Saturday, March 10, 2012

15 Great Movies Under 85 Minutes

Although I find myself typically in defense of the long film, there’s something to be said for a great film that takes up very little of your time. The following movies only have two things in common: they’re remarkable, and they all clock in under an hour and 25 minutes (with one minor cheat).

With this list, I’m trying to prove that the length of a film really doesn’t matter. However much time a movie occupies is not what makes it great, it’s how long it manages to stay with you after the fact that is evidence of its brilliance.

City Lights (1931) – 87 minutes
Dir. by Charlie Chaplin
The first and only cheat on this list is Charlie Chaplin’s 87-minute masterpiece, which, for my money, remains the best film Chaplin ever made.

My introduction to silent cinema was mostly from the vision of foreigners. Battleship Potemkim, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Un Chien Andalou, and so on. To be honest, I waited a very long time to even venture into the world of Charlie Chaplin, in fear that the limitless praise would ultimately dull the experience. I was wrong.  City Lights is a film so in tune with itself, that it’s impossible to deny its lasting power. The final scene of this film is as moving as anything I’ve ever witnessed in cinema. City Lights single handedly justifies Chaplin's praise.

Other worthy, short Chaplin films:
The Circus – 70 mins.
Modern Times – 87 mins.

Rope (1948) – 80 minutes
Dir. By Alfred Hitchcock
In the very first scene of Rope, two yuppie assholes murder a fellow classmate, throw him in a box in the living room, and spend the next 75 minutes trying to persuade whoever else is around (including a very inquisitive Jimmy Stewart) that everything’s on the level.

Rope is mostly known for its use of extended takes. The film is comprised of just 10 cuts (a few of which are very tricky to spot), which, when you consider the filming equipment available in 1948, is quite an achievement. Rope isn’t nearly as good as many of Hitch’s other films, but its sense of claustrophobia is only propelled by its breezy running time.

Other worthy, short Hitchcock films:
The Lady Vanishes – 96 mins.

Blood of the Beasts (1949) – 20 minutes
Dir. By George Franju
The first time I watched Blood of the Beasts represents some of the most horrifying 20 consecutive minutes of my life. The film is a short documentary about a day in the life of three different Parisian slaughterhouses. And believe you me, Franju pulls no punches – he shows you everything you don’t want to see, and then some. I should mention that Blood of the Beasts is one of my Top 10 films of all time, because of, in part, what it accomplishes in such a brief amount of time. Watch it, but be prepared. Thank God it’s not in color. (Note: Blood of the Beasts can be found as a special feature on the Criterion Collection disc of Franju’s Eyes Without a Face.)

Another worthy, short George Franju film:
Eyes Without a Face – 88 mins.

Night and Fog (1955) – 32 minutes
Dir. by Alain Resnais
And to think, I saw Blood of the Beasts and Night and Fog on the same damn day, one right after the other. This documentary makes juxtaposition an artform, cutting back and forth between beautiful, lush fields of green grass and blue skies, with horrific black and white still photos of the Holocaust. The gorgeous land, we learn, is the current site of where the brutality of the Holocaust occurred.

Night and Fog is essential viewing for… everyone, really. Prepare to have the wind knocked out of you.

Other worthy, short Resnais films:
Hiroshima Mon Amour – 90 mins.
Last Year at Marienbad – 95 mins.

The Killing (1956) – 85 minutes
Dir. by Stanley Kubrick
It’s odd to think that, given the epic scope of 2001, Barry Lyndon, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut and more, Stanley Kubrick actually used to make features with short running times. But did he ever.

The Killing uses a non-linear narrative (extremely rare for 1956) to tell the story of a horse track heist gone awry. The fast and furious pacing helps detract from the pointless spell-it-all-out narration (which was added in post production without Kubrick’s permission). At any rate, The Killing is a great, early gateway into the mind of a master.

Other worthy, short Kubrick films:
Killer’s Kiss – 67 minutes
Paths of Glory – 88 minutes

Pickpocket (1959) – 75 minutes
Dir. by Robert Bresson
Ah, what isn’t there to love about Pickpocket? Michel is a young, pathetic man who nabs people’s wallets in crowded areas to make ends meet. The kicker is, Bresson gives his subject a heart, which ultimately forces us to empathize with Michel in ways we didn’t expect. As a character study, Pickpocket is flawless, with immaculately-staged pickpocket scenes to boot. Fast, smooth, and uniquely entertaining.

Another worthy, short Bresson film:
Au Hasard Balthazar – 95 mins.

