What are some of the most beautiful movies you've ever seen?

[Tommy_Carcetti]

I'm not necessarily asking for the best movie you've ever seen, or your favorite movie you've ever seen, but the most beautiful, well-made, well-crafted in terms of presentation. (Although that doesn't rule it out as also being your favorite or best movie as well).

I'm looking for something where the cinematography as well as editing and musical score come together to create a delightful presentation for the eyes and ears.

Note, a beautiful movie doesn't even necessarily have to be a good movie overall. For example, in terms of writing and character development and story development, Titanic was as mediocre as they come. But on the flip side, it was an extremely striking movie visually, and that's one reason I can't hate it across the board.

A couple of movies that stand out in terms of being "beautiful" movies IMHO:

O Brother Where Art Thou--Mix sephia tones that match the Depression era setting perfectly coupled with the bluegrass musical interludes, it just comes off delightful. The Coen Brothers know a thing or two about filmmaking, but I would say O Brother is their most beautiful creation.

The Natural--Another Depression era setting. Everything about this movie feels grand and big. Baseball at night has never looked better than it did during the climax of The Natural.

The Right Stuff--This one takes the cake as perhaps being the most perfectly executed movie in terms of cinematography and score and everything. Take your pick--the heroes walk of the astronauts, John Glenn's flight, and perhaps my favorite, Chuck Yeager reaching the top of the stratosphere in the F-104. An absolute stunning movie on all levels.

(An interesting note, both The Natural and The Right Stuff featured Caleb Deschanel, father of Zooey and Emily, and husband of Mary Jo, who played Annie Glenn in The Right Stuff, as Director of Cinematography, so that might explain my common attraction to both those films visually.)

What are some of your personal entries for beautiful movies?

[JohnnyRingo]

1. 2001: A Space Oddysey

I read the book, then saw the movie during it's first run in the theaters. On Orange Sunshine. Twice.

Blew my mind, and that was in the days before modern computer CGI.

[Codeine]

67. Even the most mundane parts of that film

are visually stunning. I never grow tired of that film, and I’ve been watching it probably at least once a year since 1983 or so.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

95. Did you ever read the original short story?

"The Sentinel" by Arthur C. Clarke. It's essentially the middle story of the movie.

Personally, I thought the movie as a whole was hilariously bad. Men in monkey suits. Pan Am to the Moon, and it's obvious that the load factors are so low that company is going to go out of business. The nonsense of the last part.

I know that my opinion is highly unpopular, especially in s-f circles. Perhaps my problem is that I didn't see the movie when it first came out, even though I was already an adult. So by the time I got around to seeing it, all I could see were the flaws. Although lots of people younger than me think it's wonderful.

Oh, well. There's no accounting for tastes.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. No Country for Old Men

No Country for Old Men (film)

I think it's just about perfect.

[Sneederbunk]

3. Chariots of Fire

[Frances]

23. Chariots of Fire: great choice

[Floyd R. Turbo]

4. Lawrence Of Arabia

The Black Stallion

The Wild Bunch

[nocoincidences]

5. Elvira Madigan

It once held the title as the most beautiful movie ever made, and I still think it is up there with the best.

[ailsagirl]

142. Excellent film but very sad

[ailsagirl]

143. Vertigo

A beautiful movie

[LonePirate]

6. Plenty of good postcard movies. Including ...

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
The Tree of Life
Inception
Pretty much anything with Roger Deakins as the cinematographer

[progressoid]

12. +1 for Roger Deakins.

He has quite a resume.

[Leghorn21]

79. Deakins work in *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford* is

astonishing! (and I love that whole fuggin movie, every bit of it, as well!! Nick Cave wrote the soundtrack, oh my goodness, and performances are magnifico -) - anyway, you betcha, Roger Deakins is wonderful!!

[sharp_stick]

7. A River Runs Through It

Some of the most beautiful photography I've ever seen in a movie. Incredible on the big screen and in HD. It's one movie where I almost didn't even care about the story as long as he shot some more fly fishing sequences. It won the cinematography Academy Award in 1993 for Philippe Rousselot.

I think he's the only cinematographer there is that will send me to the movie without knowing anything else about it.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippe_Rousselot

A close second is Pans Labyrinth. Completely different feel and mood but incredibly gorgeous from start to end.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

9. Pan's Labyrinth was incredible!

[50 Shades Of Blue]

8. A Room With A View, Ondine

[Frances]

22. Room with a View definitely

[CTyankee]

127. Yep. One of the most perfect movies I have ever seen.

The two Puccini arias sung in it amplified the beauty of the film. Plus fine acting...

