The following films are my favorites of the decade. They are all challenging and emotionally powerful. Many of them were not great financial successes but they are all aesthetically pleasing. I have tried to represent the whole range of films that were produced in the eighties. The films are in alphabetical order.

After the Rehearsal (1984)-This Ingmar Bergman drama concerns an elderly director who is romantically pursued by a promising young actress. The dialogue (by Bergman) and the cinematography (by Sven Nykist) are first rate.

Amadeus (1984)-Tom Hulce gives a superb performance as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a musical genius with an excessive lifestyle in this movie. His enormous composing talent provokes extreme envy in his rival Saliere (F. Murray Abraham) who lulls him into friendship in order to murder him. This movie made me feel glad to be alive.

Betrayal (1983)-This is a superior adaptation of a famous Harold Pinter play that breaks with traditional narrative structure. The film depicts the breakup of a marriage and then it moves backwards showing the causes for the split. It stars Patricia Hodge, Jeremy Irons and Glenda Jackson as participants in a love triangle to end all love triangles.

Blue Velvet (1986)-This is a stunningly original film by David Lynch. It depicts a small town that appears innocent but is a hotbed of degredation, corruption and perversion. The film effectively demolishs the myth of small towm innocence.

Brazil (1985)-This is a futuristic science fiction film that depicts a nightmarish soceity dominated by bureaucratic excess. The film features a marvelous cameo by Robert DeNiro as an outlaw heating duct repair man.

Hannah and her Sisters (1984)-This Woody Allen film successfully combines romance, drama and comedy. It stars Michael Caine and Barbara Hershey, the most underrated actress of the decade.

The Killing Fields (1984)-This film is a powerful drama that concerns the reunion of two friends after the Viet Nam war.

The King of Comedy (1983)-Robert DeNiro delivers another unforgettable performance in this movie. He plays Rupert Pupkin, a failed comedian who kidnaps a talk show host in order to become famous. Martin Scorsese directed this disturbing black comedy.

Matador (1984)-This movie is the surreal thriller about the love between a pair of psychopathic murderers. This Spanish film also examines the Freudian implications of bullfighting.

Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)- This film is a cinematic exploration of the life of Yukio Mishima: an messianic poet, body builder, and political reactionary.

My Dinner with Andre (1981)-Louis Malle’s film contsists of an intellectually stimulating dinner conversation.

Platoon(1986)-Oliver Stone’s Viet Nam film inspired countless imitations but none of them could match its intensity.

Sid and Nancy (1986)- Gary Oldman is completely convincing in the role of Sid Vicious: a punk who briefly finds love on his way to self-destruction. This film captures the anarchistic energy of the punk movement.

Kan (1985)-This film is a brilliant epic that was loosely based on Shakespeare’s “King Lear.” Akira Kurasawa has created a powerful film that never fails to excite.

Something Wild (1986)-Jonathan Demme’s film begins as a screwball comedy and ends as a violent drama. Melanie Griffith stars as a reckless woman who seduces an uptight business executive.

Terms of Endearment (1983)-This is a heart-wrenching drama with a superlative cast featuring Shirley Maclaine, Jack Nicholson and Deborah Winger.

The Unbearable Lightness of Being (1987)-This is a beautifully photographed film that depicts the erotic adventures of a Czechslovakian doctor. Based on a philosophic novel by Milan Kundera.

Vagabond (1986)-This French pseudodocumentay is about a girl who drops out of society and leads a bleak nomadic existence.

Wings of Desire (1988)-An angel gives up his immortality in order to experience all the joys and pains of being human. This film is poetic and contains some profound philosophic insights.

Witness (1985)-This humanistic police thriller features Harrison Ford as a policeman who hides in an Amish town. He develops respect for their traditions and he falls in love with a young widow.

The Best films of 1989

I have included only films from The United States or Britain. The films are listed in order of preference.

sex, lies and videotape -Steve Sodenberg’s drama concerns a highly unorthodox romantic love quadrilateral.

Do the Right Thing -Spike Lee‘s film is the most emotionally devastating film of the year. It depicts realistic characters who become involved in a violent racial incident.

Say Anything -This is a tender drama about a romance between a serious honor student and an unambitious youth. The script and characterizations elevate it above the usual teen dramas.

Field of Dreams -This dreamlike fantasy is about a farmer who encounters a ghost of a baseball player.

Scandal -This visually striking film that concern a sordid sex scandal that brought down a whole political party.

The Adventures of Baron Munchausen -This is a brilliant but unrestrained fantasy film about a storyteller during the enlightenment.

Crimes and Misdemeanors -Woody Allen’s tragedy attacks the notion of divine justice. It stars Sam Watterson as a doctor who arranges for a perfect murder.

Dead Poets Society -Robin Williams stars a noncomformist literature teacher who works in a very traditional college.

Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade -Harrison Ford and Sean Connery star in this exciting action film.

When Harry Met Sally -This is a cheerful romantic comedy that poses the question “can a man and woman remain friends without sex getting in the way?”