Flawless Films

 

Flawless Films

There are a few films I consider flawless, meaning I can't find one thing wrong with them. The Maltese Falcon is such a film. The directing, casting, acting, dialogue, action, set design, even the atmosphere couldn't be better. Sunset Blvd is the same. And High Noon. And The Defiant Ones.

Lots of films come close to flawless but one or two things make them miss the mark. The Day The Earth Stood Still could've been perfect but they completely left out the kid through the last third of the story. He'd been such an important element then boom he disappeared. I know it was late at night but geesh I would let my kid stay up past bedtime to see a spaceman off on his return trip!

Several Hitchcock films are flawless. Notorious, certainly, and Shadow of a Doubt. I do have a problem with the ending of Spellbound, it seems rushed, and that fake hand with the gun - well, I guess a gimmick now and again can be forgiven. Rebecca is wonderful but also has a rushed ending. So does Suspicion.

Ben Hur is magnificent, whether you’re religious or not, it is a fine statement about faith.  And Gone with The Wind could have been flawless but looking at it from a modern perspective a person gets angry at the racism of its lead characters.

Sure, I'll watch silly modern monster movies or macho action films or whatever but none of them have that special combination of qualities that make them flawless. You may disagree. It's all in the eye of the beholder.