[Guilded Lilly]

10. Out of Africa...gorgeous cinematography and music.

[progressoid]

11. Brazil

Lawrence of Arabia

Wings of Desire

[global1]

13. A Recent Movie I Think Was Under Rated Is....

The Greatest Showman.

[Bluepinky]

30. I agree, that was a wonderful movie!

[BluesRunTheGame]

14. Latcho Drom

No plot or dialogue. Just music and film.

[Boomerproud]

15. The Sting

Imho everything just worked to perfection.

[unblock]

28. perfectly constructed movie. all the pieces fit together brilliantly.

[First Speaker]

47. I like the film...but it looks kind of weird in retrospect...

...it's "Chicago" has a strange, generic-city feel to it. Someone, I forget who, once said it looks almost as if it was made in the same city as Beatty's Dick Tracy. And of course, it has a huge hole in the plot...like the film anyway.

[sdfernando]

16. Dr. Zhivago

Several others for me that have already been mentioned here like Lawrence of Arabia.

Also Gone With the Wind...not one of my all time favorites but really great cinematography.

[oasis]

43. Outstanding. Gotta stop and view it each time it's shown.

wonderful film.

[Butterflylady]

81. Saw it 3xs in the theater

Can't even count x's on TV.

[BluesRunTheGame]

17. The Red Balloon by Albert Lamorisse

36 minute children's film from 1956.

[JDC]

80. We used to have to watch that when Iwas in grade school

Balloon, Balloon! The End or rather, Fin.


I should watch it again.

[RGinNJ]

113. I loved that movie as a kid,

Thanks for the memories.

[PassingFair]

18. Miller's Crossing. Nt

[MaryMagdaline]

90. Good movie

[OilemFirchen]

19. Days of Heaven (n/t)

[chelsea0011]

70. Malick does make beautiful movies. Have to add "The New World" to your list

[Leghorn21]

83. Yes!! Came here to post Heaven...haven't seen it in ages, but it's the first one I thought of...

it’s some kind of haunting, eh??

Anyway, I concur, Oilem!

[TexasBushwhacker]

92. First one I thought of too n/t

[TlalocW]

20. Like Water for Chocolate

Cinema Paradiso
The Godfather
Close to Eden

TlalocW

[flying_wahini]

53. Agree with Cinema Paradiso. Wonderful movie

[Frances]

107. Agree Cinema Paradiso is a wonderful movie

[defacto7]

21. The Black Stallion. n/t

[GreenPartyVoter]

29. gmta

[Codeine]

68. A perfect example of great visuals

saving a fairly mediocre film. Few movies have looked that good.

[defacto7]

71. I agree

It's all visual. Dialogue is almost non existant. The visual becomes the dialogue. Like radio for the eyes.

[Frances]

24. Captains Courageous: one of the best from the 1930's

[Frances]

25. I vote for Captains Courageous as the best from the 1930's

[greatauntoftriplets]

26. Ryan's Daughter.

The English Patient.

[RandomAccess]

62. Ryan's Daughter was my very favorite

movie for a long while -- I was only able to see it once and have never been able to find it again. Anywhere.

[wishstar]

130. I got to see it when Turner Classic Movies- TCM ran it on St Patrick's Day this year

[RandomAccess]

131. Aw shoot

I'll have to pay better attention, I guess. If I could ever tear myself away from MSNBC, that is.

[mainstreetonce]

27. Moulin Rouge

Music beautiful too

[Bluepinky]

31. Two I can think of: Hillary and Jackie and The Shawshank Redemption.

[MuseRider]

109. I loved Hillary and Jackie.

I have not thought about it for years. Outstanding.

[Bluepinky]

114. It was one of the best movies I have ever seen, it always affects me emotionally.

[MuseRider]

124. Ever since I that movie

I have problems listening to anyone else play the Elgar Cello Concerto. They are all usually good but not as good. Very emotional about it after that movie.

[flotsam]

32. On Golden Pond

Scenery and story. Humans of three ages. The end of the seasons and life told well...

[Chipper Chat]

33. Midnight In Paris.

The opening sequence - a typical day in Paris - so beautiful I can watch it over and over. The music of Sydney Bechet is perfect.

[dewsgirl]

112. I love this movie very much.

[Chipper Chat]

123. I loved the French girl that Gil met at the secondhand shop.

My type.

