The Five Best Classic Movies of All Time

Love them or hate them, these classics are movies to be seen.

5. Cinema Paradiso

Every movie-lover really should see this film-as it is a very touching and well-made tribute to the love of movies. Although it is in Italian (the subtitles are not distracting), I found this incredibly fun!

4. Rope

I recently saw this Hitchcock gem, and realized that this film has unjustly been overlooked. This film is a technical marvel, as it is shot in one continuous sequence (on several rolls that are almost seamlessly put together). The story and production organization must have been extremely intricate and well practiced. Knowing this, and watching the film, truly makes it an enjoyable experience.

Besides the technical aspects, the story is suspenseful and very good.

3. Chinatown

Film noir could never be better. This is one of those movies that do the private investigator and crooked deals and sunny California just right. And although the ending is jarring-it is kind of brilliant too.

2. The Fanny Trilogy

A French film that was my gateway to a love of foreign films. The entire trilogy is a great love story, with some really funny moments-and some tragic moments as well. As in Cinema Paradiso, the subtitles are not very distracting.

1. Casablanca and Citizen Kane

So, yeah, this might be cliché-but these two films are simply too good not to be on this list. In my eyes, they are both masterpieces of film making and they share the number one spot. People these days do say they are boring, or uneventful-but that could not be further from the truth. Just sit down and watch them, you won't be sorry.

Derrick St. James is the author of "This Side of Eden"-a love story about a dad and his little girl trying to survive the Alaskan wild.