Vivre Sa Vie (1962) – 83 minutes
Dir. by Jean-Luc Godard
My favorite Godard film is his episodic telling of a bored young woman who takes work as a prostitute to help gain money for her acting career. The film (brilliantly staged in 12 distinct segments), contains everything a great Godard film should: long takes, beautiful photography, natural acting, appropriately jumpy editing, and a resolution that confirms the fact that the material could be presented through no other eyes than Godard’s.

Other worthy, short Godard films:
Breathless – 87 mins.
A Woman is a Woman – 85 mins.

Persona (1966) – 85 minutes
Dir. by Ingmar Bergman
Christ, where to even begin here. Ingmar Bergman is my favorite filmmaker and Persona is my favorite Bergman film. It’s a lucid, fever dream of a masterpiece that contains only two primary characters, one of which utters not more than five words throughout the entire film. Persona conveys that nonsensical… thing that only Bergman could pull off. It doesn’t make a whole hell of a lot of sense (which isn’t exactly true, maybe), but everything about it is done which such precision, that you can’t help but acknowledged that you’re in the midst of a genius at the top of his game. There is nothing, nothing, I do not love about this film.

Other worthy, short Bergman films:
Winter Light – 81 mins.
The Virgin Spring – 89 mins.

Titicut Follies (1967) – 84 minutes
Dir. by Frederick Wiseman
The world of Frederick Wiseman is one of honestly via blood, sweat and tears. For Titicut Follies, Wiseman was given unprecedented access to the Bridgewater State Hospital for the criminally insane in Massachusetts, the result of which is as horrifying as anything you’ve seen from inside the walls of an American institution.

The film is filled with such horrific acts of brutality (always inflicted by the guards on the prisoners) that it is baffling to think Wiseman was actually allowed to film there. One sequence in particular has haunted me since the day I first saw the film. A naked man (who clearly suffers from mental retardation) is slapped and punched as he's marched to a room where he is shaven (without the use of water or cream) and then pushed back to his cell. Throughout this ordeal, a guard keeps taunting the prisoner with threats of what will happen if the inmate does not tidy up his cell. And then we see it: as the prisoner is thrown back in his cell, we notice the room is completely empty. No possessions to clutter the floor, no bed, no sheets – nothing. Just four concrete walls and a helpless naked man. What the fuck is there to tidy up?

Other worthy, short Wiseman films:
High School – 75 mins.
Boxing Gym – 91 mins.

Woyzeck (1979) – 82 minutes
Dir. by Werner Herzog
Although not very well known, Woyzeck remains my favorite film from the demented genius that is Werner Herzog. Having just wrapped filming his Nosferatu, Herzog used the same cast and crew to make this simple film about a tormented soldier, who, after being pushed too far by virtually everyone that comes into contact with him, commits a horrendous act of violence.

Herzog is a master of capturing absurd extremists (including himself) in various situations, and Woyzeck, which stars a never-better Klaus Kinski, is chief among the director’s best character studies. A warped yet oddly touching masterpiece.

Other worthy, short Herzog films:
Little Dieter Needs to Fly – 80 mins.
Lessons of Darkness – 50 mins.
La Soufrière – 30 mins.

Another Woman (1988) – 81 minutes
Dir. by Woody Allen
Often considered to be Allen’s Wild Strawberries, Another Woman concerns itself with Marion (Gena Rowlands), a cold, bitter novelist who combats her writer’s block by eavesdropping on patients who visit the therapist that lives next door to Marion. But it’s more than that. It’s about Marion’s life – her fleeting tenderness, her constant pain, her lack of any real feeling, and so on. The result is the finest work Woody Allen has ever put on screen. It’s swift, brutal and inexplicably moving.

Other worthy, short Woody Allen movies:
Broadway Danny Rose – 84 mins.
The Purple Rose of Cairo – 84 mins.

Following (1997) – 69 minutes
Dir. by Christopher Nolan
Following is about a bored guy who follows strangers around for the hell of it, before he accidentally gets sucked into a criminal underworld for tailing the wrong guy.

It’s a great, gimmicky film from one of contemporary cinema’s most revolutionary thinkers. The movie, shot in gritty black and white, feels appropriately raw, but is no less ingenious with its tricks. A great start to what has become one of the most innovation careers in the film medium.

Elephant (2003) – 81 minutes
Dir. by Gus Van Sant
There’s a reason Gus Van Sant’s Columbine-esque film won the Cannes Palme d’Or: it presents one of America’s darkest, most notorious days with an originality that can sparsely be matched.

