Films that you consider to be artistic "masterpieces"

[Trotsky]

I would like to consider this as distinct from "what are your favorite movies" or even from appraisal of a film's being technically perfect (tour de forces like No Country for Old Men come to mind under the traditional view of a movie masterpiece, and coincidentally is so good that it could probably make this list too) since appreciation for a film's place as a sovereign artistic artifact is different than how much you personally enjoy it as a moviegoer. I realize that it is hard to solicit this type of list without necessarily invoking a certain amount of pretentiousness, but if film analysis isn't pretentious, then what is?

So, when you think of films that really stick out to you as being particularly striking, unique, or poignant, even such to the point that its whole exceeds or diverges from the sum of its parts, what films come to mind?


I'll start off. For me, I consider the following:

 

[lts5025]

2001. Kind of boring but visually breathtaking.

 

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

Backdoor Beauties 27

 

[Ezekiel 2517]

Backdoor Beauties 27

Inside Lydia's Ass

 

[Tankeray]

Inglorious Basterds

Alien

2001

 

[breadfighter]

Boondock Saints.

 

[Ares Black]

Boondock Saints.

Are you joking?

 

[breadfighter]

Are you joking?

 

[Ares Black]

Ok. To each his own I guess. It's entertaining, but amateurish. In my opinion.

 

[breadfighter]

Ok. To each his own I guess. It's entertaining, but amateurish. In my opinion.

 

[koolinkunming]

Gang Bang Angels 6 starring Jade Marcela.

Awe inspiring.

 

[Jack Reacheround]

The Curious Case of Benjamin’s Butthole.
The Diaphragm of Anne Frank.

Two brilliant pornos.

 

[ToxicShocker]

Visually speaking:
Bladerunner 1 and 2
Enter the void
...more to come

 

[koolinkunming]

Visually speaking:
Bladerunner 1 and 2
Enter the void
...more to come

Enter the Void was awesome.

 

[ToxicShocker]

I have 800 movies on my hard drive but I can't think of anything else to add. I've seriously gotten dumber over the last 10 years.

 

[TheMadThinker]

 

[LEGS MAHONEY]

Top two for me are

.The fountain

. Tarsem singh's The Fall. This one in particularly was incredible. Like a Dali painting come to life. It will be along time before we ever see a movie that was that visually rich and clearly a labor of love from a director. Dude even financed the project to get it done


Also add Blade runner and The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

 

[koolinkunming]

The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus

This too. Never see it get any love, strangely enough.

 

[Pied Piper]

No country
Pulp Fiction
Cit. Kane
Dark Knight
Taxi Driver
Fuck My Big Black Ass 2

 

[KONG-D'SNT-TAP]

Blade Runner '82
Out of Africa
Life is Beautiful
Mullholand Drive
Brazil
Cool Hand Luke
The shining


Those movies are all masterpieces