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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #1
- Posted: 09/13/2018 06:13
- Post subject: Greatest Films - Best Halves
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Note: Just a rough draft for now to get this started. I will be adding several more entries and will probably add ratings (meaning, ratings out of 10 for the listed "half" alone) and will be adding more descriptive titles for the halves...
2nd Half - Metropolis - Fritz Lang (1927) ["The Complete Metropolis", 147 minutes]
"Andrei Falling Unconscious, Passage into Reverie" through "Final Shot - After Life, Beyond Frontiers" (2nd Half) - Nostalghia - Andrei Tarkovsky (1983)
2nd Half - Brazil - Terry Gilliam (1985) [The Final Cut, 142 minutes]
"Climax and Impotence - Vertigo, Love and Death at the Mission" through "Finale - Scotty's Madness, Overcoming Impotence, Climax Atop the Bell Tower, Consumed by Love and Death, the Endless Vertigo" (2nd Half) - Vertigo - Alfred Hitchcock (1958)
2nd Half - Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958) [Restored Welles' Cut, 108 minutes]
2nd Half - The Lady from Shanghai - Orson Welles (1948)
2nd Half - Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941)
1st Half - Citizen Kane - Orson Welles (1941)
1st Half - Underground - Emir Kusturica (1995)
"Train Robbery" through "Suicide Mission Finale & Aftermath" (2nd Half) - The Wild Bunch - Sam Peckinpah (1969)
2nd Half - Persona - Ingmar Bergman (1966)
1st Half - Nashville - Robert Altman (1975)
2nd Half - Nashville - Robert Altman (1975)
2nd Half - 2001: A Space Odyssey - Stanley Kubrick (1968)
1st Half - Wings of Desire - Wim Wenders (1987)
1st Half - Persona - Ingmar Bergman (1966)
2nd Half - What Ever Happened To Baby Jane? - Robert Aldrich (1962)
2nd Half - Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia - Sam Peckinpah (1974)
2nd Half - Werckmeister Harmonies - Bela Tarr (2000)
2nd Half - Underground - Emir Kusturica (1995)
1st Half - The Magnificent Ambersons - Orson Welles (1942)
2nd Half - Love Exposure - Sion Sono (2008)
"Opening at Alcatraz" through "Reece's Last Stay at the Huntley" (1st Half) - Point Blank - John Boorman (1967)
1st Half - Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese (1976)
1st Half - Brazil - Terry Gilliam (1985) [The Final Cut, 142 minutes]
2nd Half - Limelight - Charlie Chaplin (1952)
2nd Half - On the Waterfront - Elia Kazan (1954)
2nd Half - Taxi Driver - Martin Scorsese (1976)
1st Half - 8 1/2 - Federico Fellini (1963)
2nd Half - 8 1/2 - Federico Fellini (1963)
1st Half - Touch of Evil - Orson Welles (1958)
1st Half - Metropolis - Fritz Lang (1927) ["The Complete Metropolis", 147 minutes]
1st Half - The Wild Bunch - Sam Peckinpah (1969)
1st Half - The Apartment - Billy Wilder (1960)
7.3/10+ -- BUT NOT RATED/RANKED YET:
"Opening Seance" through "Ignat's Conversation with Father about a Redhead" (1st Half) - Mirror - Andrei Tarkovsky (1974)
"Wartime Training" through "Conclusion - Time Collapsed, Merged, Mirrored, Healed" (2nd Half) - Mirror - Andrei Tarkovksy (1974)
7.2/10
7.1/10
7.0/10
6.9/10
6.8/10
6.8-7.2 -- BUT NOT RATED/RANKED YET:
"Opening - Waking Dream" through "Entre'Acte" (1st Half) - Holy Motors - Leos Carax (2012)
"Post-Entre'Acte" through "Final Act - Holy Motors" (2nd Half) - Holy Motors - Leos Carax (2012)
OTHER USER's RECOMMENDATIONS:[/b]
_________________
Best Classical
Best Films
Best Paintings
Last edited by AfterHours on 09/22/2018 17:52; edited 14 times in total
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badseed
Gender: Male
Age: 35
Location: FL
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- #2
- Posted: 09/14/2018 02:59
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This is the most difficult thing you've attempted yet. While mostly all time classics should rightfully be here, keep in mind there are some lesser films that started off with a bang but fizzled out. I came across The Bad Batch on Netflix the other night. It was in the "critically acclaimed films" list, but when I looked it up, its RT and IMDb scores weren't impressive. I can understand why. The movie starts off nicely enough, like a throwback to low budget exploitation films of the 70s and 80s. Not saying the beginning was good enough to get on this list, just using it as a recent example, but the story was flowing nicely and we got a cool non-speaking Jim Carrey cameo. An hour in I'm thinking it's just my type of movie. Then I fell asleep. Twice. It just got too weird.
