Ensemble Films - Movies & TV - Forums : Best Ever Albums

badseed

Gender: Male
Age: 35
Location: FL

I don't really know how many stars a film needs to be labeled as an ensemble film as it's a relatively undefined subgenre. Some people would call Casablanca, The Godfather and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ensemble films but those films had a defined line between leading and supporting parts. Even so they are fairly close to being part of the style. I suppose movies with one main character who has tons of support should count, like Citizen Kane, JFK, maybe even Lincoln (and many Ingmar Bergman films). Stuff like Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Once Upon a Time in the West both have four main stars who share relatively equal screen time. But the films that really come to mind are the ones where there are many, many characters who have different stories yet cross paths with each other throughout. Of course PTA's Magnolia fits the bill. Particularly the films of Robert Altman, who I feel was listed way low on our directors list. Films like MASH, Nashville and Short Cuts, among others, proved Altman's mastery of the style. Action movies from John Sturges (The Magnificent Seven, The Great Escape) also come to mind, as well as The Dirty Dozen. Of course 90s crime films like Pulp Fiction and The Usual Suspects. Oh and lots of Woody Allen and Wes Anderson movies. Full Metal Jacket, Do the Right Thing, Happiness, Love Actually. The list goes on and on. Anyway yeah I love that style of film. Anyone else feel the same?

hereforashortime

Gender: Male

12 Angry Men always jumps into my mind immediately, when I think of ensemble films. Obviously Juror #8 is the main character, but for most of the time the cast is completely together, and sometimes shows us small conversations that don't involve Fonda. Dazed and Confused is more in the Magnolia camp of ensemble films, but it obviously has two lead characters, Pink and Mitch, but the film will usually wonder away from their stories and focus on other random events happening.
_________________
Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me.

hereforashortime

Gender: Male

So much of Tarantino's work is an ensemble. Kill Bill and Django are really the only films I wouldn't give that title.
_________________
Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me.

badseed

Gender: Male
Age: 35
Location: FL

hereforashortime wrote:

So much of Tarantino's work is an ensemble. Kill Bill and Django are really the only films I wouldn't give that title.

Agreed, although I think Jackie Brown may be questionable (Grier and Jackson are leads; Forster, De Niro, Fonda and company are supporting) and also Death Proof (still questionable; I suppose the females are roughly as important as Kurt). Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Inglorious Basterds and Hateful Eight definitely all qualify though.

Speaking of Dazed & Confused, a lot of teen comedies fit the bill. Fast Times at Ridgmont High and American Pie immediately come to mind.

hereforashortime

Gender: Male

badseed wrote:

Speaking of Dazed & Confused, a lot of teen comedies fit the bill. Fast Times at Ridgmont High and American Pie immediately come to mind.

Agreed, breakfast club also qualifies.
_________________
Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me.

Mercury
Turn your back on the pay-you-back last call

Gender: Male
Location: St. Louis

Just about 30 minutes ago I finished an incredible rewatch of Nashville and yeah I was just thinking man I love this freaking film and this style is so so hard to pull off. Nashville is just next level. As is Short Cuts (but even that masterpiece isn’t quite Nashville.) Not a fan of Magnolia.

While watching Nashville I was yet again reminded of Slacker. Probably just the vans blasting out political jargon. But yeah Slacker and Dazed and Confused show Linklater’s brilliant take on the style.
_________________
-Ryan

ONLY 4% of people can understand this chart! Come try!

My Fave Metal - you won't believe #5!!!

SquishypuffDave

Gender: Male
Age: 33

Babel might be my favourite example of this. Ensemble comedies like What We Do In The Shadows and Galaxy Quest also come to mind, but even then it's hard to avoid having certain characters emerge as leads, both in terms of the writer giving every character balanced screen time and emotional arcs, as well as audiences identifying with and becoming attached to certain characters, which is often the first character we see on screen, so it's difficult to shake. Also since movies have so much less time to work with than TV shows, I applaud any filmmaker who can give me a bunch of fully fleshed out characters with their own compelling stories within a couple of hours.

hereforashortime

Gender: Male

SquishypuffDave wrote:

Babel might be my favourite example of this. Ensemble comedies like What We Do In The Shadows and Galaxy Quest also come to mind, but even then it's hard to avoid having certain characters emerge as leads, both in terms of the writer giving every character balanced screen time and emotional arcs, as well as audiences identifying with and becoming attached to certain characters, which is often the first character we see on screen, so it's difficult to shake. Also since movies have so much less time to work with than TV shows, I applaud any filmmaker who can give me a bunch of fully fleshed out characters with their own compelling stories within a couple of hours.

I wouldn't call Galaxy Quest as much of an Ensemble, because Tim Allen is pretty obviously the main character, but I o agree that a lot of comedies are ensembles. I think movies centered on families tend to be ensembles. Particularly Little Miss Sunshine and Royal Tenenbaums.

(Also this is my 500th forum post so that's cool)
_________________
Nothing really matters, anyone can see, nothing really matters, nothing really matters to me.

SquishypuffDave

Gender: Male
Age: 33

hereforashortime wrote:

I wouldn't call Galaxy Quest as much of an Ensemble, because Tim Allen is pretty obviously the main character, but I o agree that a lot of comedies are ensembles. I think movies centered on families tend to be ensembles. Particularly Little Miss Sunshine and Royal Tenenbaums.

(Also this is my 500th forum post so that's cool)

Fair point now that I think back on it. I guess it's a non-ensemble film that has an ensemble in it?

badseed

Gender: Male
Age: 35
Location: FL

SquishypuffDave wrote:

hereforashortime wrote:

I wouldn't call Galaxy Quest as much of an Ensemble, because Tim Allen is pretty obviously the main character, but I o agree that a lot of comedies are ensembles. I think movies centered on families tend to be ensembles. Particularly Little Miss Sunshine and Royal Tenenbaums.

(Also this is my 500th forum post so that's cool)

Fair point now that I think back on it. I guess it's a non-ensemble film that has an ensemble in it?

I would say every fictional live action film has an ensemble, aside from rare exceptions like Antichrist (or does two people count as an ensemble as well?)

Crash (Paul Haggis, not Cronenberg) is another noteworthy example. I soured on that film and I think a lot of it has to do with it winning best picture when it clearly didn't deserve a nomination that year. Honestly although its motives are a bit cliche it is a great example of a film carried by many strong 10-15 minute performances.