Sometimes it’s great to dig into the annals of film history and get better acquainted with the classics.
Next to the Criterion Channel, HBO Max might be the best streamer for offering 20th-century film masterpieces from all over the world.
When a film is in black-and-white or subtitled from a foreign language, it might seem intimidating, but it’s a great opportunity to explore art outside your comfort zone.
Watch With Us is highlighting seven of the best classic movies you can find on HBO Max, from the iconic Casablanca to the highly influential Rashomon.
Need more recommendations? Then check out the Best New Movies on Netflix, Max, Hulu, Amazon Prime Video and More, the Best Movies on Amazon Prime Video Right Now, the Best Movies on Hulu Right Now and Best Movies on Netflix Right Now.
‘Casablanca’ (1942)
Nightclub owner Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) is an American expatriate living in Casablanca when he discovers that his old girlfriend, Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), is in town with her new husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid). Resistance leader Laszlo is being hunted by the Nazis, and Ilsa knows she can turn to Rick to help her husband get out of the country. But Rick and Ilsa’s reunion brings up unresolved feelings between them.
Easily one of the greatest films of all time, in addition to one of the best Hollywood films of all time, Casablanca snagged the Academy Award for Best Picture back in 1943 and has continued to stand the test of time with its skillful hybridization of engaging romance, drama and gripping political thriller.
‘Breathless’ (1960)
Aimless petty criminal Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) aspires to be like Humphrey Bogart and wanders around Paris, but soon finds himself on the lam after impulsively killing a policeman. He hides out with his American girlfriend, Patricia (Jean Seberg), in her apartment while he attempts to scrounge money for the two of them to escape to Italy. But Patricia begins to reconsider the nature of their relationship and Michel’s unpredictable behavior.
French director Jean-Luc Godard’s groundbreaking film is a free-wheeling, unconventional work of avant-garde cinema that was at the forefront of the then-burgeoning French New Wave movement. Breathless features a bold, playful style that recontextualizes the preconceived notions of filmmaking technique, influencing films for generations to come.
‘A Hard Day’s Night’ (1964)
The Beatles‘ irreverent feature film debut is an energetic comedy adventure film that follows a day in the life of the Fab Four through mockumentary-style filmmaking. A Hard Day’s Night was released during the apex of “Beatlemania” and thus much of the film showcases the young men dodging hordes of screaming female fans. When they aren’t, they find themselves in various eccentric scenarios, such as with Paul McCartney’s gambling grandfather and Ringo Starr getting arrested.
Andrew Sarris of The Village Voice once deemed A Hard Day’s Night to be “the Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals,” and he may still be right. The free-spirited film is full of plenty of classic Beatles hits, in addition to a wacky narrative that allows the young men to showcase their particular cheeky sense of humor.
‘The Earrings of Madame De…’ (1953)
A beautiful pair of earrings changes hands through the extramarital exploits and betrayals of an artistocratic couple in late nineteenth-century Paris. Countess Louise (Danielle Darrieux) sells the earrings her husband gave her to secretly pay off debts, claiming she’d simply lost them. When her husband, André (Charles Boyer), discovers them in a pawn shop, he purchases them for his mistress. After the mistress suffers a gambling loss, she too sells the earrings, this time to an Italian aristocrat.
While The Earrings of Madame De… received initially mixed reviews, it has gone on to be considered a great work of French cinema. Director Max Ophüls‘ lavish, kinetic camerawork gracefully shepherds viewers through a tragic but compelling tale of love, passion and loss.
‘Solaris’ (1972)
A scientific mission has been stalled when the crew of a space station falls into emotional distress as they orbit a planet called Solaris. A psychologist named Kris Kelvin (Donatas Banionis) travels to the space station to understand what happened, but instead finds himself succumbing to what befell the astronauts. It turns out that something on Solaris evokes repressed memories and obsessions in those who are exposed to it.
This science-fiction drama was director Andrei Tarkovsky’s attempt to imbue more psychological depth into what he deemed as “shallow” sci-fi films of the era, and Solaris does endure as one of the greatest sci-fi works of all time. A hypnotic slow-burn that puts you under its spell, Solaris would go on to be remade by Steven Soderbergh, starring George Clooney as Kelvin.
‘Brief Encounter’ (1945)
Disillusioned suburban housewife Laura (Celia Johnson) heads home from a shopping trip at the train station, where she meets a kind doctor named Alec Harvey (Trevor Howard). The pair strikes up a persistent, weekly rapport, but their friendship soon blossoms into something more emotionally profound. Ultimately, the two must contend with the domino effect that their love for one another would have on their lives, and whether it would be worth it to continue.
Make sure to have a box of tissues handy when watching Brief Encounter, a tragic love story that could easily challenge the likes of Titanic. The moody atmosphere of its largely train station-set location adds to the evocative nature of the film, coupled with two affecting lead performances and a narrative that will rip your heart out.
‘Rashomon’ (1950)
One of Akira Kurosawa’s great masterworks, Rashomon examines the philosophy of truth and justice through the four different perspectives concerning the murder of a samurai and the sexual assault of his wife. A woodcutter and a Buddhist monk return from offering evidence in the trial, considering the conflicting testimonies. When a stranger asks to know what happened, the film intercuts flashbacks of the trial, present discussion, and portrayals of each skewed perspective.
With a bold style, gripping narrative and compelling performances, Rashomon is a compelling and thought-provoking drama whose stylistic approach through showcasing multiple perspectives has gone on to inspire countless other films, such as Pulp Fiction and The Usual Suspects.
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