2. Titanic (1997)
“Now you know there was a man named Jack Dawson and that he saved me, in every way a person can be saved.”
I can’t recall the exact moment I first saw Titanic, but I do remember rewinding VHS tapes and insisting we change sides halfway through. From early on the film held a special place in my heart. James Cameron’s scale and attention to detail are staggering — Titanic is a visual and emotional spectacle built from absolute commitment to the story and its characters.
The film’s length allows us to live with its characters and fully experience the catastrophe that unfolds, making the sinking feel catastrophic and inevitable. Cameron’s focus on class, hubris, and human vulnerability turns the voyage into a devastating critique of arrogance. Even knowing the ending, you watch hoping for a different outcome, and that hope is part of the film’s power.
1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
“You are no gentleman.”
“And you, miss, are no lady.”
Gone with the Wind Review
At one point Gone with the Wind was my single most cherished film. I own books, special editions, and memorabilia; the film’s sweep, melodrama, and production design captivated me. It’s a cinematic experience: grand costumes, iconic sets, powerful dialogue — an artistic achievement of classic Hollywood.
Yet my relationship with the film has evolved. Gone with the Wind contains deeply problematic and racist depictions of Black characters that cannot be ignored. In the current cultural context, the film can be dangerous in the hands of viewers who accept its myths uncritically. That complexity is part of what makes the film worth examining: it’s both a technical masterpiece and a historical artifact that reflects painful aspects of American mythology.
As critic Angelica Bastien has written, treating such films as untouchable monuments or dismissing them entirely avoids grappling with the broader history they represent. The best films teach us about who we are, even when that truth is uncomfortable. The movies on this list changed me, challenged me, and widened my perspective — and for that reason I consider them the best.