[Upthevibe]

134. Yes. Midnight in Paris

...love that movie....

[Sneederbunk]

34. Ordinary People, Dances With Wolves.

[OregonBlue]

63. Yes, Dances with Wolves and Waterworld and the Postman. He makes just incredibly

beautiful to look at movies.

[ailsagirl]

141. I loved Ordinary People

Robert Redford's directorial debut-- not bad!!

[DFW]

35. There must be dozens but two come to mind right away

Ådalen '31 and The Witness

[bettyellen]

36. Children of Paradise

[Bayard]

37. Last of the Mohicans

(Daniel Day Lewis version). Also love the music.

Legends of the Fall, Dances with Wolves,

[OregonBlue]

64. Last of the Mohicans is so beautiful I watch it every time it's on. Sometimes with the sound off

because I'm just captivated by the beauty of the film.

[liberalmuse]

110. Agree!

I rarely watch movies more than once, but I've seen this many times. Love the cinematography, the music and the acting.

[geardaddy]

38. Mongol

The cinematography and the scenery is just breathtaking.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mongol_(film)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

39. I'll add another one to my list from my childhood: The Mission (1986)

My parents, the liberal, socially minded Catholics that they were (and still are), absolutely marveled over this movie starring Robert DeNiro and Jeremy Irons as Jesuit priests in Paraguay caught up at the cross roads of the Spanish crown, slave trades, church politics, etc.

They actually let me watch it as a kid which knowing them I'm a little bit surprised at--I believe it was rated PG but it was still rather bloody for its rating and heavy in terms of subject matter (my parents weren't ones to let me and my siblings watch a whole lot of movies aimed at grown ups).

I can't tell you the exact plot for the life of me, but I do recall it being absolutely gorgeous in terms of its rainforest scenery, its imagery and its epic soundtrack by Enrico Morricone.

[Dave Starsky]

42. You remind me that I've never seen it. I need to.

This is one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard, and it's based on Ennio Morricone's "Gabriel's Oboe" from The Mission.

[Danascot]

106. My Favorite Version

https://m.

[Dave Starsky]

40. Apocalypse Now

I love so many of the movies already mentioned, but I just had to add Apocalypse Now to the list. I had the benefit of watching a pristine 70-mm print on a Cinerama screen, and it was nearly a religious experience.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

46. I saw the much-maligned Steve Martin "Pennies from Heaven" in one of its first showings

at the local movie theater. Films deteriorate quickly when shown. I concur that watching a pristine print is nearly a religious experience.

[Dave Starsky]

48. Depends on the movie, but yes!

Now with so much digital production and projection, it theoretically shouldn't make any difference.

But back in the day, you needed to make sure that the theater you went to see a movie had received ...

a) the earliest copy of...
b) the largest format print...
c) of the largest format negative.

If you could do all that, "Herbie the Love Bug" was simply amazing. You could almost reach out and touch the soft cheeks of Dean Jones' face.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

50. I hear you.

There were no weird hairs, or scratches. It was unlike the usual showing.

[backtoblue]

41. Ever After

I love periodicals and fairy tales

Lovely imagery in this movie.

[oasis]

44. Out of Africa.

[skypilot]

45. "The Talented Mr.Ripley"

Also, Brian DePalma's "Carrie" with a very special and enthusiastic shout-out for the musical score by Pino Donaggio.

[defacto7]

49. At Play In The Fields of the Lord

I think that's the title. A missionary family tries to Christianize an obscure Amazonian tribe mirroring a disenchanted westernized native who goes on a vision quest brought on through an ayahuasca induced trance. Brutally honest and brutally beautiful.

[PoliticAverse]

51. Last of the Mohicans (1992). n/t

[YOHABLO]

52. When you say beautiful, do you mean 'Cinematography' or emotionally beautiful.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

54. More like Cinematagraphy, although that could play into emotionally beautiful.

They frequently work hand in hand.

[flying_wahini]

55. Scent of the green papayas

Out Of Africa
Room with a view
Cinema Paradiso


Aren't movies wonderful?

[John Fante]

56. The Qatsi Trilogy has untouchable cinematography. Simply breathtaking.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

58. I saw Koyannisqatsi in college and was spellbound by it. nt

[mikeysnot]

57. O Brother for sure

my feel good movie.

