The pre-Jaws films to rescue first
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) The most influential space film of all time.
Metropolis (1927)
An expressionist masterpiece.
Duck Soup (1933)
The Marx Brothers at their most popular.
A Matter of Life and Death (1946) A wonderful vision of love and loss.
A bout de souffle (1960) Amazingly, some people have seen Richard Gere in the remake, not this. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) David Lean’s sweeping epic still captivates.
The French Connection (1971)
Still one of cinema’s best car chases. Some Like It Hot (1959) Cross-dressing japes in the Marilyn Monroe comedy.
West Side Story (1961)
With a Spielberg remake in the works, make sure you know the original first. The Third Man (1949)
Vienna is the backdrop to this superb, sad spy thriller with Orson Welles. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
A wonderful explosion to colour — unforgettable.
Chinatown (1974)
Roman Polanski’s perfect noir set in seedy LA.
Scenes from a Marriage (1973) Bergman’s relationship drama is the blueprint for Baumbach and more. Seven Samurai (1954)
The influential Kurosawa adventure epic has not dated one bit.
North by Northwest (1959)
Pick any Hitchcock — but this is the most fun.
The Godfather (1972)
The first in Coppola’s crime trilogy still shocks.
Shaft (1971) Blaxploitation, student poster favourite, very cool.
Bicycle Thieves (1948) Neo-realism at its most moving, as a man loses his livelihood. Casablanca (1942)
Love never dies, as this timeless romance proves.
Mon Oncle (1958)
Slapstick will never not be funny — like this Jacques Tati film.