(Photo by Warner Bros. /Courtesy Everett Collection)
Best Cinematography Oscar-Winning Movies, Ranked
Movies are first and foremost a visual medium, and on-set cinematographers are responsible for setting up the angles, the lighting, and the look of what’s being captured on camera. In other words, cinematography is about how we see movies. Take a look at the movies and filmmakers that have won the Academy Award for Best Cinematography over the past 25 years and big scenes and moments immediately fill the mind’s eye: Saving Private Ryan’s desaturated, dirt-and-blood-on-the-lenses look put you in the middle of the chaos on Omaha Beach. Andrew Lesine brought the high fantasy of Tolkien to earthy life in The Fellowship of the Ring. You can’t separate the overwhelming rain-drenched appearance in Road to Perdition from the movie’s plot, thanks to Conrad Hall, who won the Oscar posthumously. Like a magician, Emmanuel Lubezki won three in a row for pulling off three wildly different assignments: Gravity, Birdman, and The Revenant. Roger Deakins was nominated 13 times before finally winning one for Blade Runner 2049′s sci-fi vistas and memorable triple-layered love scene, and then winning again for matching all the complicated sequences in 1917 to help achieve the appearance of one continuous shot.
The Best Cinematography award has been a thing for as long as the Oscars have been around, with Sunrise taking home inaugural gold in 1927. By 1940, the award had permanently split in two: One for Black-and-White, and the other for films in Color, with Gone with the Wind being the first to win the latter. 1966 was the final time the Academy made that distinction, though black-and-white movies have won since, like Schindler’s List in 1994, Roma in 2019, and Mank in 2021.
And now, we’re ranking all Best Cinematography Oscar-winning movie by Tomatometer! —Alex Vo
100%
Critics Consensus: A psychologically complex portrait of obsession, Laura is also a deliciously well-crafted murder mystery.
Synopsis: In one of the most celebrated 1940s film noirs, Manhattan detective Mark McPherson (Dana Andrews) investigates the murder of Madison Avenue executive Laura Hunt (Gene... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gene Tierney, Dana Andrews, Clifton Webb, Vincent Price
Directed By: Otto Preminger
100%
Critics Consensus: Ingmar Bergman conveys the sweep of childhood with a fastidious attention to detail and sumptuous insight into human frailty in Fanny & Alexander, a masterwork that crystalizes many of the directors' preoccupations into a familial epic.
Synopsis: As children in the loving Ekdahl family, Fanny and Alexander enjoy a happy life with their parents, who run a theater company. After their father... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Pernilla Allwin, Bertil Guve, Erland Josephson, Gunn Wållgren
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A group of Anglican nuns, led by Sister Clodagh (Deborah Kerr), are sent to a mountain in the Himalayas. The climate in the region is... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Sabu, David Farrar, Flora Robson
Directed By: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger
100%
Critics Consensus: Furnished with striking visual detail and told with great narrative economy by director David Lean, Great Expectations is an exemplary adaptation of Charles Dickens' dense and episodic novel.
Synopsis: In this Dickens adaptation, orphan Pip discovers through lawyer Mr. Jaggers that a mysterious benefactor wishes to ensure that he becomes a gentleman. Reunited with... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Mills, Valerie Hobson, Bernard Miles, Francis L. Sullivan
Directed By: David Lean
100%
Critics Consensus: Dashing, dazzling, and altogether magical, The Thief of Bagdad is an enchanting fantasy for children of all ages.
Synopsis: Deceived and deposed by his sinister adviser, Jaffar (Conrad Veidt), Ahmad (John Justin), the King of Bagdad, must find a way to reclaim his throne.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sabu, John Justin, Conrad Veidt, June Duprez
Directed By: Ludwig Berger, Michael Powell, Tim Whelan
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When a young actress (Janet Gaynor) arrives in Hollywood with hopes of stardom, a chance encounter places her under the wing of older actor Norman... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Janet Gaynor, Fredric March, Adolphe Menjou, May Robson
Directed By: William A. Wellman
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, this drama focuses on the family of Civil War veteran Penny Baxter (Gregory Peck), who lives and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gregory Peck, Jane Wyman, Claude Jarman Jr., Chill Wills
Directed By: Clarence Brown
100%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Brash young Spanish peasant Juan Gallardo (Tyrone Power) aspires to follow his dead father's footsteps into the bullring, despite his mother's fears. Bidding his childhood... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, Rita Hayworth, Alla Nazimova
Directed By: Rouben Mamoulian
99%
Critics Consensus: With his electrifying performance in Elia Kazan's thought-provoking, expertly constructed melodrama, Marlon Brando redefined the possibilities of acting for film and helped permanently alter the cinematic landscape.
Synopsis: Dockworker Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando) had been an up-and-coming boxer until powerful local mob boss Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb) persuaded him to throw a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlon Brando, Eva Marie Saint, Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb
Directed By: Elia Kazan
98%
Critics Consensus: Hitchcock's first American film (and his only Best Picture winner), Rebecca is a masterpiece of haunting atmosphere, Gothic thrills, and gripping suspense.
Synopsis: Story of a young woman who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, Judith Anderson, George Sanders
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
99%
Critics Consensus: This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles.
Synopsis: Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Trevor Howard, Alida Valli
Directed By: Carol Reed
98%
Critics Consensus: Schindler's List blends the abject horror of the Holocaust with Steven Spielberg's signature tender humanism to create the director's dramatic masterpiece.
Synopsis: Businessman Oskar Schindler arrives in Kraków in 1939, ready to make his fortune from World War II, which has just started. After joining the Nazi... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ben Kingsley, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
91%
Critics Consensus: A voyage to hell where the journey is more satisfying than the destination, Francis Ford Coppola's haunting, hallucinatory Vietnam War epic is cinema at its most audacious and visionary.
