Staff Reports
In the wild world of film criticism, Quentin Tarantino’s latest list of the century’s top movies has caused quite a stir. Tarantino, known for his bold and unique perspective on cinema, recently threw out his eclectic top ten list, as if he were tossing confetti at a parade. While one could appreciate his adventurous taste, this list evidently proves he might have gone a bit overboard with his artsy inclinations this time around.
Let’s start with Tarantino’s choice of Ridley Scott’s Black Hawk Down as the number one film of the century. He praises Scott’s direction as “beyond extraordinary.” Sure, Black Hawk Down is an intense war film with gripping scenes, but is it really the pinnacle of 21st-century cinema? Some might say it’s an ambitious stretch. Then we’ve got Toy Story 3 sneaking its way to number two on Tarantino’s list. Now, it’s an enjoyable family film with talking toys, but to rank it as the second-best film is as puzzling as putting chocolate sauce on steak. It’s good, but maybe not monumental.
Tarantino follows with Lost in Translation in third, a film that brings together an aging actor and a lonely young woman, all against the backdrop of a foreign city. A film crafted for the indie-loving crowd, but does its slow-paced introspection warrant such a high rank? When it comes to war epics like Dunkirk, which takes the fourth spot, audiences can admire the craftsmanship of director Christopher Nolan, though it seems awfully familiar in Tarantino’s choices.
Filling out the rest of his list are films such as There Will Be Blood, Zodiac, and Mad Max: Fury Road—movies that are intense and immersive but unique to individual tastes. While these films are rich with artistic flare, they don’t entirely scream “best of the century.” And then to round off the top ten with titles like Shaun of the Dead and Midnight in Paris, it appears Tarantino is walking down memory lane, carefully picking out personal pleasures rather than universally acknowledged masterpieces.
This list could make one ponder whether cultural elitism has blinded film critics, resulting in choices that seem more like a game of cinema bingo than a genuine reflection of widespread cinematic greatness. Tarantino surely deserves credit for his contribution to the film industry, and his opinion carries weight, but sometimes the man who gave us Pulp Fiction might be just overthinking things a tad. Maybe next time, a splash of common sense mixed into the critical pot could cook up a more palatable selection.
