I’ve now seen 80 films that were released in 1955. A few were reviewed only here. It was quite a deep year with 59 available films rated 7/10 or higher by IMDb users. Lately, I have thought that it would never end! That’s not to say that I didn’t watch many fantastic films – too many to fit all the films I rated 9/10 or over in this favorites list. Also rans were: Richard III; The Desperate Hours; Night and Fog; All That Heaven Allows; Oklahoma!; Marty; and Rebel Without a Cause.
10. Diabolique – directed by Georges-Henri Clouzot
9. The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz – directed by Luis Buñuel
8. Rififi – directed by Jules Dassin
7. Bad Day at Black Rock – directed by John Sturges
6. The Big Combo – directed by Joseph Lewis
5. Night of the Hunter – directed by Charles Laughton
4. The Ladykillers – directed by Alexander Mackendrick
3. Pather Panchali – directed by Satyajit Ray
2. Ordet – directed by Carl Th. Dreyer
1.Smiles of a Summer Night – directed by Ingmar Bergman
If you took Bad Day at Black Rock and replaced that with Pather Panchali then I think you would have my top 5. Sommarnattens Leende was a lot better in hindsight than I fist gave it credit for and this I also the one I would pick first for a revisit.
Congratulations on finishing 55. I am on my last movie for 56 (The Ten Comandments) so for a little while we are on par.
We won’t be on par for long! Ten Commandments fell way down on my random list. I’m not particularly looking forward to a De Mille epic any way.
I think you would love both The Big Combo and Rififi if you had a chance to see them.
I’d move Les Diaboliques up a few spots were this list mine–I think it’s a dandy thriller. The Man with the Golden Arm would likely make my list as well, but I’m a sucker for Sinatra in dramatic roles. I might also toss in Mister Roberts (maybe) and M. Hulot’s Holiday (definitely). Another admission, though–I like Hulot and Jacques Tati more than most people.
I like Diabolique a lot too. I put it below some others because I thought it suffered a little bit on the second viewing. M. Hulot’s Holiday was on my 1954 list. I’m sure Tati’s other films will do well too.
Fair enough–I think I have M. Hulot’s Holiday listed as a 1955 film on my list. It’s one of those movies that seems to have a variant release year depending on where one looks.
I’ve seen all the films you have listed here and I think I would put Smiles of a Summer Night at the top as well, despite how much I like The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz, Bad Day at Black Rock and Night of the Hunter.
I love Bergman, and I have trouble picking a favorite of his, considering it a six- or seven-way tie for first place. (And possibly an eight-way tie now that I’ve seen From the Life of the Marionettes.) But I do find myself gravitating towards Smiles of a Summer Night if I force the issue.
My rankings don’t mean too much. They shift according to my day and mood. I’d probably go for The Seventh Seal for my Bergman but like your idea of a multi-tie. Smiles of a Summer Night would surely be in it.