Synopsis: In Vietnam in 1970, Captain Willard (Martin Sheen) takes a perilous and increasingly hallucinatory journey upriver to find and terminate Colonel Kurtz (Marlon Brando), a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlon Brando, Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, Frederic Forrest
Directed By: Francis Ford Coppola
98%
Critics Consensus: Boasting masterful cinematography to match its well-acted, wonderfully romantic storyline, Sunrise is perhaps the final -- and arguably definitive -- statement of the silent era.
Synopsis: Bored with his wife (Janet Gaynor), their baby and the dull routine of farm life, a farmer (George O'Brien) falls under the spell of a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George O'Brien, Janet Gaynor, Margaret Livingston, Bodil Rosing
Directed By: F.W. Murnau
96%
Critics Consensus: Catapulting Ang Lee into the upper echelon of Hollywood filmmakers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon features a deft mix of amazing martial arts battles, beautiful scenery, and tasteful drama.
Synopsis: In 19th century Qing Dynasty China, a warrior (Chow Yun-Fat) gives his sword, Green Destiny, to his lover (Michelle Yeoh) to deliver to safe keeping,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Chow Yun-Fat, Michelle Yeoh, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen
Directed By: Ang Lee
97%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Enigmatic gunslinger Shane rides into a small Wyoming town with hopes of quietly settling down as a farmhand. Taking a job on homesteader Joe Starrett's... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Alan Ladd, Jean Arthur, Van Heflin, Brandon De Wilde
Directed By: George Stevens
96%
Critics Consensus: Roma finds writer-director Alfonso Cuarón in complete, enthralling command of his visual craft - and telling the most powerfully personal story of his career.
Synopsis: Cleo is one of two domestic workers who help Antonio and Sofía take care of their four children in 1970s Mexico City. Complications soon arise... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Yalitza Aparicio, Marina de Tavira, Marco Graf, Fernando Grediaga
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
96%
Critics Consensus: Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity is an eerie, tense sci-fi thriller that's masterfully directed and visually stunning.
Synopsis: Dr. Ryan Stone is a medical engineer on her first shuttle mission. Her commander is veteran astronaut Matt Kowalsky, helming his last flight before retirement.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris, Orto Ignatiussen
Directed By: Alfonso Cuarón
96%
Critics Consensus: This complex war epic asks hard questions, resists easy answers, and boasts career-defining work from star Alec Guinness and director David Lean.
Synopsis: Adaptation of the Pierre Boulle novel about POWs in Burma forced to build a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. British... View Full Synopsis
Starring: William Holden, Alec Guinness, Sessue Hayakawa, Jack Hawkins
Directed By: David Lean
95%
Critics Consensus: The plot may be problematic, but such concerns are rendered superfluous by Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron's star power, the Gershwins' classic songs, and Vincente Minnelli's colorful, sympathetic direction.
Synopsis: Jerry Mulligan is an American ex-GI who stays in post-war Paris to become a painter, and falls for the gamine charms of Lise Bouvier. However,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary
Directed By: Vincente Minnelli
94%
Critics Consensus: Paul Newman and Jackie Gleason give iconic performances in this dark, morally complex tale of redemption.
Synopsis: Story Fast Eddie Felsen (Paul Newman) and his adventures in the world of professional pool. Fast Eddie is a young hopeful on his way to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Newman, Jackie Gleason, George C. Scott, Piper Laurie
Directed By: Robert Rossen
96%
Critics Consensus: Sumptuous design and perfect casting makes Wuthering Heights an exemplar of old Hollywood studio filmmaking, even if to a fault.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of the classic Emily Bronte novel set in 19th-century England, wealthy young Cathy Earnshaw (Merle Oberon) shares a loving bond with Heathcliff... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Merle Oberon, Laurence Olivier, David Niven, Flora Robson
Directed By: William Wyler
95%
Critics Consensus: Pan's Labyrinth is Alice in Wonderland for grown-ups, with the horrors of both reality and fantasy blended together into an extraordinary, spellbinding fable.
Synopsis: In 1944 in Spain, Ofelia and her ailing mother arrive at the post of her mother's new husband, a sadistic army officer who is trying... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, Ivana Baquero, Álex Angulo
Directed By: Guillermo del Toro
93%
Critics Consensus: An excessively sentimental piece of propaganda, Mrs. Miniver nonetheless succeeds, due largely to Greer Garson's powerful performance.
Synopsis: A moving drama about a middle-class English family learning to cope with war, told in a series of dramatic vignettes. The family, headed by the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Greer Garson, Walter Pidgeon, Dame May Whitty, Teresa Wright
Directed By: William Wyler
96%
Critics Consensus: Led by a volcanic performance from Elizabeth Taylor, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is a scathing adaptation of the Edward Albee play that serves as a brilliant calling card for debuting director Mike Nichols.
Synopsis: History professor George (Richard Burton) and his boozy wife, Martha (Elizabeth Taylor), return late one Saturday night from a cocktail party at the home of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, George Segal, Sandy Dennis
Directed By: Mike Nichols
95%
Critics Consensus: The solid leads and arresting visuals make a case for Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet as the definitive cinematic adaptation of the play.
Synopsis: In the Italian city of Verona, the Montague and the Capulet families are perpetually feuding. When Romeo (Leonard Whiting), a handsome young Montague, disregards convention... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonard Whiting, Olivia Hussey, Milo O'Shea, Michael York
Directed By: Franco Zeffirelli
95%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Inspired by a Pearl S. Buck novel, this inspiring drama follows the many ups and downs in the lives of Chinese farmers Wang Lung and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Muni, Luise Rainer, Walter Connolly, Tilly Losch
Directed By: Sidney Franklin
93%
Critics Consensus: The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.
