5 Masterpieces

Braveheart
I watch this one about once a year, and every time I’m blown away by how good it is. Omitting any personal flaws the man may have, I can’t help but applaud Mel Gibson as both an actor and a director. Braveheart will be talked about for as long as movies exist.

Gangs of New York
I saw this when I was a bit younger and didn’t really appreciate it for its brilliance. Then I watched it again earlier this month and was mesmerized by its genius. It’s obvious that Scorcese went to exhaustive measures to make every detail of this movie authentic, and boy does it pay off!

Black Hawk Down
Another one I saw when I was younger and watched again within the past year, this one has always been one of my favorites. I would easily put it in Ridley Scott’s top five. It’s gritty realism is perfectly counterbalanced by its beautiful heart. This is one of the few war movies I’ve seen that actually pulls at my heartstrings every time I watch it.

The Last Samurai
I was dragged to this one by a friend, and will be eternally grateful to him for it. This is definitely one of Tom Cruise’s best roles, and easily Edward Zwick’s masterpiece. Everything about this movie is expert, from the extremely talented multi-cultural cast to Hans Zimmer’s captivating score.

There Will Be Blood
I had trouble with TWBB the first few times I saw it. I watched it after the initial hype and expected a mind-blowing film. While I enjoyed Daniel Day-Lewis’s performance, I found the rest of the movie to be rather boring. It wasn’t until a couple years later that I realized just how amazing TWBB is. The sets, the characters, the story, the music, etc all fit together to form a perfect tapestry that is completely unique.