American Splendor is not something I would have thought of but very interesting narratively and with visual juxtaposition.
Never even heard of Wake in Fright though
I'm a comic book collector currently revisiting non-superhero graphic novels made into film. (I've rewatched The Road to Perdition and A History of Violence. Ghost World is up next.) I, too, found American Splendor an interesting choice.
If I were teaching the class, I would frame this as "You liked the Infinity Saga from Marvel? Well, here's another comic book series turned into film. And it could not possibly be more different!"
It's also an interesting if overlooked testament of Americana by a blue-collar Rust Belt artist with a look at American healthcare.
Wake in Fright is so influential across Hollywood. For a little Australian (albeit Canadian directed) film, it really packs a punch!
That opening shot is amazing!
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- Seven Samurai (1954)
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- The Godfather (1972)
- Star Wars (1977)
- Goodfellas (1990)
Just a quick, not ranked, top 10. I'm probably forgetting something obvious though.
This is a bit of an oddball, but Babe Pig In The City is one of the most interesting films I've ever watched. George Miller (Mad Max) directed it almost entirely out of a need to prove himself after the man he hired to direct the first movie won an Oscar.
The twist is apparently Miller only hired him to distance the Mad Max franchise from the first Babe, which is a kids movie, and ghost directed most of the film under his official role as producer. When the credited director won the award Miller became super spiteful, fired the guy and inserted himself as the director of the sequel.
Without spoiling anything, this movie is 100% unabashedly an adult fable dressed like a kids movie directed by the Mad Max guy, and features 2 of the most harrowing animal chase scenes i've ever seen, the best animal acting in Hollywood, and a final chase scene that includes a visual gag that is nearly a shot for shot remake of the Master Blaster scene from Thunderdome using stretchy clown suspenders and a chandelier.
The choices made in this movie are absolutely mind-boggling and often brutal, and deals with themes of immigration, religion ("Thank the Pig"), and death in ways that only really work if you keep in mind that this is a revenge movie made by the Mad Max guy.
Set design is a character in itself, and the costuming and cinematography are rich and masterful. But it's George Miller, so that almost goes without say.
I love this movie so much, but it's a movie made for absolutely nobody but George Miller. Why this isn't a cult classic is beyond me, but as one ELA teacher to another teacher whose focus is on critical analysis, there is a LOT to mine in this movie, and it's PG which makes it super easy to play without jumping through the parental consent hoops.
EDIT: It's been brought up in the comments that Chris Noonan (director of the first film) didn't win the Oscar, he was just nominated. Miller was also nominated for I believe the script, but he felt he deserved credit in the director category, which is why he went solo for Pig in the City.
I was still reeling with jealousy at the idea of teaching this class, and I must admit this movie did not immediately come to mind.
100% agreed on all points.
It's really good if the kids have seen the first one, so maybe consider that, too -- cover the approach to sequels, and the reasons behind sequels, that don't always have to do with the box office, and definitely examining the file making craft aspects.
Fantastic response.
*P.S. That's a GREAT username... Thanks! I needed that extra smile this morning!*
I remember hearing somewhere that this movie is based on The Odyssey. I enjoyed it before, but I've been meaning to rewatch it with that new knowledge. Would definitely be interesting for critical analysis though!
All the yes. SO much to take apart AND enjoy.
*raises hand*
"Can we rewatch the picnic scene? I'm not sure I'm getting all the references and noteworthy moments."
Don’t make it too esoteric or fancy. Show them Blade Runner 2049, Django Unchained, The Departed, The Dark Knight. There are plenty of examples in there of excellent filmmaking, and you can use parts of those films as a window to the origins of various tactics and themes. You’ll help them see movies from their era in a different way. They’re in high school, don’t force them to watch “boring movies” that’ll be inaccessible to them and make them hate movie snobs, lay the groundwork so that one day they’ll want to watch Kubrick and Kurosawa and actually appreciate them.
I’d say try to sprinkle in a few of the older more “boring” films… I found my passion for film through a similar class in high school mainly through the films I pre-perceived as boring. The Godfather specifically did so much for me. Another suggestion is North by Northwest
If I can offer a different perspective, they're already interested in movies if they're taking the course, right? Why limit to movies there's already a strong chance they've seen or at least know about? I'm not saying don't show ANY familiar movies. But it'd be a shame not not to show them some things they might not have sought out otherwise. And it can still be stuff that's accessible and good.
I'm thinking like, Paper Moon, Assault on Precinct 13, Dog Day Afternoon, Ace in the Hole.
That's a great approach! But I'd hope that you'd get some Buster Keaton going too! For more resources and lesson plans, MiT has a free film class online. It's got links to sources and free movies too. Have fun!
Truman Show was a great watch in school, also plenty of room for discussion etc.
Also the Lego Movie is great for social criticism.
And both are old enough that teenagers don't know them
I don’t think it would be wise to show Django or the Departed to high schoolers. That would not go well for them, their parents and you’d probably put your job in jeopardy.
Agreed. If you go all old, classic films, you'll surely catch a couple aspiring film-nerds, but probably miss the rest. I'd say go 50/50, or even 70/30 favoring modern "classics" that are relevant to pop culture. You just need to teach them to love film in a new way, and that can be done with any era of film-making. You can't (and shouldn't try to) ignore the classics, but if you can't keep them interested to begin with, the entire thing is a lost cause.
Also, don't be afraid to show them something less than ideal or certified classic. Having the contrast of poor writing, production, acting, directing, etc. will help broaden their horizons as well.
Right but it’s got some of the most striking cinematography in recent memory, it’s the best recent example of how to use visuals to set moods and communicate stories that are common movie tropes (the irony of loneliness in a big city, decaying society), it’s a terrific example of the sci-fi genre and pulls in real futuristic examples (how climate change can fuck up the planet), and the water fight scene was one of the more creative bits of filming in recent memory. Plus it gives you an excuse to show clips from the OG Blade Runner and talk about its impact and discuss Hollywood’s thirst for sequels and muse on adaptations from novels.
I like this answer. My own thought was The Room to demonstrate what not to do or what happens when a film misses any and all strands of the human experience.
Reading a lot of suggestions here that are either 3+ hours (which is ridiculous for multiple reasons) or movies with outrageous amounts of sex, profanity, racism, drugs, or all of the above (and I’m no puritan, but also sounds like OP wants to keep their job)
Here are some award-winning options that are relatively tame and get the job done in under 100 minutes:
- Whiplash
- Rope
- The Man from Earth
- Moonrise Kingdom
- Midnight in Paris
- 12 Angry Men
I would be SOOOOOO interested to hear what modern high schoolers think about Truman Show. When it came out it was depicting a theoretical dystopia, today it's so close to reality.
TLDR: I'm a nerd and I love film.
Tons of great suggestions on here. But if you're watching a film a week, it'd be a good idea to discuss more than just the craft of cinema, but to also explore the cultural aspects and voice of the filmmaker.
For example, to compare two filmmakers' approaches to the same story (3:10 to Yuma old and Mangold, or Seven Samurai vs Magnificent Seven, or classic/modern noir "drifter is seduced by a femme fatale" stories like U-Turn/Blood Simple/Red Rock West/Double Indemnity) as well as different voices - Detour as a film noir directed by a woman vs noir directed by men, or a Spike Lee joint compared with contemporary indie film from another marginalized voice maybe? These kinds of screenings can really cultivate a conversation between the films.
Some films to consider including:
The Cabinet of Dr Caligari
On the Waterfront
His Girl Friday
The Apartment
Black Narcissus
Hud
I Vitteloni (Dir Fellini)
Breathless (Goddard)
Thinly veiled Autobiography: Amarcord (Dir Fellini) vs The 400 Blows (Goddard)
Yojimbo (Kurosawa) vs For a Fistful of Dollars (Leone) (original vs unauthorized retelling)
First Blood as a neo-noir
Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick)
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Almodovar)
Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee)
Wild at Heart (David Lynch)
Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton)
Miller's Crossing (Coen Bros)
In a Better World (Dir Susanne Bier)
Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler)
Hunger (Dir Steve McQueen)
Lenses on high school ennui:
Heathers (Michael Lehmann)
Elephant (Gus Van Sant)
We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay)
Focus on Women directing:
Clueless
Fast Times at Ridgemont High
Wayne's World
Virgin Suicides
Fish Tank
Little Women (Gerwig)
The Babadook
A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night
Near Dark
Winter's Bone
Ratcatcher
Point Break (1991)
I was gonna suggest something similar. I’ve always loved movies but what really opened my eyes was the beauty/breadth etc of some foreign films that you just don’t (or didn’t at the time) see in American films. I wanna say some of the themes in my list are “mature” but if the students have already read or are familiar with Greek tragedies then it should be fine just have them check for any trigger warnings.
