7. The Big Sleep
Choosing one film by Howard Hawks was a very difficult feat but The Big Sleep is one film that everyone should see if only to watch the interplay between Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. While I picked The Seventh Seal for the last entry because it's the easiest to watch of Bergmann's movies I picked The Big Sleep for the exact opposite reason here. The film is probably the most convoluted narrative ever filmed which makes it very hard to follow. The reason I put it on the list is that it epitomizes everything that is great and unique about the film noir genre. Film noir is America's greatest contribution to the world of cinema and there is no better example of what makes it so revolutionary than The Big Sleep. All of the tropes and cliche's are on display that one comes to expect but they're subverted in way that makes every scene seem fresh and exciting. Plus, trying to put the pieces of the story together is a great deal of fun.