The most beautiful film ever?

[adamjohnson]

My vote goes out to THE LIBERTINE.

I was going to make this thread about the movie itself, but decided instead to allow others to input THEIR thoughts on just whatis the most beautiful film of all time. (And please give DETAILED resonings, sell me on it!)

Alexander Melman was the cinematographer.
Laurence Dunmore was the director.

But who's to blame for how beautiful this film really is, even in showing London's pure and unbridled filth during the era. (and also, one ofthe more accurate visual representations of London at the time)







Most of the film is lit entirely by candlelight, and the use of Digital rather than film produced a low-light grain that was both beautiful and beautifully disgusting - to match the era of London.

Unlike other period films the fim was shot almost entirely on handheld, excet for the two panoramic shots of the Theater - which was intentional.

And during Depp's final speech, when he was so depraved and disgusting that he wore rags and a fake nose tocover his diseased face, Depp would take slow and careful steps towards the camera. When he got just too close the cameraman would jump back several steps, not cutting, but rather keeping on the shot. The result is a truly unique dialogue.

And how can we forget the masterpiece? The Prologue and epilouge scenes? Lit so perfecctly by candlelight that Depp only had to lean back and be in total darkness.

Thoughts? Rebuttals? Please explain

[Trail_Blazer]

Visually beautiful I'd have to give it to either "The Promise", "Hero" or "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"....

Runners up would be flicks like Troy, Crouching Tiger, Alexander, Musa: The Warrior, House of Flying Daggers, etc.

[scamp2005]

My vote is for Barry Lyndon (Stanley Kubrick)









Not only is it the most visually beautiful film I have ever seen, it is also one of my all time favorate films.
I dont think I need too sell anyone on the absolute beauty of this film. The costumes, sets and Cinematography by John Alcott (also shot The Shining and A Clockwork Orange) are all stunning. All you have too do is watch it and you will be dumbstruck, every seccond of this film could be the best shot ever created, in my opinion that is.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

If you're talking about emtional beauty, I'd have to say Leaving Las Vegas and The Straight Story.

Visual beauty? Well, Fanny and Alexander probably.

[bucket]

Hero

[IndianaJones07]

I'm not sure about beautiful, but anything Ridley Scott does is at least visually stunning...

I honestly don't know how you can compete with Crouching Tiger. I haven't seen a movie to date that matched the beauty of the cinemetography and set design that it had. Asian filmmaking seems to have that edge a lot though...

For something that isn't Asain filmmaking -- I would even make a push for American Beauty for all of the representation that it has...

[therealjohng]

[adamjohnson]

I wholehartedly agree with both Amelie and Ridley Scott.

AMELIE:




RIDLEY SCOTT:

[CletusHorniblow]

Mirrormask.



'Nuff said.

[Scarfather]

Well, I'm biased towards country side shots, Forrest Gump running sequence, Sideways, even Fear and Loathing, Nevada's beautiful Death Valley.

All of Kubrick's are visually stunning, ESPECIALLY Barry Lyndon, A Clockwork Orange and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Buttt, yeah, Barry Lyndon.

[Backstabba]

Kingdom of Heaven

....B-e-a-utiful

[ilovemovies]

I'm sorry, but The Libertine is one of the ugliest movies I have ever seen in every way imaginable.


My choice would be What Dreams May Come. The most beautiful and gorgeous film in ever way imaginable.

[Shockwave]

LEGEND. (Directors cut)

I kid u not. rewatch that movie and really look at the enviornments. Fucking beautiful.



...one other one i dont think many have seen is the Peter Pan that came out in 04. Awesome stuff in that one i thought.

[BakeTheMooCow]

House of Flying Daggers.

[Pulp_Joker]

Apocalypse Now
Any Fellini movie (8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, La Strada, Amarcord, I Vitelloni)
Any Kubrick movie (2001, Clockwork Orange, Barry Lyndon, Shining, Strangelove)

Those are the first that come to mind.

[adamjohnson]

Originally posted by ilovemovies
I'm sorry, but The Libertine is one of the ugliest movies I have ever seen in every way imaginable.
\.

How come? because it depicted London as a filthy rat0infested shit hole? (which is what it was)

Beautifully disgusting is what i call it.

[scottish-movie-freak]

or

[ilovemovies]

I thought the Libertine was dark, murky and ugly looking. On top of that the main character was completely unlikeable and boring, like the movie itself.

Nothing beautiful about the movie. And for all the sex talk that occurs in the movie, it's a surprisingly unsexy movie. It did the unthinkable. It actually made sex boring.

