My Five

Hamlet

Laurence Oliver

"To be or not to be”, a popular quotation used widely by all is taken from the play ‘Hamlet’ written by William Shakespeare. People who patronize literature know the value of this play and it is undoubtedly one of the best plays of Shakespeare. Hamlet (1948), movie adopted from the play was directed and acted by one of the best known actors of British Cinema Laurence Oliver. Hamlet, Prince of Denmark finds out that his own Uncle Claudius has killed his father and takes revenge upon his uncle who has been throned as the new king of Denmark. Realising the fact that his own mother Gertrude has been involved in this mysterious murder, Hamlet is pushed into procrastination. The movie received several accolades including the honour of being the first British movie to win the Academy Awards for Best Picture. The casting in the movie had been praised by critics and till now amidst numerous screen adoptions of this play, Hamlet directed by Laurence Oliver stands out as the best.

Mackenna’s Gold

J.Lee Thompson

I was never a big fan of Western movies but after watching Mackenna’s Gold, Western genres invaded my Heart and that is mainly because of the stupendous acting shown by both actors Greogory Peck and Omar Sharif. Greogory Peck who belongs to the school of method acting once again proved why he was one of the most wanted actors during his times through his flawless acting. Mackenna’s Gold is about an expedition by a group who goes in search of the Mountain of Gold which is believed to be protected by the Apache spirits. The movie was hailed for Thompson’s narrative technique and also for its cinematography. Quincy Jones who composed the soundtrack for this movie was widely appreciated for his efforts.

Bicycle Thieves

Vittorio De Sica

Bicycle Thieves (1948), is one of the best movies ever made should I say. Directed by noted Italian director Vittoria De Sica,’ Bicycle thieves’ centres around a cycle interesting woven well with the political situation in Europe. A poor unemployed man’s attempt to search his lost bicycle for survival is what the movie tells us. The movie was an exact portrayal of economic instability in Italy during the time of World War and it also identifies the poor people as the victims of Wars. Lead actors have shown some tremendous amount of acting to elevate the plot.

The Passion of the Christ

Mel Gibson

Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of the Christ’ was hailed for lot many reasons but I hail it mainly because he made me cry. It is about the final hours of Jesus‘s life during the crucifixion. Jim Caviezel’s portrayal of Jesus Christ was highly praised from all sections of the society. What made this movie so special was the detailing of the crucifixion which was never shown in any other movie. The background score of the movie blends well with the plot and connects well with the audience. The movie bagged several awards and was nominated under many categories for Academy Awards.

Rear Window

Alfred Hitchcock

Rear Window directed by the prominent director Hitchcock, and acted out by the admirable actor James Stewart became a huge hit in 1950’s. ‘Rear Window’ is about a professional photographer who broke his leg in an accident is confined in an apartment and also bound by a wheel chair investigates a murder in his apartment by observing the events through his lenses. James Stewart’s brilliant acting skills help the movie to travel in steady pace without any interruption. It is definitely one of the best suspense films from the master of suspense. Grace Kelly plays the love interest of James Stewart also helps to unravel the mystery towards the end.