10 Must Watch Movies Before You Die

(In Chronological Order)
Five of this list was also featured in "THE HINDU", national newspaper http://www.thehindu.com/arts/cinema/article1327501.ece

1. City Lights (1931)

Charlie Chaplin was one of the pioneers of Silent cinema era."City Lights" was the best picture of all the films, the little tramp made."City Lights" is thoroughly entertaining, thoughtful, artistic and perfect. The climax peaks up sky high to make this one of the greatest films of all time. And leaving Charlie out of the Top 10 list would be a blunder.This movie without doubt inspired a lot of movies that came after that.

2. Citizen Kane (1941)

At the age of 26, Orsen Welles acheived something that no one had done before. He made a path breaking film, so well made, that , even after 70 years, stands on top of all the best' lists ever made by anyone and we are no exception. "Citizen Kane" is by no means a minimal achievement.

3. Pather Panchali (1956)

Satyajit Ray made a revolution with his debut movie in India. He showcased Indian Filmdom to the world's critics. Not only that it still remains ,it is one of the best films ever made. The neo realistic approach, character study based on the book, has an astounding effect on the viewers of art.

4. The 400 Blows (1959)

"The 400 Blows" is Francois Truffaut's best. A neglected Parisian boy, who skips school, runs away from home forms the story. Narrated through the kid's eyes, Truffaut makes this movie, one of the most realistic, powerful films ever made.

5. Godfather (1972)

No film has ever made a reputation that Francis Ford Coppola's masterpiece "The Godfather" made. With an exceptional cast, the movie makes a stunning impact on the viewers. This ruthless crime drama, inspired a thousand films. A text book for film making.

6. Raging Bull (1980)

Scorsese and De Niro have done quite a number of films together. But no other film is as great as the flawed human nature depiction in the "Raging Bull". The portrayal of each and every character at every instance stands out. De Niro performance as Jake LaMotta has never been matched yet.

7. Schindler's List (1993)

Steven Spielberg became a real serious film maker with "Schindler's List". Although he had make a few serious movies before, "Schindler's List" is often referred to as his best and close to his heart.This movie's portrayal of Schindler, Amon Goeth and the Polish Nazi camp is extra ordinary and spell binding .

8. Saving Private Ryan (1998)

If there is one movie that clearly and precisely describes war as it is , it is "Saving Private Ryan". With exceptional cinematography and direction, the movie's opening scene is unmatched. Sure sets a benchmark for war movies and cinematography.

9. Father and Daughter (2001)

Michael Dudok de Wit' short, "Father and Daughter", is an unforgettable piece of art work. It reels for only 9 minutes totally, but spell bindingly engrosses the viewers to finish off with a heart wrenching finale. This short teaches movie makers on how a huge emotional impact can be created in viewers with just a few minutes of motion. On par with even the best live action movies that run for hours.

10. 4 luni, 3 saptamâni si 2 zile (2007)

Darkly riveting, Cristian Mungiu's " 4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days" , is an example of master film making. Rarely seen in any top lists, this Romanian film won the "Palme D'Or" at Cannes and had all the reasons to deserve it. Anamaria Marinca gives a glorious performance. A very simple story reaches heights with narration and direction.