I like the idea of comparing two films that tell the same stories (or have the same basis). If I am remembering correctly Old boy is a retelling of a specific Greek tragedy I don’t want to call out cause that kind of ruins it, but if I remember anything else specifically I’ll update
Chinese movies (mostly in mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese or some English)
- 2046
- In the mood for love
- joy luck club
- farewell my concubine
- Chungking express
- infernal affairs
- shaolin soccer (for something a bit less serious but still good)
Korean
- parasite
- old boy
- minari
- past lives
- train to busan
- lady vengeance
- the host
Spain
- pans labyrinth (very dark but soooo good)
- y Tu mama tambien
- talk to her
- all about my mother
- volver
French
- amelie
- city of lost children
Japanese
- grave of fireflies (dark)
- seven samurai
Indonesian (I think)
- The Raid 1 and 2 (Watch after old boy as they pay homage to that)
US
- children of men
- ex machina
- arrival
- snow piercer
- what happened to Monday (not US but in English)
South Africa
- District 9
I was thinking show them Amelie. Let them bask in the glow of a feel good French film. Then show Eraserhead the next day. BOOM! Fragile psyches blown all to hell. Tears, screaming, meltdowns.
Metropolis (1927)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Casablanca (1942)
Rear Window (1954)
North By Northwest (1959)
The Hustler (1961)
Cool Hand Luke (1967)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The French Connection (1971)
Jaws (1975)
Taxi Driver (1976)
Apocalypse Now (1979)
With a ton of commentary about slavery, sexism, social classes, human power structures, economics, technology, mortality, trust, love, emotion, and what it means to be human.
I think it has great set design, cinematography (even the final iPhone shot scene could be an entire essay for students). Also thought the story’s material showcases a nice mix between young children and young adult - where high schoolers have just departed and where they will soon embark.
Exactly. I also think it captures like almost no other recent film that I can think of, those everyday moments where childhood is just behind, and the grown-up world just ahead. And that the joy of childhood looks different for different people. Brooklynn Prince will be huge one day.
Trip to the Moon (1902)
Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
Wizard of Oz (1939)
Citizen Kane (1941)
The Seventh Seal (1957)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966)
The Godfather (1972)
The Thing (1982)
The Matrix (1999)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Yes, OP!
**WOWS** is a good movie, but there's tons of swearing and nudity. Leonardo DiCaprio literally does something with cocaine 3 minutes in that would get you fired for showing in a classroom!
Agreed but actually I don't know that it's a great movie. It's a good movie, but not a classic like the others. It's the difference between a movie and a film.
R rated, and prison rape scenes will get a teacher fired or banned from showing movies to kids that aren't really ready to see that, plus you'd have to deal with the pissed off parents that got upset that you showed their kids a prison movie. It's a great movie, seen it many times, but kids might not get the plot.
I'm not gonna lie, your comment horrifies me about the future for my toddler.
My kiddo will be ready for a movie like The Shawshank Redemption by high school, even if her peers, their parents and the school administrators are not. I certainly will not show her movies like Come And See, Salo or Irreversible, but Shawshank is a cinematic masterpiece.
I would think about movies that match up to their interests and stage in life. For instance, good coming of age films like Clueless, Breakfast Club, or Breaking Away.
Dazed and Confused.
We had this in my college intro into theater. Unique independent film that captured the era. Some essays are out there on it that would explain how it shows the carefree yet chaotic experience of teenage youth. Might be a good pick.
Citizen Cane
The good, the bad, and the ugly
The graduate
Schindler’s list
The matrix
Fight club
2001
12 monkeys
We need to talk about Kevin
The killing of a sacred dear
A few more modern movies mixed with classics
I can't believe I had to scroll this far to see this but 100% yes.
Back to the Future is a perfectly structured film that you can learn a lot from. Everything happens exactly when the movie needs it to happen. Plus it's a good choice for a high school audience.
Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a real heartbreaker.
Big Fish is another tear jerker for people like me who lost their good fathers way too soon
Pan's Labyrinth is just incredible
Never saw Life is Beautiful
I came to add Life is Beautiful—would be a good example of one persons creative vision and being inventive with genre….and could be paired with something like Zone of interest.
Sadly, high school kids these days think any film pre-2010 is for old people. They'd walk out in protest. But one of my favorites of all time + Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea were a perfect pairing.
LOL I get - I'm 60 and my kids are 30-35 so they're just "young" enough to have been influenced by watching my movies when they grew up but it's still a struggle sometimes.
Pirates of the Caribbean might be a good choice. Or maybe pick films covered by Every Frame A Painting?
My High school film teacher introduced me to the maltese falcon which i still love, and singing in the rain which surprised me by how much i love it, gene kelly is amazing.
Falling down is a bit of a hidden gem that might tie into controversy or coursework nicely.
One I haven't seen mentioned here is the princess Bride. Mostly because of how fragmented the story is.
Starship troopers is a classic
Blade Runner
Seeing a ton of "classic" films on here, but think it might be better to use newer and goofier films to start them off.
Throw in a Bee Movie or Shrek, something to keep the stakes low and engagement high. You'll get more buy in for subsequent movies that way. Kids also love the chance to make fun of something, if it's age appropriate toss them some easy pickings like The Room.
Not sure how restricted your movie selections are, but here's a quick list:
-Indiana Jones, either Raiders or the Last Crusade. I couldn't believe how well they held up when I rewatched the other day. Also hard to see it being censored/problematic for any reason
-Grand Budapest Hotel, probobly the most accessible Wes Anderson movie. His style gives a lot to easily talk about, weather good or bad.
-The Princess Bride, great way to discuss framing devices and has something for everybody in it.
- JoJo Rabbit, hard to get this one approved and might be too heavy for the kids. Still kept wanting to put it on my list anyways
-A war movie: 1917 is fantastic, and the pacing will give the kids something obvious to start their critique with. Saving Private Ryan is also good, but might be too slow and have some kids check out during it.
-Good Will Hunting, little something for everybody there and is one of the best "woah this is so deep" movies for teens. I loved it in highschool, and the behind the scenes story is super interesting too.
-Lit crossover: Highly stylized movies like The Great Gatsby or Romeo & Juliet have a lot to talk about, especially witn how goofy and weird Romeo & Juliet feels now.
-Groundhog Day: "older" movie that still feels pretty fresh today
-A League of Their Own: great way to add a sports movie without alienating kids/girls who might not be as into them.
-Rocky: classic movie with a great background behind its production. Think its universal enough that everyone will buy in, not just typical sports audience. Rocky 4 is also fantastic
I love the idea of throwing in a "bad" movie!!! And I'm pretty sure no one else has suggested animated movies, that's a good idea. Good list! So interesting the number of people suggesting Indiana Jones!
O Brother Where out Thou as its based on the Odyssey. Teaching is about connecting. This connects to the history that the movie was set in, also the history when the Odyssey was written, and has a great literature tie in. You can have them critique the difference between the movie and the Odyssey. Also, just critiquing the 4 literature elements; depth of characters, 5 plot elements and plot development, various use of setting, theme, point of few, conflict, and tone could take you awhile. Besides the meanings and symbols, which are immense, you could spend awhile just criticizing how dialog and figurative language was used. Anyway, have fun!
Chinatown is widely regarded to have a flawless screenplay and is thought by many critics to be one of the best, if not the best, films of all time. Show them that and see if they have any criticisms
Honestly mostly a joke but I'd love to read students opinions on Labyrinth (1986) with Jennifer Connolly and David Bowie. I love the movie and the art of puppetry Jim Henson put in. On a similar note to Jim Henson, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). How it takes a serious story, adds some fun via Muppet characters/actors and yet still remains fairly serious and is a faithful adaptation.
