Historical film poll

[chickenfeet]

So nominations are in and the voting begins. The list of nominees is long so I have trimmed some that I think very few people will have had a chance to see. In view of the length of the list I think we can allow up to three picks per voter. A 'play off' round may be necessary methinks.

[Poll #1003739]

Comments

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

You left out First Knight.

[chickenfeet2003.livejournal.com]

Donnes-moi un frein

[shezan.livejournal.com]

*iz ded*

(or rather "Je reste ma valise")

[sollersuk.livejournal.com]

Permanent reminder to self: I must not drink coffee when reading your comments. The keyboard does not appreciate it. Nor does Toby.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

*perk*

Is Toby a cat? (Or dog?)

[curtana.livejournal.com]

I had to leave out a couple of movies I very much like, because their history is rather iffy. I adore The Lion in Winter, but really - Christmas tree and wrapped presents? ;)

[melted-snowball.livejournal.com]

But how else could they include the line that is, possibly, my favourite in the whole show: "Oh Eleanor, you've brought me my tombstone! You spoil me!"

(Not quite as good as "Henry? I have a confession to make. I don't much like our children.")

[curtana.livejournal.com]

Oh, I agree it's a wonderful line in a movie crammed to the brim with wonderful lines! I would rank it as one of my top ten favorite movies of all time, I'm sure - I just can't bring myself to vote for it as best *history* movie.

[albionwood.livejournal.com]

It's another of those really frustrating historicals that *could* have been very nearly perfect, except for some howling blunders (like the Christmas tree and prezzies). The plot is wonderful, the writing and acting were unsurpassed; if someone hadn't stuck in the blatant anachronisms, it might have been the greatest historical movie ever.

Here's my favorite line: "Let's strike a flint, and see." (Richard, after Johnny whines, "If I were on fire, nobody would piss on me to put it out!")

[intertext.livejournal.com]

Agreed - the script is wonderful, but the history is not; I couldn't vote for it, either. I'm surprised by the early support for Gandhi.

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Now, how can I limit myself to three? (but I did) Recognise many old friends on this list...

[lemur-catta.livejournal.com]

If I had been paying enough attention to notice the nominations post, I would have added Tous les Matins du Monde. A most excellent film from a much underdone period.

[albionwood.livejournal.com]

Barry Lyndon??? Sure, the clothes were nice, but... *yawn* is there anybody here we care about? Does Ryan O'Neal have another facial expression?

[shezan.livejournal.com]

Leonard Rossiter? Hardy Kruger? The old Macaroni mentor? Barry's awful and brilliant mother? The hapless Bullingdon? The chaplain? That movie was FULL of fantastic secondary characters, all revolving around the boring heroes - pretty much like the actual novels of the period (and I mean both the late 18th century and mid-19th, when the book was written) and absolutely indended by Kubrick.

[a-d-medievalist.livejournal.com]

There were so many I could have voted for! And some I looked for, but they weren't there. I'd have put Remains of the Day over Gosford Park, in terms of history ...

[shezan.livejournal.com]

I agree, Gosford Park is intended from the start as an acid, would-be subversive pastiche.

[kittenexploring.livejournal.com]

Gallipoli, surely?

I would have added Breaker Morant and Valmont to that list if I hadn't somehow missed the earlier post.

[blonde222.livejournal.com]

The voting seems quite closely correlated to recentness and Oscarwinningness.