Because CineFix has a way of making EACH entry in the top 10 a #1 in their own rights. Like how #10's pick in this video is the #1 in the "3-act" department and so on. You watch these lists and you're good with the list because, in a way, each of the top 10 are #1s and even the #1 in this top 10 isn't better than the others on the list, but rather shares in their genius.
+Leo K why not? I don't watch that much but Anime has its moments, even on Cinefixes lists there's some and even on their most beautiful animated movie list the number one spot is held by an anime movie
#10 - Die Hard, with a three-act structure #9 - High Noon, with an uninterrupted stream of time #8 - The Godfather Part II, with a multiple timeline structure #7 - Ajami, with a "hyperlink" narrative #6 - Citizen Kane, with a flashback narrative #5 - Irreversible, with a backwards narrative #4 - Rashomon, with a repeating (iterative) narrative #3 - Before the Rain, with a circular narrative #2 - The Sweet Hereafter, with a nonlinear narrative #1 - The Mirror, with an emotional/oneiric structure
Full list: Jaws (1975) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) Star Wars (1977) Back to the Future (1985) Witness (1985) The Fugitive (1993) 10. Die Hard (1988) 12 Angry Men (1957) Fail Safe (1964) Tape (2001) Rope (1948) Before Sunset (2004) United 93 (2006) 9. High Noon (1952) Intolerance (1916) The Fountain (2006) Cloud Atlas (2012) Days of Grace/ Días de gracia (Spanish, 2011) 8. The Godfather Part II (1974) Amarcord (Italian, 1973) Kanchenjungha/ কাঞ্চনজঙ্ঘা (Bengali, 1962) Nashville (1975) Short Cuts (1993) Babel (mostly English or Spanish, 2006) Amores perros (Spanish, 2000) 21 Grams (2003) Paris je t'aime (mostly French or English, 2006) Crash (2004) as dishonorable mention 7. Ajami/ עג'מי (Arabic and Hebrew, 2009) Fight Club (1999) All About Eve (1950) American Beauty (1999) Casino (1995) Forrest Gump (1994) Goodfellas (1990) Melancholia (2011) 6. Citizen Kane (1941) Momento (2000) Betrayal (1983) Peppermint Candy/ 박하사탕 (Korean, 1999) 5x2/ Cinq fois deux (French, 2004) Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind (2004) 5. Irreversible (mostly French or English, 2002) Run Lola Run/ Lola rennt (German, 1998) Mr. Nobody (2009) Hero/ 英雄 (Mandarin, 2002) Go (1999) Basic (2003) Last Year at Marienbad/ L'Année dernière à Marienbad (French, 1961) Inland Empire (2006) JFK (1991) 4. Rashomon/ 羅生門 (Japanese, 1950) All the time travel films Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) Dead of Night (1945) Lost Highway (1997) 3. Before the Rain/ Пред дождот (mostly Macedonian or English, 1994) Pulp Fiction (1994) Reservoir Dogs (1992) Slaughterhouse-Five (1972) I'm Not There (2007) Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (Japanese and English, 1985) Annie Hall (1977) 500 Days of Summer (2009) 2. The Sweet Hereafter (1997) The Tree of Life (2011) The Phantom of Liberty/ Le Fantôme de la liberté (French, 1974) Enter the Void (2009) 8½/ Otto e mezzo (mostly Italian or French, 1963) 1. The Mirror/ Зеркало (Russian, 1975) Note: Those shown but not verbally mentioned are not on here.
Quantum of Solace. Worst edited James Bond film of all time. It’s utter rubbish. People like to bag Octopussy and A View To A Kill a lot but the editing in those movies is damn near perfect.
I myself really like the structure of In Bruges. All of the events in that movie just tie together so well; even the events which you'd expect to be inconsequential.
I'm surprised you left out Groundhog Day for #4, telling the same story over and over but in a different way. It's structure is superbly crafted. And Bill Murray puts in a tremendous performance.
One of my favorites combines a literary theme and reference of a classic novel with the standard three structure narrative: Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. I know it lacks the profundity of these great films but I absolutely adore the simplicity of the structure.
????? 3 acts doesn't mean 3 different stories, it means beggining middle and end on just one story. The place beyond the pines deffinetly is not a 3 act movie.
@Marcelo Mendoza To be honest it has been a while since I've seen either of these movies, and I'll concede that you're probably correct and I am likely wrong. I'm not really a film buff by a any means, just someone who likes movies. However, I will say that The Place Beyond The Pines, can be viewed as telling one story just on a longer than typical time horizon, which is part of the reason the movie is so impactful.
That's what you get when WB gives you six weeks to write a screenplay for a $250 million dollar movie, so you're essentially forced to shoot a first draft. And then they just cut it up in post to try and emulate Guardians of the Galaxy anyway.
***** Yeah, Assault on Arkham was so good. Stronger characters, better comedy, tighter story, and an actual mission that's appropriate for the Suicide Squad to be going on. I really like a lot of the New 52 stuff as well. They had so much good stuff to draw from and they FUCKED it up!
Kind of a cheat, but I loved how the Bourne Supremacy ended with a scene which is mid-way through Ultimatum, and Ultimatum begins right after Bourne killed the assassin chasing him in Supremacy as he escapes the police, also tying some loose ends along the way (where Pam and Nicky ended up) Plus the Identity begins with Bourne being discovered in deep water at night and Ultimatum ends with him disappearing into water at night... Nice touch :)
Well it definitely has a begging middle and end, and they get further into that same day as more they repeat it, so it not as of an unsual structure as you might think, because the progression is linear, it goes from a to b.
Man, you're lucky. I wish I didn't already know all these movies :( it's so hard finding great ones to watch now, so at least you don't have to dig deep like I am.
Cinemaspire lol I really wasn't trying to but I see how you see it. I at least have tv shows to hold me over from new movie to new movie but those are running out as well so I might have to soon turn to my worst nightmare.... books.... *shiver*
Lists like these are my favorite, where I go into it not knowing much about a side of filmmaking and come out of it learning how to appreciate the work and effort that goes into it.
