Films Fatale's The 100 Best Shot Films of All Time
Created by Fergenaprido.
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November 1, 2021
WRITTEN BY ANDREAS BABIOLAKIS
Movie is a casual term used for what was once commonly called the motion picture; films also works to describe the same storytelling medium. The point is that even before the films we know now came to be, they were once just twenty four still images per second, flipped in succession to create this illusion of movement. At its very core, it still is somewhat a photographical art form, with emphasis on framing, mise-en-scéne (the placement of focal points and other subjects within a shot to be aesthetically and narratively pleasing), and lighting and/or colour coordination. A lot of this is achieved by set design, makeup and hair, digital effects, and other external factors, but cinematography brings everything together in one visual amalgamation.There are many things to love about films, but cinematography goes as far back as the art form itself.
I guess what I am saying is that this list is unquestionably the most difficult of the extra lists I have done on this site. I have quite possibly one hundred additional honourable mentions, and have had to cut so many films I adore because one hundred spots just aren’t enough. Alas, it is the satisfactory sounding number that I stuck with: the official one hundred that always makes lists of this nature sound important. Chances are you’re going to be livid with me, and I am mad at myself as well. These are the caveats of loving an endlessly plentiful medium like cinema, and trying to limit everything to barely a fraction of a percent of its entire history. If your favourite looking film isn't here, there is a high chance it was considered and appreciated, and reluctantly omitted. If anything, this list may have been even more painful to finalize than any of my film lists; yes, even the ‘60s one (which was the original most difficult list to conclude). When I say I was making final changed the night before this list was released, understand that I am writing this on Halloween. I don't need to celebrate this spooky holiday when my actual nightmares are already here.
Anyway, let’s get down to business. What I’m looking for is a variety of qualifications. Firstly, how do these films look either in black-and-white or in colour? I am taking into consideration how much of these results are based on what is in front of the camera (like brightly coloured sets and outfits), which aren’t really a product of the camerawork itself; however, I am rewarding the photography that makes the most of these situations and enhances these setups as much as possible. Secondly, how is the camera movement (zooms, pans, dolly work and more), and does the photography still look good during these techniques? I’m also considering the usage of various shot techniques, angles, shadows, landscapes, profiles, and virtually any other photographical result one can achieve. Something that also makes this list difficult: being in the digital age. I’m trying to stray away from films that are strictly (or mostly) digital masterpieces like Avatar or Sin City: I want this to be as based on the actual capturing of physical subjects as possible. Alright, we may as well get this over with. As difficult as it was to narrow this list down, it makes me only happier with just how tight these following films are within this criteria. Here are the one hundred best shot films of all time.
This Top 100 has 104 titles because:
#25 includes Olympia parts 1 & 2
#27 includes the entire Three Colours trilogy
#28 includes The Godfather parts 1 & 2 (but not 3)
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81 new
Bronenosets Potemkin
1925 — a.k.a. Battleship Potemkin, in 27 top lists Check -
56 new
Metropolis
1927, in 36 top lists Check -
104 new
The Crowd
1928, in 20 top lists Check -
64 new
La passion de Jeanne d'Arc
1928 — a.k.a. The Passion of Joan of Arc, in 27 top lists Check -
83 new
Vampyr
1932, in 18 top lists Check -
25 new
Olympia 1. Teil - Fest der Völker
1938 — a.k.a. Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations, in 14 top lists Check -
26 new
Olympia 2. Teil - Fest der Schönheit
1938 — a.k.a. Olympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty, in 14 top lists Check -
72 new
Gone with the Wind
1939, in 31 top lists Check -
85 new
Rebecca
1940, in 23 top lists Check -
16 new
Citizen Kane
1941, in 39 top lists Check -
100 new
A Matter of Life and Death
1946, in 22 top lists Check -
27 new
Black Narcissus
1947, in 15 top lists Check -
37 new
The Red Shoes
1948, in 27 top lists Check -
71 new
The Third Man
1949, in 37 top lists Check -
58 new
Rashômon
1950 — a.k.a. Rashomon, in 34 top lists Check -
50 new
The River
1951, in 9 top lists Check -
39 new
Tôkyô monogatari
1953 — a.k.a. Tokyo Story, in 27 top lists Check -
51 new
Ugetsu monogatari
1953 — a.k.a. Ugetsu, in 25 top lists Check -
70 new
All That Heaven Allows
1955, in 11 top lists Check -
12 new
The Night of the Hunter
1955, in 34 top lists Check -
48 new
Det sjunde inseglet
1957 — a.k.a. The Seventh Seal, in 25 top lists Check -
13 new
Letyat zhuravli
1957 — a.k.a. The Cranes Are Flying, in 17 top lists Check -
68 new
Sweet Smell of Success
1957, in 20 top lists Check -
23 new
Vertigo
1958, in 42 top lists Check -
97 new
Psycho
1960, in 39 top lists Check -
8 new
Lawrence of Arabia
1962, in 40 top lists Check -
60 new
Le procès
1962 — a.k.a. The Trial, in 10 top lists Check -
75 new
Sanma no aji
1962 — a.k.a. An Autumn Afternoon, in 9 top lists Check -
53 new
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop...
1964, in 37 top lists Check -
82 new
Kaidan
1964 — a.k.a. Kwaidan, in 13 top lists Check -
7 new
Soy Cuba
1964 — a.k.a. I Am Cuba, in 16 top lists Check -
21 new
Suna no onna
1964 — a.k.a. Woman in the Dunes, in 22 top lists Check -
91 new
Pierrot le fou
1965 — a.k.a. Pierrot le Fou, in 16 top lists Check -
41 new
Voyna i mir
1965 — a.k.a. War and Peace, in 8 top lists Check -
34 new
Andrey Rublyov
1966 — a.k.a. Andrei Rublev, in 29 top lists Check -
5 new
Persona
1966, in 25 top lists Check -
103 new
Seconds
1966, in 10 top lists Check -
22 new
Playtime
1967, in 19 top lists Check -
3 new
2001: A Space Odyssey
1968, in 45 top lists Check -
10 new
Sayat Nova
1969 — a.k.a. The Color of Pomegranates, in 12 top lists Check -
4 new
Il conformista
1970 — a.k.a. The Conformist, in 20 top lists Check -
42 new
Le genou de Claire
1970 — a.k.a. Claire's Knee, in 7 top lists Check -
87 new
Die bitteren Tränen der Petra von Kant
1972 — a.k.a. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, in 8 top lists Check -
31 new
The Godfather
1972, in 42 top lists Check -
95 new
Solyaris
1972 — a.k.a. Solaris, in 27 top lists Check -
11 new
Viskningar och rop
1972 — a.k.a. Cries and Whispers, in 17 top lists Check -
65 new
Badlands
1973, in 23 top lists Check -
63 new
Welt am Draht
1973 — a.k.a. World on a Wire, in 2 top lists Check -
44 new
Chinatown
1974, in 31 top lists Check -
32 new
The Godfather Part II
1974, in 32 top lists Check
Last updated on Sep 7, 2022; source