Rocks that Move

20. THE MALTESE FALCON (1941)
directed by John Huston
starring Humphrey Bogart, Mary Astor, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre

It's a tough life, and being a detective makes it even tougher. It is interesting how so many great movies take place in the underworld of America; a world where life is cheap and money is king. Wait. Is that the underworld, or everywhere? It matters not. Intrigue, betrayal, and one of the all-time best MacGuffins in film history, "The Maltese Falcon" is the ultimate crime drama with my favorite crime detective, Sam Spade.

The best scene of the film to me is the first time Spade (Humphrey Bogart) is summoned to meet the fat man. Mr. Gutman (Syndey Greenstreet) will not tell him what the "black bird" is, and Spade is furious. He yells, smashes his shot glass, threatens Gutman's hit man, and gives them a deadline to tell him what he wants to know... or else. He slams the door on his way out. The scene cuts to outside in the hall. Spade finishes closing the door, and turns toward the camera to walk down the hallway. He is smiling as he wipes his hands and goes to the elevator. The angry "fit" was all an act. Everything Spade does, every word he speaks, is calculated. This is the quintessential Humphrey Bogart character, and arguable the birth of film noir.

Spade is an unlikely hero. He is cold, callous, and hard. What he says to Brigid O'Shaughnessey (Mary Astor) toward the end is one of the coldest things I've ever heard anyone say, even if she deserved it. "I hope they don't hang you, precious, by that sweet neck. Yes, angel, I'm gonna send you over. The chances are you'll get off with life. That means if you're a good girl, you'll be out in 20 years. I'll be waiting for you. If they hang you, I'll always remember you." There are a number of famous scenes and lines. The long, drawn out shot where Spade gets drugged has been borrowed by countless movies. Most everyone knows the famous "It's the stuff that dreams are made of" line, which is one of my all-time favorites as well. Humorously, many people mistakenly cite this as being the last line, but in actuality, the last line of the film is actually "Huh?"

Not quite the best line ever to end a film, but it is one of the best endings.

19. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
directed by Steven Spielberg
starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, Paul Freeman, John Rhys-Davies, Denholm Elliott

"Raiders" is the ultimate cheesy action film. Modeled after the old serials of the forties, it has it all: action, adventure, laughs, romance, exotic locales, and mystery. The bad guys are the ultimate: snakes, spiders, cannibals, a giant boulder, and Nazis. Oooh... I hate Nazis! The hero is, of course, Indiana Jones. Like Sam Spade, he's a hard man and almost an anti-hero, only this anti-hero is saving the known world from the ultimate power: God, himself. As we all know, there is only one way to stop the misuse of religion to destroy mankind: lots of red tape, bureaucracy, and a giant warehouse. Having a whip and a hat that never falls off helps, too.

I can't quite put my finger on it. Many films before and after this film have tried to do the same thing, but have failed to be even close. Maybe it is Harrison Ford's Indiana Jones character, which is merely a smartened up Han Solo, really. Maybe it is the excellent editing or that wonderful upbeat John Williams score. The score is probably the only original part of the film, yet somehow it really captured the imagination. I cannot think of a movie that is more fun than "Raiders," and yet somehow it just feels so much more sophisticated than the B-rated movie Spielberg was trying to create. I just cannot figure out why I, and so many other people, love this movie so much. It is a movie for all types and all ages.

I hate to repeat an off-repeated story about this film, but for love of the story and a lack of anything else to say, I must. In one of the most famous scenes in the film, a wild swordsman challenges Indiana Jones to a duel, whooping and hollering and waving his sword around in a great display of skill. Indiana was scripted to battle the man, but Harrison Ford was tremendously sick from food poisoning the day they shot that scene. He did not feel like doing any stunts, and a solution was suggested that ended up making this the most famous scene in the movie. It was virtually an accident. The whole movie is almost like an accident. It simply should not be this good... but it is.

18. SPIRITED AWAY (2001)
directed by Hayao Miyazaki
starring the voices of Rumi Hiragi, Miyu Irino, Mari Natsuki... or Daveigh Chase, Jason Marsden, Suzanne Pleschette if you prefer to watch it in English.

This is the only animated film to make my list. As a kid, one of my very favorite books was "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Still love it, but pretty much all films of it capture the story and characters, but lose a lot of the symbolism and complexity. It remains a children's story, albeit a good one. "Spirited Away" is essentially the same story, only steeped in Japanese mythology and culture, complete with symbolism and complexity. In other words, a child will LOVE it... but it is still equally as much an adult film. I will briefly examine it as both.

As an adult's film, "Spirited Away" is a fascinating look at major issues that anyone can relate to. Abandonment and loss of identity are key problems that our heroine, Chihiro, faces in her adventure. Who are we? What does it mean to be a child or adult? Where do you find help and companionship when your family cannot provide it? How do you overcome your fears? What does it mean to be YOU? These are Chihiro's dilemmas, but it does not stop there. Director Miyazaki piles it on. Environment destruction is threatening the world, as is illustrated by the stink monster, which turns out to be something amazing and special. Greed is threatening the world, as is illustrated by the quiet little ghost that turns into something much more monstrous when introduced to gluttony and desire. Only innocence and companionship can stop him. The industrial revolution still threatens us, as is illustrated by the evils of the the witch-bird Yubaba. What is a small child to do? What can she rely on? The answer is right there in front of her, as well as in front of us all: diligence, faith, and friendship.