Synopsis: Due to his knowledge of the native Bedouin tribes, British Lieutenant T.E. Lawrence (Peter O'Toole) is sent to Arabia to find Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Peter O'Toole, Alec Guinness, Anthony Quinn, Omar Sharif
Directed By: David Lean
94%
Critics Consensus: George Cukor's elegant, colorful adaptation of the beloved stage play is elevated to new heights thanks to winning performances by Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
Synopsis: In this beloved musical, pompous phonetics professor Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison) is so sure of his abilities that he takes it upon himself to transform... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Audrey Hepburn, Rex Harrison, Stanley Holloway, Wilfrid Hyde-White
Directed By: George Cukor
91%
Critics Consensus: Close Encounters of the Third Kind is deeply humane sci-fi exploring male obsession, cosmic mysticism, and music.
Synopsis: Science fiction adventure about a group of people who attempt to contact alien intelligence. Roy Neary (Richard Dreyfuss) witnesses an unidentified flying object, and even... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Richard Dreyfuss, François Truffaut, Teri Garr, Melinda Dillon
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
93%
Critics Consensus: It may occasionally be guilty of coasting on pure charm, but To Catch a Thief has it in spades -- as well as a pair of perfectly matched stars in Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.
Synopsis: Notorious cat burglar John Robie (Cary Grant) has long since retired to tend vineyards on the French Riviera. When a series of robberies is committed... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Cary Grant, Grace Kelly, Jessie Royce Landis, John Williams
Directed By: Alfred Hitchcock
96%
Critics Consensus: Buckle up: Marlene Dietrich will inveigle you on the Shanghai Express with her fearlessness and bare-knuckle one-liners in this slick pre-code melodrama.
Synopsis: In Peking, China, during a civil war, British Capt. Donald Harvey (Clive Brook) meets his old flame Magdalen (Marlene Dietrich) and learns with dismay that... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Clive Brook, Anna May Wong, Warner Oland
Directed By: Josef von Sternberg
92%
Critics Consensus: Visually stunning and achingly performed, Ingmar Bergman's chamber piece is a visceral rumination on death and sisterhood.
Synopsis: As Agnes (Harriet Andersson) slowly dies of cancer, her sisters are so deeply immersed in their own psychic pains that they can't offer her the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Liv Ullmann, Harriet Andersson, Ingrid Thulin, Kari Sylwan
Directed By: Ingmar Bergman
88%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Frederic Henry (Gary Cooper), an American driving ambulances for the Italian Army during World War I, falls for British Red Cross nurse Catherine Barkley (Helen... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Helen Hayes, Gary Cooper, Adolphe Menjou, Mary Philips
Directed By: Frank Borzage
93%
Critics Consensus: Hugo is an extravagant, elegant fantasy with an innocence lacking in many modern kids' movies, and one that emanates an unabashed love for the magic of cinema.
Synopsis: Orphaned and alone except for an uncle, Hugo Cabret lives in the walls of a train station in the 1930s Paris. Hugo's job is to... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Asa Butterfield, Chloë Grace Moretz
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
94%
Critics Consensus: Anchored by another winning performance from Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg's unflinchingly realistic war film virtually redefines the genre.
Synopsis: Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks) takes his men behind enemy lines to find Private James Ryan, whose three brothers have been killed in combat. Surrounded... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Edward Burns, Tom Sizemore, Jeremy Davies
Directed By: Steven Spielberg
92%
Critics Consensus: Buoyed by Robert Wise's dazzling direction, Leonard Bernstein's score, and Stephen Sondheim's lyrics, West Side Story remains perhaps the most iconic of all the Shakespeare adaptations to visit the big screen.
Synopsis: A musical in which a modern day Romeo and Juliet are involved in New York street gangs. On the harsh streets of the upper west... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, George Chakiris
Directed By: Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise
93%
Critics Consensus: Featuring terrific performances and epic action, Kubrick's restored swords-and-sandals epic is a true classic.
Synopsis: The rebellious Thracian Spartacus, born and raised a slave, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus. After weeks of being trained to kill for the arena,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kirk Douglas, Laurence Olivier, Jean Simmons, Tony Curtis
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
95%
Critics Consensus: Bolstered by exceptional cinematography, powerful storytelling, and an Oscar-winning performance by Denzel Washington, Glory remains one of the finest Civil War movies ever made.
Synopsis: Following the Battle of Antietam, Col. Robert Gould Shaw (Matthew Broderick) is offered command of the United States' first all-African-American regiment, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, Cary Elwes
Directed By: Edward Zwick
92%
Critics Consensus: Great performances and evocative musical numbers help Cabaret secure its status as a stylish, socially conscious classic.
Synopsis: In Berlin in 1931, American cabaret singer Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli) meets British academic Brian Roberts (Michael York), who is finishing his university studies. Despite... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Liza Minnelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Helmut Griem
Directed By: Bob Fosse
91%
Critics Consensus: Artfully composed, powerfully acted, and fueled by a powerful blend of anger and empathy, The Killing Fields is a career-defining triumph for director Roland Joffé and a masterpiece of cinema.
Synopsis: New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg (Sam Waterston) is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran (Haing... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sam Waterston, Haing S. Ngor, John Malkovich, Julian Sands
Directed By: Roland Joffé
92%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On the island of Bora Bora, the islanders welcome Tabu (Hitu), a messenger from the chief who has come to declare the island's virgin successor.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anna Chevalier, Matahi, Hitu, Bill Bambridge
Directed By: F.W. Murnau
94%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Posing for a portrait, Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) talks with Lord Henry Wotton (George Sanders), who says that men should pursue their sensual longings, but... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Angela Lansbury, Donna Reed
Directed By: Albert Lewin
93%
Critics Consensus: Illuminated by magic hour glow and wistful performances, Days of Heaven is a visual masterpiece that finds eloquent poetry in its spare scenario.