[Glorfindel]

59. The B&W 1936 "A Midsummer Night's Dream" - astonishing achievement, I think

"Barry Lyndon"
"Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" (seriously!)
"Brokeback Mountain" - all those sheep flowing across the landscape like some kind of liquid
"Gladiator"

Lots of them! I really love movies. Thanks for a very thought-provoking question.

[dameatball]

60. The Searchers

[kurtcagle]

61. Spirited Away

I love most of Miyasaki's work, but the sequence where Chihiro is on the spirit train crossing the phantom sea has to be the most hauntingly beautiful sequences I have ever seen in either live action or animated movies.



https://www.quora.com/In-Hayao-Miyazakis-Spirited-Away-whats-the-meaning-of-the-train-scene

[Codeine]

65. Ran. 2001. Lawrence of Arabia. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

Hero. House of Flying Daggers.

Kill Bill! Nearly forgot that one.

[Coventina]

74. Hero for sure! Right up there with Akira Kurosawa's "Dreams"

[OregonBlue]

66. Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, Dersu Uzala

[MaryMagdaline]

69. A Room With a View, Howard's End

[sarge43]

72. Dangerous Liaisons and Lady Hawk

Michelle Pfeiffer added immeasurably to the beauty of both films.

[Coventina]

73. Bambi

Yeah, I said it.

It's a visually gorgeous movie.

So what if it's Disney and geared to kids?

Also, Snow White, Fantasia, and Sleeping Beauty.

The best animation ever done.

Live action, I'd have to give to Akira Kurasawa's "Dreams."

[jalan48]

75. Elvira Madigan 1967

[Cary]

76. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

[FSogol]

122. +1 n/t

[tonyt53]

77. The Straight Story. Starred Richard Farnsworth.

Powerful and beautiful and simple at the same time.

[thucythucy]

78. The 400 Blows--

Francois Truffaut's breakthrough film

And just about anything by Bergman--but especially Fanny and Alexander.

[progressoid]

132. Fanny and Alexander

Love it!

It's been a long time since I saw it. Frankly don't really remember the plot. I remember just sort of soaking it all in.

[thucythucy]

133. It's about a circus family in turn of the (19th to 20th) century Sweden.

Fanny and Alexander's father dies young, and their mother marries a repressive Lutheran bishop who is determined to beat the sin out of the two children. They are rescued, but I won't spoil the rest of it.

I suspect the film was somewhat autobiographical, and I think it was Bergman's last major film. At the end one of the circus elders gives a soliloquy on the importance of imagination and entertainment, and his thoughts on a long life lived in the circus. It reminded me of Prospero's speech at the end of the Tempest, where Prospero (Shakespeare) gives up his magic (the theatre).

But the cinematography was just stunning. In fact, first thing tomorrow I'm getting the DVD!

Best wishes.

[dawg day]

82. Badlands

And Godfather 1, just because of the lovely golden colors.

[BeyondGeography]

84. Diva

Beineix. Paris. 1981.

[wcmagumba]

85. Empire of the Sun...

Also many of the aforementioned movies...I'll second The Mission...

[rurallib]

86. Oddball that I am I will throw in a black and white - the Pawnbroker

the B&W just really enhanced the mood for me

Dr. Zhivago and Pan's Labyrinth are my other two

[bronxiteforever]

87. Kenneth Branagh Much Ado About Nothing

Franco Zeffirelli‘S Romeo and Juliet

[nancy1942]

88. The Duelists.

[sarge43]

115. Yes

Every frame looked like a genre painting from the era.

[AJT]

89. Life of Pi

[TomSlick]

91. The Quiet Man

[TexasBushwhacker]

93. More recently, Hell or High Water and Wind River were both visual feasts n/t

[Upthevibe]

135. Yes...I loved both those movies....

Not a lot of folks saw Wind River but I thought it was excellent (as was Hell or High Water)....

[yardwork]

94. Zefferelli's Romeo and Juliet, and The Last Emperor.

[Eko]

96. Enemy mine.

It helped to shape my entire life after I watched it.

[wcmagumba]

100. Loved that one...

"yo ugli head"...the relation that grew between the two castaway adversaries and the eventual child of the alien...great stuff...

[longship]

97. Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amelie Poulain!!

Here in the USA known simply as Amélie.

This is an artistic treat, like many of the other films cited in this thread. The visuals are stunning. All told, it's like a fancy little French bon bon. And Audrey Tautou completes the picture in an utterly charming ways.

US trailer:

This thread is a great idea.

BTW, the top film of this category has to be Lawrence of Arabia
Extended trailer:

An example:

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

98. The Lion in Winter.

One of my all time favorites, and it never gets mentioned here when movies are discussed.

