When it comes to filmmaking, there is no doubt that Citizen Kane (1941) is one of the most important films ever made. Written, directed, produced, and starring Orson Welles at the age of 25, the movie was a landmark for its political and personal significance, its storytelling, its cinematography, and virtually everything else under the sun. No pressure aimed towards aspiring filmmakers still under 25.
While Citizen Kane is a must-see and a critical movie, there are others that can often be dwarfed or brushed aside, so here are 10 other major movies made before Citizen Kane was released and why they’re also so important.
Stagecoach (1939)
John Ford pretty much defined the Western genre for years to come when he released Stagecoach. He also managed to give John Wayne a big spotlight, propelling the actor’s career forward. Orson Welles was also a massive fan of Ford’s films. Stagecoach focuses on a group of individuals in a stagecoach attempting to pass through hostile Apache territory, with the differences between everyone making for groundbreaking character building.
The characters aren’t just hollow shells, each has an introduction, time focused on them, and an arc; and there are 9 characters on the stagecoach! It would define the Western genre, which in turn would represent US cinema, for decades.
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Sergei Eisenstein was one of the most important film theorists and filmmakers ever to be born. He could be considered the grandfather of the use of montage. Battleship Potemkin is essentially Soviet propaganda, but it’s effective propaganda. Who wouldn’t want to become a Bolshevik after seeing the famous scene of the massacre of citizens on the Odessa steps? It’s based on the real-life rebellion in 1905 on the ship of the same name, which would eventually be the first in a series of steps taken to the 1917 revolution. There is no single protagonist, you see; the masses are the focus. It’s not Eisenstein’s movie; it’s our movie. Time to seize the means of film production.
The Wizard Of Oz (1939)
It’s hard to think of movies quite as iconic as The Wizard Of Oz. Based on the book of the same name, the film actually did not do well upon release. In fact, it did pretty poorly, considering it was MGM’s most expensive film made at the time, and only began to make money in a 1949 re-release. So how did it get so big? Starting in 1965, CBS would air it…and it had massive viewership. Things only went up, and other networks would air it, as a sort of TV tradition, and it became a household name film. The Wizard Of Oz is so wonderful because of its popping Technicolor use, great production level in sets and costumes, memorable stars, and catchy music. It certainly stands out from other movies made around its time.
Frankenstein (1931)
Mary Shelley wrote one of the greatest gothic horror novels ever as a dare to write a scary story while on vacation. Over a century later, Frankenstein would hit the screens and re-introduce Frankenstein’s monster to a new generation, thanks to Universal Pictures.
Horror films are often overlooked, which is outrageous, considering the horror genre is such an essential and influential piece of cinema history. Frankenstein is dreary, pensive, and very intense for 1931. Bride Of Frankenstein is arguably even better, but it couldn’t have existed without its base.
Man With A Movie Camera (1929)
Frankly, a lot of Soviet filmmakers could make this list. Dziga Vertov’s Man With A Movie Camera can be a tough sell for many people, as there is no inherent story, nor sound. But it invented some of the most common and useful filmmaking techniques in history. It serves as an avant-garde documentary film of Vetov and his crew running around the USSR to try and capture things on camera. But think of it this way: Every experiment eventually leads to a discovery. Thanks to Vertov, a lot of techniques universally used in common practice exist or became sharpened; slow/fast motion, close-ups, tracking shots, match cuts, freeze frames, split screens, oblique angles, stop motion, and many other such techniques are featured in the film. Anyone uninterested in the filmmaking process can skip this and live a happy life, but this is a must-see for aspiring artists.
The Gold Rush (1925)
Any Charlie Chaplain film could make this list, but this was the film Chaplain himself wanted to be remembered for. The film’s plot is simple: Charlie Chaplain, in his Tramp persona, plays a gold prospector in the Klondike. The film is timeless in its sense of humor, which is one of the biggest advantages of silent comedy. And thankfully, Chaplain’s sense of humor was excellent and extremely over the top. There is impressive prop/set work involving a tilting house, eating a shoe, and a silly human-sized chicken costume. The film is endearing, like all Chaplain films, and was made in the midst of a very messy marriage Chaplain was in. There is a great 1942 re-release, which is the definitive version of the film. Perhaps that’s why George Lucas feels compelled to keep touching up Star Wars?
It Happened One Night (1934)
Frank Capra might be the most “American Dream” director in film, ever. Capra would make some of the most recognized films of his time, including You Can’t Take It With You, Mr. Smith Goes To Washington, the Why We Fight series, and most famously, It’s A Wonderful Life. However, his screwball comedy It Happened One Night is the movie that guaranteed Capra could pretty much make whatever film he felt like. The film won the Oscar “Big Five” and would be a box office hit. The film is still pretty funny, nearly a century later, which speaks to its great script. It also was a sendoff to more relaxed comedies, as the dreadful Hays Code would begin to be enforced heavily a few months after its release, censoring and cutting many movies and limiting creativity.
Triumph Of The Will (1935)
Full disclosure: Nazis are bad. To say the least. That being said, this movie and others made in its style were a contributing factor to why they looked cool, and why they rose in popularity. Putting on a good, strong face and showing unity is a critical factor in fascism, so the people in charge of that image were very selective in what to show and how to show it. Triumph Of The Will is, in strict filmmaking terms and ideology aside, a masterpiece. It’s nothing new per say, but the scale is staggering. The brilliant camerawork and strategic placement of every piece in the movie succeeds in its mission: making Adolf Hitler and company seem strong and competent.
After a viewing of this film, seeing Jojo Rabbit is recommended.
All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
1917 could be considered the greatest WWI film ever made…but it has fierce competition with this gem. All Quiet On The Western Front is a long, harrowing tale of naïve boys rushing into warfare because they think it’s the best way to prove their worth and their manhood. They wake up pretty fast once they engage in the horrors of warfare. The film is one of the most blunt and unforgiving war films ever made, and unsurprisingly, the rising Nazi party in Germany would try (successfully) to get the film banned in Germany.
King Kong (1933)
There’s a reason everyone recognizes the Empire State Building. While 1925’s The Lost World should have some recognition as well, it was really King Kong that changed the game. Everything was at top-notch here; the effects by Willis O’Brien, the score by Max Steiner, the banshee screams from Fay Wray. It certainly is a spectacle for the ages. King Kong was to 1933 audiences what Jurassic Park was to 1993 audiences. It defined what studios would try to re-create for the rest of time when they made blockbusters. And frankly, audiences see blockbusters more than they see artsy films. Congratulations to Merian Cooper and Ernest Schoedsack (and his wife, who touched up the screenplay) for making one of the most fantastic and creative movies to ever grace the screen. Fun fact: It was made by RKO, who also produced…Citizen Kane.