[someguy]

Sympathy for Lady Vengeance is pretty stunning at points.

[MonkeyGoat]

King Arthur had some beautiful shots in it, and the music was so beautiful it made me cry.

And Merlin is very pretty for a tv movie.

There's so many beautiful movies out there I can't even begin to name all my favourites!

[adamjohnson]

Originally posted by ilovemovies
I thought the Libertine was dark, murky and ugly looking. On top of that the main character was completely unlikeable and boring, like the movie itself.

Nothing beautiful about the movie. And for all the sex talk that occurs in the movie, it's a surprisingly unsexy movie. It did the unthinkable. It actually made sex boring.

Well we disagree.

I was a bit presumptuousw in nominatingit most beautiful EVER, but I do LOOOVE the candlelit look. (note: I'm mostly speaking in regards to visual beauty, and especialycinematography)

Ahhh, how could i forget?

[damien22]

[floydtheater07]

"The Fellowship of the Ring" comes to mind...

[Bourne101]

Movies from earlier times like Barry Lyndon and The Libertine are usually always very visually appealing as well as most Kung-Fu films are like Hero and House of Flying Daggers. But personally I don't dig them as much as some newer age movies that I find even more beautiful. Here are some examples:

Jarhead
Batman Begins
Sin City (not just cool, beautiful)
Miami Vice (haven't seen it, but just know)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

[ChemicalRomance]

DAYS OF HEAVEN Helllllllllllooooooooo?

[RandalGraves]

Either Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Punch Drunk Love or Pleasantville

[Hannibal21]

2001: A Space Odyssey would be my #1 pick, it's the most stunning looking film I've ever seen.

I also agree that Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven is pretty ethereal, even though I don't like the movie as much as others seem to.

Powell and Presburger's movies also deserve mentioning (good call on The Red Shoes, scottish-movie-freak! and let's not forget the gorgeous Black Narcissus)

John M. Stahl's superb noir melodrama Leave Her to Heaven comes to mind as well. The cinematography is strikingly beautiful and gloriously captures the beauty of Gene Tierney in technicolor.

Hitchcock makes splendid use of color and imagery in Vertigo, what results is a visually haunting experience.

As far as black and white movies go, it's all about two VERY elegant classics, Rebecca and Laura, and Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane

[TylerDurden182]

Days of Heaven










2001: A Space Odyssey














And like Scamp2005 has already proven, Barry Lyndon.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Well, I think it's been established that 2001 is definitely a magnificent sight to behold, but take a look at any Bergman picture and you'll find that visually his films are just as good as 2001.

But still, nothing really holds a candle up to 2001, even all the naysayers who whine about it because it's slow-moving.

[Badbird]

I'd have to say:

Blade Runner
Dreamcatcher
Chronicles of Narnia

[Gordon]

I'd have to vote for:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Paris, Texas
La Dolce Vita
Susperia
Solairs

To name a few.

[ilovemovies]

Road to Perdition
Finding Neverland
Contact
Moulin Rouge!
Pleasantville

[Rick-James]

The Empire Strikes Back. Just amazing to look at.

[Shockwave]

Im surprised no one has at least mentioned BIG FISH.

[bankholdup]

2001: A Space Odyssey is probably the most visually beautiful film I'll ever see.

#2 would be Cocteau's Beauty and the Beast...brilliant and beautiful to look at.

However, I do need to see Days of Heaven, The Red Shoes, Paris, Texas, Doctor Zhivago (I saw a clip of a scene inside of the ice castle (I believe), and that looked beyond beautiful).

Other great ones include...

Moulin Rouge!
Lawrence of Arabia
8 1/2
Manhattan (in a more subtle way

I'm very tempted to list films like Notorious, Double Indemnity, Sunset Boulevard, Godfather II, and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, but I'm not sure "beautiful" is the right term.

[Kucha]

Gotta go with what some others said... AMELIE.

[sAtAn666]

Wow, no one has said Citizen Kane yet?

[Kevin Lockard]

Once Upon A Time In America anyone?

[PSU80]

I have a few picks here...

Last of the Mohicans
Gangs of New York
Dracula (1992)

[bigred760]

Originally posted by IndianaJones07
I'm not sure about beautiful, but anything Ridley Scott does is at least visually stunning...

The first movie that came to mind was Gladiator - I love how that movie looks.

Also want to throw in Spielberg's A.I. - there's a lot of visually stunning scenes in that movie.