Film is considered an art form for the same reasons that painting, music, and theater are. However, film combines all forms of art in one broad spectrum in order to tell a story or deliver a message. The films listed here do so, but they take the viewer beyond the point of entertainment. The messages delivered impact lives and change people’s perspectives of the world. They are ordered in my list for effortless viewing, but I favor these films on different levels. Following the year each film was released is the name of the director of that film.

1. “Ikiru” (1952, Akira Kurosawa) – A tale of one man who looks back on his life after being diagnosed with stomach cancer and sees nothing but disintegrated dreams. What follows is a foray into the depths of the human psyche on a daunting path to discovering the essence of our existence.
2. “Ran” (1985, Akira Kurosawa) – A Shakespearean tragedy, Kurosawa style. It is an unforgettable epic taking the viewer through various stages of the life of a dying monarch who once had control of everything. His mental health deteriorates as he discovers the true meaning of life in the corrupt yet beautiful world we live in.
3. “The Bicycle Thief” (1948, Vittorio De Sica) – A heart-warming tale of a family man who is robbed of the last item he has left to keep a job as a poster boy in war-torn Italy. We spend the entire course of the film following this desperate man on his journey to find his stolen bike, symbolizing his family’s last hope for survival. This film is hands down, the most emotionally involving film ever made.
4. “Seven Samurai” (1954, Akira Kurosawa) – A fun-filled adventure about seven samurai who are hired to protect a scrawny village that delivers on every level. It combines a raw mixture of comedy, drama, adventure, and suspense. This impossible task could only be achieved by a genius due to the difficult elements that are dealt with.
5. “Umberto D” (1952, Vittorio De Sica) – The only film that can make a person cry throughout its entire running time. But, unlike many horrid films that exist today (thank you Lifetime Network), this one earns its tears through filmmaking that can only be coined perfect. It is a simple tale of on old man who is constantly rejected by society in war-torn Italy. Doors are shut on his face at every turn. The only thing that remains by his side is his innocent dog. With “Umberto D,” De Sica portrays the bare naked form of humanity without overdoing a single scene. It will earn your tears if you have a beating heart.

6. “The Godfather Part II” (1974, Francis Ford Coppola)
7. “A Clockwork Orange” (1971, Stanley Kubrick)
8. “The 400 Blows” (1959, Francois Truffaut)
9. “Come and See” (1985, Elem Klimov)
10. “Nights of Cabiria” (1957, Frederrico Fellini)
11. “The Godfather” (1972, Francis Ford Coppola)
12. “Wild Strawberries” (1957, Ingmar Bergman)
13. “The Kid” (1921, Charles Chaplin)
14. “Vertigo” (1959, Alfred Hitchcock)
15. “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” (1966, Sergeo Leone)
16. “Rear Window” (1954, Alfred Hithcock)
17. “Pulp Fiction” (1994, Quentin Tarantino)
18. “Leon the Professional” (1994, Luc Besson)

By Staff Writer Emin Avakian