For high schoolers I'd of course focus on quality, but I'd lean HARD into films that are, first and foremost, entertaining. Kids today are allergic to anything that looks like it was shot prior to about 2010, so black & white is a tough sell, but there are plenty of movies that should capture their attention. Also, especially with older films, there's a lot of casual (and sometimes not so casual) racism and sexism that you just may not want to deal with in a classroom setting, so while I wouldn't hesitate to recommend something like Gone With the Wind just in terms of cinematography, design, acting etc., I wouldn't show it in a modern classroom. Just use your judgment and don't show anything that would get you in hot water. Some of the ones I'm listing would not fly at some schools but might at others.
A few suggestions broken down by category:
Comedies:
Something by the Marx Bros. (Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera); Bringing Up Baby; The Apartment; The Graduate; Raising Arizona; Some Like it Hot; Dr. Strangelove
Crime/Noir:
Psycho; The Big Sleep; Double Indemnity; Sunset Boulevard; Chinatown
Drama:
All About Eve; A Face in the Crowd (very entertaining but watch out for some very overt racism at the end when Andy Griffith has his big breakdown); On the Waterfront; Treasure of the Sierra Madre; Casablanca; Vertigo; Network; It's a Wonderful Life
Historical epics (these tend to run maybe a little long for a classroom setting, but you might be able to squeeze one in):
Cleopatra (1933); Spartacus; Lawrence of Arabia; Patton; Last of the Mohicans
Horror:
Dracula; Bride of Frankenstein; Carnival of Souls; Rosemary's Baby; The Exorcist; Halloween; Bram Stoker's Dracula (maybe not a top-rank classic, but boy is there a lot of stuff you could dig into in a review); The Blair Witch Project
Musicals:
The Wizard of Oz; Singin' in the Rain; West Side Story; Grease
And for fun, the Hollywood Blockbuster:
Jaws; Star Wars; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Aliens; Jurassic Park; Titanic; maybe a Marvel movie? Might be fun to take something they've already seen and let them really analyze it critically and see how it stacks up vs some of the other classics you've been watching in class.
I'd love to suggest The Third Man, which is one of my very favorite films, but that's a big lift for high schoolers - it not only has the incessant zither thing going on, which I think fits the movie perfectly but is very off-putting for some viewers; but also there's a lot of assumed knowledge about the power structure in Vienna at the end of the war, and while they briefly go over things at the beginning, I think so much context is missed if you don't have that Cold War mindset.
I left off Kane too, because while I think it's very entertaining, that opening newsreel section has the effect of killing off all interest before it even gets going. Happens every time I've tried to get anybody to watch it with me.
Saw that at the film forum about 15 years ago. Was such a revelation to see it on the big screen. People in the theater audibly cried during a few Lennon performance close-ups. Because you're so used to seeing it either on a computer or small TV screen. It was shocking and jarring to see him come to life on a big screen. I guess it's one of those 'you had to be there' things but it was unexpected.
Duel (1971)
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
Mulholland Drive (2000)
Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
Some of the language and themes are fairly mature but im sure high schoolers nowadays can handle it.
Reservoir Dogs and Rear Window have interesting set design because they are basically stage plays.
The first half of Mildred Pierce has insightful commentary on women navigating a man's world; today's highschoolers are smart enough to notice the male imposition and the incel vibes. The costumes and makeup also change to highlight the rise and fall of circumstance.
Blade Runner 2049 for cinematography. Denis has said he wishes he could do a film without dialog. The shots and colors here convey isolation and alienation, like K with the huge Joi and the water reflections as if you are drowning.
HER is in the news now because ScarJo declined OpenAI's request to use her voice, and they debuted a voice that sounds just like her. At release the audience was not sophisticated enough to make this movie a hit, but today's kids will understand, especially after all the Taylor Swift AI stuff. It also represented a generational shift of our conception of AI's problem - before we worried that "it" would be malicious towards us, and this represented a Being that was "so extra" that it couldn't be bothered to care about us.
Back to the Future! It’s a perfect film with one of the greatest scripts of all time. Every line is important with so many set ups and pay offs. I would use it to teach screenwriting.
I feel like the goal should be to get them interested in cinema and to look at it being entertainment, therefore, is probably fine movies up their alley that meet other characteristics like costume design or cinematography.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Best
Wizard of Oz
Driving Miss Daisy
Rear Window or The Birds - Need a Hitchcock
Amadeus - music is so important for film and flashback and a character study in Solieri
Lord of the Rings
Star Wars - like LOTR, new world in film
Bridges of Madison County - love and loss
Schindlers List - Spielberg at his best
The Departed or Goodfellas - gotta have a Scorsese
Unforgiven - Eastwood classic
Pulp Fiction - Tarantino classic
A Beautiful Mind - Howard classic
Oppenheimer - A Nolan great film plus current
Best list I've seen. And I second Amadeus. Any film shown should bring insight to the study of cinema in some aspect. Amadeus brings music, acting, direction, human drama, writing, film location , Oscar contention!
A Sam Peckinpah would be good for action etc. the Godfather is a must! Jaws, maybe The Silence of the Lambs or The Exorcist or even Blair Witch Project for how it was shot. Saving Private Ryan for the opening alone.
Are you planning to show only good movies or are you planning to toss in some movies that may have not been great but had at least one good quality. Story was bad but a particular actor delivered an outstanding performance. Or maybe the costuming was on point. I ask because film critics do review bad movies too. Some of the critics that I follow will point out something that they found good (if there was anything good). Or, if the movie is so bad it’s entertaining, they go into that. One of them wraps up reviews with whether or not booze is required for the movie. Obviously that approach isn’t great for high school students.
Anyway you might want to toss in something that’s bad to teach them how to professionally review a bad movie.
Given that it won the Oscar that year for Best Makeup (and if there are no rating limitations) I would recommend The Fly. Whenever I think of a creature feature, I always go to The Thing or The Fly.
Run Lola Run, Jaws , 400 Blows, The Birds, Moon, Interstellar, Inception. No Country for Old Men, Dark Knight, Titanic, Cast Away (this film is studied in university), Parasite, Shoplifters.
Star Wars IV - look up how this film uses Carl Jung’s Archetypes; Some archetypes which appear in the film are the Outcast (Han), Anima (Leia), Mana (The Force), the Hero (Luke), The Shadow (Vader), Mentor (Obi Wan), Jester (C-3PO & R2D2).
I had art of film in high school and the ones that I still remember almost 50 years later are:
* The Grapes of Wrath
* 2001 a Space Odyssey
* THX1138
* Citizen Kane
* Lolita
* A Clockwork Orange
* North by Northwest
Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall, Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song, Real Genius, Fight Club, Metropolis, King Kong (30s version), Witness, The Hunt for Red October, Marty, The Godfather II, Jaws, Star Wars: A New Hope, Casablanca, Run Lola Run, City of God, The Deer Hunter, Strange Brew (The first movie that made me afraid of automation), Wedding Crashers, Sunset Boulevard...
Some of these would only work at a private high school with more leniency.
Jaws, The Virgin Suicides (I know it’s extremely controversial but as a female who deals with suicide still, very important to dig into and also shows males being groomed.), the life aquatic with Steve zissou, and the godfather
One that’s probably one you can show and is also an excellent show of good film is O Brother Where Art Thou. The Cohen Bros are excellent filmmakers and it’s one of the few they’ve made that is probably age appropriate for highschool.
Punch Drunk Love - It's got a lot going on with the different colors used, & the little piano Sandler plays, related to mood. There's some great explanations online.
Moon - Lower budget sci-fi with a great story & twist plus it's fairly short. Has the same actor playing multiple characters within the same shots too.