Here's my favorite scene:

[Bayard]

99. The Edge

Another movie with amazing cinematography.

[The empressof all]

101. Dr Zhivago and....

Goblin which is a Korean TV Drama...I guess that doesn't really count but honestly it is truly a lush and beautiful feast for the eyes.

[edbermac]

102. Barry Lyndon, The Duellists, Blade Runner, Days of Heaven.

Kubrick got lenses that were going to be used for the Apollo moon landings and adapted them to a movie camera. There are scenes that are just lit by candles, no electric lights.

[Danascot]

103. What Dreams May Come

& The Cell

[Laffy Kat]

104. Memoirs of a Geisha...

Had some beautiful scenes. I know it was scorned, and rightfully so, in some circles, but the director (Marshall? can't remember) had some stunning cinematography in that film. The silk rinsing in the river...what a scene.

[dewsgirl]

111. I haven't seen it in years, I believe it was right before Mr.Crab

Makes his bid for her virginity. The dance she does, is breathtaking.

[DownFromTheMountain]

105. Belle e La Bete

Or Himalaya,,, Movies took over Painting

[Leghorn21]

108. Oh, *The Last Emperor* - to die for, every kind of way -

[highmindedhavi]

116. Visually, The Quiet Man

overall, Life is Beautiful 1997

[consider_this]

117. Immortal Beloved

Gary Oldman as Beethoven!
Beethoven had written a famous love letter, to his 'Immortal Beloved' (no other name) and the movie explores who that might be among many women in his life.
This movie brings evokes such meaning from the music and has some very memorable scenes.

[FSogol]

121. +1 Excellent film. n/t

[Maraya1969]

118. Babe is beautiful. Also Brokeback Mountain

[consider_this]

119. Amadeus

Tom Hulce as Mozart, F. Murray Abraham as Salieri.

This is just fabulous looking, fun, emotional, powerful drama.

A great summary from IMDB:
The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporary composer who was insanely jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.

[FSogol]

120. Akira Kurosawa's Dreams

Its a movie made up of short stories with "Crows" being the best:

From wiki, Crows is

a brilliantly colored vignette featuring director Martin Scorsese as Vincent van Gogh. An art student finds himself inside the vibrant and sometimes chaotic world of Van Gogh's artwork, where he meets the artist in a field and converses with him. When asked why he's missing an ear, Van Gogh replies that the ear gave him problems during a self portrait, and so he did away with it. The student loses track of the artist, and travels through other works trying to find him, concluding with Van Gogh's Wheat Field with Crows.

This Segment features Prelude No. 15 in D-flat major ("Raindrop&quot by Chopin. The visual effects for this particular segment were provided by George Lucas and his special effects group Industrial Light & Magic. It is also the only segment where the characters do not speak Japanese.

Also awesome are The Blizzard and the Tunnel

[Dr. Strange]

125. Sunshine

Starring Captain America!

[LuvLoogie]

126. Lawrence of Arabia, Casablanca, Map of the Human Heart, both Blade Runner movies

There are others, but those jump immediately to my mind.

[lame54]

128. Local Hero...

beautiful and very funny

[TheDebbieDee]

129. The Emerald Forest - 1985?

Based on the true story of a NY father who searches the Amazon jungle for his kidnapped son. Also, an interesting story of culture shock caused by the modern world encroachment on indigenous people.

[u4ic]

136. Bab A'ziz, Samsara, Chocolat

Last edited Thu May 3, 2018, 02:16 AM - Edit history (1)

[TuxedoKat]

137. Witness

The score by Maurice Jarre is wonderful, especially during the barn-raising scene. It's just so American, very Aaron Copeland like to me. I've given the soundtrack to visitors from Europe as a gift.

[TuxedoKat]

139. More: The Red Shoes, Devdas, La Belle et La Bete, Goodbye Again

Posted this in the wrong place above so deleted and reposted.

Can't believe no one has mentioned The Red Shoes yet, great for music, cinematography, dancing.

Devdas - music, cinematography, DANCING

La Belle et La Bete - cinematography, special effects were amazing for 1946, especially The Temple of Diana

Goodbye Again - great score, introduced me to Brahm's Third Symphony.

[consider_this]

140. Big Fish

Great story, and just magical! (2003)

[IcyPeas]

144. Tree of Wooden Clogs

So many painterly images throughout the movie.

?itok=pqLWm9qW