If you wish to become a cinephile worÂthy of the title, you must first pledge nevÂer to refuse to watch a film for any of the folÂlowÂing reaÂsons. First, that it is in a difÂferÂent lanÂguage and subÂtiÂtled; secÂond, that it is too old; third, that it is too slow; fourth, that it is too long; and fifth, that it has no “stoÂry.” These catÂeÂgories of refusal are what Lewis Bond, co-creÂator of the YouTube chanÂnel The House of TabÂuÂla, calls “the five carÂdiÂnal sins of cinÂeÂma,” and no one who comÂmits them can ever attain an underÂstandÂing of the art form, its nature, its hisÂtoÂry, and its potenÂtial. Once you’ve made your vow, you’ll be ready to watch through the 135 chronoÂlogÂiÂcalÂly ordered motion picÂtures that conÂstiÂtute The House of TabÂuÂla’s “UltiÂmate Film StudÂies WatchÂlist,” fulÂly explained in the video above.
While the movies first emerged in the nineÂteenth cenÂtuÂry, and plenÂty conÂtinÂue to be made here in the twenÂty-first, they stand unopÂposed as the definÂing popÂuÂlar art form of the twenÂtiÂeth. And it is from the span of that cenÂtuÂry that all the films on this list are drawn, from Georges MĂ©liès’ Le VoyÂage dans la Lune and D. W. GrifÂfith’s The Birth of a Nation to all the way to Quentin TaranÂtiÂno’s Pulp FicÂtion and the Wachowskis’ The Matrix.
What hapÂpened to cinÂeÂma between those periÂods was, in a sense, a process of techÂnoÂlogÂiÂcal and artisÂtic evoÂluÂtion, but as Bond’s comÂmenÂtary underÂscores, oldÂer films aren’t superÂseded by newÂer ones — or at least, oldÂer films of valÂue aren’t. Indeed, the ambiÂtion and creÂativÂiÂty of these decades, or even cenÂtuÂry-old movies, puts many a curÂrent release to shame.
By no means is the list domÂiÂnatÂed by obscuÂriÂties. Gone with the Wind, FanÂtaÂsia, SinÂgin’ in the Rain, PsyÂcho, Jaws, Alien: even the least cinÂeÂmatÂiÂcalÂly inclined among us have seen a few of these movies, or at least they feel like they have. Maybe they’ve nevÂer got around to watchÂing CitÂiÂzen Kane, but they’ll have a sense that it belongs on any sylÂlabus meant to culÂtiÂvate an underÂstandÂing of film as an art form. The presÂence of Star Wars may come as more of a surÂprise, but no less than CitÂiÂzen Kane, it illusÂtrates the benÂeÂfit of watchÂing your way through cinÂeÂma hisÂtoÂry: if you do, you’ll expeÂriÂence just how much of a break they repÂreÂsentÂed with all that came before. OrdiÂnary movieÂgoÂers may feel like they’ve seen it all before, but cinephiles — espeÂcialÂly those who’ve made the jourÂney through The House of TabÂuÂla’s watchÂlist — know how vast an area of cinÂeÂmatÂic posÂsiÂbilÂiÂty remains unexÂplored.
RelatÂed conÂtent:
78 Great DirecÂtors Who Shaped the HisÂtoÂry of CinÂeÂma: An IntroÂducÂtion
The 30 GreatÂest Films Ever Made: A Video Essay
MarÂtin ScorsÂese CreÂates a List of 39 EssenÂtial ForÂeign Films for a Young FilmÂmakÂer
The EvoÂluÂtion of CinÂeÂma: Watch NearÂly 140 Years of Film HisÂtoÂry Unfold in 80 MinÂutes
Based in Seoul, ColÂin Marshall writes and broadÂcasts on cities, lanÂguage, and culÂture. His projects include the SubÂstack newsletÂter Books on Cities and the book The StateÂless City: a Walk through 21st-CenÂtuÂry Los AngeÂles. FolÂlow him on the social netÂwork forÂmerÂly known as TwitÂter at @colinmarshall.