"There's too many American movies. That's just pandering. How about some diversity instead of the obvious? You're playing it too safe." "Too many foreign movies here. So all of us viewers can't be angry of it because we didn't watch it. So pretentious." -Two sides of dumb on the Internet
My top ten using Cinefix Criteria: 10. Deliverance 9. Ten Cloverfield Lane 8. There Will Be Blood 7. Pulp Fiction 6. Sunset Boulevard 5. My Own Private Idaho 4. Butterfly Effect 3. Mulholland Drive 2. Happiness 1. Badlands
I love how Cinefix actually includes films of all language and origin. It clearly shows that they love cinema. Also, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is one of my favorite movies and I'm curious which structure should it belong? Hyperlink Cinema?
I'm.hooked on this channel. 😷 In the age of this virus, of the zombie apocalypse... your commentary on the media we all grew up with.. is brilliant.. Makes me want to see all those old movies again
Yes and no : the structure is needed to guide the viewer through a film, the plot to guide him through a story . Here, the film is about emotions, feels, beauty, not story. And it's beautiful enough, emotional enough to keep you fully immersed without resorting to have a heavy weight structure to carry it. In other words, it is like the difference between poesy and novels : one will have a plot, the other won't. It doesn't mean that it is not structured, it's just that the apparent structure used to guide you in an obvious way is ditched in favor of a hidden one, leaving the spotlight for the flesh : the beauty of the words/images, the emotions conveyed.
I hope Do The Right Thing would be added because the idea is genius. It is a three act that uses a singular focus on the protagonist, but uses a freer form of streamed consciousness that is interrupted or further progressed through secondary and tertiary characters. The portraits and vignettes also work beautifully, building the unseen, fleshing out the corners and stoops that make up the block. Genius structure, one of the best. I mean the opening alone is fantastic, setting up the hip hop influenced narrative. It's young, furious, and humorous. It's great.
My husband saw Irreversible as a teenager, and not only does he still occasionally have nightmares about it, he's built his scholarly career on examining renaissance revenge tragedies. The movie is such a brutal, honest look at violence that it's rightfully difficult to watch, and impossible to forget.
The writing of the narrative for Cinefix is a precise and elegant pleasure. There is always some explanation that I admire for its language as well as its content.
Die Hard is one of those feel good movies a guy should be entitled to watch any time of the year. It's a Wonderful Life is my 'save it for Christmas' film.
+12ealDeal Because it was written by Shane Black :) technically for example Iron Man Three is a Christmas movie as well, yet it is not considered one. It's all about writing.
I'm really surprised that for movies that start at the end and then fill in how you got there you didn't mention two brilliant films by Billy Wilder: Sunset Blvd and Double Indemnity. Both start with the protagonist being dead, and both circle back to explain how he got that way. And in both films, the audience gets so wrapped up in the story they somehow "forget" the guy telling the story is dead. I love both "Sunset Blvd" and "Double Indemnity" though - and I highly recommend them to anyone who hasn't seen them. I also like Wilder's The Apartment, The Lost Weekend (except the tacked on ending), and even Sabrina is darker than most romances.
2 of my personal favorite structured films. The Setup for a real time structure. Hal Hartley's Surviving Desire for repetition, the film tells a story but within it the same story is told in a drunken conversation on the street, dance, a serenade, etc... I adore these films. I like this channel. Thanks.
I've seen a few of your videos and I must say they are all thought provoking. My wife and I love film and have seen a fair bit of these you've mentioned, but now I have more to put on our watch list. "Yojimbo" was my favorite Kurosawa film. Now there is another one to seek out. Thank you.
In order to truly appreciate cinema today, we must know how it all started. You've done that in each of your videos by paying tribute to all the classic groundbreaking movies that have come before them. Keep up the wonderful work. Not many understand the artistry of the classic movies and how they told the stories without all the flash and special effects of today. Sometimes the best movies don't have any explosions. It's just a story told well.
I mean, you certainly can get bored. The first time I watched one of his films I was bored out of my mind. But I was a beer-chugging teenager then, and the movie was just not for me at that time. Much later I came back and learned how to tune into him and found it extremely rewarding.
I am amused by the love and care you put into each video. I am a speaker, and I have picked bits about the intricate workings of how to tell a story that very much improved my work - but you tackling the relationship and ying-yang duality of the fabula-sujay taught me so much. Thank you.
This is incredibly well done. This video will be a permanent source of reference. These kinds of videos make all other film top/essay channels look like amateurs.
Pulp Piction is great but I feel a lot of the way it's told, like many Tarantino movies, is justified by style alone rather than obeying to stronger logic. Like ''I will hide this detail from you because it will be a big punch later'' rather than a reveal making sense because of new input, new discoveries... I might be wrong, it's been a while since I've seen it. But some of his scenes feel a bit that way, and while he's an unequalled master at style, it's still a little blemishing to the value of a scene when its justification feels somewhat artificial.
Enemy would be a good choice for number 3 as a "circling" movie, depending on your interpretation. *Spoilers* Gyllenhals character succumbing to his sexual desires and lack of ability to commit to a serious relationship amd family life, after finally having erased that part of himself. It truly displayed the inevitability in that regardless of your efforts, the nature of yourself will come back to you. That his efforts only took Gyllenhal back to where he started, like a circle. Or atleast that is what I got out of it, the movie is pretty fucked up you know ;)
Glad I never saw it! I'd be angry because I know we ALL have potential to change and should, that's why we're here; the idea that we can't change or nature is a lie and only true if you believe that lie.
The narrative type you describe for #1 pick almost perfectly describes the writings of Kazuo Ishiguro. There is always a longing for an unnamed perfection, etc. how to be the perfect servant from Remains of the Day and the absolute futility of that unfulfilled dichotomy of desire and loss. He writes so exquisitely through unreliable human memory and captures the human condition so well.