Synopsis: A screen poem about life in America at the turn of the century. A story of love and murder told through the voice of a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Richard Gere, Brooke Adams, Sam Shepard, Linda Manz
Directed By: Terrence Malick
90%
Critics Consensus: An advocacy drama that makes its points without belaboring them, The Defiant Ones relies on its clever concept and brilliant performances to repudiate racial prejudice.
Synopsis: In the 1950s America, members of a chain gang are being transported through the South when their truck crashes. Two of the convicts, John Joker... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tony Curtis, Sidney Poitier, Theodore Bikel, Charles McGraw
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
92%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The last job of Calvary Captain Nathan Brittles (John Wayne) before retirement is to soothe relations with the Cheyenne and Arapaho Indians after Custer's last... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Wayne, Joanne Dru, John Agar, Ben Johnson
Directed By: John Ford
92%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A rescue party sets out to find an explorer who has disappeared on an African treasure hunt. The search leads the party across the continent... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Deborah Kerr, Stewart Granger, Richard Carlson, Hugo Haas
Directed By: Compton Bennett, Andrew Marton
91%
Critics Consensus: La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart.
Synopsis: Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and Mia (Emma Stone) are drawn together by their common desire to do what they love. But as success mounts they are... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, John Legend, Rosemarie DeWitt
Directed By: Damien Chazelle
91%
Critics Consensus: A thrilling leap forward for director Alejandro González Iñárritu, Birdman is an ambitious technical showcase powered by a layered story and outstanding performances from Michael Keaton and Edward Norton.
Synopsis: Former cinema superhero Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) is mounting an ambitious Broadway production that he hopes will breathe new life into his stagnant career. It's... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Michael Keaton, Zach Galifianakis, Edward Norton, Andrea Riseborough
Directed By: Alejandro González Iñárritu
92%
Critics Consensus: Visually dazzling and emotionally resonant, Slumdog Millionaire is a film that's both entertaining and powerful.
Synopsis: As 18-year-old Jamal Malik answers questions on the Indian version of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," flashbacks show how he got there. Part of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Dev Patel, Freida Pinto, Madhur Mittal, Anil Kapoor
Directed By: Danny Boyle
91%
Critics Consensus: Widely touted as a masterpiece, this sparse and sprawling epic about the underhanded "heroes" of capitalism boasts incredible performances by leads Daniel Day-Lewis and Paul Dano, and is director Paul Thomas Anderson's best work to date.
Synopsis: Silver miner Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis) leads a hardscrabble life with his son, H.W. (Dillon Freasier). When he hears about oil oozing from the ground... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Paul Dano, Kevin J. O'Connor, Ciarán Hinds
Directed By: Paul Thomas Anderson
91%
Critics Consensus: Full of eye-popping special effects, and featuring a pitch-perfect cast, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring brings J.R.R. Tolkien's classic to vivid life.
Synopsis: The future of civilization rests in the fate of the One Ring, which has been lost for centuries. Powerful forces are unrelenting in their search... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Liv Tyler, Viggo Mortensen
Directed By: Peter Jackson
91%
Critics Consensus: Director John Ford and star John Wayne depart the Western for the Irish countryside, and the result is a beautifully photographed, often comedic romance.
Synopsis: After accidentally killing an opponent in the ring, boxer Sean Thornton leaves America and returns to his native Ireland, hoping to buy his family's homestead... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor McLaglen
Directed By: John Ford
92%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In this classic screen adaptation of Shakespeare's fantastical play, the royal wedding plans of Theseus, the duke of Athens (Ian Hunter) and Hippolyta overlap with... View Full Synopsis
Starring: James Cagney, Mickey Rooney, Olivia de Havilland, Dick Powell
Directed By: William Dieterle, Max Reinhardt
90%
Critics Consensus: Gone with the Wind's epic grandeur and romantic allure encapsulate an era of Hollywood filmmaking -- but that can't excuse a blinkered perspective that stands on the wrong side of history.
Synopsis: Winner of eight Academy Awards® (plus two special achievement Oscars) Celebrate the 85th Anniversary of one of the most celebrated motion pictures of all time,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland
Directed By: Victor Fleming
90%
Critics Consensus: Brawny in both intellect and scope, Reds is an intimate epic that captures the tumult of revolutionary change and the passion of those navigating through it.
Synopsis: American journalist John Reed (Warren Beatty) journeys to Russia to document the Bolshevik Revolution and returns a revolutionary. His fervor for left-wing politics leads him... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Warren Beatty, Diane Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Maureen Stapleton
Directed By: Warren Beatty
82%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: During the Hundred Years' War, peasant girl Joan of Arc (Ingrid Bergman) hears voices instructing her to save France from the English. Convinced that these... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, José Ferrer, Francis L. Sullivan, J. Carrol Naish
Directed By: Victor Fleming
86%
Critics Consensus: While Bernardo Bertolucci's decadent epic never quite identifies the dramatic pulse of its protagonist, stupendous visuals and John Lone's ability to make passivity riveting give The Last Emperor a rarified grandeur.
Synopsis: This sweeping account of the life of Pu Yi (John Lone), the last emperor of China, follows the leader's tumultuous reign. After being captured by... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Ying Ruocheng
Directed By: Bernardo Bertolucci
89%
Critics Consensus: With its iconic pairing of Paul Newman and Robert Redford, jaunty screenplay and Burt Bacharach score, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid has gone down as among the defining moments in late-'60s American cinema.
Synopsis: The true story of fast-draws and wild rides, battles with posses, train and bank robberies, a torrid love affair and a new lease on outlaw... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
Directed By: George Roy Hill
93%
Critics Consensus: Nostalgic without becoming maudlin, this working-class drama is enlivened by a terrific cast and John Ford's ineffable directorial eye.