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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #3
- Posted: 09/14/2018 03:49
- Post subject:
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| badseed wrote: | | This is the most difficult thing you've attempted yet. While mostly all time classics should rightfully be here, keep in mind there are some lesser films that started off with a bang but fizzled out. I came across The Bad Batch on Netflix the other night. It was in the "critically acclaimed films" list, but when I looked it up, its RT and IMDb scores weren't impressive. I can understand why. The movie starts off nicely enough, like a throwback to low budget exploitation films of the 70s and 80s. Not saying the beginning was good enough to get on this list, just using it as a recent example, but the story was flowing nicely and we got a cool non-speaking Jim Carrey cameo. An hour in I'm thinking it's just my type of movie. Then I fell asleep. Twice. It just got too weird. |
Good point. Even with very great films there can be a fairly large discrepancy with halves (even when the weaker half is still excellent). I am currently only including 7.3/10+ halves but may decide to go further down to, say, 7.0+ or maybe 6.8+. This would of course greatly expand what gets included. It is very rare for a film to have a 7.3+ half and not also be at least 7.3+ overall but I would love to find some. I havent seen it but perhaps The Bad Batch is among those. And if not, perhaps it (and many others) will get their shot if I extend lower than 7.3.
_________________
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Best Films
Best Paintings
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CA Dreamin
Gender: Male
Location: LA
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- #4
- Posted: 09/14/2018 04:20
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I don't understand the point in evaluating half a movie.
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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #5
- Posted: 09/14/2018 05:09
- Post subject:
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| StreetSpirit wrote: | | I don't understand the point in evaluating half a movie. |
Because 2 halves = 1 whole  ... and stuff...
... ... ...
More to the actual point though: While it is true that one half is inextricably linked to the other so perhaps a complete separation is not truly being thought with when rating one or the other (nor is that the requirement or concern), I do feel that if one is evaluating a film, say, only at the end/upon completion, then mistakes are more liable to happen.
Ex: a film has an amazing ending but maybe wasnt so great leading up to that. This amazing ending being in the front of one's mind, the reviewer gives the film his highest rating, forgetting about an experience that was largely mediocre prior to that.
I tend to evaluate films (or music, etc) as they progress and accumulate expressively, thematically, and so forth. So I am thinking with the rating rising and/or falling as it is progressing, particularly as the work reaches key points/junctures/climaxes. This keeps me honest (so to speak). And then of course I am also summing it all up at the end. I feel more disciplined, precise ratings and rankings are obtained in doing so. Films are often separated pretty neatly into 2 halves where tension/conflict/exposition is developed, then released/culminated (or similar progression).
(one could also break many into a traditional three act structure)
Anyway, halves are often easy to think with and I thought it would be an interesting (and possibly useful) list to compile.
_________________
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Best Films
Best Paintings
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CA Dreamin
Gender: Male
Location: LA
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- #6
- Posted: 09/14/2018 18:56
- Post subject:
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| AfterHours wrote: | | Because 2 halves = 1 whole |
Right, but so does 3 thirds and 4 quarters, etc.
| AfterHours wrote: | More to the actual point though: While it is true that one half is inextricably linked to the other so perhaps a complete separation is not truly being thought with when rating one or the other (nor is that the requirement or concern), I do feel that if one is evaluating a film, say, only at the end/upon completion, then mistakes are more liable to happen.