Paul K gotta be honest, Paul - i tried to let it slide. i really did. but it was too much. these past 3 years have been an endless nightmare. at home, at work, in the arms of my lover, im haunted by a ghostly voice whispering “faBOOlaaaa....faBOOOOla.” at one time, your taunts and insults may have shaken me. but no more. it’s too late for me now. im a broken man. so ill let it slide.
Gotta give a shout-out to Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road." "The Simpsons" even paid homage to its unique multiple timeline structure in one of its episodes.
Kubricks Lolita is my favorite example of a movie starting with the ending. But it's also brilliant because it's presented to us first quietly, mysteriously. We don't know the characters or motivations . But by the end, having seen everything, it's presented with passion and emotion. And the music swells up and climaxes exactly to the point where the main character calls out quiltys name, and even though we saw exactly this scene, it's means so much more. Chills.
This is not a list of the 10 Best Structured Movies of All Time. Instead this is a list of 10 examples of well structured films in different categories. Although that is true of every CineFix top 10 videos.
I think it is more accurate to say that this is a list of the best structured film in each of 10 structure categories. However, that's quite a mouthful so I'm satisfied with the video title as is.
+Mark Meason the title pretends to be useless and impossible. if that gives some people the wrong idea, then thats partly their own fault. 'I'll give you 2 billion trillion dollars' isn't really misleading you, is it? top10 lists should be detailed like this. at least it's better than 'GoNe WrOnG 18+'
I don't think it is misleading. I think that coming up with the best film in ten categories is a legitimate way of determining the ten best, especially since there is no objective, indisputable metric for rating a "best" film.
I think it is the top 10 structured films, but just not ordered in terms of structure. Or they have ordered it, just instead of focusing on why its better/worse then any other movies it analyses the structure and why it made the list at all
Something I found interesting here. At 11:40 it shows a clip from the short film "Patriotism", directed and based of the short story by Yukio Mishima. Right after at 11:41, you see a clip from the 1985 movie "Mishima: A life in Four Chapters", the clip being of the ritual suicide performed by Mishima which reflects the suicide of Lieutenant Takeyama in Patriotism. Just thought it was funny that they put both clips back to back.
that is a shot from Mishima: A life in Four chapters’ where they show the making of Patriotism, look at the aspect ratio if you’re not convinced patriotism was shot in 4:3 while that shot is in 1.85:1. But both great films.
I thought of 2 interesting forms or story telling techniques: Sliding doors - 2 stories in the film start and end at the same point with totally different events between 2. The Inreliable witness - I cant think of the film, but I’m pretty sure it starred Sam Shepard and was directed by him. Maybe also Kim Bassinger. You hear each of their narratives and you see on film what really happened and realize neither of their stories is reliable Love your channel
I Think these movies deserved to be mentioned as to their structures 10. Straightforward -The Game -Taken 9. Single Structure -Non Stop -Phone Booth 8. Multiple Timeline -Frequency 7. Hyperlink -Stranger than Fiction -Snatch 6. Flashback Narrative -The Usual Suspects -The Hangover 5. Backwards Structure -P.S, I Love You 4. Repetition -Vantage Point -Source Code -The Butterfly Effect 3. Circular Narrative -Deja Vu -Enemy -Predestination 2. Nonlinear Structure -The Prestige -Anna (2019) 1.Emotion/Dream sequence -Mulholland Drive -Identity
I really liked it too. First time i watched it i watched it again immediately. All freaking 2 and a half hours of it. And i cant really adequately explain to myself why...
A great video. I've seen about half of your picks, and intend to see the rest. Your honorable mentions also include many of my favourites. Mesdames et messieurs, you have impeccable taste!
Every time I watch one of these, I have Netflix opened in another tab, so I can add a bazillion more movies to my queue. You really are the best, Cinefix.
I've got you babe... yep totally expected to see Groundhog Day. Here the movie name is synonymous with every trip to the dementia ward to visit my mother. Sams people, same place, same conversations.
gosh dangit, I'm in the middle of watching Rashonom ( i fell asleep last night watching it), what are the chances I'd find a spoiler on a 1950's classic on here?!
I love how you guys inspire me to see movies I've never even thought of seeing--"The Sweet Hereafter" looks really interesting, along with "High Noon". Already writing down a list of movies I want to see in the near future.
My favourite structure in movies are narrative introductions and bodies that use past events to fill in the blanks and then have a big reveal or present time ending. The Usual Suspects, Forest Gump etc.
Ive always said the same thing.. Joe Dirt is in there too for me I feel the same way about books.. My personal favorite is a book called Aztec by Gary Jennings perfect example of the structure you’re talking about
Here's all these well-known films. We're going to pick something you've never heard of or something critically snobbish because if you haven't seen it, you can't get angry. I like a lot of your lists, but you guys have no regard for actual quality. A lot of your older flicks haven't aged well. Even Citizen Kane isn't that good compared to some more modern masterpieces. While it has a good structure and plot, the film itself is fairly bland and the acting is sub-par. For the time, it was great. Now? It'd be your average Oscar-bait movie.
Nah, it's not about being snobbish to avoid criticism, we just don't want to talk about the same big movies that everybody already knows back to front. We try to keep a good mix in these lists. Iconic movies, classics, contemporary films, foreign films. There's no real motive other than "we like all kinds of movies!"
Wow, you can't just trust that this is their opinion and perhaps discuss how the ideas and constructs apply to other films? I for one enjoy taking what I know and what I learn here and delve into certain less than popular (among snobs of various types at least) films to see where they are replicated and perhaps misused. I think that even among genuinely shallow and contrived productions there is plenty of subject to talk about. Something doesn't have to be intended as high art to serve the purpose of high art.
I also love this choice, as it makes me discover films and genres that I may have never heard of had you never mentioned them in these lists, especially foreign films
What I love about the people at Cinefix is they are one of the few film groups who acknowledge that films exist in other parts of the world and also movies were made prior to 1990. I look forward to their lists for the very fact that I will see a wide variety of sources presented, even if some of them appear with a great deal of frequency ("Mirror", which I love, "Hero", "Kane"). As a cinephile, I appreciate their well-balanced take.