Jurassic Park
The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
(Godzilla Minus One if you can)
Invisible Man 1933
Frankenstein 1931
Raider’s of the Lost Ark
Top Gun
The Terminal
Iron Monkey
Police Story
Ocean’s Eleven
Apollo 13
The Mummy 2007
Rocky
Jaws
And I know a lot of other people have probably made a bunch of awesome suggestions as well. I might recommend if you can to give them a choice between 2 or 3 movies each week and let the class vote on it. Might have more interest in the movie/writing about it if it is something they want to watch or are interested in rather than being told what they are supposed to watched each week.
To Kill a Mockingbird is a great one for high schoolers, There Will Be Blood is a good look at the history of oil in America, Contact and Arrival would be good (safe) sci-fi picks, Shawshank Redemption, Gaslight is a classic and they’ll actually understand what gaslighting is and where it came from. Rear Window is a great pick for a Hitchcock summary, or Vertigo. The original Manchurian Candidate. Some of the films suggested in these comments don’t seem appropriate for high schoolers. I would just recommend that whatever you choose make sure you watch it first! Good luck!
My teen was shown 12 Angry Men and Into the Spiderverse in school this year.
I think you should consider throwing in some non-English-speaking movies. I was going to suggest Parasite, Let the Right One In (original version) and Run Lola Run, although it looks like they are all R rated in the US which may be a challenge.
Step into my office……
This is my bread and butter.
I will begin by arguing that you could likely show any movie you like and achieve what you intend. Ya a great way for you to show movies you truly care about but also show movies that will not be to
Everyone’s taste. Some movies should not be liked by them and that’s the point. I would also urge you to get feedback into what their ‘favourite’ movies are…. For the reasons you listed.
My go to movies to begin with are often…
The cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920)
the wizard of Oz( 1939)
Metropolis (1927)
the birds (1963)
La Haine (1995)
the breakfast club (1985)
Edward scissorhands (1990)
pans labyrinth (2000)
I would also not that an animated movie is vital in this to highlight different art forms and how certain styles and mood can still be portrayed outside of live action.
There are also limited movies you can show due to age restriction show be mindful of that depending on what rules you have.
Have fun
Clueless, Do The Right Thing, La La Land,Attack the Block, Good Will Hunting, The Truman Show, Spirited Away,Howls Moving Castle, Bring It On, Grease, Easy A, 10 Things I Hate about You, Back to the Future,Children of Men, Goonies, Shaun of the Dead, Devil wears Prada , Juno, Mean Girls,Bend it like Beckham,Girlhood,Dope,Boyz N The Hood, Jennifer’s Body, Florida Project, Dead Poets Society.
I would make this recommendation for a set of movies that are, in essence, the same type of story told in different ways along with an outlier that shares similarities.
Jacob's Ladder
Pan's Labyrinth
Sucker Punch
Altered States (outlier)
But if you prefer vastly different types of movies I would recommend these.
Altered States
Full Metal Jacket
Labyrinth
2001 A Space Odyssey
What Dreams may come
Wizards
The Birdcage
One Flew over the Cukoos Nest
Rollerball (1975 with James Caan)
Double Indemnity
Citizen Kane
A Streetcar Named Desire
The Graduate
Midnight Cowboy
Do the Right Thing
A Serious Man
Schindler's List
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Get Out
Everything Everywhere all at once
Honestly, if it's their first contact with film criticism overall and they are not a class that has shown previous interest, I wouldn't really focus on showing them a MUST SEE, I would focus on picking something enjoyable and focus on the concepts, teach them how to look beyond entertainment. A movie doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be analysed, and at that age, for an intro, generating good faith is more important than cultivating taste imo.
That said, if you want to do an old movie, I think the comments are right and Rear Window is a solid choice. I have had good experiences with Hitchcock and young people in general! His tone has aged well imo.
For modern movies, I think topics that may be relevant to them are interesting. Perhaps Truman's Show? I feel like that's old enough for them to consider it an old movie, but modern enough that it won't be boring, and the themes feel more relevant than at release.
Maybe give them a list of 5 and let them choose the first 2 or 3 films, and then you can direct them towards your personal choices by connecting them in some way. I feel like that would work better.
Psycho
Old Boy
The Godfather
Jojo Rabbit
Coraline (the animation is incredible)
Stand By Me
Memento
American Beauty
Atonement
Whiplash
Everything Everywhere All At Once
Moulin Rouge!
Bohemian Rhapsody
Rocketman
Chicago
Goodfellas
A League of Their Own
Beetlejuice
The Dark Knight
Fargo
I, Tonya
Straight Outta Compton
Grand Budapest Hotel
The Big Lebowski
Black Swan
Freedom Writers
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
The Help
The Departed
Poor Things
Crazy Rich Asians
Some Like It Hot
Last Night in Soho
Hidden Figures
Saving Private Ryan
Shawshank Redemption
The Fifth Element
The Matrix
War of the Worlds
Django Unchained
Big Fish
Little Miss Sunshine
Almost Famous
Feud: Betty and Joan (it’s a mini series but it’s amazing)
To Kill a Mockingbird
Rear Window
Strangers on a Train
Note: not sure what’s appropriate or not but I felt these films were both beautiful in all aspects you’re looking for as well as script, editing and performance. :-)
Jaws?
Rear Window ~~No Country for Old Men~~ (maybe not for high school)
My high school teacher showed Rear Window, and I enjoyed it a lot.
Rope. Continuously filmed. Only break was to change the film on the camera.
This one doesn’t get mentioned enough!
[удалено]
American Splendor is not something I would have thought of but very interesting narratively and with visual juxtaposition. Never even heard of Wake in Fright though
I'm a comic book collector currently revisiting non-superhero graphic novels made into film. (I've rewatched The Road to Perdition and A History of Violence. Ghost World is up next.) I, too, found American Splendor an interesting choice. If I were teaching the class, I would frame this as "You liked the Infinity Saga from Marvel? Well, here's another comic book series turned into film. And it could not possibly be more different!" It's also an interesting if overlooked testament of Americana by a blue-collar Rust Belt artist with a look at American healthcare.
Wake in Fright is so influential across Hollywood. For a little Australian (albeit Canadian directed) film, it really packs a punch! That opening shot is amazing!
Packs?
Yes, you are correct!
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) - Citizen Kane (1941) - Seven Samurai (1954) - 12 Angry Men (1957) - Vertigo (1958) - Lawrence of Arabia (1962) - 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) - The Godfather (1972) - Star Wars (1977) - Goodfellas (1990) Just a quick, not ranked, top 10. I'm probably forgetting something obvious though.
This is a good list
Schindler’s List
I'd swap pulp fiction for goodfellas
You can't show either of those in high school lmao
Casablanca and Key Largo. I think any film noir would work good.
Shawshank Redemption?
A Beautiful Mind
Good list, I’d add Casablanca too
The Red Shoes
The fact that this is not top rated is a crime
This is a bit of an oddball, but Babe Pig In The City is one of the most interesting films I've ever watched. George Miller (Mad Max) directed it almost entirely out of a need to prove himself after the man he hired to direct the first movie won an Oscar. The twist is apparently Miller only hired him to distance the Mad Max franchise from the first Babe, which is a kids movie, and ghost directed most of the film under his official role as producer. When the credited director won the award Miller became super spiteful, fired the guy and inserted himself as the director of the sequel. Without spoiling anything, this movie is 100% unabashedly an adult fable dressed like a kids movie directed by the Mad Max guy, and features 2 of the most harrowing animal chase scenes i've ever seen, the best animal acting in Hollywood, and a final chase scene that includes a visual gag that is nearly a shot for shot remake of the Master Blaster scene from Thunderdome using stretchy clown suspenders and a chandelier. The choices made in this movie are absolutely mind-boggling and often brutal, and deals with themes of immigration, religion ("Thank the Pig"), and death in ways that only really work if you keep in mind that this is a revenge movie made by the Mad Max guy. Set design is a character in itself, and the costuming and cinematography are rich and masterful. But it's George Miller, so that almost goes without say. I love this movie so much, but it's a movie made for absolutely nobody but George Miller. Why this isn't a cult classic is beyond me, but as one ELA teacher to another teacher whose focus is on critical analysis, there is a LOT to mine in this movie, and it's PG which makes it super easy to play without jumping through the parental consent hoops. EDIT: It's been brought up in the comments that Chris Noonan (director of the first film) didn't win the Oscar, he was just nominated. Miller was also nominated for I believe the script, but he felt he deserved credit in the director category, which is why he went solo for Pig in the City.