ExcelÂlent hisÂtoÂry study, must watch
where is the list?? you realÂly expect your readÂers to watch 2 hours of video to find the top 135 films??? sureÂly you must have the list availÂable for those who do not have the time..
amen, brothÂer, amen.
Ahem you said a list , Where is it.
This sounds like clickÂbait about dead or sick celÂeÂbraties
Agree we need a list. I am hard of hearÂing.
The list seems to come from imdb but I’m not allowed paste a link in here apparÂentÂly, so here’s the raw list.
Title — DirecÂtors
Annie OakÂley — William K.L. DickÂson
The BoxÂing Cats (Prof. WelÂton’s) — William K.L. DickÂson, William Heise
BufÂfaÂlo Dance — William K.L. DickÂson
The BarÂberÂshop — William K.L. DickÂson, William Heise
EdiÂson KineÂtoÂscopÂic Record of a Sneeze — William K.L. DickÂson
CarÂmenciÂta — William K.L. DickÂson
PilÂlow Fight — William Heise
The HornÂbacker-MurÂphy Fight — William K.L. DickÂson
The Arrival of a Train — Auguste Lumière, Louis Lumière
DĂ©barÂqueÂment d’une mouche — Georges Hatot
Enfants jouant aux billes — Louis Lumière
Boat LeavÂing the Port — Louis Lumière
Acteurs japonÂais: ExerÂciÂce de la perÂruque — ConÂstant Girel
FishÂing for GoldÂfish — Louis Lumière
The Big SwalÂlow — James Williamson
A Trip to the Moon — Georges Méliès
The Great Train RobÂbery — Edwin S. Porter
A FanÂtaÂsy — Émile Cohl
SusÂpense — Phillips SmalÂlÂey, Lois Weber
The Birth of a Nation — D.W. GrifÂfith
IntolÂerÂance: Love’s StrugÂgle ThroughÂout the Ages — D.W. GrifÂfith
J’acÂcuse — Abel Gance
The CabÂiÂnet of Dr. CaliÂgari — Robert Wiene
The PhanÂtom CarÂriage — VicÂtor Sjöström
HäxÂan: WitchÂcraft Through the Ages — BenÂjamin ChrisÂtensen
SherÂlock Jr. — Buster Keaton
Greed — Erich von StroÂheim
The Last Laugh — F.W. MurÂnau
BatÂtleÂship Potemkin — Sergei EisenÂstein
A Page of MadÂness — Teinosuke KinÂuÂgasa
MetropÂoÂlis — Fritz Lang
Napoleon — Abel Gance
SunÂrise: A Song of Two Humans — F.W. MurÂnau
The PasÂsion of Joan of Arc — Carl Theodor DreyÂer
Un chien andalou — Luis Buñuel
Man with a Movie CamÂera — DziÂga VerÂtov
M — Fritz Lang
Freaks — Tod BrownÂing
The TesÂtaÂment of Dr. Mabuse — Fritz Lang
Duck Soup — Leo McCarey
L’AtaÂlante — Jean Vigo
ModÂern Times — Charles ChapÂlin
Snow White and the SevÂen Dwarfs — William CotÂtrell, David Hand, WilÂfred JackÂson, LarÂry Morey, Perce Pearce, Ben SharpÂsteen
StageÂcoach — John Ford
The Rules of the Game — Jean Renoir
Gone with the Wind — VicÂtor FlemÂing
The Great DicÂtaÂtor — Charles ChapÂlin
FanÂtaÂsia — James Algar, Samuel ArmÂstrong, Ford Beebe Jr., NorÂman FerÂguÂson, David Hand, Jim HanÂdÂley, T. Hee, WilÂfred JackÂson, HamilÂton Luske, Bill Roberts, Paul SatÂterÂfield, Ben SharpÂsteen