"You guys have no regard for actual quality". I can't even begin to take that statement seriously. Did you actually watch the video and pay attention to what they say? Because if you did, I highly doubt you would make that same statement.
The Road Warrior should be on here. It’s the perfect three act structure of set up/conflict/resolution in 90 mins. It’s the perfect length for a feature film.
Great list and analysis once again! I would have liked to hear your take on the spiral structure of Vertigo and the effects of the repetitions in the second half or the "inner circle" of the structure. Even though it has been discussed over and over again, new ideas and interpretations seem to pop up each time that film is studied.
The Third Man is a shout. Perfect build-up and pacing, each scene matters and no line of dialogue is wasted. Payoff and finale is fitting and rewarding.
These lists kick the shit out of watchmojo
because Cinefix actually knows about film and don't do 10+ lists a day and run out of material
No anime BS here too. Cinefix > Watchmojo.
Because CineFix has a way of making EACH entry in the top 10 a #1 in their own rights.
Like how #10's pick in this video is the #1 in the "3-act" department and so on. You watch these lists and you're good with the list because, in a way, each of the top 10 are #1s and even the #1 in this top 10 isn't better than the others on the list, but rather shares in their genius.
+Leo K why not anime?
+Leo K why not? I don't watch that much but Anime has its moments, even on Cinefixes lists there's some and even on their most beautiful animated movie list the number one spot is held by an anime movie
Soundtracks. Soundtracks. Please do soundtracks. Soundtracks. 10 Best Soundtracks.
Captain America: The Winter Solider better be on that list
Yaaaaas please!
pacific rim, ftw
+Iron Man Ultron it probably wouldn't because it's the best of all time
Drive. The best,beats anything else
#10 - Die Hard, with a three-act structure
#9 - High Noon, with an uninterrupted stream of time
#8 - The Godfather Part II, with a multiple timeline structure
#7 - Ajami, with a "hyperlink" narrative
#6 - Citizen Kane, with a flashback narrative
#5 - Irreversible, with a backwards narrative
#4 - Rashomon, with a repeating (iterative) narrative
#3 - Before the Rain, with a circular narrative
#2 - The Sweet Hereafter, with a nonlinear narrative
#1 - The Mirror, with an emotional/oneiric structure
In Bruges?! That film is the tightest I've ever seen. Not a shot or a line wasted. Everything is important to the story and it never feels forced.
Full list:
Jaws (1975)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Star Wars (1977)
Back to the Future (1985)
Witness (1985)
The Fugitive (1993)
10. Die Hard (1988)
12 Angry Men (1957)
Fail Safe (1964)
Tape (2001)
Rope (1948)
Before Sunset (2004)
United 93 (2006)
9. High Noon (1952)
Intolerance (1916)
The Fountain (2006)
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Days of Grace/ Días de gracia (Spanish, 2011)
8. The Godfather Part II (1974)
Amarcord (Italian, 1973)
Kanchenjungha/ কাঞ্চনজঙ্ঘা (Bengali, 1962)
Nashville (1975)
Short Cuts (1993)
Babel (mostly English or Spanish, 2006)
Amores perros (Spanish, 2000)
21 Grams (2003)
Paris je t'aime (mostly French or English, 2006)
Crash (2004) as dishonorable mention
7. Ajami/ עג'מי (Arabic and Hebrew, 2009)
Fight Club (1999)
All About Eve (1950)
American Beauty (1999)
Casino (1995)
Forrest Gump (1994)
Goodfellas (1990)
Melancholia (2011)
6. Citizen Kane (1941)
Momento (2000)
Betrayal (1983)
Peppermint Candy/ 박하사탕 (Korean, 1999)
5x2/ Cinq fois deux (French, 2004)
Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind (2004)
5. Irreversible (mostly French or English, 2002)
Run Lola Run/ Lola rennt (German, 1998)
Mr. Nobody (2009)
Hero/ 英雄 (Mandarin, 2002)
Go (1999)
Basic (2003)
Last Year at Marienbad/ L'Année dernière à Marienbad (French, 1961)
Inland Empire (2006)
JFK (1991)
4. Rashomon/ 羅生門 (Japanese, 1950)
All the time travel films
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Dead of Night (1945)
Lost Highway (1997)
3. Before the Rain/ Пред дождот (mostly Macedonian or English, 1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994)
Reservoir Dogs (1992)
Slaughterhouse-Five (1972)
I'm Not There (2007)
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (Japanese and English, 1985)
Annie Hall (1977)
500 Days of Summer (2009)
2. The Sweet Hereafter (1997)
The Tree of Life (2011)
The Phantom of Liberty/ Le Fantôme de la liberté (French, 1974)
Enter the Void (2009)
8½/ Otto e mezzo (mostly Italian or French, 1963)
1. The Mirror/ Зеркало (Russian, 1975)
Note: Those shown but not verbally mentioned are not on here.
廖浩 thank you!
What's the movie at ua-cam.com/video/mgk6e8gWDbk/v-deo.html where the dominoes hit the car?? I'm struggling to find an answer to this.
I'm surprised groundhog day wasn't even mentioned
I'd love Cinefix to do a worst of movie list.
Like the Worst Structured, or Worst editing etc.
That'd be too painful to sit through. I don't think we should do that to these guys. Haha
Quantum of Solace. Worst edited James Bond film of all time. It’s utter rubbish. People like to bag Octopussy and A View To A Kill a lot but the editing in those movies is damn near perfect.
BadMouseProductions so many movies to choose
I dont know. I think what makes their lists so great is how positive they are, dont think id enjoy seeing them shit on movies (even really bad ones)
i like this idea. it’s actually easier to learn from you mistakes than successes.
I myself really like the structure of In Bruges. All of the events in that movie just tie together so well; even the events which you'd expect to be inconsequential.
That was literally the first movie that came to mind for me. That movie operates like clockwork, every piece fits together so well
Dumb&Dumber is also structured quite well
I'm surprised you left out Groundhog Day for #4, telling the same story over and over but in a different way. It's structure is superbly crafted. And Bill Murray puts in a tremendous performance.