On a child's level, this movie is still a home run. It is not recommended for small children, as it is a little scary and intense at times. However, it is also full of wonder and mystery. Strange and unusual creatures roam the streets, performing amazing feats. The animation is magnificent and beautiful. There are lessons to be learned as well. Most importantly, however, Miyazaki creates an amazing heroine that is strong and realistic. Any child can relate to Chihiro and wonder what they would do when faced with dragons and witches and ghosts. It is an adventure, and an exciting one. I look forward to one day having a child to show "Spirited Away" to. It will be a magical day.

17. THE PRINCESS BRIDE (1987)
directed by Rob Reiner
starring Cary Elwes, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Serandon, Robin Wright, Christopher Guest, Fred Savage, Peter Falk, Billy Crystal, Carol Kane, and Andre the Giant

There is a scene in "The Princess Bride" that really bothers me. Westley and Buttercup are in the Fire Swamp. They have just narrowly escaped the fire spurts and the lightning sand, and Buttercup clings to Westley for protection, fearing they will never get out alive. As she clings to him, Westley looks around and sees the horrible ROUS's around them. He promises her that they will escape, having solved the riddle of the first two dangers of the swamp. "What about the ROUS's?" she asks. "I don't think they really exist," Westley answers... right before he is jumped by one.

It doesn't make sense! He just saw that they were there! The scene would be SO much better if they did not show them before that line, or if at least they didn't show him seeing them! UGH! It really annoys me. Why? Well, the reason is that I consider this, aside of that one scene, to be the perfect movie. Perfect! It has the perfect blend of fantasy, romance, humor, characters, story, culture, humor, dialogue, locations, cinematography, humor, action, adventure, style, and did I mention that it is funny? It is also the ONLY movie that ALL my friends on Netflix rated 5 stars. It is a classic that almost anyone can watch. It appeals to almost anyone's tastes. It is the perfect film... but for that one annoying scene. Bah.

This movie has a great screenplay. When I was in high school, I was going to do the Vizzini battle of wits scene for forensics, but I let the coach talk me out of it. It is a long story, but I regret listening to him to this very day. The script is really underrated. A year or two ago the AFI did it's top 100 movie quotes of all time. There is a quote from "The Princess Bride" that they missed, and it is a shame. It was nominated, but they foolishly did not rate it on their final list, despite a dozen quotes at least that many people don't even know. Everyone knows this one.

"I am Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die."

Classic.

16. BLADERUNNER (1982)
directed by Ridley Scott
starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, Brion James, Edward James Olmos, Darryl Hannah

"Wake up! Time to die."

Ok. This quote didn't and shouldn't have made the AFI Top quotes list, but I loved it when I first heard it. I was just a kid. What a serious movie for a kid to watch, but I loved it and still do. It is sci-fi at its best. It is also a film noir, in most senses of the film noir ideal. Although a color film, you have the dark settings and shadowy shots and stark camera angles. You have the hard-core anti-hero detective. Themes of fear, suspicion, loss of innocence, disillusionment, paranoia... You even have the voice over in the original version. More on that later.

Harrison Ford reminds me of Cary Grant in an unusual way... he was a great actor that was too bound up in his "image" to the point of missing out on some really great roles. Too many "popcorn" movies are the result. Both actors are in some exceptions, however, notably earlier in their careers, with a perfect Cary Grant example to come later. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford is awesome as Deckard in "Bladerunner." Cynical. Cold. A Sam Spade of the future. This is not the kind of character that Ford likes to play, but he was excellent. I would have liked to see more Deckards in his career, and less... well, less of anything he did after "The Fugitive." His nemesis is Rutger Hauer as Batty, one of my all-time favorite bad guys; a vicious thing with an innocent heart. It is hard to tell: is Batty a more "good" bad guy, or is Deckard a more "bad" good guy? It kind of depends on which version you watch.

The story and themes of this film are too complex to discuss here. I could write an entire blog post on it. This movie has an ambiguity that brings to mind "The Big Sleep" of 1946. The plot is complicated even more by a controversy brought forth by the "Director's Cut," which makes the suggestion that Deckard is a "replicant." You'll have to see the movie if you haven't to see what I mean, but supposedly Ridley Scott has come right out and said he was. Harrison Ford has argued that he wasn't supposed to be. The truth is this: the movie does not really say. It is subject to interpretation.

I like the Director's Cut fine, and it is a good thing, because you cannot get the old version on DVD right now... I don't think! As far as I am concerned, Deckard is NOT a replicant. I don't like the idea of him being one. It is better if he is not. The changes in the Director's Cut still work fine, though, as another addition to the confusion and ambiguity of the movie that make it so great. My only complaint is that the voice over was taken away. Supposedly the voice over was poorly done, but the fact is that I always liked it. It gave it more of the "film noir" feel. If they were unhappy with it, I wish they had redone it instead of taking it away. It is a great movie in either version, but it is a shame that I will never be able to see it quite the way I want it to be.