CitÂiÂzen Kane — Orson Welles
To Be or Not to Be — Ernst Lubitsch
MeshÂes of the AfterÂnoon — Maya Deren, AlexanÂder HamÂmid
CasablanÂca — Michael CurÂtiz
DouÂble IndemÂniÂty — BilÂly Wilder
Ivan Groznyy — Sergei EisenÂstein
La Belle et la BĂŞte — Jean Cocteau, RenĂ© ClĂ©Âment
Paisan — RoberÂto RosselliÂni
Brief Encounter — David Lean
BicyÂcle Thieves — VitÂtoÂrio De Sica
ChilÂdren of the BeeÂhive — Hiroshi Shimizu
The Red Shoes — Michael PowÂell, EmerÂic PressÂburgÂer
The Third Man — CarÂol Reed
SunÂset Blvd. — BilÂly Wilder
Los OlviÂdaÂdos — Luis Buñuel
Rashomon — AkiÂra KuroÂsawa
SinÂgin’ in the Rain — StanÂley Donen, Gene KelÂly
Tokyo StoÂry — YasuÂjirĂ´ Ozu
UgetÂsu — KenÂji Mizoguchi
Rear WinÂdow — Alfred HitchÂcock
The Night of the Hunter — Charles Laughton
Ordet — Carl Theodor DreyÂer
Pather PanÂchali — SatyaÂjit Ray
SevÂen SamuÂrai — AkiÂra KuroÂsawa
The Searchers — John Ford
A Man Escaped — Robert BresÂson
The Cranes Are FlyÂing — Mikhail KalaÂtoÂzov
Touch of Evil — Orson Welles
VerÂtiÂgo — Alfred HitchÂcock
The 400 Blows — François TrufÂfaut
PsyÂcho — Alfred HitchÂcock
L’AvvenÂtuÂra — MichelanÂgeÂlo AntoÂnioni
Lawrence of AraÂbia — David Lean
La jetĂ©e — Chris MarkÂer
Vivre Sa Vie — Jean-Luc Godard
8½ — FedÂeriÂco FelliÂni
It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World — StanÂley Kramer
The UmbrelÂlas of CherÂbourg — Jacques Demy
Woman of the Dunes — Hiroshi TeshiÂgaÂhara
PerÂsona — IngÂmar Bergman
The BatÂtle of Algiers — Gillo PonÂtecorÂvo
Andrei Rublev — Andrei Tarkovsky
PlayÂtime — Jacques Tati
2001: A Space Odyssey — StanÂley Kubrick
Kes — Ken Loach
Once Upon a Time in the West — SerÂgio Leone
The ColÂor of PomeÂgranÂates — Sergei ParaÂjanov
Army of ShadÂows — Jean-Pierre Melville
The ConÂformist — BernarÂdo BertolucÂci
A Touch of Zen — King Hu
The GodÂfaÂther — FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla
The GodÂfaÂther Part II — FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla
Pink FlaminÂgos — John Waters
The SpirÂit of the BeeÂhive — VĂcÂtor Erice
The ExorÂcist — William FriedÂkin
The MothÂer and the Whore — Jean Eustache
BadÂlands — TerÂrence MalÂick
The ConÂverÂsaÂtion — FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla
A Woman Under the InfluÂence — John CasÂsavetes
Jeanne DielÂman, 23, quai du ComÂmerce, 1080 BruxÂelles — ChanÂtal AkerÂman
Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom — Pier PaoÂlo PasoliÂni
Nashville — Robert AltÂman
Jaws — Steven SpielÂberg
BarÂry LynÂdon — StanÂley Kubrick
Taxi DriÂver — MarÂtin ScorsÂese
EraserÂhead — David Lynch
Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope — George Lucas
House — Nobuhiko Ôbayashi
