The Ten Best Modern Films

Nile Gardiner posted his list of the top ten conservative films of the modern era. He defines "modern" as "within the last fifty years."

I've got mote than ten from the last fifty years on my list of the 25 best films ever. So I don't want to just repeat that list.

But to me, saying that a film is "conservative" is like saying that a particular dish is healthy. You can either talk about how tasty a dish is or how healthy it is. Like food, art should be enjoyable and should promote good values. While I've recognized good liberal films, I compare that to recognizing the tastiest fast food.

"Best" by itself recognizes the balance of enjoyability and the promotion of good values. So I think "best conservative films" is like "best healthy dishes". Like with food, you can get so obsessed with healthiness that you drive all enjoyability out of it. Or you can get so obsessed with taste that you lose sight of the need for healthy eating. But this is not "the healthiest dishes," this is the best conservative films. It shouldn't be a surprise that there's some overlap, but there's an extra emphasis on the promotion of good values in my list of top ten conservative films of the last fifty years. But first I want to discuss Nile Gardiner's list.

10. The Pursuit of Happiness

I really enjoyed this film. Will Smith is a real star who devotes himself to his craft. Loosely based on an autobiography which is probably itself only loosely based on reality, the story is highly enjoyable.

9. The Lord of the Rings trilogy

While this is in my "top 25 films of all time" list, I can't say that this film is more conservative than it is enjoyable, even though it is undoubtedly both. So I didn't include it in my list below, but it is an incredible achievement by a fantastically talented crew.

8. Black Hawk Down

Absolutely great film, and its absence on my list is only because my list could not be long enough to include it.

7. The Killing Fields

Brutal and intense, but the rewatchability factor is extremely low. And, of course, it winds up excusing the communists, blaming the genocide on a reaction to "millions of dollars worth of bombing" by America. And ending with John Lennon's "Imagine" takes even more points away.

6. The Deer Hunter

Poignant, tragic, and way too long. This film seems to me to be a bit too meandering and unplotted.

5. Rocky

Sylvester Stallone is a godsend to conservatives. A better artist and more reliable conservative than Clint Eastwood ever was. This is a great film because of him.

4. Master and Commander

This is where I disagree with many other conservatives. This may be a conservative film, but I found it so boring and tedious that I couldn't watch it all.

3. Saving Private Ryan

A good movie. Not a great film.

2. Zulu

This seems to be Gardiner's version of The Sands of Iwo Jima. Both of these are great war films that promote honor and duty while refusing to shy away from the horror of war. I just prefer the one with John Wayne.

1. Chariots of Fire

As Gardiner notes, this is a great film backed by incredible talents. The artistic greatness of the film is undeniable. I actually just managed to watch this the other day on Gardiner's recommendation, and I'm still reflecting on it.

Now my list:

10. Courageous

Ultra-conservative promotion of fatherhood, responsibility, duty, honor, etc. And very well-made.

9. The Exorcist

It's a fight with the devil himself.

8. The End of the Spear

Civilization is better than barbarism.

7. Cinderella Man

This is an overlap with Gardiner's honorable mentions.

6. Why Did I Get Married?

Brilliantly funny, yet unafraid to confront sensitive issues.

5. Lean on Me

Good things happen not by accident, but because good men make them happen.

4. Sands of Iwo Jima

My version of Gardiner's #2 Zulu.(Fine. So this was made in 1948. I'm not changing it now.)

3. The Dark Knight

A second overlap with Gardiner's honorable mentions.

2. Fireproof

Sherwood Pictures' finest.

1. The Passion of the Christ

The film that made a pariah of Mel Gibson, while Hollywood still celebrates child rapist Roman Polanski.