Synopsis: Huw Morgan (Roddy McDowall), the academically inclined youngest son in a proud family of Welsh coal miners, witnesses the tumultuous events of his young life... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Roddy McDowall, Donald Crisp
Directed By: John Ford
89%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Princeton University president Woodrow Wilson (Alexander Knox) leaves his post to run for governor of New Jersey, and soon becomes President of the United States.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Alexander Knox, Charles Coburn, Geraldine Fitzgerald, Thomas Mitchell
Directed By: Henry King
88%
Critics Consensus: Hard-hitting, immersive, and an impressive technical achievement, 1917 captures the trench warfare of World War I with raw, startling immediacy.
Synopsis: During World War I, two British soldiers -- Lance Cpl. Schofield and Lance Cpl. Blake -- receive seemingly impossible orders. In a race against time,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: George MacKay, Dean-Charles Chapman, Mark Strong, Andrew Scott
Directed By: Sam Mendes
88%
Critics Consensus: Visually stunning and narratively satisfying, Blade Runner 2049 deepens and expands its predecessor's story while standing as an impressive filmmaking achievement in its own right.
Synopsis: Officer K (Ryan Gosling), a new blade runner for the Los Angeles Police Department, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Harrison Ford, Ana de Armas, Sylvia Hoeks
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
88%
Critics Consensus: It has perhaps aged poorly, but this languidly paced WWII romance remains an iconic, well-acted film, featuring particularly strong performances from Burt Lancaster and Montgomery Clift.
Synopsis: At an Army barracks in Hawaii in the days preceding the attack on Pearl Harbor, lone-wolf soldier and boxing champion Prew Prewitt (Montgomery Clift) refuses... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Frank Sinatra
Directed By: Fred Zinnemann
78%
Critics Consensus: Visually astonishing and placid as a pond in the English countryside, Stanley Kubrick's maddening and masterful Barry Lyndon renders a hollow life with painterly poise.
Synopsis: How does an Irish lad without prospects become part of 18th-century English nobility? For Barry Lyndon (Ryan O'Neal) the answer is: any way he can!... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ryan O'Neal, Marisa Berenson, Patrick Magee, Hardy Krüger
Directed By: Stanley Kubrick
91%
Critics Consensus: A paradigm-shifting classic of American cinema, Bonnie and Clyde packs a punch whose power continues to reverberate through thrillers decades later.
Synopsis: Small-time crook Clyde Barrow (Warren Beatty) tries to steal a car and winds up with its owner's daughter, dissatisfied small-town girl Bonnie Parker (Faye Dunaway).... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Directed By: Arthur Penn
87%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on the popular novel by Franz Werfel, this drama focuses on Bernadette Soubirous (Jennifer Jones), a young French woman who experiences vivid visions of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jennifer Jones, Charles Bickford, Gladys Cooper, William Eythe
Directed By: Henry King
89%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When young British teacher Anna Owens arrives in Bangkok to tutor the family of King Mongkut, she finds that she is not well prepared for... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Irene Dunne, Rex Harrison, Linda Darnell, Lee J. Cobb
Directed By: John Cromwell
87%
Critics Consensus: Smart, innovative, and thrilling, Inception is that rare summer blockbuster that succeeds viscerally as well as intellectually.
Synopsis: Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets from their subconscious. His skill has... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Elliot Page, Tom Hardy
Directed By: Christopher Nolan
88%
Critics Consensus: A mostly unqualified triumph for James Cameron, who offers a dizzying blend of spectacular visuals and old-fashioned melodrama.
Synopsis: Two young lovers from different backgrounds meet and fall in love on the ill-fated maiden voyage of the unsinkable R.M.S. Titanic.
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Kate Winslet, Billy Zane, Kathy Bates
Directed By: James Cameron
87%
Critics Consensus: Flawlessly cast and brimming with dark, acid wit, American Beauty is a smart, provocative high point of late '90s mainstream Hollywood film.
Synopsis: Lester Burnham (Kevin Spacey) is a gainfully employed suburban husband and father. Fed up with his boring, stagnant existence, he quits his job and decides... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin Spacey, Annette Bening, Thora Birch, Wes Bentley
Directed By: Sam Mendes
90%
Critics Consensus: It may not be one of Vincente Minnelli's best, but the charming and flawlessly acted Gigi still offers enough visual and musical treats to satisfy.
Synopsis: Gaston (Louis Jourdan) is a restless Parisian playboy who moves from one mistress to another, while also spending time with Gigi (Leslie Caron), a precocious... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leslie Caron, Maurice Chevalier, Louis Jourdan, Hermione Gingold
Directed By: Vincente Minnelli
83%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 1944, the U.S. Army and Allied forces plan a huge invasion landing in Normandy, France. Despite bad weather, General Eisenhower gives the okay and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: John Wayne, Robert Mitchum, Henry Fonda, Rod Steiger
Directed By: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki
86%
Critics Consensus: A 3D adaptation of a supposedly "unfilmable" book, Ang Lee's Life of Pi achieves the near impossible -- it's an astonishing technical achievement that's also emotionally rewarding.
Synopsis: After deciding to sell their zoo in India and move to Canada, Santosh and Gita Patel board a freighter with their sons and a few... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, Tabu, Rafe Spall
Directed By: Ang Lee
86%
Critics Consensus: With a rich sense of period detail, The Aviator succeeds thanks to typically assured direction from Martin Scorsese and a strong performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, who charts Howard Hughes' descent from eccentric billionaire to reclusive madman.
Synopsis: Billionaire and aviation tycoon Howard Hughes (Leonardo DiCaprio) is a successful public figure: a director of big-budget Hollywood films such as "Hell's Angels," a passionate... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Cate Blanchett, Kate Beckinsale, John C. Reilly
Directed By: Martin Scorsese
86%
Critics Consensus: Though it suffers from excessive length and ambition, director Minghella's adaptation of the Michael Ondaatje novel is complex, powerful, and moving.
