The Best Films According to Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema

The Best Films According to Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema's icon

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In Andrew Sarris's The American Cinema, every director in the book has their full filmography listed, and Sarris italicizes the best films of each director. Here is the full collection of every film italicized in the book (with the exception of Out of the Past, which remains unitalicized likely as an error as he calls it Jacques Torneur's masterpiece).

The book has multiple sections, with who Sarris viewed as the pantheon directors at the top, and slowly dwindling in quality as the list goes down. However, there is merit to be found towards the bottom, as he lists a series of oddities, one-shots, and, at the time, newcomers, as well as subjects for further research.

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  1. 748 new

    A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

    1945, in 6 top lists Check
  2. 749 new

    Boomerang!

    1947, in 3 top lists Check
  3. 750 new

    Pinky

    1949, in 0 top lists Check
  4. 751 new

    Panic in the Streets

    1950, in 5 top lists Check
  5. 752 new

    A Streetcar Named Desire

    1951, in 15 top lists Check
  6. 753 new

    Viva Zapata!

    1952, in 2 top lists Check
  7. 754 new

    On the Waterfront

    1954, in 32 top lists Check
  8. 755 new

    East of Eden

    1955, in 11 top lists Check
  9. 756 new

    A Face in the Crowd

    1957, in 14 top lists Check
  10. 757 new

    Wild River

    1960, in 6 top lists Check
  11. 758 new

    Splendor in the Grass

    1961, in 7 top lists Check
  12. 759 new

    America America

    1963, in 7 top lists Check
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Last updated on Sep 28, 2019;