The film is a handful of extremely long takes in which we follow various high schoolers around as they go through the motions of a seemingly ordinary day of school. It isn’t until the final 20 minutes that we realize what Van Sant has been doing: he’s spent an hour gently introducing us to a few people who are about to have their lives forever altered (or ended).

Elephant’s style is definitely not for everyone, but the power of its denouement makes it unquestionably harrowing. That is, if you can stomach it.

Another worthy, short Van Sant film:
Paranoid Park – 85 mins.

Before Sunset (2004) – 80 minutes
Dir. by Richard Linklater
As Ethan Hawke's Jesse says in the movie, no story is ever really over, a notion Before Sunset perfectly encapsulates. By catching up with would-be lovers Jesse and Celine nearly a decade after we last left them, we get to witness (in real time), what age has done for their maturity and sensibilities. Their life philosophies may have altered slightly, but goddamn if their love has only gotten stronger. A wholly essential film with as perfect a resolution as you’re likely to find.

Another worthy, short Linklater film:
Tape – 88 mins.

The Girlfriend Experience (2009) – 77 minutes
Dir. by Steven Soderbergh
I suppose I understand why The Girlfriend Experience was never given the full appreciation it deserved. It was filmed on a micro-budget, stars a porn star, is executed in a non-linear fashion, and was barely given any distribution push. No matter, The Girlfriend Experience represents everything I love about Steven Soderbergh. It’s a sharp story with crisp cinematography, a catchy original score, shifty editing and natural acting from people you weren't aware had it in them. In short, The Girlfriend Experience captures the essence of the indie side to Soderbergh. Whether he’s given $10 million or $100,000, there’s simply nothing the man can't do.

Other worthy, short Soderbergh films:
The Limey – 89 mins.

There are many other great films under 85 minutes that I did not list here. What are some of your favorites?

37 comments:

  1. Fantastic list. Your choices are brilliant and I really cannot add much more, since most of my favourites are longer than that. However, Simon of the Desert is a 45-minute short film from Bunuel, made in 1965, that is absolutely goddamn brilliant. Don't look it up, just watch it. Trust me. It's on YouTube, I think.

    Also, I do need to see WOYZECK. You seem to have given it extraordinary praise, though I haven't heard much of it. I shall go and rent it tomorrow! I also plan to see a few more Herzog films in the coming weeks, such as STROSZEK and NOSFERATU.

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  2. That's a terrific list! I'm gonna check out these, since I only saw 2 or 3 of those films and those summaries sound very interesting.

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  3. You've done your homework well, excellent choices. I thought about Tape, you already had it!

    Here are three more that I would include on my list:

    Run Lola Run (1998)
    The Squid and the Whale (2005)
    5 Centimeters Per Second (2007)

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  4. @Tyler Love me some Herzog. I actually wrote a thesis paper in college about the Herzog/Kinski collaboration - they made such great movies together, despite the fact that they loathed one another. Woyzeck is just pure Herzogian bliss. If you like him, you'll like it.

    Simon of the Desert. Check. Gonna get on it.

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  5. @Sati. Thanks! Let me know when you watch them, I'll be curious to hear what you think.

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  6. @Chris I actually had Run Lola Run here, but replaced it with The Girlfriend Experience at the last minute. Either way, great flick.

    Squid and the Whale is also a great choice. Gonna have to check out 5 Centimeters.

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  7. There's another Bresson film that should be mentioned. Mouchette which has a 81-minute running time.

    There's also a couple of Kelly Reichardt films under 85 minutes. Old Joy at 73 minutes and Wendy & Lucy at 80 minutes.

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  8. Nice !! I have seen quite a few. I never knew there are so many brilliant movies with short run time. It never occurs to me I guess.

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  9. I noticed you had Godard's Vivre Sa Vie which made me think about his film, A Woman is a Woman, which is in my Netflix queue. Its 83 mins so it makes the cut but I was just wondering if by chance you've seen it and like it?

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  10. I haven't seen Titicut Follies, but I like the mention of High School in Wiseman's other short works. It's one that might well make a similar list for me. Same with the Franju film listed here. I haven't seen the one you list, but I have seen (and heartily recommend) Eyes Without a Face.

    I'd put on at least one Keaton film--probably Sherlock Jr.

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  11. @thevoid99 Thanks for mentioning Mouchette. Definitely need to check that one out soon.

    I love Reichardt's films, particularly Wendy and Lucy, it's so simple and heartbreaking. Good call on those.

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  12. @SDG It's kind of weird to think that so many excellent films take up so little physical time, isn't it? That's awesome that you've seen a lot of these.

