2011-08-02

It's my birthday! Here are the Top 5 films of 1983 - Redux

Top 5 of 1983 aka The Year I Was Born - Redux

Taking from a MEME I've seen this year on some Blogs I've dig through my film memories to try to find all the films I've seen that were made in 1983 aka the year I was born. Well, the first I've seen from this year is without a doubt The Return of the Jedi directed by Richard Marquand(!?!), by automatic mistake we always think it's from George Lucas, it's mostly but he's not credited as the director. I remember the first time, and I'm pretty sure it was the only time, I've seen The Return of the Jedi; my dad and I rented it with the two other episodes on a hot rainy saturday evening of the 1990's...

Well, cinematic memories are very important and I think the context of the viewing of a film is very important to appreciate it. The rest of my family, my brother was too to stay up until the third movie of the evening and he isn't as a cinephile as we are so is my mother. I'll always remember those evenings of watching movies with my dad, as long as I can remember we were fans of the Back to the Future the trilogy, Tom Hanks & Chevy Chase comedies, every Spielberg picture around and every action movies too. Well before passing judgments you have to remember that I was around 8-12 years old at the time...

Now you're thinking why does he talks about all those childish memories? First of all, I don't want to brag or anything but it's been three years since I haven't seen my father, it relieves me to talk about it, but mostly because my number one spot is Andrei Tarkovsky's Nostalghia.

Below you will find my long awaited Top 5 films of 1983, starting from number 1 to number 5.


1. Nostalghia (Andrei Tarkovsky)
A wonderful film from a director who made so few movies. The cinematography is awesome and the story is spiritual and meaninful and it as this mysterious feeling to it.


2. Videodrome (David Cronenberg)
Cronenberg's vision of the modern world and all its addictions to television, pornography, violence, and how they are possessing our minds and bodies. Those obsessions are presented in Cronenberg's own uncensored approach to Cinema. I also can't wait to see his next project with the always excellent Viggo Mortensen as Sigmund Freud and the underrated extraordinary Michael Fassbender as Carl Jung: A Dangerous Method.
3. The King of Comedy (Martin Scorsese)
Well, this is almost cheating, I know. On IMDb it says 1982. But for Marty Scorsese, one of my favorite director, I can cheat a little. The King of Comedy isn't a real comedy but I think the study of character and the presence of Bob De Niro is amazing. I like this little film without pretention.



4. Monty Python's The Meaning of Life (Terry Jones)
Here's a fact: I love comedies. I dig them and I am a good receiver of jokes. Monty Python are hilarious and I don't think there even was a group of talented actors and comedians that could have made such funny films as they did. Please read my review of it here.


5. Vivement Dimanche! (François Truffaut)
In my admiration for Truffaut's work there is this hommage to Hitchcock (a director I also worship) called Vivement Dimanche!. It became an instant classic to the master of suspense and a complete success as a simple but enjoyable film with Fanny Ardant and Jean-Louis Trintignant.


Runner-up: Prénom Carmen (Jean-Luc Godard)

Since I cheated with my number 3, I will give a little place for this Godard picture that I discovered last year. Love him or hate him the man is stil Godard, another master from the Nouvelle Vague that I greatly admire. Although, opposed to Truffaut, Prénom Carmen lacks in narrative and demonstrate how Godard reinvented himself after his successful 1960's years. An erotic/thriller movie that will challenge your mind.

 
The fims I want to see that may change the order of this list:
Zelig
(Woody Allen)
L'argent
(Robert Bresson)
Rumble Fish
(Francis Ford Coppola)
The Right Stuff
(Philip Kaufman)
Sans Soleil
(Chris Marker)
Pauline à la plage
(Eric Rohmer)

...and maybe your suggestions for 1983!

8 comments:

  1. Premièrement Je suis un hardcore fan de Star Wars. On sais que Lucas n'a réalisé que le premier des trois épisode originaux. Pour The Empire Strikes Back, il faut se rappeler qu'il avait récemment fondé sa compagnie Industrial Light & Magic et qu'il était impliquer en tant que producteur dans de nojmbreux projet.. donc faiute de temps il a confier la réalisation (et bcp de latitude) à Kershner ce qui a d'ailleurs donné le meilleur épisode de la série!
    Pour ce qui est de Return of the Jedi, pour les même raison il a confier la réalisation a un autre réalisateur.. Il a d'abord tenté d'engager David Lynch (oui oui!) mais celui-ci a du refuser pour faire Dune.. Il s'en ai donc remis à Marquand (jeune réalisateur prometteur à l'époque) mais Lucas était tout le temps sur le set (du à l'inexperience de son acolyte) et il est effectivement responsable du gros de la réalisation, ce qui a d'ailleurs donnée le moins bon épisode de la série..... Si aujourd'hui Marquand est un sombre inconnu c'est qu'il est mort en 1987 d'une crise cardiaque.. il n'a pas fait grand chose d'autre que Return of the jedi...
    Voilà pour la petite tranche d'histoire!

    Encore une fois bonne fête mon Mike!

    Jos

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  2. Great list, how about Scarface and maybe Local Hero. Not the greatest films I know, but still good.

    I liked Nostalghia, not my favourite Tarkovsky, but it was a very interesting film and phenomally well shot.

    I love The King Of Comedy and The Meaning Of Life, both brilliant films. I haven't seen the others though!

    Joyeux Anniversaire!

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  3. That is a very good list. I especially agree with 1 and 2.

    Also Happy Birthday!

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  4. @Jos. Très intéressant! Je ne suis pas tellement un fan de Star Wars à part Empire Strikes Back, je n'ai pas vraiment embarqué... Depuis un moment je veux les revoir juste pour me souvenir de comment c'était. Je n'ose pas imaginer ce que le talent de Lynch aurait donné à Return of the Jedi!!! Je suis un ardant défenseur de son travail et j'aime beaucoup son Dune malgré tous les mauvais mots qui ont été écrits à propos de ce film très déstabilisant!
    Merci! Ça fait plaisir de te lire!

    @Jack L., I have many difficulties with Scarface and De Palma's pictures. That is why you won,t find it here. For Local hero I haven't seen it yet. It'll go on my movies to see list! Thanks for the comment and the happy birthday!

    @Bonjour Tristesse, glad you like my first choices! Those are personal favourites!

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  5. I know what you mean about Scarface and De Palma's films in general, I'm not a fan either.
    I think Scarface is all right, not great though.
    I think Blow Out and The Phantom Of Paradise are his best and only really good films.

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  6. To me Blow Out is an extraordinary film! Phantom is funny but is a bit aged. But the rest he did is too overpowering and it gets on my nerves.

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  7. A Christmas Story is a 1983 movie that a lot of Americans love. Risky Business is a personal favorite because I was the age of the main character when the movie came out.

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  8. Then I should see both before next year!

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