Synopsis: The sweeping expanses of the Sahara are the setting for a passionate love affair in this adaptation of Michael Ondaatje's novel. A badly burned man,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas
Directed By: Anthony Minghella
88%
Critics Consensus: Uneven, but in terms of epic scope and grand spectacle, Ben-Hur still ranks among Hollywood's finest examples of pure entertainment.
Synopsis: An enslaved Judean prince (Charlton Heston) meets his Roman betrayer (Stephen Boyd), a former friend, in a chariot race.
Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet
Directed By: William Wyler
85%
Critics Consensus: Russell Crowe's rough charm is put to good use in this masterful adaptation of Patrick O'Brian's novel.
Synopsis: In 1805, aboard the H.M.S. Surprise, the brash Captain Jack Aubrey (Russell Crowe) and his trusted friend, the ship's scholarly surgeon, Stephen Maturin (Paul Bettany),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, Billy Boyd, James D'Arcy
Directed By: Peter Weir
85%
Critics Consensus: As history, Oliver Stone's JFK is dubious, but as filmmaking it's electric, cramming a ton of information and excitement into its three-hour runtime and making great use of its outstanding cast.
Synopsis: This acclaimed Oliver Stone drama presents the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin Costner, Sissy Spacek, Joe Pesci, Tommy Lee Jones
Directed By: Oliver Stone
89%
Critics Consensus: Director Richard Attenborough is typically sympathetic and sure-handed, but it's Ben Kingsley's magnetic performance that acts as the linchpin for this sprawling, lengthy biopic.
Synopsis: This acclaimed biographical drama presents major events in the life of Mohandas Gandhi (Ben Kingsley), the beloved Indian leader who stood against British rule over... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Ben Kingsley, Candice Bergen, Edward Fox, John Gielgud
Directed By: Richard Attenborough
86%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran (Don Taylor) and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon (Barry Fitzgerald) attempt to piece together her... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Barry Fitzgerald, Howard Duff, Dorothy Hart, Don Taylor
Directed By: Jules Dassin
83%
Critics Consensus: Dune occasionally struggles with its unwieldy source material, but those issues are largely overshadowed by the scope and ambition of this visually thrilling adaptation.
Synopsis: Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to a dangerous planet in the universe... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin
Directed By: Denis Villeneuve
82%
Critics Consensus: It may not be the best of David Lean's epics, but Dr. Zhivago is still brilliantly photographed and sweepingly romantic.
Synopsis: During the Russian Revolution, Yuri Zhivago (Omar Sharif) is a young doctor who has been raised by his aunt and uncle following his father's suicide.... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Omar Sharif, Julie Christie, Geraldine Chaplin, Tom Courtenay
Directed By: David Lean
89%
Critics Consensus: Solid cinematography and enjoyable performances from Paul Scofield and Robert Shaw add a spark to this deliberately paced adaptation of the Robert Bolt play.
Synopsis: When the highly respected British statesman Sir Thomas More (Paul Scofield) refuses to pressure the Pope into annulling the marriage of King Henry VIII (Robert... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Scofield, Robert Shaw, Orson Welles, Wendy Hiller
Directed By: Fred Zinnemann
79%
Critics Consensus: Mississippi Burning draws on real-life tragedy to impart a worthy message with the measured control of an intelligent drama and the hard-hitting impact of a thriller.
Synopsis: When a group of civil rights workers goes missing in a small Mississippi town, FBI agents Alan Ward (Willem Dafoe) and Rupert Anderson (Gene Hackman)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif
Directed By: Alan Parker
83%
Critics Consensus: Sharply written and brilliantly performed, Mank peers behind the scenes of Citizen Kane to tell an old Hollywood story that could end up being a classic in its own right.
Synopsis: 1930s Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing wit and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish "Citizen Kane."
Starring: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tom Burke
Directed By: David Fincher
87%
Critics Consensus: Dances with Wolves suffers from a simplistic view of the culture it attempts to honor, but the end result remains a stirring western whose noble intentions are often matched by its epic grandeur.
Synopsis: A Civil War soldier develops a relationship with a band of Lakota Indians. Attracted by the simplicity of their lifestyle, he chooses to leave his... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant
Directed By: Kevin Costner
81%
Critics Consensus: A bird may love a fish -- and musical fans will love this adaptation of Fiddler on the Roof, even if it isn't quite as transcendent as the long-running stage version.
Synopsis: A lavishly produced and critically acclaimed screen adaptation of the international stage sensation tells the life-affirming story of Tevye, a poor milkman whose love, pride... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
Directed By: Norman Jewison
86%
Critics Consensus: A Western that swaps out the Hollywood glamor for shades of moral gray, Hud is a sobering showcase for a sterling ensemble of actors at the top of their respective games.
Synopsis: Hard-drinking, arrogant, womanizing Hud Bannon (Paul Newman) lives a self-centered, indolent life supported by his hard-working and morally upstanding father, Homer (Melvyn Douglas), on the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Newman, Melvyn Douglas, Patricia Neal, Brandon De Wilde
Directed By: Martin Ritt
81%
Critics Consensus: Bound for Glory brings the Dust Bowl era to authentic life thanks to Haskell Wexler's opulent cinematography and Woody Guthrie's resonant music, capturing the American mood at the time as much as it does the folk singer's life.
