American Graffiti (1973)

Where Were You In '62? the poster asks us, a question which perfectly defines the nature of this film. This excellent tagline, along with the film itself, captures the innocence of what has been described as the last innocent time in American history. Long before we were nostalgic for the '70s (Dazed and Confused), the '70s was nostalgic for the doo-wop playing, drag racing, late 1950s era.

 American Graffiti tells the tale of a group of friends who have just graduated from high school. They begin doubting what their futures hold for them, and if it is what they want. This plot synopsis is purposefully generic, for it shows how this film could be about any teenager in any era. That is one of the beautiful aspects of this movie; it is timeless.

 Before George Lucas gained stardom for "Star Wars" (1977), and received a huge amount of backlash for the prequels to it, he was making small films. In my opinion, American Graffiti is his best film, due to the massive amount of heart it has. The time period alone makes viewers cherish every moment. The beautiful vehicles and the wonderful music makes one wonder why society had to change. And change it did.

 It is no coincidence that American Graffiti is set in 1962, the year prior to President Kennedy's assassination. The conflict in Vietnam also materialized around this time. Lucas set the film in '62 because it was the final year of what is considered the golden days of post-WWII America. This is rather evident within the film; despite its beauty there is always a sense of sudden closure looming over the characters.

 This is cemented by the final moments of the film, which inform the viewer what happens to each character in the years to come. Needless to say, the film captures the final night of their wonder years.

Any generation can relate to what the characters go through; Kurt and Steve don't know if they want to go to college, Toad just wants to finally get the girl, and John Milner attempts to avoid growing up as much as possible. American Graffiti is one of the greatest films ever made, and absolutely refuses to age.

A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)

The Pulitzer prize winning play by Tennessee Williams was such a large hit on Broadway that Hollywood came calling only one year after the play's run ended.

Certain liberties would obviously have to occur in a film version; particularily the sexual nature of the play. But what was also obviousd was that the film would need two major ingredients from the play to be successful, Elia Kazan and Marlon Brando.

Kazan had directed several films already by the time a Streetcar film formulated, and Brando had made his film debut in 1950's The Men. But they would need to return to Streetcar before vitually every door in Hollywood would open for both.

The cast was rounded out with Karl Malden and Kim Hunter, reprising their roles from the stage version. It was detirmined that Jessica Tandy wasn't a large enough name at the time, and so Vivien Leigh (of Gone With The Wind fame) would replace her.

Much has already been said of the importaqnce of A Streetcar Named Desire. Every great actor of the late 20th Century has some roots in this play. This is, of course, due to the profound affect Marlon Brando had on the acting world. His utilization of method acting revoloutionized the future of film acting, which is backed by the likes of Al Pacino and Jack Nicholson.

What I see to be the most culturally significant aspect of this film is the affect Marlon Brando had on America's youth. Without his tough guy role, there quite possibly may not have been an Elvis Presley or a James Dean. Without such names, the rebellious nature of the younger demographic in the 1950s  may never have transitioned into the anti-war protests of the 1960s. It goes on an on and I believe it starts with Brando.

Without a doubt one of the most important films in cinema history, and also one of the best.