Ex: a film has an amazing ending but maybe wasn't so great leading up to that. This amazing ending being in the front of one's mind, the reviewer gives the film his highest rating, forgetting about an experience that was largely mediocre prior to that. |
Well that's the viewer's fault for having a poor memory.
| AfterHours wrote: | | Films are often separated pretty neatly into 2 halves... |
Numerous films can be easily separated into halves, but many cannot. And it seems on this list, you've chosen films that can be easily separated, which excludes great films where there is no clear juncture where the first half ends and the second begins.
Anyway, I think I now get the point of this thread. It's only a reminder to viewers to consider every minute of a film when evaluating it, not be fickle if a film starts great but ends poorly, and vice-versa.
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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #7
- Posted: 09/14/2018 22:42
- Post subject:
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| StreetSpirit wrote: | Right, but so does 3 thirds and 4 quarters, etc.
| AfterHours wrote: | More to the actual point though: While it is true that one half is inextricably linked to the other so perhaps a complete separation is not truly being thought with when rating one or the other (nor is that the requirement or concern), I do feel that if one is evaluating a film, say, only at the end/upon completion, then mistakes are more liable to happen.
Ex: a film has an amazing ending but maybe wasn't so great leading up to that. This amazing ending being in the front of one's mind, the reviewer gives the film his highest rating, forgetting about an experience that was largely mediocre prior to that. |
Well that's the viewer's fault for having a poor memory.
Numerous films can be easily separated into halves, but many cannot. And it seems on this list, you've chosen films that can be easily separated, which excludes great films where there is no clear juncture where the first half ends and the second begins.
Anyway, I think I now get the point of this thread. It's only a reminder to viewers to consider every minute of a film when evaluating it, not be fickle if a film starts great but ends poorly, and vice-versa. |
Inclusion is only by rating (7.3+ unless I lower the requirement, which I might). On this list it has nothing to do with how separable the film is into halves -- they can all be separated even if its as simple as breaking the running time in half. I just havent added everything yet.
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Best Films
Best Paintings
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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #8
- Posted: 09/17/2018 21:41
- Post subject:
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I am starting to update various entries into more descriptive titles. Recent updates in bold. More on the way -- both new entries and more descriptive titles, including ratings (sooner or later).
Recommendations welcome. Any film you feel has a half that is as great as any whole film on my "Greatest Films" list (7.3+). If I start adding entries below 7.3 then feel free to adjust any recommendations accordingly. Your best bet on finding recommendations to add would be to compare the "half" you are considering to your favorite films in the 7.3 section of my "Greatest Films" list (not to those you disagree with) and if you feel it as good or better than those, then go ahead and recommend to me (not guaranteed I will agree, but those have the best shot and feel free to unleash  your "reasons why" I should consider it if you dont think my assessment is fair -- I really do pay this sort of argument attention and occasionally do reconsider my position).
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eharrell
Gender: Male
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- #9
- Posted: 09/17/2018 22:43
- Post subject:
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I love the second half of the Truman Show when he realizes he's in the TV show.
Citizen Kane's first half completely outdrives it's second half.
But the best half of any movie ever has to be the Godfather Part II's second half. It accumulates the events of the whole film series (not including the third one).
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AfterHours
Gender: Male
Location: originally from scaruffi.com ;-)
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- #10
- Posted: 09/18/2018 02:41
- Post subject:
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| eharrell wrote: | I love the second half of the Truman Show when he realizes he's in the TV show.
Citizen Kane's first half completely outdrives it's second half.
But the best half of any movie ever has to be the Godfather Part II's second half. It accumulates the events of the whole film series (not including the third one). |
I love all those, thank you. For Kane it is a very tough call. It is essential that one's assimilation of the film is quite thorough to say the least as it reaches depths of cinematic language and refraction of emotional/thematic content that has never been equalled in film ... the refraction of such in Kane's 2nd half continues to multiply to overwhelming depths that may surpass its 1st. But I wont "officially" decide until I revisit it (for the 50th -- or so -- time!)
_________________
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Best Paintings
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