Synopsis: The Dust Bowl overtakes his native Oklahoma in the early 1930s, and struggling young musician Woody Guthrie (David Carradine) leaves his wife, Mary (Melinda Dillon),... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Carradine, Ronny Cox, Melinda Dillon, Gail Strickland
Directed By: Hal Ashby
86%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: The abuse Rocky Barbella endures at the hand of his father and subsequent run-ins with the law lead him in and out of detention centers... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Paul Newman, Pier Angeli, Everett Sloane, Eileen Heckart
Directed By: Robert Wise
83%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: With the pardon of notorious pirate Henry Morgan by the English King, Caribbean pirates are offered amnesty if they give up their lawless ways. As... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tyrone Power, Maureen O'Hara, Laird Cregar, Thomas Mitchell
Directed By: Henry King
81%
Critics Consensus: It might be more impressive on a technical level than as a piece of storytelling, but Avatar reaffirms James Cameron's singular gift for imaginative, absorbing filmmaking.
Synopsis: James Cameron's Academy Award®-winning 2009 epic adventure "Avatar", returns to theaters September 23 in stunning 4K High Dynamic Range. On the lush alien world of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldaña, Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang
Directed By: James Cameron
83%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Devious Egyptian queen Cleopatra (Claudette Colbert) struggles to maintain her tenuous hold on her kingdom, wooing her lovers Julius Caesar (Warren William) and Marc Antony... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Claudette Colbert, Warren William, Henry Wilcoxon, Gertrude Michael
Directed By: Cecil B. DeMille
82%
Critics Consensus: Somber, stately, and beautifully mounted, Sam Mendes' Road to Perdition is a well-crafted mob movie that explores the ties between fathers and sons.
Synopsis: Mike Sullivan (Tom Hanks) is an enforcer for powerful Depression-era Midwestern mobster John Rooney (Paul Newman). Rooney's son, Connor (Daniel Craig), is jealous of the... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Tom Hanks, Paul Newman, Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh
Directed By: Sam Mendes
90%
Critics Consensus: Director George Stevens' stately treatment of A Place in the Sun buffs out some of the novel's nuance with blunt moralizing, but riveting performances by Montgomery Clift and company give the drama a bruising punch.
Synopsis: In this classic version of Theodore Dreiser's novel "An American Tragedy," George Eastman (Montgomery Clift), the nephew of a wealthy industrialist, is excluded from high... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Montgomery Clift, Elizabeth Taylor, Shelley Winters, Keefe Brasselle
Directed By: George Stevens
81%
Critics Consensus: A reverent adaptation of Thomas Hardy's novel, Tess marries painterly cinematography and unhurried pacing to create an epic ode to perseverance.
Synopsis: In Roman Polanski's take on "Tess of the D'Urbervilles," impressionable young Tess is sent by her alcoholic father to visit her rich relatives and apply... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Nastassja Kinski, Peter Firth, Leigh Lawson, John Collin
Directed By: Roman Polanski
80%
Critics Consensus: Tasteful to a fault, this period drama combines a talented cast (including a young Brad Pitt) with some stately, beautifully filmed work from director Robert Redford.
Synopsis: The Maclean brothers, Paul and Norman, live a relatively idyllic life in rural Montana, spending much of their time fly-fishing. The sons of a minister,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Craig Sheffer, Brad Pitt, Tom Skerritt, Brenda Blethyn
Directed By: Robert Redford
81%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In Nazi-occupied Holland in World War II, shopkeeper Kraler hides two Jewish families in his attic. Young Anne Frank (Millie Perkins) keeps a diary of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Millie Perkins, Joseph Schildkraut, Shelley Winters, Richard Beymer
Directed By: George Stevens
80%
Critics Consensus: Melodrama at its most confident, The Bad and the Beautiful is an ode to moviemaking that offers unblinking insight into the ugly egos that have shaped Hollywood history.
Synopsis: Unscrupulous movie producer Jonathan Shields (Kirk Douglas) is a child of Hollywood who ruthlessly toils his way to the top of the studio system, discarding... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Lana Turner, Kirk Douglas, Walter Pidgeon, Dick Powell
Directed By: Vincente Minnelli
78%
Critics Consensus: As starkly beautiful as it is harshly uncompromising, The Revenant uses Leonardo DiCaprio's committed performance as fuel for an absorbing drama that offers punishing challenges -- and rich rewards.
Synopsis: While exploring the uncharted wilderness in 1823, frontiersman Hugh Glass (Leonardo DiCaprio) sustains life-threatening injuries from a brutal bear attack. When a member (Tom Hardy)... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Domhnall Gleeson, Will Poulter
Directed By: Alejandro González Iñárritu
76%
Critics Consensus: Distractingly violent and historically dodgy, Mel Gibson's Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition.
Synopsis: Tells the story of the legendary thirteenth century Scottish hero named William Wallace (Mel Gibson). Wallace rallies the Scottish against the English monarch and Edward... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Catherine McCormack
Directed By: Mel Gibson
81%
Critics Consensus: Though it lives beneath the 1925 version, Claude Rains plays title character well in this landmark color version of the classic tragedy.
Synopsis: Talented Christine (Susanna Foster) is unaware that her singing lessons are being funded by a secret admirer, Enrique (Claude Rains), a mysterious violinist with a... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Claude Rains, Nelson Eddy, Susanna Foster, Edgar Barrier
Directed By: Arthur Lubin
79%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Traveling to inspect an abandoned mine his father owns in Crete, English author Basil (Alan Bates) meets the exuberant peasant Zorba (Anthony Quinn) and invites... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anthony Quinn, Alan Bates, Irene Papas, Lila Kedrova
Directed By: Mihalis Kakogiannis
78%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Members of the U.S. Army's 101st Airborne Division are fighting for their country amidst the rugged terrain of Bastogne, Belgium, in December 1944. Holley and... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy
Directed By: William A. Wellman
63%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: When an eclectic group of passengers boards a cruise ship bound for prewar Germany, they form a microcosm of 1930s society. One passenger, a mysterious... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, Oskar Werner, José Ferrer
Directed By: Stanley Kramer
72%
Critics Consensus: It's undeniably shallow, but its cheerful lack of pretense -- as well as its grand scale and star-stuffed cast -- help make Around the World in 80 Days charmingly light-hearted entertainment.
