1950's

• In a Lonely Place (1950)
• Lucas "Regardless of how docile he seems in his all-night writing sessions, he is dangerous both to himself and the people he loves."
• Jules "There's very little room in his world for give and take. He doesn't trust anyone. He doesn't even try."
• Sunset Blvd. (1950) &
• All About Eve (1950) &
• Rashomon (1950) $
• A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
• Lucas "Seen through the lenses of history, this is a great, ground-breaking performance, but I imagine that in 1951 it was nothing short of a revelation."
• Umberto D. (1952)
• Lucas "There's nothing left for Umberto; he hasn't a chance in the world."
• Matt "The movie is not about the plight of the poor or he elderly or the pitiable "other" or the ethical treatment of pets. The movie is about Umberto D."
• Jules "And just as romance can't always be sacrificed to the practical, all the Kubrick and Hitchcock oohs and ahs in the world couldn't make up for a lack of such easy, beautiful filmmaking as this."
• Singin' In the Rain (1952)
• Lucas "we watch to see Gene Kelly hanging from that lamppost. And to our surprise, the rest of the film is a thoroughly enjoyable, expertly made musical."
• Ikiru (1952)
• Jules "The Kurosawa sense of humor is evident at the beginning of the movie, but the lasting quality of the film is its emotional depth."
• Tokyo Story (1953)
• Jules "it's a huge hunk that Ozu has bitten off, but a task that he undertakes with great care and thoroughness...Depending upon your point of view, this will either lean towards the magnetic or make you a bit sleepy."
• Lucas "It is a moving and heartbreaking finale, and one that I expect gains resonance the older you are when you watch it. Even so, it's a powerful reminder that loved ones can go at any time."
• Viaggio in Italia (1953) &
• Ugetsu monogatari (1953)
• Jules "They swim around each other as though perfectly at home, like a litter of newborn puppies, and to watch them tackle the subject matter fearlessly is a total joy."
• Lucas "The real tragedy of Ugetsu monogatari is that these two men, despite their best intentions, destroy the lives of the women they love in the pursuit of greatness."
• Madame de... (1953) &
• La Strada (1954) &
• Jules "clear, cool resonance of an eternal story caught in just the right place to give it the appearance of a beginning and an ending."
• On the Waterfront (1954)
• Jules "Every once in a while, it's good to know that a box-office smash is really worthwhile."
• Lucas "Can it be possible to both love and hate the same film? Honestly, I don't yet know."
• The Seven Samurai (1954) $
• Sansho Dayu (1954) $
• Rear Window (1954) &
• Smiles of a Summer Night (1955)
• Jules "...his treatment of the subject matter has depth, great insight, and textures that range from squeaky-dry dialogue lines to the poetry of wine-drunk love-making at dawn."
• Lucas "Essentially what Bergman does is take a normal, Victorian scenario and infuse it with his worldview, his fallacies, and his dark sense of humor."
• The Night of the Hunter (1955) &
• Pather Panchali (1955) $
• Ordet (1955) &
• The Apu Trilogy (1955, 56, 59)
• The Searchers (1956)
• Lucas "This is not a good man John Ford has given us as our hero, yet we are forced to admire him"
• Jules "doesn't exist to enlighten its audience regarding the ways of an all but extinct race, but to provide a venue in which John Wayne can shine. So all political and cultural faux pas aside, for serious Wayne fans, this is a must-see."
• Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
• Lucas "It may not be great cinema, but as the alien invasion genre goes, it's about as good as you can expect."
• Matt "there are dozens of better movies you should watch first. At any rate, remember: don't go to sleep or the aliens will get you."
• Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
• Lucas "Lancaster operates his column with the all-encompassing power of a mafia boss, moving people around like pawns with little to no consideration for their well-being."
• Matt "It probably works because it is satisfying to see bastards fail, and because the writers pack it with relatively memorable pulp dialog."
• Jules "the results are often nothing less than pure cinematic magic. Smooth-talking old school and rough improv."
• Pyaasa (1957)
• Lucas "the effect is so powerful, that I cannot imagine the scene being any more riveting if we knew what he was saying."
• Jules "the cinematographer's use of light and dark sequences that change with the narrative sets terrific tone."
• The Seventh Seal (1957) $
• Wild Strawberries (1957) $
• Vertigo (1958) $
• Touch of Evil (1958) $
• Some Like It Hot (1959)
• Lucas "There's no question this is a classic, but it's also a cinematic delight for the ages. There are few films in history that I can recommend with confidence to nearly everyone. This is one of them."
• Les Quatre cents coups (1959)
• Lucas "Morally, Antoine Doinel and his like may be classically wrong, but they are choosing to do things by their own rules, and when you live by your own rules, it's hard to judge those actions by classical morality."
• Rio Bravo (1959) $
• Pickpocket (1959) &
• North by Northwest (1959) &