Conflict is essential to drama and the movies that move are those where the conflict grows out of what’s at stake for the characters. Here is a list of some of the best Drama Movies of all times.
1. ‘Citizen Kane’ (1941)
Citizen Kane is an innovative, breathtakingly cinematic character study, and Orson Welles is unforgettable in the role of the wealthy, powerful newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane. A reporter researches Kane’s life hoping to unlock the meaning of the tycoon’s dying word “Rosebud.” The story unfolds in a series of flashbacks as those who knew Kane share their memories of him. Welles’ masterpiece is considered by many to be the greatest movie ever made. Kenosha, WI native Orson Welles made this film, considered by many as the world’s greatest cinematic achievement, based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, the famous newspaperman. It established a number of cinematic standards, including the use of deep focus, which lends the film rich texture and deep shadows. Citizen Kane stands as the ultimate character study and one of the most beautifully-shot epics to ever grace the silver screen
2. ‘The Godfather’ Collection
Both The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) are on the short list of greatest all-time films. The Godfather: Part III (1990) is a good movie, but not in the same class as the first two. The trilogy is a showcase for the acting talents of Al Pacino, and who can forget Marlon Brando’s towering performance in the first film? In these movies, Francis Ford Coppola gave us a memorable portrait of Sicilian mob life, in America.
3. ‘Schindler’s List’ (1993)
1993 was an incredible year for Steven Spielberg. Not only did his summer action flick Jurassic Park explode at the box office, but he also released his most critically acclaimed and award-winning film to date. Shot in stark black & white by cinematographer Janusz Kaminski (who has since worked with Spielberg on every film he’s released), Schindler’s List is arguably Spielberg’s strongest all-around film, portraying emotionally distressing and disturbing events without a hint of heavy-handedness or obvious heart-tuggingIn making Schindler’s List, master storyteller Steven Spielberg must have figured he could get away with showing mainstream audiences the grim details of the Holocaust if he embedded them in an inspiring story. The film tells the tale of how 1100 Jews were saved through the efforts of Oskar Schindler.
4. ‘Bonnie and Clyde’
Brutal, violent and…romantic? Bonnie and Clyde was based on two of history’s most storied criminal legends: the young couple that went on a murderous crime spree across the countryside in the 1930′s. They lived fast and died young, the original rock stars. Bonnie and Clyde was the progenitor to future films such as Badlands,Natural Born Killers and True Romance. A completely entertaining road movie with shocking moments of brutal blood and violence, the film has a dark sense of humor and a downright mean-spirited sensibility. Faye Dunaway, who enters the film in the buff, may well be the single most beautiful creature ever captured on film.
5. Dead Man Walking
The film Sean Penn should have won his Oscar for, Dead Man Walking is at turns an indictment of the death penalty, a subtle psychological drama, and a testament to the power of faith and the human spirit.
It features unbelievable performances by Penn, as an inmate sentenced to death for a savage murder, and Susan Sarandon, as Sister Helen Prejean, the nun who seeks to deliver him to dignity and ultimately, salvation. Directed by Tim Robbins, this is a work of depth and gravity that is true to its source material (a nonfiction work by Sister Prejean) and even truer to human experience. It dares you to consider the sanctity of life and the power of forgiveness.
6. Casablanca
This 1943 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman has been a staple on top film lists for more than half a century… and rightly so. Casablancais a masterfully crafted story, set against the backdrop of World War II, that follows two men vying for the affections of the same woman.
It’s best described as a drama, but the film dabbles in many genres during the course of its tightly woven narrative. You could say it’s an atmospheric romance with a little political intrigue and espionage action thrown in for good measure.
7. To Kill a Mockingbird
No matter how many times it’s rerun on TNT, the 1962 adaptation of Harper Lee’s beloved novel To Kill a Mockingbird still packs a dramatic punch. The story centers around two innocent children who are awakened to the reality of racism and injustice in their small Southern town when their lawyer father comes to the defense of a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman. Gregory Peck, who won the Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of Atticus Finch, is pretty much the man in this film. It’s a near perfect picture, but if we could change one thing about it, we’d cast IGN’s Entertainment Editorial Manager Chris Carle as mysterious neighborhood recluse “Boo” Radley
8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest tells a classic story of one man (Jack Nicholson) railing against the establishment. With superb acting, memorable characters, and a markedly humanistic story, Cuckoo’s Nestproves to be a timeless tale – as emotionally effective and engrossing today as it was 30 years ago. The film swept the Academy Awards in 1976 – winning Best Picture, Best Director (Milos Forman), Best Actor (Nicholson), Best Actress (Louise Fletcher), and Best Adapted Screenplay (Lawrence Hauben & Bo Goldman) – a feat that hadn’t been accomplished since Frank Capra’s It Happened One Night in 1931
9. Shawshank Redemption
The Shawshank Redemption, released in 1994, is the impressive directing debut of screenwriter Frank Darabont, who adapted the script from Stephen King’s short story, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. The powerful and inspiring tale chronicles the life of falsely imprisoned inmate Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins) and his friend Red (Morgan Freeman) – a man who can get things – inside the dark corridors of Shawshank State Prison and their redemptive journey back into the light. The film didn’t win any of the seven Oscars it was nominated for in 1994, but it’s gone on to achieve “new classic” status. Get busy livin’, or get busy dyin’
10. Raging Bull
Martin Scorsese wasn’t even a boxing fan when he set out to tell the story of the incomparable Jake LaMotta. That didn’t stop Scorsese from crafting the single greatest depiction of the sweet science ever to grace the silver screen. This film works on so many levels, it’s impossible to summarize. The greatest film of the ’80s decade, it simply must be seen. De Niro’s performance ranks among the best ever, even without consideration of the notorious weight gain. Scorsese went from very good filmmaker to master with this work, the film that also first united him with Oscar-winning editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, whom Scorsese continues to work with to this day.
reminds me a bit of a Hudson River School piece..the colors and reflection so soft and warm. Lovely.