They wont pick it, not enough subtitles....
One of my favorites combines a literary theme and reference of a classic novel with the standard three structure narrative: Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan.
I know it lacks the profundity of these great films but I absolutely adore the simplicity of the structure.
Another really well structured film with 3 acts The Place Beyond the Pines...oh and also American History X.
Thank you someone agrees with me on AHX
American History X is amazing
Good thinking.
????? 3 acts doesn't mean 3 different stories, it means beggining middle and end on just one story. The place beyond the pines deffinetly is not a 3 act movie.
@Marcelo Mendoza To be honest it has been a while since I've seen either of these movies, and I'll concede that you're probably correct and I am likely wrong. I'm not really a film buff by a any means, just someone who likes movies. However, I will say that The Place Beyond The Pines, can be viewed as telling one story just on a longer than typical time horizon, which is part of the reason the movie is so impactful.
Top 10 Worst Structured Movies: #1 Suicide Squad
That's what you get when WB gives you six weeks to write a screenplay for a $250 million dollar movie, so you're essentially forced to shoot a first draft. And then they just cut it up in post to try and emulate Guardians of the Galaxy anyway.
#2 Batman v Superman
indeed because doing a trimmed down assault on arkham was too damn hard apparently.
*****
Yeah, Assault on Arkham was so good. Stronger characters, better comedy, tighter story, and an actual mission that's appropriate for the Suicide Squad to be going on. I really like a lot of the New 52 stuff as well. They had so much good stuff to draw from and they FUCKED it up!
Why do you think Suicide Squad's structure was bad? Just an honest question. Don't mean to piss you off or anything
Kind of a cheat, but I loved how the Bourne Supremacy ended with a scene which is mid-way through Ultimatum, and Ultimatum begins right after Bourne killed the assassin chasing him in Supremacy as he escapes the police, also tying some loose ends along the way (where Pam and Nicky ended up)
Plus the Identity begins with Bourne being discovered in deep water at night and Ultimatum ends with him disappearing into water at night... Nice touch :)
Best Franchise structure...?
+CineFix Wow did they actually reply?
CineFix Another video idea perhaps? ;)
I'd say so.
I thought Arrival was very interesting and played with structure.
You're right but this came out before Arrival released (Nov. 2016).
"But General, I don't *have* your private number."
.
"Now you do."
Amadeus. How did we get to this crazy old man in a mental hospital, ranting about how he murdered Mozart?
Honorable mention for Edge of Tomorrow on the "Repetition" discussion.
Yep. A MOST honorable mention.
+Henri-Ansel Vallee movie titled '11:14'
I think it is still counted as classic three-parts structure, tho. Repetition does not tell a story from one viewpoint only, if I'm not mistaken.
Well it definitely has a begging middle and end, and they get further into that same day as more they repeat it, so it not as of an unsual structure as you might think, because the progression is linear, it goes from a to b.
Groundhogs Day!
5 minutes in and I feel is my fault for not knowing monst of the mentioned movies.
That's a good thing. Now you have some new movies to watch, if they look interesting to you.
Man, you're lucky. I wish I didn't already know all these movies :( it's so hard finding great ones to watch now, so at least you don't have to dig deep like I am.
+Shane Benjamson discretely trying to boast your film buffness ;)
Shame Shame (-cough- same) Shame Shame...
Cinemaspire lol I really wasn't trying to but I see how you see it. I at least have tv shows to hold me over from new movie to new movie but those are running out as well so I might have to soon turn to my worst nightmare....
books....
*shiver*
Lists like these are my favorite, where I go into it not knowing much about a side of filmmaking and come out of it learning how to appreciate the work and effort that goes into it.
"There's too many American movies. That's just pandering. How about some diversity instead of the obvious? You're playing it too safe."
"Too many foreign movies here. So all of us viewers can't be angry of it because we didn't watch it. So pretentious."
-Two sides of dumb on the Internet
My top ten using Cinefix Criteria:
10. Deliverance
9. Ten Cloverfield Lane
8. There Will Be Blood
7. Pulp Fiction
6. Sunset Boulevard
5. My Own Private Idaho
4. Butterfly Effect
3. Mulholland Drive
2. Happiness
1. Badlands
I love how Cinefix actually includes films of all language and origin. It clearly shows that they love cinema.
Also, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels is one of my favorite movies and I'm curious which structure should it belong? Hyperlink Cinema?
4, different views of the same events, i also love lock, stock
Blue Valentine definitely deserves a nod on this list. The structure of that movie is incredible and the movie wouldn't work any other way.
Memento better be in there, Irreversible maybe, both have amazing structure. Ready to love the video, as usual.
Nice, Memento got honorable mention, I'm cool with that. Loved the video.
I'm.hooked on this channel. 😷 In the age of this virus, of the zombie apocalypse... your commentary on the media we all grew up with.. is brilliant..
Makes me want to see all those old movies again
So the best structured film of all time has no structure?
It forces the viewer to structure the film, it's totally malleable like that.
He didn't say it has no structure; he said it has no story.
That's what I thought in a sense hahaha.
I JUST SPAT MY DRINK LMAO
Yes and no : the structure is needed to guide the viewer through a film, the plot to guide him through a story . Here, the film is about emotions, feels, beauty, not story. And it's beautiful enough, emotional enough to keep you fully immersed without resorting to have a heavy weight structure to carry it.
In other words, it is like the difference between poesy and novels : one will have a plot, the other won't. It doesn't mean that it is not structured, it's just that the apparent structure used to guide you in an obvious way is ditched in favor of a hidden one, leaving the spotlight for the flesh : the beauty of the words/images, the emotions conveyed.
I really need to watch The Mirror, you guys have convinced me.
I hope Do The Right Thing would be added because the idea is genius. It is a three act that uses a singular focus on the protagonist, but uses a freer form of streamed consciousness that is interrupted or further progressed through secondary and tertiary characters. The portraits and vignettes also work beautifully, building the unseen, fleshing out the corners and stoops that make up the block. Genius structure, one of the best. I mean the opening alone is fantastic, setting up the hip hop influenced narrative. It's young, furious, and humorous. It's great.