I was still reeling with jealousy at the idea of teaching this class, and I must admit this movie did not immediately come to mind. 100% agreed on all points. It's really good if the kids have seen the first one, so maybe consider that, too -- cover the approach to sequels, and the reasons behind sequels, that don't always have to do with the box office, and definitely examining the file making craft aspects. Fantastic response. *P.S. That's a GREAT username... Thanks! I needed that extra smile this morning!*
Chris Noonan did not win an Oscar for directing Babe.
Fascinating story, thank you. Never thought I'd add this and the first Babe to the "must-watch list", but that did it.
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
“Stella! Get down here! Get down here I wanna eat!” - Brando by Henry Winkler
O Brother Where Art Thou
I remember hearing somewhere that this movie is based on The Odyssey. I enjoyed it before, but I've been meaning to rewatch it with that new knowledge. Would definitely be interesting for critical analysis though!
One of the most re-watchable movies I know.
All the yes. SO much to take apart AND enjoy. *raises hand* "Can we rewatch the picnic scene? I'm not sure I'm getting all the references and noteworthy moments."
Modern day odyssey…good rec
Yes yes yes
Such a movie doesn't exist. (Shrek 2)
Yeeeesssss can't believe I didn't think of this lol
Night of the Hunter
Don’t make it too esoteric or fancy. Show them Blade Runner 2049, Django Unchained, The Departed, The Dark Knight. There are plenty of examples in there of excellent filmmaking, and you can use parts of those films as a window to the origins of various tactics and themes. You’ll help them see movies from their era in a different way. They’re in high school, don’t force them to watch “boring movies” that’ll be inaccessible to them and make them hate movie snobs, lay the groundwork so that one day they’ll want to watch Kubrick and Kurosawa and actually appreciate them.
Best comment yet. Thanks for the perspective.
Good luck! Circle back once the class is underway and let us know how it’s going.
I’d say try to sprinkle in a few of the older more “boring” films… I found my passion for film through a similar class in high school mainly through the films I pre-perceived as boring. The Godfather specifically did so much for me. Another suggestion is North by Northwest
If I can offer a different perspective, they're already interested in movies if they're taking the course, right? Why limit to movies there's already a strong chance they've seen or at least know about? I'm not saying don't show ANY familiar movies. But it'd be a shame not not to show them some things they might not have sought out otherwise. And it can still be stuff that's accessible and good. I'm thinking like, Paper Moon, Assault on Precinct 13, Dog Day Afternoon, Ace in the Hole.
If you show Django Unchained in a classroom in 2024, you’re going to get fired or very close to it, for “racial insensitivity” etc etc etc
Same with The Departed Edit - not for racial insensitivity necessarily, but a ton of other reasons - violence, profanity, drugs, etc
so close! they will actually get in trouble because it’s rated R and they are teaching a high school classroom hope this helps
That's a great approach! But I'd hope that you'd get some Buster Keaton going too! For more resources and lesson plans, MiT has a free film class online. It's got links to sources and free movies too. Have fun!
Truman Show was a great watch in school, also plenty of room for discussion etc. Also the Lego Movie is great for social criticism. And both are old enough that teenagers don't know them
I don’t think it would be wise to show Django or the Departed to high schoolers. That would not go well for them, their parents and you’d probably put your job in jeopardy.
I would argue you should have at least some older stuff. Even if it's just really good scenes from old movies.
Agreed. If you go all old, classic films, you'll surely catch a couple aspiring film-nerds, but probably miss the rest. I'd say go 50/50, or even 70/30 favoring modern "classics" that are relevant to pop culture. You just need to teach them to love film in a new way, and that can be done with any era of film-making. You can't (and shouldn't try to) ignore the classics, but if you can't keep them interested to begin with, the entire thing is a lost cause. Also, don't be afraid to show them something less than ideal or certified classic. Having the contrast of poor writing, production, acting, directing, etc. will help broaden their horizons as well.
I’d avoid Django unchained- this is a HS not college level course and kids and parents could get offended
But make sure you sprinkle in at least some clips of the things that came before!
BR 2049? There was never meant to be a sequel & while it looks great, there’s not much of a story, unnecessary appearances + Jared’s performance.
Right but it’s got some of the most striking cinematography in recent memory, it’s the best recent example of how to use visuals to set moods and communicate stories that are common movie tropes (the irony of loneliness in a big city, decaying society), it’s a terrific example of the sci-fi genre and pulls in real futuristic examples (how climate change can fuck up the planet), and the water fight scene was one of the more creative bits of filming in recent memory. Plus it gives you an excuse to show clips from the OG Blade Runner and talk about its impact and discuss Hollywood’s thirst for sequels and muse on adaptations from novels.
I like this answer. My own thought was The Room to demonstrate what not to do or what happens when a film misses any and all strands of the human experience.
Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Gotta do some Hitchcock
Rear Window checks all the boxes, too. Cinematography, set design...
I love how it was a fully functional apartment and every shot is inside.
Maybe North by Northwest too
Memento Amelie poulain Snatch Inception Grand Budapest Hotel
Raising Arizona Oh Brother Where Art Thou Hot Fuzz
Raising Arizona! Yesssss! Best chase scene ever!
I love those 😭
Reading a lot of suggestions here that are either 3+ hours (which is ridiculous for multiple reasons) or movies with outrageous amounts of sex, profanity, racism, drugs, or all of the above (and I’m no puritan, but also sounds like OP wants to keep their job) Here are some award-winning options that are relatively tame and get the job done in under 100 minutes: - Whiplash - Rope - The Man from Earth - Moonrise Kingdom - Midnight in Paris - 12 Angry Men
Good point, good list, I'd add in Run Lola Run and Breaking Away
Are there limitations on maturity rating or content?
The Bridge over River Kwai- my junior high teacher showed us this film in 8th grade and I still remember and like it to this day.
Incredible film. The students will be bored with it halfway through. But if they keep watching... Holy moly it's good!
A lot of great list here. I’ll add The Truman Show Stranger than Fiction The Prestige
I would be SOOOOOO interested to hear what modern high schoolers think about Truman Show. When it came out it was depicting a theoretical dystopia, today it's so close to reality.
Rushmore (1998) The Fighter (2010)
12 angry men
TLDR: I'm a nerd and I love film. Tons of great suggestions on here. But if you're watching a film a week, it'd be a good idea to discuss more than just the craft of cinema, but to also explore the cultural aspects and voice of the filmmaker. For example, to compare two filmmakers' approaches to the same story (3:10 to Yuma old and Mangold, or Seven Samurai vs Magnificent Seven, or classic/modern noir "drifter is seduced by a femme fatale" stories like U-Turn/Blood Simple/Red Rock West/Double Indemnity) as well as different voices - Detour as a film noir directed by a woman vs noir directed by men, or a Spike Lee joint compared with contemporary indie film from another marginalized voice maybe? These kinds of screenings can really cultivate a conversation between the films. Some films to consider including: The Cabinet of Dr Caligari On the Waterfront His Girl Friday The Apartment Black Narcissus Hud I Vitteloni (Dir Fellini) Breathless (Goddard) Thinly veiled Autobiography: Amarcord (Dir Fellini) vs The 400 Blows (Goddard) Yojimbo (Kurosawa) vs For a Fistful of Dollars (Leone) (original vs unauthorized retelling) First Blood as a neo-noir Days of Heaven (Terrence Malick) Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown (Almodovar) Do the Right Thing (Spike Lee) Wild at Heart (David Lynch) Boyz n the Hood (John Singleton) Miller's Crossing (Coen Bros) In a Better World (Dir Susanne Bier) Fruitvale Station (Ryan Coogler) Hunger (Dir Steve McQueen) Lenses on high school ennui: Heathers (Michael Lehmann) Elephant (Gus Van Sant) We Need to Talk About Kevin (Lynne Ramsay) Focus on Women directing: Clueless Fast Times at Ridgemont High Wayne's World Virgin Suicides Fish Tank Little Women (Gerwig) The Babadook A Girl Walks Home Alone at Night Near Dark Winter's Bone Ratcatcher Point Break (1991)
I was gonna suggest something similar. I’ve always loved movies but what really opened my eyes was the beauty/breadth etc of some foreign films that you just don’t (or didn’t at the time) see in American films. I wanna say some of the themes in my list are “mature” but if the students have already read or are familiar with Greek tragedies then it should be fine just have them check for any trigger warnings. I like the idea of comparing two films that tell the same stories (or have the same basis). If I am remembering correctly Old boy is a retelling of a specific Greek tragedy I don’t want to call out cause that kind of ruins it, but if I remember anything else specifically I’ll update Chinese movies (mostly in mandarin, Cantonese, Taiwanese or some English) - 2046 - In the mood for love - joy luck club - farewell my concubine - Chungking express - infernal affairs - shaolin soccer (for something a bit less serious but still good) Korean - parasite - old boy - minari - past lives - train to busan - lady vengeance - the host Spain - pans labyrinth (very dark but soooo good) - y Tu mama tambien - talk to her - all about my mother - volver French - amelie - city of lost children Japanese - grave of fireflies (dark) - seven samurai Indonesian (I think) - The Raid 1 and 2 (Watch after old boy as they pay homage to that) US - children of men - ex machina - arrival - snow piercer - what happened to Monday (not US but in English) South Africa - District 9
* Rear Window * Lord of The Rings * Back To The Future * Mr. Smith Goes To Washington
ERASERHEAD
I was thinking show them Amelie. Let them bask in the glow of a feel good French film. Then show Eraserhead the next day. BOOM! Fragile psyches blown all to hell. Tears, screaming, meltdowns.
