44. All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
All Quiet on the Western Front portrays a harrowing and brutal examination of war not seen again until Apocalypse Now nearly fifty years later. One of the earliest true American classics, it annoyed the Nazi's who banned it, but was adopted by anti-war protesters and pacifists everywhere. All Quiet on the Western Front ignores the patriotic pride theme prevalent in so many war movies, instead it focuses in on the inhumane hell ordinary men had to go through. The film is a masterclass in direction and Lewis Milestone was awarded the Best Director Award at the 3rd Academy Awards. The war classic is full of pained tragedy and is a gruelling watch at nearly two hours and twenty minutes, but it's gruelling in the way you want to feel after watching an effective war film.
43. It Happened One Night (1934)
The first ever rom-com and catalyst for an entire era of brilliant screwball comedies. It Happened One Night went home with five Academy Awards and catapulted Frank Capra to the top of Hollywood, where he created success after success. The film also made Clark Gable a huge star and the influence of the film can be seen in 90% of rom-coms released today. The hitchhiking scene in the movie is one of the most recognisable in cinema and perfectly written, and Capra's direction is as innovative as ever. Capra moved the camera about on a crane and as a result, different angles are created and it allows the actors more freedom for movement - simple but effective things. It Happened One Night still mesmerises new viewers nearly eighty years on, captivating them better than all but a handful of romantic comedies released since. Capra is a master of his profession and made some of the most influential and important movies ever - starting with It Happened One Night.
42. Triumph Of The Will (1935)
Leni Riefenstahl's infamous Nazi propaganda film is a truly landmark piece of cinema and Riefenstahl was the first female auteur in cinema - she just happened to be a close ally of Hitler and supporter of Nazism. Taking out the disgusting political statements in the film, it is a landmark piece for uses of lighting, staging and camera work. On artistic merit, it is a masterpiece and is interesting to analyse when comparing some of the shots to current political advertisements - Riefenstahl's introduction of Hitler portrays him as if he were God. Triumph of the Will did exactly what it wanted to do, it is executed to perfection and the technical work is flawless - Riefenstahl was a master filmmaker, that is undeniable. It is a great historical artefact and the long shots of the euphoric crowds are unsettling in the most unique way. Though it is impossible to sympathise with either the politics or the people of the film, there is no denying its high place in film history.