My husband saw Irreversible as a teenager, and not only does he still occasionally have nightmares about it, he's built his scholarly career on examining renaissance revenge tragedies. The movie is such a brutal, honest look at violence that it's rightfully difficult to watch, and impossible to forget.
I'm calling it City of God is on this list and if it isn't someone fucked up.
someone fucked up
You sure did.
.
Does it have boobs?
***** lol why? XD
The writing of the narrative for Cinefix is a precise and elegant pleasure. There is always some explanation that I admire for its language as well as its content.
I get excited whenever you guys make a new video
Thanks!
Of all the channels i am subbed to...this is the best
ohh man, I want to watch Die Hard now but must resist for another few months until xmas season.
Die Hard is one of those feel good movies a guy should be entitled to watch any time of the year. It's a Wonderful Life is my 'save it for Christmas' film.
die hard is the best Christmas movie of all time
PJ B
This is what I want to know though: we all consider Die Hard a Christmas movie, but why not Lethal Weapon?
Good question, I think it's the sound track.
+12ealDeal
Because it was written by Shane Black :) technically for example Iron Man Three is a Christmas movie as well, yet it is not considered one. It's all about writing.
I'm really surprised that for movies that start at the end and then fill in how you got there you didn't mention two brilliant films by Billy Wilder: Sunset Blvd and Double Indemnity. Both start with the protagonist being dead, and both circle back to explain how he got that way. And in both films, the audience gets so wrapped up in the story they somehow "forget" the guy telling the story is dead. I love both "Sunset Blvd" and "Double Indemnity" though - and I highly recommend them to anyone who hasn't seen them. I also like Wilder's The Apartment, The Lost Weekend (except the tacked on ending), and even Sabrina is darker than most romances.
Agree. Wilder doesn't get enough love on this channel!
2 of my personal favorite structured films. The Setup for a real time structure. Hal Hartley's Surviving Desire for repetition, the film tells a story but within it the same story is told in a drunken conversation on the street, dance, a serenade, etc... I adore these films. I like this channel. Thanks.
I've seen a few of your videos and I must say they are all thought provoking. My wife and I love film and have seen a fair bit of these you've mentioned, but now I have more to put on our watch list. "Yojimbo" was my favorite Kurosawa film. Now there is another one to seek out. Thank you.
In order to truly appreciate cinema today, we must know how it all started. You've done that in each of your videos by paying tribute to all the classic groundbreaking movies that have come before them. Keep up the wonderful work.
Not many understand the artistry of the classic movies and how they told the stories without all the flash and special effects of today. Sometimes the best movies don't have any explosions. It's just a story told well.
Mulholland Dr. would have been a terrific choice for a dream film structure too.
Understanding opinion, but you would have to have seen Before the Rain before making that statement. I love MD, but BtR was more important.
I have to watch The Mirror now because it's in literally every Cinefix list
It´s boring
Tarkovsvky was unbelievably good.
@@RatatRatR Good but boring. Antonioni is also slow paced and I like his movies much more.
I mean, you certainly can get bored. The first time I watched one of his films I was bored out of my mind. But I was a beer-chugging teenager then, and the movie was just not for me at that time. Much later I came back and learned how to tune into him and found it extremely rewarding.
I loved this list. It's like a film studies course in 15 mins. Gave me some much to watch and think about. Thank you. This is a rare gem on YT.
I am amused by the love and care you put into each video. I am a speaker, and I have picked bits about the intricate workings of how to tell a story that very much improved my work - but you tackling the relationship and ying-yang duality of the fabula-sujay taught me so much. Thank you.
No The Prestige mention?
thank you
Prestige was trying too hard.
Nah I think cinefix don't go too much for mainstream movies... Rip Nolan
+llo2911 Die Hard is really mainstream... even more than Prestige
That movie is overrated. The Illusionist did the same thing but better and is often overlooked.
"Before the Rain" is a Masterpiece
Fabula (фабула) should be pronounced FA-bula, not fa-BOO-la. And 'sujet' (сюжет) should be sju-ZHET.
This channel (and more specifically the movie lists) is like a treasure trove for cinephiles.
Rose Bud was something that everyone overlooked it's there in the beginning when he was young!
me: i bet number one is gonna be the mirror
y'all: and number one is the mirror!
me: i watch too much of this channel
I started watching "The Mirror" and in 10 minutes was experiencing its oneiric effects.
I'm disappointed with the lack of Tremors and Hot Fuzz! Those two films have some of the tightest screenplays I've ever seen.
I felt the same about some of the honourable mentions. Can't put every good movie in a top 10 I guess.
Anytime the filmakers set out to make the shortest car chase in cinematic history? That's brilliant in my book. lol
Right there with you on Hot Fuzz bro!
Michael Edwards LMBO
Hot fuzz roolz
8:30 Which film is this? The colorful cinematography is just chef's kiss amazing!
Thank you so much for giving the Mirror #1. I just adore this film. Somebody said it's pure cinematic poetry, this film
Your editing is amazing. Flawless and fun. Your editor have the same type of voice as the narrator.
the mirror should honestly just be number 1 on every cinema top 10 list ever
Wonder why they didn't choose City of god for number 7?
I was wondering the same thing! No honorable mention or anything!
that movie is so underrated. it should get mentioned way more
+P090p0k3 definitely not underrated
Kosta Jovanovic Not known by enough people, then?
that's what I meant..
So lovely to see The Sweet Hereafter getting some CineFix love.
This is incredibly well done. This video will be a permanent source of reference. These kinds of videos make all other film top/essay channels look like amateurs.
I think Memento and Pulp Fiction are both structured very nicely. They’re both incredible
Pulp Piction is great but I feel a lot of the way it's told, like many Tarantino movies, is justified by style alone rather than obeying to stronger logic. Like ''I will hide this detail from you because it will be a big punch later'' rather than a reveal making sense because of new input, new discoveries... I might be wrong, it's been a while since I've seen it. But some of his scenes feel a bit that way, and while he's an unequalled master at style, it's still a little blemishing to the value of a scene when its justification feels somewhat artificial.