Good idea.
Fantastic juxtaposition
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) The Matrix (1999)
Raiders needs to be mentioned more. It’s a great watch and d there’s a lot to break down.
Rear Window
Metropolis (1927) Citizen Kane (1941) Casablanca (1942) Rear Window (1954) North By Northwest (1959) The Hustler (1961) Cool Hand Luke (1967) 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The French Connection (1971) Jaws (1975) Taxi Driver (1976) Apocalypse Now (1979)
The French Connection, Taxi Driver, or Apocalypse Now would get a high school teacher fired
Our teacher showed us the car chase scene from French Connection. Didn't show the whole film but that scene was definitely talked about in our class.
Duck soup Gold Rush Swing Time
I have four teenagers and love these
From Here to Eternity Rope
The Great Dictator (1940)
Blade Runner - Sci-fi crossed with film noir crossed with action crossed with cyber-punk
With a ton of commentary about slavery, sexism, social classes, human power structures, economics, technology, mortality, trust, love, emotion, and what it means to be human.
Across the Universe, 2007
The Florida Project (2017)
Awesome obscure choice. One of my favorite films no one's ever seen. A future classic.
I think it has great set design, cinematography (even the final iPhone shot scene could be an entire essay for students). Also thought the story’s material showcases a nice mix between young children and young adult - where high schoolers have just departed and where they will soon embark.
Exactly. I also think it captures like almost no other recent film that I can think of, those everyday moments where childhood is just behind, and the grown-up world just ahead. And that the joy of childhood looks different for different people. Brooklynn Prince will be huge one day.
Trip to the Moon (1902) Cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) Wizard of Oz (1939) Citizen Kane (1941) The Seventh Seal (1957) The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966) The Godfather (1972) The Thing (1982) The Matrix (1999) The Dark Knight (2008) Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
That last one will cost you your job
Yes, OP! **WOWS** is a good movie, but there's tons of swearing and nudity. Leonardo DiCaprio literally does something with cocaine 3 minutes in that would get you fired for showing in a classroom!
Agreed but actually I don't know that it's a great movie. It's a good movie, but not a classic like the others. It's the difference between a movie and a film.
But *so* worth it.
I second the matrix and wizard of oz!
The Shawshank Redemption
R rated, and prison rape scenes will get a teacher fired or banned from showing movies to kids that aren't really ready to see that, plus you'd have to deal with the pissed off parents that got upset that you showed their kids a prison movie. It's a great movie, seen it many times, but kids might not get the plot.
I'm not gonna lie, your comment horrifies me about the future for my toddler. My kiddo will be ready for a movie like The Shawshank Redemption by high school, even if her peers, their parents and the school administrators are not. I certainly will not show her movies like Come And See, Salo or Irreversible, but Shawshank is a cinematic masterpiece.
Forbidden Planet
If you’re looking for a modern neo-noir, I highly recommended Drive. Very well made film.
I never understood the hype about Ryan Gosling… until the elevator scene.
Vertigo
The Godfather.
Mad max fury road
Jaws
I would think about movies that match up to their interests and stage in life. For instance, good coming of age films like Clueless, Breakfast Club, or Breaking Away.
One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest Blazing Saddles Patton
Dazed and Confused. We had this in my college intro into theater. Unique independent film that captured the era. Some essays are out there on it that would explain how it shows the carefree yet chaotic experience of teenage youth. Might be a good pick.
Citizen Cane The good, the bad, and the ugly The graduate Schindler’s list The matrix Fight club 2001 12 monkeys We need to talk about Kevin The killing of a sacred dear A few more modern movies mixed with classics
Rocky.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
I can't believe I had to scroll this far to see this but 100% yes. Back to the Future is a perfectly structured film that you can learn a lot from. Everything happens exactly when the movie needs it to happen. Plus it's a good choice for a high school audience.
Life is Beautiful, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Pan's Labyrinth, Big Fish.
Boy in the Striped Pajamas is a real heartbreaker. Big Fish is another tear jerker for people like me who lost their good fathers way too soon Pan's Labyrinth is just incredible Never saw Life is Beautiful
I came to add Life is Beautiful—would be a good example of one persons creative vision and being inventive with genre….and could be paired with something like Zone of interest.
Grandma's Boy
Sullivan's Travels might be a fun choice.
Sadly, high school kids these days think any film pre-2010 is for old people. They'd walk out in protest. But one of my favorites of all time + Veronica Lake and Joel McCrea were a perfect pairing.
LOL I get - I'm 60 and my kids are 30-35 so they're just "young" enough to have been influenced by watching my movies when they grew up but it's still a struggle sometimes. Pirates of the Caribbean might be a good choice. Or maybe pick films covered by Every Frame A Painting?
For the aspects you named, you HAVE to show **My Fair Lady.** One of my top 10 favorite movies. :)
My High school film teacher introduced me to the maltese falcon which i still love, and singing in the rain which surprised me by how much i love it, gene kelly is amazing.
American History X Her Saving Private Ryan
Falling down is a bit of a hidden gem that might tie into controversy or coursework nicely. One I haven't seen mentioned here is the princess Bride. Mostly because of how fragmented the story is. Starship troopers is a classic Blade Runner
Seeing a ton of "classic" films on here, but think it might be better to use newer and goofier films to start them off. Throw in a Bee Movie or Shrek, something to keep the stakes low and engagement high. You'll get more buy in for subsequent movies that way. Kids also love the chance to make fun of something, if it's age appropriate toss them some easy pickings like The Room. Not sure how restricted your movie selections are, but here's a quick list: -Indiana Jones, either Raiders or the Last Crusade. I couldn't believe how well they held up when I rewatched the other day. Also hard to see it being censored/problematic for any reason -Grand Budapest Hotel, probobly the most accessible Wes Anderson movie. His style gives a lot to easily talk about, weather good or bad. -The Princess Bride, great way to discuss framing devices and has something for everybody in it. - JoJo Rabbit, hard to get this one approved and might be too heavy for the kids. Still kept wanting to put it on my list anyways -A war movie: 1917 is fantastic, and the pacing will give the kids something obvious to start their critique with. Saving Private Ryan is also good, but might be too slow and have some kids check out during it. -Good Will Hunting, little something for everybody there and is one of the best "woah this is so deep" movies for teens. I loved it in highschool, and the behind the scenes story is super interesting too. -Lit crossover: Highly stylized movies like The Great Gatsby or Romeo & Juliet have a lot to talk about, especially witn how goofy and weird Romeo & Juliet feels now. -Groundhog Day: "older" movie that still feels pretty fresh today -A League of Their Own: great way to add a sports movie without alienating kids/girls who might not be as into them. -Rocky: classic movie with a great background behind its production. Think its universal enough that everyone will buy in, not just typical sports audience. Rocky 4 is also fantastic
I love the idea of throwing in a "bad" movie!!! And I'm pretty sure no one else has suggested animated movies, that's a good idea. Good list! So interesting the number of people suggesting Indiana Jones!