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  13. @Gregory Roy Oh yeah, for sure. A Woman is a Woman is my second favorite Godard. Now, I have yet to see Week End, so that may change things, but as it stands now... I cannot recommend A Woman is a Woman highly enough.

    Thanks for stopping by!

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  14. @SJHoneywell Ah I seriously considered a few Keaton's but I gave the silent slot to Chaplin, for whatever reason. Anyhow, I love hearing from other Wiseman fans, we are too far and few between. Isn't Eyes Without a Face nuts? Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In seemed like a loose remake, to me.

    But Blood of the Beasts... jesus. Seriously devastating.

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  15. A interesting list, one I would like to add is The Texas Chainsaw Massacre which is 84 minutes long, but as its a horror movie some will think it does not 'belong' among films you have mentioned.

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  16. @Myerla GREAT choice. The original Texas Chainsaw Massacre is arguably my favorite horror film of all time. Completely forgot about considering it here, but I love that movie.

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  17. @Alex Withrow I like to sum up Eyes Without a Face as "five minutes of face meat." But seriously, yes, that film is something other than else.

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  18. @Evan Old Dogs is 88 minutes, just 3 minutes shy of an obvious inclusion.

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  19. Love Rope. Weren't the killers implied to be lovers? Just find that interesting, adds a different element to the story.

    I started to watch the Girlfriend Experience once. I like Sasha Grey's earlier work. >:)

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  20. @Robert hahahah YES! Although Grey's earlier work seems to be lacking, uh.... substance?

    Yeah the two guys in Rope were supposed to be lovers, which definitely adds an element or two to the plot (especially considering when the movie was released).

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  21. Great post, Alex. I am especially pleased to see Rope mentioned, as that is one of my favorite Hitchcock films. A bit underrated, too, I think.

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  22. @Eric Thanks man. I definitely think Rope is underrated. Not Hitch's best, but overlooked for sure.

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  23. Great idea for a post! A lot of great movies are very short, aren't they? It's like they know what they're after, they get it done, and they end. I appreciate that in films more and more, as it seems a lot of modern big-budget films feel the need to pad out to a certain run time whether it's needed or not. (That said, a lot of indie films remain short and sweet.)

    I'd have to run through and check run times for most things, but one definite short I'd suggest is Chris Marker's La Jetee, the inspiration for Twelve Monkeys. It's almost completely still photographs with narration, but it's completely mesmerizing.

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  24. @Jandy Stone You're right, there is something refreshing about a movie that gets in, does what it needs to do, and gets out quickly. Definitely going to check out La Jetee. Thanks for the recco!

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  25. A great list. Brevity is always appreciated in film viewing. Duration is always my first criteria (sometimes wrongly so) in DVD selection.

    Also extremely short and noteworthy:

    Partie de Campagne by Jean Renoir (38 minutes)
    Simon of the Desert by Luis Bunuel (45 minutes)
    Blood of a Poet by Jean Cocteau (47 minutes)

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    1. Thanks! Definitely going to check out those three films soon. Thanks for the recos. And thanks so much for stopping by and commenting.

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  26. What are your thoughts on Un Chien Andalou? I love it. I love how it totally mind-fucks the viewer for absolutely no reason (Dali and Bunuel had only one rule when they were writing the script: nothing in the film can mean anything at all), and how at no point does the lack of reason feel careless.

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    1. Oh I dig that short. Love it, actually. I did try my best to stay away from shorts in this post though. Blood of the Beasts and Night and Fog are two of my all time favorite films period, so they deserved specific inclusion. But Un Chien... great stuff.

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  27. Well i thought they were all boring and no good to watch at a night time with hot chocolates and quilts

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    1. Well, that is one oddly specific criteria you have for liking a film. I'll give you that.

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    2. Well I'm almost entirely Blood Of The Beasts dvd comes packaged with the warning "only watch with hot chocolates and quilts"

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    3. Oh my god, I forgot about that comment. What a weird thing to say!

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  28. Did you consider Vampyr? 72 minutes long and a damn fine film for it. LOATHE Silent cinema but Dreyer really has me at the moment.

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    1. I don't think I had seen that when I wrote this post, but I would definitely include it here now. Great call!

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  29. I tried my own hand at this sort of thing...

    http://musicmotionmadnessfilm.blogspot.co.uk/2016/08/top-5-films-less-than-80-minutes-long.html

    Love an efficient, to the point movie that doesn't waste our time. Speaking of which: Get on A Man Escaped Alex!

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    1. Nice! A Man Escaped sounds so good. I gotta check that one out.

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