Five Favorite Films of 1952

My weak point of the 1950s, these are all still good movies, but not all of them feel like "me" movies (e.g., not enough horror and sci-fi). Oh well, they're all still very much goodly. Have fun perusing.


5. Forbidden Games

Would somebody PLEASE think about the children?!? All too often movies gloss over the effects of war on kids, but this one puts the children front and center. It's quiet, depressing, and did I mention depressing? Not much to say other than the obvious: war is scary, and this film does a great job showing why, in a totally different kind of way.


4. Carrie

Not very often would you see a happily ever after story gone wrong back in the '50s, but damned if this movie didn't pull it off. Thanks to a strong lead performance by Laurence Olivier, this movie feels almost like two different films stitched together in the middle, showing the destruction of a man who threw caution to the wind and took big risks. Very powerful.


3. Singin' In The Rain

Definitely a mixed-bag for me, this musical about the transition from silent films to talkies is filled with humor, gorgeous sets, and lively performances. Some of the musical numbers are truly grating, but that doesn't take away from how much fun I had with this. Maybe not one of the all-time greats as it's often considered, but a very entertaining musical nonetheless.


2. High Noon

And another movie that's considered one of the best of its genre that I enjoy quite a bit, even if not quite as much as many others seem to. Gary Cooper gives an amazing heroic lead performance as the Marshal of a western town who must prepare for a showdown when the bad guys ride in. It's a western classic, a standard of the genre, and has a wonderful payoff. Nothing more needs said.


1. Ikiru

Yeah, it really couldn't have been anything else. It's a simple story about a man and a park. Nothing I can do to escribe it will sound enthralling, but if you know Akira Kurosawa at all, you'll know that that man could make any story interesting. A good deal of credit must go to Takashi Shimura, though, whose lead performance really sells it. It's powerful, subtle, and heartbreaking. Watch it if you're in the mood to cry.


Honorable mentions:
- Limelight
- The Quiet Man
- Umberto D.