Synopsis: Victorian-era Englishman Phileas Fogg (David Niven) proclaims before his fellow members of a London gentleman's club that he can circumnavigate the globe in a mere... View Full Synopsis
Starring: David Niven, Mario Moreno 'Cantinflas', Shirley MacLaine, Robert Newton
Directed By: Michael Anderson
69%
Critics Consensus: Although it is not consistently engaging enough to fully justify its towering runtime, The Towering Inferno is a blustery spectacle that executes its disaster premise with flair.
Synopsis: Classic 1970s disaster movie about a fire that breaks out in a state-of-the-art San Francisco high-rise building during the opening ceremony attended by a host... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway
Directed By: John Guillermin, Irwin Allen
63%
Critics Consensus: The Mission is a well-meaning epic given delicate heft by its sumptuous visuals and a standout score by Ennio Morricone, but its staid presentation never stirs an emotional investment in its characters.
Synopsis: Jesuit priest Father Gabriel enters the Guaraní lands in South America with the purpose of converting the natives to Christianity. He soon builds a mission,... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons, Ray McAnally, Liam Neeson
Directed By: Roland Joffé
67%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In a small English coal town, aspiring artist Paul Morel (Dean Stockwell) sets out to break free of the difficult mining life that has hardened... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Trevor Howard, Dean Stockwell, Wendy Hiller, Mary Ure
Directed By: Jack Cardiff
67%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on a play by Tennessee Williams, this classic drama centers on Serafina (Anna Magnani), a widowed Sicilian woman living in the American South who... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Anna Magnani, Burt Lancaster, Marisa Pavan, Ben Cooper
Directed By: Daniel Mann
62%
Critics Consensus: Though lensed with stunning cinematography and featuring a pair of winning performances from Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Out of Africa suffers from excessive length and glacial pacing.
Synopsis: Initially set on being a dairy farmer, the aristocratic Karen Blixen (Meryl Streep) travels to Africa to join her husband, Bror (Klaus Maria Brandauer), who... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Michael Kitchen
Directed By: Sydney Pollack
56%
Critics Consensus: Cleopatra is a lush, ostentatious, endlessly eye-popping epic that sags collapses from a (and how could it not?) four-hour runtime.
Synopsis: "Cleopatra" is a lengthy, sprawling, spectacular love story, helmed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz, depicting Cleopatra's manipulation of Julius Caesar and Marc Antony in her ill-fated... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Pamela Brown
Directed By: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
60%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Three hopeful American secretaries visiting Italy -- newcomer Maria (Maggie McNamara), romance-seeking Anita (Jean Peters) and the more mature Frances (Dorothy McGuire) -- fling their... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Clifton Webb, Dorothy McGuire, Jean Peters, Louis Jourdan
Directed By: Jean Negulesco
61%
Critics Consensus: Featuring a swoon-worthy star turn by Brad Pitt, Legends of the Fall's painterly photography and epic sweep often compensate for its lack of narrative momentum and glut of melodramatic twists.
Synopsis: In early 20th-century Montana, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) lives in the wilderness with his sons, Tristan (Brad Pitt), Alfred (Aidan Quinn) and Samuel (Henry... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Brad Pitt, Anthony Hopkins, Aidan Quinn, Julia Ormond
Directed By: Edward Zwick
47%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: A teacher's (Robert Mitchum) wife (Sarah Miles) has an affair with a British soldier (Christopher Jones) in 1916 Northern Ireland.
Starring: Robert Mitchum, Sarah Miles, Christopher Jones, Trevor Howard
Directed By: David Lean
36%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Boris Androvsky (Charles Boyer) has had enough of life as a Trappist monk, so he leaves the monastery for the deserts of North Africa, in... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Marlene Dietrich, Charles Boyer, Basil Rathbone, C. Aubrey Smith
Directed By: Richard Boleslawski
35%
Critics Consensus: Less nuanced than its source material, Memoirs of a Geisha may be a lavish production, but it still carries the simplistic air of a soap opera.
Synopsis: In the 1920s, 9-year-old Chiyo gets sold to a geisha house. There, she is forced into servitude, receiving nothing in return until the house's ruling... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Zhang Ziyi, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh, Kôji Yakusho
Directed By: Rob Marshall
18%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Based on the novel by Hervey Allen, this expansive drama follows the many adventures of the eponymous hero (Fredric March). Abandoned at a convent by... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Fredric March, Olivia de Havilland, Gale Sondergaard, Edmund Gwenn
Directed By: Mervyn LeRoy
- -
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: In 19th century Vienna, Johann "Schani" Strauss II (Fernand Gravey), son of the great composer, endeavors to realize his own talents. With the support of... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Luise Rainer, Fernand Gravey, Miliza Korjus, Hugh Herbert
Directed By: Julien Duvivier
- -
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Happily married New York City stage actors Ernest Lane (Nelson Eddy) and Gwen Marlowe (Jeanette MacDonald) are stars of a successful Broadway production. However, when... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Jeanette MacDonald, Nelson Eddy, Frank Morgan, Florence Rice
Directed By: W. S. Van Dyke II
- -
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: Floyd Gibbons narrates a filmed record of Adm. Richard Byrd's journey by sea from New York to Antarctica and his flight over the continent.
Starring: Floyd Gibbons
- -
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
Synopsis: On a Polynesian island, Dr. Matthew Lloyd (Monte Blue) is disgusted by the way trader Sebastian (Robert Anderson) exploits the natives, and he's cast off... View Full Synopsis
Starring: Monte Blue, Raquel Torres, Robert Anderson
Directed By: W. S. Van Dyke II
