the city in film

I’m compiling a list of films which I think exemplify a vision of the city or of urban life in anyway. Right now this is simply to be a list of good movies useful to a dialogue on The City – utopian/dystopian, historical/futurist. Suggestions of films to add to the list would be appreciated.

Currently in no particular order:

  • Wings of Desire (1987)
  • Enter the Void (2009)
  • Koyaanisqatsi (1982)
  • The Third Man (1949)
  • Taxi Driver (1976)
  • Gattaca (1997)
  • Chinatown (1974)
  • The Castle (1997)
  • Gomorrah (2008)
  • Call Northside 777 (1948)
  • Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999)
  • Pickup on South Street (1953)
  • High and Low (1963)
  • Brother (1997)
  • Brazil (1944)
  • The Fountainhead (1949)
  • Blade Runner (1982)
  • Dekalog (1989)
  • City of God (2002)

2 comments

  1. Safety Last (1923), 42nd Street (1933), King Kong (1933), The Exiles (1961), The Clock (1945), Rose of the Tenements (1926), M (1931), Marty (1955), Manhattan (1979), Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (1927), Germany Ground Zero (1948), Run Lola Run (1998),The Lives of Others (2006),Rear Window (1954), Do The Right Thing (1989), Singin’ In the Rain (1952), Dark City (1998),Hong Kong Confidential (2010), Contagion (2011), Saturday Night Fever (1977),His Girl Friday (1940), The Blues Brothers (1980), Bullitt (1968), Breathless (1960), She’s Gotta Have It (1986), Vertigo (1958),Serpico (1974), Metropolis (1927), Lost in Translation (2003), An American In Paris (1951), Rififi (1955), The Red Balloon (1965), Cléo de 5 à 7 (1962), Jules and Jim (1962), Alphaville (1965), La jetée (1965),Zazie in the Metro (1960), The Battle of Algiers (1966), Nikita (1990),The Wizard of Oz (1939), Boyz In the Hood (1991), The Naked City (1948), Hannah And Her Sisters (1986), Atlantic City (1980), Crooklyn (1994), Rocky (1976), The Brink Job (1978), Dark Passage (1948), Dirty Harry (1971), The Panic in Needle Park (1971),Nashville (1975), The Gleaners and I (2000), The Lady From Shanghai (1947), In Old Chicago (1937), San Francisco (1936), Battle in Seattle (2007), The Boston Strangler (1968), Chinatown (1974), The Cincinnati Kid (1965), New York Stories (1989), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968), The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999),The Omega Man (1971), Scarface (1983), Roman Holiday (1953), Quadrophenia (1979), The Wackness (2008), Midaq Alley (1995),The French Connection (1971), Oliver! (1968), Happy-Go-Lucky (2008), The Blue Lamp (1950), My Beautiful Laundrette (1985), A Hard Day’s Night (1964), The Bicycle Thief (1949), Roma (1972), Before Sunrise (1995), What’s Up Doc (1972), West Side Story (1961), The Tokyo Story (1953), Alfie (1966), Panic in the Streets (1950), The Conversation (1974), Annie Hall (1977), Shaft (1971), I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (2002), After Hours (1985) and City Lights (1931)

    My god, that’s just off the top of my head in a half hour. (Went back and checked dates for you.) But if I dare contribute any more, one would think I never got out much.

    Reply

  2. This is fantastic. Thanks, Dahlia. Will format and update the list. Starting to think that it might be an idea to separate by city.

    Reply

Leave a Reply