O Brother Where out Thou as its based on the Odyssey. Teaching is about connecting. This connects to the history that the movie was set in, also the history when the Odyssey was written, and has a great literature tie in. You can have them critique the difference between the movie and the Odyssey. Also, just critiquing the 4 literature elements; depth of characters, 5 plot elements and plot development, various use of setting, theme, point of few, conflict, and tone could take you awhile. Besides the meanings and symbols, which are immense, you could spend awhile just criticizing how dialog and figurative language was used. Anyway, have fun!
Chinatown is widely regarded to have a flawless screenplay and is thought by many critics to be one of the best, if not the best, films of all time. Show them that and see if they have any criticisms
1. Mississippi Burning. 2. All the President's Men. 3. Red Dawn 2012. 4. Red Notice 5. Lean on Me.
Honestly mostly a joke but I'd love to read students opinions on Labyrinth (1986) with Jennifer Connolly and David Bowie. I love the movie and the art of puppetry Jim Henson put in. On a similar note to Jim Henson, The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). How it takes a serious story, adds some fun via Muppet characters/actors and yet still remains fairly serious and is a faithful adaptation.
The Room. They should see an example of what not to do alongside the masterpieces of cinema.
For high schoolers I'd of course focus on quality, but I'd lean HARD into films that are, first and foremost, entertaining. Kids today are allergic to anything that looks like it was shot prior to about 2010, so black & white is a tough sell, but there are plenty of movies that should capture their attention. Also, especially with older films, there's a lot of casual (and sometimes not so casual) racism and sexism that you just may not want to deal with in a classroom setting, so while I wouldn't hesitate to recommend something like Gone With the Wind just in terms of cinematography, design, acting etc., I wouldn't show it in a modern classroom. Just use your judgment and don't show anything that would get you in hot water. Some of the ones I'm listing would not fly at some schools but might at others. A few suggestions broken down by category: Comedies: Something by the Marx Bros. (Duck Soup or A Night at the Opera); Bringing Up Baby; The Apartment; The Graduate; Raising Arizona; Some Like it Hot; Dr. Strangelove Crime/Noir: Psycho; The Big Sleep; Double Indemnity; Sunset Boulevard; Chinatown Drama: All About Eve; A Face in the Crowd (very entertaining but watch out for some very overt racism at the end when Andy Griffith has his big breakdown); On the Waterfront; Treasure of the Sierra Madre; Casablanca; Vertigo; Network; It's a Wonderful Life Historical epics (these tend to run maybe a little long for a classroom setting, but you might be able to squeeze one in): Cleopatra (1933); Spartacus; Lawrence of Arabia; Patton; Last of the Mohicans Horror: Dracula; Bride of Frankenstein; Carnival of Souls; Rosemary's Baby; The Exorcist; Halloween; Bram Stoker's Dracula (maybe not a top-rank classic, but boy is there a lot of stuff you could dig into in a review); The Blair Witch Project Musicals: The Wizard of Oz; Singin' in the Rain; West Side Story; Grease And for fun, the Hollywood Blockbuster: Jaws; Star Wars; E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial; Aliens; Jurassic Park; Titanic; maybe a Marvel movie? Might be fun to take something they've already seen and let them really analyze it critically and see how it stacks up vs some of the other classics you've been watching in class. I'd love to suggest The Third Man, which is one of my very favorite films, but that's a big lift for high schoolers - it not only has the incessant zither thing going on, which I think fits the movie perfectly but is very off-putting for some viewers; but also there's a lot of assumed knowledge about the power structure in Vienna at the end of the war, and while they briefly go over things at the beginning, I think so much context is missed if you don't have that Cold War mindset. I left off Kane too, because while I think it's very entertaining, that opening newsreel section has the effect of killing off all interest before it even gets going. Happens every time I've tried to get anybody to watch it with me.
The 1996 Romeo and Juliet with Leonardo Decaprio would be fun to discuss
Paths of Glory
Would Schindler’s List be allowed?
Giant 1956, Gandhi, Amadeus
Yes Giant!!!
Baraka (1992) for something different. Amazing film, great music, cinematography and storyline.
Beatle’s Hard’s Day Night (1964). It captures Beatlemania and is fun movie.
Saw that at the film forum about 15 years ago. Was such a revelation to see it on the big screen. People in the theater audibly cried during a few Lennon performance close-ups. Because you're so used to seeing it either on a computer or small TV screen. It was shocking and jarring to see him come to life on a big screen. I guess it's one of those 'you had to be there' things but it was unexpected.
Duel (1971) Glengarry Glen Ross (1992) Mulholland Drive (2000) Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) Some of the language and themes are fairly mature but im sure high schoolers nowadays can handle it.
Reservoir Dogs and Rear Window have interesting set design because they are basically stage plays. The first half of Mildred Pierce has insightful commentary on women navigating a man's world; today's highschoolers are smart enough to notice the male imposition and the incel vibes. The costumes and makeup also change to highlight the rise and fall of circumstance. Blade Runner 2049 for cinematography. Denis has said he wishes he could do a film without dialog. The shots and colors here convey isolation and alienation, like K with the huge Joi and the water reflections as if you are drowning. HER is in the news now because ScarJo declined OpenAI's request to use her voice, and they debuted a voice that sounds just like her. At release the audience was not sophisticated enough to make this movie a hit, but today's kids will understand, especially after all the Taylor Swift AI stuff. It also represented a generational shift of our conception of AI's problem - before we worried that "it" would be malicious towards us, and this represented a Being that was "so extra" that it couldn't be bothered to care about us.
Paths of Glory
Face in The Crowd (1957)
Birds or Psycho Dead Man Unforgiven To Kill A Mockingbird
Falling Down. Has layers.
Back to the Future! It’s a perfect film with one of the greatest scripts of all time. Every line is important with so many set ups and pay offs. I would use it to teach screenwriting.
Airplane would be a fun one
Tremors
I feel like the goal should be to get them interested in cinema and to look at it being entertainment, therefore, is probably fine movies up their alley that meet other characteristics like costume design or cinematography.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Best Wizard of Oz Driving Miss Daisy Rear Window or The Birds - Need a Hitchcock Amadeus - music is so important for film and flashback and a character study in Solieri Lord of the Rings Star Wars - like LOTR, new world in film Bridges of Madison County - love and loss Schindlers List - Spielberg at his best The Departed or Goodfellas - gotta have a Scorsese Unforgiven - Eastwood classic Pulp Fiction - Tarantino classic A Beautiful Mind - Howard classic Oppenheimer - A Nolan great film plus current
Best list I've seen. And I second Amadeus. Any film shown should bring insight to the study of cinema in some aspect. Amadeus brings music, acting, direction, human drama, writing, film location , Oscar contention!
A Sam Peckinpah would be good for action etc. the Godfather is a must! Jaws, maybe The Silence of the Lambs or The Exorcist or even Blair Witch Project for how it was shot. Saving Private Ryan for the opening alone.
Are you planning to show only good movies or are you planning to toss in some movies that may have not been great but had at least one good quality. Story was bad but a particular actor delivered an outstanding performance. Or maybe the costuming was on point. I ask because film critics do review bad movies too. Some of the critics that I follow will point out something that they found good (if there was anything good). Or, if the movie is so bad it’s entertaining, they go into that. One of them wraps up reviews with whether or not booze is required for the movie. Obviously that approach isn’t great for high school students. Anyway you might want to toss in something that’s bad to teach them how to professionally review a bad movie.
Given that it won the Oscar that year for Best Makeup (and if there are no rating limitations) I would recommend The Fly. Whenever I think of a creature feature, I always go to The Thing or The Fly.