Hey CINEFIX can you include the titles of the movies that you include on your clips pls?
Enemy would be a good choice for number 3 as a "circling" movie, depending on your interpretation.
*Spoilers*
Gyllenhals character succumbing to his sexual desires and lack of ability to commit to a serious relationship amd family life, after finally having erased that part of himself. It truly displayed the inevitability in that regardless of your efforts, the nature of yourself will come back to you. That his efforts only took Gyllenhal back to where he started, like a circle.
Or atleast that is what I got out of it, the movie is pretty fucked up you know ;)
I thought the same thing. I love that movie
Glad I never saw it! I'd be angry because I know we ALL have potential to change and should, that's why we're here; the idea that we can't change or nature is a lie and only true if you believe that lie.
Kindiah I meant "our" not "or" oops.
+Kindiah You should see it, fantastic movie.
+Kindiah its about that particular story of that character, not about human nature in general
The Sweet Hereafter is a magnificent little gem. I'm glad to see it here
The narrative type you describe for #1 pick almost perfectly describes the writings of Kazuo Ishiguro. There is always a longing for an unnamed perfection, etc. how to be the perfect servant from Remains of the Day and the absolute futility of that unfulfilled dichotomy of desire and loss. He writes so exquisitely through unreliable human memory and captures the human condition so well.
It's FA-bula, not fa-BOO-la. But you guys have great lists, so I'll let it slide ;)
In portuguese, "fábula" (also pronounced FAH-bula) is a story where animals come to life, like La Fontaine's tales.
Came here to say the same.
@@riss0is They all come from the same Latin "fabula" for "story"
Copydot: I'll let it slide
Also copydot: I'll type it out in a comment and send so I lied about letting it slide
Paul K gotta be honest, Paul - i tried to let it slide. i really did. but it was too much. these past 3 years have been an endless nightmare. at home, at work, in the arms of my lover, im haunted by a ghostly voice whispering “faBOOlaaaa....faBOOOOla.”
at one time, your taunts and insults may have shaken me. but no more. it’s too late for me now. im
a broken man. so ill let it slide.
You've gotta watch a lot of movies to come up with a list like this..
and I mean a lot.
Can you do the best animated movies of all time.
They did a top 10 most beautiful animated films.... Not quite the same, I guess, but probably close enough.
Well whatever they do they better mention Mononoke Hime.
And Grave of the Fireflies (Hotaru no haka)
angels egg better make that list
Nausicca In The Valley Of The Wind
Gotta give a shout-out to Stanley Donen's "Two for the Road." "The Simpsons" even paid homage to its unique multiple timeline structure in one of its episodes.
Nice pick.
Kubricks Lolita is my favorite example of a movie starting with the ending. But it's also brilliant because it's presented to us first quietly, mysteriously. We don't know the characters or motivations . But by the end, having seen everything, it's presented with passion and emotion. And the music swells up and climaxes exactly to the point where the main character calls out quiltys name, and even though we saw exactly this scene, it's means so much more. Chills.
This is not a list of the 10 Best Structured Movies of All Time. Instead this is a list of 10 examples of well structured films in different categories. Although that is true of every CineFix top 10 videos.
I think it is more accurate to say that this is a list of the best structured film in each of 10 structure categories. However, that's quite a mouthful so I'm satisfied with the video title as is.
David Mullich haha yes. But the title is a little misleading.
+Mark Meason the title pretends to be useless and impossible. if that gives some people the wrong idea, then thats partly their own fault. 'I'll give you 2 billion trillion dollars' isn't really misleading you, is it? top10 lists should be detailed like this. at least it's better than 'GoNe WrOnG 18+'
I don't think it is misleading. I think that coming up with the best film in ten categories is a legitimate way of determining the ten best, especially since there is no objective, indisputable metric for rating a "best" film.
I think it is the top 10 structured films, but just not ordered in terms of structure. Or they have ordered it, just instead of focusing on why its better/worse then any other movies it analyses the structure and why it made the list at all
Great list!!! Every screenwriter should watch
Can we just talk about the fact that he died alone. No one heard him say “Rosebud”
They explain that the nurse did at some point
Something I found interesting here. At 11:40 it shows a clip from the short film "Patriotism", directed and based of the short story by Yukio Mishima. Right after at 11:41, you see a clip from the 1985 movie "Mishima: A life in Four Chapters", the clip being of the ritual suicide performed by Mishima which reflects the suicide of Lieutenant Takeyama in Patriotism. Just thought it was funny that they put both clips back to back.
that is a shot from Mishima: A life in Four chapters’ where they show the making of Patriotism, look at the aspect ratio if you’re not convinced patriotism was shot in 4:3 while that shot is in 1.85:1. But both great films.
I thought of 2 interesting forms or story telling techniques:
Sliding doors - 2 stories in the film start and end at the same point with totally different events between
2. The Inreliable witness - I cant think of the film, but I’m pretty sure it starred Sam Shepard and was directed by him. Maybe also Kim Bassinger. You hear each of their narratives and you see on film what really happened and realize neither of their stories is reliable
Love your channel
10:01 That's quite a mouth full. "The Mobius Strip syuzhet constructed around an ouroboros fabula."
please..... 10 best Spanish lenguage movies of all time ( Latinoamerica and Spain )
You made the best top 10 and review about films .
Thank you for not picking "Tree of Life" for #1.
Magnolia (1999) is one I think deserves a spot, not just a mention.
I Think these movies deserved to be mentioned as to their structures
10. Straightforward
-The Game
-Taken
9. Single Structure
-Non Stop
-Phone Booth
8. Multiple Timeline
-Frequency
7. Hyperlink
-Stranger than Fiction
-Snatch
6. Flashback Narrative
-The Usual Suspects
-The Hangover
5. Backwards Structure
-P.S, I Love You
4. Repetition
-Vantage Point
-Source Code
-The Butterfly Effect
3. Circular Narrative
-Deja Vu
-Enemy
-Predestination
2. Nonlinear Structure
-The Prestige
-Anna (2019)
1.Emotion/Dream sequence
-Mulholland Drive
-Identity
Is it safe to say that "The Mirror" is objectively speaking the greatest movie ever made considering that it regularly makes these Cinefix lists?