Alien — RidÂley Scott
ApocÂaÂlypse Now — FranÂcis Ford CopÂpoÂla
StalkÂer — Andrei Tarkovsky
RagÂing Bull — MarÂtin ScorsÂese
The ShinÂing — StanÂley Kubrick
Pixote — HecÂtor BabenÂco
KoyÂaanisqatÂsi — GodÂfrey RegÂgio
VideoÂdrome — David CroÂnenÂberg
Ran — AkiÂra KuroÂsawa
Come and See — Elem Klimov
Angel’s Egg — Mamoru Oshii, Stephanie Sheh, Michael SinÂterniklaas
A Short Film About Killing — Krzysztof KiesÂlowsÂki
A City of SadÂness — Hsiao-Hsien Hou
The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover — Peter GreenÂaway
TetÂsuo: The Iron Man — Shin’ya TsukamoÂto
Do the Right Thing — Spike Lee
GoodÂFelÂlas — MarÂtin ScorsÂese
Close-Up — Abbas KiarostaÂmi
A Brighter SumÂmer Day — Edward Yang
Man Bites Dog — RĂ©my BelÂvaux, AndrĂ© Bonzel, BenoĂ®t PoelvoÂorde
Hard Boiled — John Woo
SátánÂtangĂł — BĂ©la Tarr
Pulp FicÂtion — Quentin TaranÂtiÂno
Clerks — Kevin Smith
The Lion King — Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
La haine — MathÂieu KassoÂvitz
Cure — Kiyoshi KuroÂsawa
The CelÂeÂbraÂtion — Thomas VinÂterÂberg
Beau traÂvail — Claire Denis
Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuÂrai — Jim JarÂmusch
The Matrix — Lana WachowsÂki, LilÂly WachowsÂki
AmerÂiÂcan Movie — Chris Smith
I didÂn’t verÂiÂfy this for accuÂraÂcy, but here is what GemÂiÂni said were the 135 movies menÂtioned in the watchÂlist:
Fred Ott’s Sneeze (5:25)
The Big SwalÂlow (6:56)
A VoyÂage to the Moon (7:55)
The Great Train RobÂbery (9:05)
FanÂtasÂmagorie (10:08)
SusÂpense (10:56)
The Birth of a Nation (11:42)
IntolÂerÂance (13:48)
J’acÂcuse (14:57)
The CabÂiÂnet of Dr. CaliÂgari (15:51)
The PhanÂtom CarÂriage (16:46)
HäxÂan (17:29)
SherÂlock Jr. (18:07)
Greed (18:50)
The Last Laugh (19:34)
BatÂtleÂship Potemkin (20:24)
A Page of MadÂness (22:25)
MetropÂoÂlis (23:10)
Napoleon (23:52)
The PasÂsion of Joan of Arc (25:55)
Un Chien Andalou (26:57)
Man with a Movie CamÂera (27:22)
M (28:50)
Freaks (29:35)
The TesÂtaÂment of Dr. Mabuse (30:24)
Duck Soup (30:55)
L’AtaÂlante (32:04)
ModÂern Times (33:00)
Snow White and the SevÂen Dwarfs (33:36)
StageÂcoach (35:45)
The Rules of the Game (36:26)
Gone With The Wind (37:47)
The Great DicÂtaÂtor (39:17)
FanÂtaÂsia (39:59)
CitÂiÂzen Kane (41:17)
The MagÂnifÂiÂcent AmberÂsons (42:59)
To Be or Not to Be (43:16)
MeshÂes of the AfterÂnoon (44:57)
CasablanÂca (45:49)
DouÂble IndemÂniÂty (46:55)
Ivan the TerÂriÂble (48:19)
BeauÂty and the Beast (48:50)
Paisan (49:50)
Rome Open City (50:33)
GerÂmany Year Zero (50:33)
Brief Encounter (51:00)
ChilÂdren of ParÂadise (51:36)
The Best Years of Our Lives (52:16)
The Lady from ShangÂhai (53:05)
BicyÂcle Thieves (53:32)
The Red Shoes (54:19)
Rashomon (55:31)