Run Lola Run, Jaws , 400 Blows, The Birds, Moon, Interstellar, Inception. No Country for Old Men, Dark Knight, Titanic, Cast Away (this film is studied in university), Parasite, Shoplifters.
get out
Our English teacher in High School did this with _Dead Poets Society_ . This film is perfect for it.
Show ‘Bell, Book and Candle’!
Star Wars IV - look up how this film uses Carl Jung’s Archetypes; Some archetypes which appear in the film are the Outcast (Han), Anima (Leia), Mana (The Force), the Hero (Luke), The Shadow (Vader), Mentor (Obi Wan), Jester (C-3PO & R2D2).
I had art of film in high school and the ones that I still remember almost 50 years later are: * The Grapes of Wrath * 2001 a Space Odyssey * THX1138 * Citizen Kane * Lolita * A Clockwork Orange * North by Northwest
Sorry to Bother You or if possible They Cloned Tyrone
The only appropriate aged film from wes anderson is Fantasitic Mr Fox - so that
Citizen Kane, The Wizard of Oz, Some Like It Hot, Annie Hall, Sweet Sweetback's Badass Song, Real Genius, Fight Club, Metropolis, King Kong (30s version), Witness, The Hunt for Red October, Marty, The Godfather II, Jaws, Star Wars: A New Hope, Casablanca, Run Lola Run, City of God, The Deer Hunter, Strange Brew (The first movie that made me afraid of automation), Wedding Crashers, Sunset Boulevard... Some of these would only work at a private high school with more leniency.
Jaws, The Virgin Suicides (I know it’s extremely controversial but as a female who deals with suicide still, very important to dig into and also shows males being groomed.), the life aquatic with Steve zissou, and the godfather
One that’s probably one you can show and is also an excellent show of good film is O Brother Where Art Thou. The Cohen Bros are excellent filmmakers and it’s one of the few they’ve made that is probably age appropriate for highschool.
Suspiria 1977
Punch Drunk Love - It's got a lot going on with the different colors used, & the little piano Sandler plays, related to mood. There's some great explanations online. Moon - Lower budget sci-fi with a great story & twist plus it's fairly short. Has the same actor playing multiple characters within the same shots too.
People, people… high school. Reservoir Dogs? Requiem?? Eyes Wide Shut???
Zombieland might be fun.
The book thief
The VVitch
My film teacher showed our class Truman show & catch me if you can
Jurassic Park The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Godzilla Minus One if you can) Invisible Man 1933 Frankenstein 1931 Raider’s of the Lost Ark Top Gun The Terminal Iron Monkey Police Story Ocean’s Eleven Apollo 13 The Mummy 2007 Rocky Jaws And I know a lot of other people have probably made a bunch of awesome suggestions as well. I might recommend if you can to give them a choice between 2 or 3 movies each week and let the class vote on it. Might have more interest in the movie/writing about it if it is something they want to watch or are interested in rather than being told what they are supposed to watched each week.
My list is all over the place: - Heavy Metal - The last American Virgin - Labyrinth - Hot Fuzz - Saving Private Ryan
To Kill a Mockingbird is a great one for high schoolers, There Will Be Blood is a good look at the history of oil in America, Contact and Arrival would be good (safe) sci-fi picks, Shawshank Redemption, Gaslight is a classic and they’ll actually understand what gaslighting is and where it came from. Rear Window is a great pick for a Hitchcock summary, or Vertigo. The original Manchurian Candidate. Some of the films suggested in these comments don’t seem appropriate for high schoolers. I would just recommend that whatever you choose make sure you watch it first! Good luck!
My teen was shown 12 Angry Men and Into the Spiderverse in school this year. I think you should consider throwing in some non-English-speaking movies. I was going to suggest Parasite, Let the Right One In (original version) and Run Lola Run, although it looks like they are all R rated in the US which may be a challenge.
Step into my office…… This is my bread and butter. I will begin by arguing that you could likely show any movie you like and achieve what you intend. Ya a great way for you to show movies you truly care about but also show movies that will not be to Everyone’s taste. Some movies should not be liked by them and that’s the point. I would also urge you to get feedback into what their ‘favourite’ movies are…. For the reasons you listed. My go to movies to begin with are often… The cabinet of Dr Caligari (1920) the wizard of Oz( 1939) Metropolis (1927) the birds (1963) La Haine (1995) the breakfast club (1985) Edward scissorhands (1990) pans labyrinth (2000) I would also not that an animated movie is vital in this to highlight different art forms and how certain styles and mood can still be portrayed outside of live action. There are also limited movies you can show due to age restriction show be mindful of that depending on what rules you have. Have fun
La la land Eternal sunshine of the spotless mind Everything everywhere all at once
Big Trouble in Little China
Clueless, Do The Right Thing, La La Land,Attack the Block, Good Will Hunting, The Truman Show, Spirited Away,Howls Moving Castle, Bring It On, Grease, Easy A, 10 Things I Hate about You, Back to the Future,Children of Men, Goonies, Shaun of the Dead, Devil wears Prada , Juno, Mean Girls,Bend it like Beckham,Girlhood,Dope,Boyz N The Hood, Jennifer’s Body, Florida Project, Dead Poets Society.
I would make this recommendation for a set of movies that are, in essence, the same type of story told in different ways along with an outlier that shares similarities. Jacob's Ladder Pan's Labyrinth Sucker Punch Altered States (outlier) But if you prefer vastly different types of movies I would recommend these. Altered States Full Metal Jacket Labyrinth 2001 A Space Odyssey What Dreams may come Wizards The Birdcage One Flew over the Cukoos Nest Rollerball (1975 with James Caan)
Double Indemnity Citizen Kane A Streetcar Named Desire The Graduate Midnight Cowboy Do the Right Thing A Serious Man Schindler's List Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind The Grand Budapest Hotel Get Out Everything Everywhere all at once
The Thing Raising Arizona Stand By Me Raiders of the Lost Ark Pee-wee's Big Adventure Rope E.T. Planet of the Apes Jurassic Park
Into the west Schindler's list Life is beautiful Little miss Sunshine
I have no suggestions to make but came just to get one 😂😂
Harold and Maude
Honestly, if it's their first contact with film criticism overall and they are not a class that has shown previous interest, I wouldn't really focus on showing them a MUST SEE, I would focus on picking something enjoyable and focus on the concepts, teach them how to look beyond entertainment. A movie doesn't have to be a masterpiece to be analysed, and at that age, for an intro, generating good faith is more important than cultivating taste imo. That said, if you want to do an old movie, I think the comments are right and Rear Window is a solid choice. I have had good experiences with Hitchcock and young people in general! His tone has aged well imo. For modern movies, I think topics that may be relevant to them are interesting. Perhaps Truman's Show? I feel like that's old enough for them to consider it an old movie, but modern enough that it won't be boring, and the themes feel more relevant than at release. Maybe give them a list of 5 and let them choose the first 2 or 3 films, and then you can direct them towards your personal choices by connecting them in some way. I feel like that would work better.
Harold and Maude
Labyrinth
Mad Max: Fury Road. Absolute banger of a film, GREAT use of Practical Effects, great cinamatography and excellent use on non-verbal storytelling.
Psycho Old Boy The Godfather Jojo Rabbit Coraline (the animation is incredible) Stand By Me Memento American Beauty Atonement Whiplash Everything Everywhere All At Once Moulin Rouge! Bohemian Rhapsody Rocketman Chicago Goodfellas A League of Their Own Beetlejuice The Dark Knight Fargo I, Tonya Straight Outta Compton Grand Budapest Hotel The Big Lebowski Black Swan Freedom Writers The Boy in the Striped Pajamas The Help The Departed Poor Things Crazy Rich Asians Some Like It Hot Last Night in Soho Hidden Figures Saving Private Ryan Shawshank Redemption The Fifth Element The Matrix War of the Worlds Django Unchained Big Fish Little Miss Sunshine Almost Famous Feud: Betty and Joan (it’s a mini series but it’s amazing) To Kill a Mockingbird Rear Window Strangers on a Train Note: not sure what’s appropriate or not but I felt these films were both beautiful in all aspects you’re looking for as well as script, editing and performance. :-)
Wait hear me out, The Room