The Classics

I was asked:

So...if you were recommending some "classic" movies to a casual movie fan, what are your top-5 must-see classic movies? The "if you're only going to sit down and watch 5 classic movies in your lifetime - watch THESE" list.

There's no way I can say, "here's the top five." There's too wide a range of movies and it's so subjective. We watch movies for many different reasons with wildly different expectations. In my mind there are dozens of movies that are in the "top" echelon. But if you narrow the parameters, defining classic as pre-1980 (30+ years old), here's a few lists:

Cultural Landmarks – you won't get it 'til you've seen the movie:
Casablanca (1942)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Gone with the Wind (1939)
The Searchers (1956)
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

Hard Hitters – a cold splash in the face or punch in the gut:
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather Part II (1974)
Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
On the Waterfront (1954)
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

Simple Pleasures – relax and enjoy:
Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
The General (1927)
Singin' in the Rain (1952)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)

There are another ten or fifteen movies that I could included in these short lists but you gotta pick something.