The Great Movies

by William Bayer

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0448221764
• ISBN13: 9780448221762
• Release Date: January 1973
• Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
• Weight: 3.20 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Responsible for my love of movies

I was in San Diego in 1975 with my father and he bought this book for me. At the time I was only twelve and had seen just a handful of the 60 films discussed within its covers. Bayer made all of them sound so interesting that I spent the rest of my life searching down and watching the ones I hadn't seen. It seems appropriate to me, now that I've finally watched the last remaining hold out "Au hazard Balthazar" (God bless you, Criterion Collection) that I review this book. Even though I don't agree with all of Bayer's choices (Who could?) there really could be no greater gift for a young movie fan. It will open their eyes to whole fields of film they probably don't even understand exist. The Cinema Of Social Conciousness, The Cinema Of Personal Expression, the book is a treasure trove, an inspiration, a wide open door. As you go through its pages and begin to watch the films within its covers you develop your own opinions, find genres and directors you enjoy, branch out on your own. There are so many, many good movies out there and though it's possible to become a cinephile without this excellent book it IS impossible NOT to become one once you have read it.

A Great Book

I grew up on this book; it was one of a few movie books from the 70's and 80's that my dad had. Being a young movie buff, "The Great Movies" gave me the opportunity to learn about Bunuel, Bresson, and Welles while still in grade school. When I was little, I mostly just looked at the great text; around the time the AFI list came out I rediscovered this book and have read it cover-to-cover a few times. The breadth of the movies selected here, and Bayer's obvious enthusiasm for the subject give this book a fantastic energy that keeps bringing me back. Now I'm a film student and I highly recommend this book if you can get your hands on it. Of course, I have personal reasons for doing so--I practically grew up with this one.

Arguably, 60 Of The Best

THE GREAT MOVIES is a large format book which is broken down into twelve categories of five movies each. Any categorization such as this is somewhat arbitrary and, I'm sure, any reader could say that he or she could have done a better job. This is particularly true when some of one's personal favorites have not made the list.I think that Bayer has managed to include a great number of the better movies produced before 1973, the publication date of the book being reviewed. That's easy for me to say since he's included a large proportion of my personal favorites.Each movie is discussed from the standpoint of plot, director, leading performers, historical context, and awards won. The book is also heavily illustrated, and the reader comes away from each discussion feeling that he has learned something new. I know that I was further enlightened by every discussion.One movie that I was particularly glad to see included was Jean Renoir's 1937 "La Grande Illusion." The Nazis attempted to destroy all copies of this film but one relatiuvely undamaged print was found and reissued after the war. This is an anti-war movie that Bayer included in his "War" category. It was particuularly distasteful to the Nazis for its message that people who are natural enemies due to class and social distinctions can, through getting to know one another, overcome these prejudices. The fact that one of the four main characters was Jewish added fuel to the Nazi hatred of the film. As an aside, Bayer tells us that there are, and always have been, questions as to the nature of the grand illusion of the title. Several possible interpretations are offered but no answer is given.To find out what the other 59 films are, and if they are on your list, I would suggest that you find and read a copy of THE GREAT MOVIES. This is one more out of print book that could probably find a large readership if someone chose to republish it today.