A StreetÂcar Named Desire (56:06)
Ikiru (56:39)
Tokyo StoÂry (57:12)
Rear WinÂdow (57:48)
SevÂen SamuÂrai (58:24)
La StraÂda (58:59)
GodzilÂla (59:33)
Pather PanÂchali (1:00:08)
The Searchers (1:00:43)
Flesh and the DevÂil (1:01:21)
The SevÂenth Seal (1:01:45)
VerÂtiÂgo (1:02:18)
Some Like It Hot (1:02:51)
The 400 Blows (1:03:22)
North by NorthÂwest (1:03:57)
HiroshiÂma Mon Amour (1:04:31)
Wild StrawÂberÂries (1:05:04)
BreathÂless (1:05:37)
PsyÂcho (1:06:12)
La Dolce Vita (1:06:45)
L’AvvenÂtuÂra (1:07:20)
PeepÂing Tom (1:07:54)
The ApartÂment (1:08:29)
YojimÂbo (1:09:03)
West Side StoÂry (1:09:37)
Cléo from 5 to 7 (1:10:13)
Lawrence of AraÂbia (1:10:48)
WinÂter Light (1:11:21)
8½ (1:11:56)
Dr. Strangelove (1:12:51)
A Hard Day’s Night (1:13:25)
The UmbrelÂlas of CherÂbourg (1:14:00)
SevÂen Up! (1:14:35)
Harakiri (1:15:09)
The Act of SeeÂing with One’s Own Eyes (1:15:43)
PerÂsona (1:16:16)
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1:16:51)
PlayÂtime (1:17:26)
BonÂnie and Clyde (1:18:01)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1:18:36)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1:19:10)
RoseÂmary’s Baby (1:19:45)
The Wild Bunch (1:20:19)
MidÂnight CowÂboy (1:20:54)
Z (1:21:28)
Easy RidÂer (1:22:04)
The French ConÂnecÂtion (1:28:21)
A ClockÂwork Orange (1:29:05)
Harold and Maude (1:29:40)
The GodÂfaÂther (1:30:15)
Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1:30:50)
Don’t Look Now (1:31:25)
The ExorÂcist (1:32:00)
ChiÂnaÂtown (1:32:35)
The GodÂfaÂther Part II (1:33:10)
Nashville (1:33:45)
Jeanne DielÂman, 23 quai du ComÂmerce, 1080 BruxÂelles (1:34:20)
Jaws (1:34:55)
One Flew Over the CuckÂoo’s Nest (1:35:30)
Taxi DriÂver (1:36:04)
NetÂwork (1:36:39)
Annie Hall (1:37:14)
EraserÂhead (1:37:49)
Close EncounÂters of the Third Kind (1:38:24)
ApocÂaÂlypse Now (1:38:59)
Alien (1:39:34)
The Act of Killing (1:40:09)
StalkÂer (1:40:44)
RagÂing Bull (1:48:38)
AirÂplane! (1:49:13)
Blade RunÂner (1:49:48)
FanÂny and AlexanÂder (1:50:23)
Once Upon a Time in AmerÂiÂca (1:50:58)
Amadeus (1:51:33)
Come and See (1:52:08)
Ran (1:52:43)
Brazil (1:53:18)
Shoah (1:53:53)
Blue VelÂvet (1:54:28)
Wings of Desire (1:55:03)
RoboÂCop (1:55:38)
The Last TempÂtaÂtion of Christ (1:56:13)
Do the Right Thing (1:56:48)
DekaÂlog (1:57:23)
My NeighÂbor Totoro (1:57:58)
GoodÂfelÂlas (2:00:49)
Silence of the Lambs (2:01:24)
TerÂmiÂnaÂtor 2: JudgÂment Day (2:01:59)
Raise the Red Lantern (2:02:34)
UnforÂgivÂen (2:03:09)
Pulp FicÂtion (2:03:44)
The ShawÂshank RedempÂtion (2:04:19)
ForÂrest Gump (2:04:54)
FarÂgo (2:05:29)
TrainspotÂting (2:06:04)
Princess Mononoke (2:06:39)
SavÂing PriÂvate Ryan (2:07:14)
The Big LebowsÂki (2:07:49)
Fight Club (2:08:24)