If there was such a thing as "objectively speaking" in regards to art, maybe.
It may be. The universe molds itself to the logic of if it's Tarkovsky it's at least great
For me, In terms of Cinematography, Mirror is the Greatest of all time..
Stalker is my favourite from Tarkovsky..
That, or Seven Samurai, or Citizen Kane.
They ranked it like #47 or #48. Whoever makes the lists probably has it a lot higher on their personal list, I'd imagine.
I said out loud they better reference Mr. Nobody or I'll be pissed and then I saw teen Nemo, this is why I love you guys. 8:30
Good to know we're a hit in the psychic community!
CineFix I'm just obsessed with Mr. Nobody
I really liked it too. First time i watched it i watched it again immediately. All freaking 2 and a half hours of it. And i cant really adequately explain to myself why...
video request: Top 10 movies that are *not* Citizen Kane, No country for Old Men, or The Mirror.
Or Fight Club.
Or The Godfather or Chinatown
Or In The Mood For Love
Or The Third Man.
or the hero
A great video. I've seen about half of your picks, and intend to see the rest. Your honorable mentions also include many of my favourites. Mesdames et messieurs, you have impeccable taste!
Every time I watch one of these, I have Netflix opened in another tab, so I can add a bazillion more movies to my queue.
You really are the best, Cinefix.
It's downright insulting you didn't pick Groundhog Day for number 4
I've got you babe... yep totally expected to see Groundhog Day. Here the movie name is synonymous with every trip to the dementia ward to visit my mother. Sams people, same place, same conversations.
Totally should have been mentioned. The structure was actually the story, and after seeing these lists was done masterfully.
gosh dangit, I'm in the middle of watching Rashonom ( i fell asleep last night watching it), what are the chances I'd find a spoiler on a 1950's classic on here?!
with this channel, the chances are high
How about a No country for old men's "what's the difference"?
I love how you guys inspire me to see movies I've never even thought of seeing--"The Sweet Hereafter" looks really interesting, along with "High Noon". Already writing down a list of movies I want to see in the near future.
My favourite structure in movies are narrative introductions and bodies that use past events to fill in the blanks and then have a big reveal or present time ending. The Usual Suspects, Forest Gump etc.
Ive always said the same thing.. Joe Dirt is in there too for me
I feel the same way about books.. My personal favorite is a book called Aztec by Gary Jennings perfect example of the structure you’re talking about
Ironic that the best structured film is the one without a definitive structure.
Anybody else feel like they're in a cinema class?
Literally am over here, hahaha
Here's all these well-known films. We're going to pick something you've never heard of or something critically snobbish because if you haven't seen it, you can't get angry.
I like a lot of your lists, but you guys have no regard for actual quality. A lot of your older flicks haven't aged well. Even Citizen Kane isn't that good compared to some more modern masterpieces. While it has a good structure and plot, the film itself is fairly bland and the acting is sub-par. For the time, it was great. Now? It'd be your average Oscar-bait movie.
Nah, it's not about being snobbish to avoid criticism, we just don't want to talk about the same big movies that everybody already knows back to front. We try to keep a good mix in these lists. Iconic movies, classics, contemporary films, foreign films. There's no real motive other than "we like all kinds of movies!"
Wow, you can't just trust that this is their opinion and perhaps discuss how the ideas and constructs apply to other films?
I for one enjoy taking what I know and what I learn here and delve into certain less than popular (among snobs of various types at least) films to see where they are replicated and perhaps misused.
I think that even among genuinely shallow and contrived productions there is plenty of subject to talk about. Something doesn't have to be intended as high art to serve the purpose of high art.
I also love this choice, as it makes me discover films and genres that I may have never heard of had you never mentioned them in these lists, especially foreign films
What I love about the people at Cinefix is they are one of the few film groups who acknowledge that films exist in other parts of the world and also movies were made prior to 1990. I look forward to their lists for the very fact that I will see a wide variety of sources presented, even if some of them appear with a great deal of frequency ("Mirror", which I love, "Hero", "Kane"). As a cinephile, I appreciate their well-balanced take.
"You guys have no regard for actual quality". I can't even begin to take that statement seriously. Did you actually watch the video and pay attention to what they say? Because if you did, I highly doubt you would make that same statement.
i keep learning and searching new things, and youtube keep sending me back here. This is the best channel on yt
The Road Warrior should be on here. It’s the perfect three act structure of set up/conflict/resolution in 90 mins. It’s the perfect length for a feature film.
Because I have spent half the day on Red wine, I am a little lost all I know is Donnie Darko belongs on this list.
Welcome to "The Mirror" Channel
More approriately this video should be titled
10 Best Movie Structures of All Time
instead of
10 Best Structured Movies of All Time
Great list and analysis once again! I would have liked to hear your take on the spiral structure of Vertigo and the effects of the repetitions in the second half or the "inner circle" of the structure. Even though it has been discussed over and over again, new ideas and interpretations seem to pop up each time that film is studied.
Again, beautiful work! Really appreciate your guys' thoughtful perspective. It's obvious you guys put a lot of effort into this. 😊
Where the hell is memento
It's mentioned as an honorable pick.
BUT WHY ISNT IT ON THE LIST
+William Alvarado cause it's mediocre
+sharebear421 Well, it's better than mediocre.
+Uriel Gavito
What is your thumbnail from?
Where would the "curious case of Benjamin button" fall on this list.
Yeah, you chose Tarkovski again, didn't you (I'm not even mad)
The Third Man is a shout. Perfect build-up and pacing, each scene matters and no line of dialogue is wasted. Payoff and finale is fitting and rewarding.
Pleasing to see a brief mention for Dead of Night. Brave ( and very unnerving) structure, and an underrated classic.