves. A beautiful and moving portrait of poverty, Pather Panchali is an unforgettable film and a prime example of how movies can transport us to times and places we never could otherwise, and most importantly allows us to travel in the shoes of people from all walks of life.
Sweden
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| Smultronstallet |
Ingmar Bergman is one of the titanic names of world cinema, so much so that his filmography can be daunting because there are so many titles to explore, each coming from radically different periods of his career. HBO Max has a wide variety of Bergman's films spanning several decades. Persona (1966) and Cries and Whispers (1972) are two of his best and most famous films, but not a great starting point because they come from Bergman's more experimental period. Fanny and Alexander (1982) and Scenes from a Marriage (1973) are more accessible stylistically, but run over three hours a piece. Of Bergman's biggest films, Wild Strawberries is the easiest to get into, followed by his most famous film, The Seventh Seal (1957), so that's a good starting point. Wild Strawberries is a beautiful film about an old man coming to terms with his life and has plenty of the Bergmanesque fascination with dreams, so serving as a good introduction to what you're going to find in later films. The Seventh Seal touches on issues of faith that are important to his early films. After these, Through a Glass Darkly (1961) leans more experimental and is a good gateway to Persona and Cries and Whispers. If you make it through these first few movies and still want more, you're a Bergman fan, though I will caution that like with Fassbinder, these aren't necessarily traditionally entertaining films, even if they are engrossing ones.
Silent Film
Charlie Chaplin
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| Modern Times |
Charlie Chaplin is synonymous with silent film and probably the biggest star in the history of the movies, so starting with him as an introduction to silent film is logical. All of the many Chaplin films streaming on HBO Max are worthy of attention (though keep in mind those made after Modern Times are not silent) but so really, starting anywhere is completely okay, especially if you want to watch something shorter, you could go with A Dog's Life (1918), which runs just over an hour. To me, Modern Times is the best of Chaplin's films because it gives him his best adult co-star, Paulette Goddard. Because of the presence of Goddard, a gifted comedic performer, Chaplin has a running mate that can steal scenes from him while also beefing up the romantic parts of this romantic comedy. There's also a quite a prescient satire of industrialization and the dehumanizing effect of machines. City Lights (1931) and The Gold Rush (1925) are two more of Chaplin's best loved films, and though The Circus (1928) is less renowned, it might be the funniest of the bunch. Chaplin's sound films are also worthy, as is A Woman of Paris (1923), which he only directed and does not star in.
Harold Lloyd
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| Speedy |
Unlike the perpetual underdog Chaplin, Harold Lloyd's characters are middle-class go-getters, happy-go-unlucky characters that triumph through shear gumption. Lloyd's films, every bit the equal of Chaplins, are also probably the funniest and most fun silent comedies. Speedy is his best film, a combination of the sweet romantic comedy and daring stunts that define his greatest work. It's also an exciting film because of the portrait it paints of 1920s New York just before the Stock Market Crash of 1929 that presaged the Great Depression. Speedy visits Coney Island in one of the most purely pleasurable slices of cinema in movie history, while also traveling around the city and visiting old Yankee stadium, complete with a cameo by Babe Ruth. Those with an interest in New York City will get a kick out of seeing the sights, not to mention just how great the movie itself is. Safety Last! (1923) is nearly as good and features Lloyd's most famous stunt, climbing a building and hanging from a clock. Chaplin might be the more famous name, but Lloyd's films are funnier, feel more modern, and therefore might be an even better starting point into silent film.
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| La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc |
In addition to being the perfect vehicle for universal comedy, the silent film developed into the peak of artistic expression in the movies before its demise at the coming of sound in the late 1920s. Filmmakers around the world learned to tell their stories through the purest of cinematic expression, telling their stories first and foremost with the camera. No film represents this better than Carl Dreyer's The Passion of Joan of Arc, a top contender for greatest movie ever made and on the shortlist of films I'd want every person in the world to see. Through the faces of his actors and the placement of his camera, Dreyer tells the story of Joan of Arc in such a way that the emotion of the situation reaches nearly unbearable heights with a climax beauty, horror, and transcendence.
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| Vampyr |
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| Haxan |
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