A landmark in the history of the cinema; it was ranked Number 1 in the American Film Institute's 100 greatest films of all time in two polls (1998 and 2007) of more than 1,500 film industry movers and shakers and again by UK directors in a BFI poll. "Citizen Kane" narrates the rise and fall of a newspaper tycoon driven by a childhood obssession and is loosely based round the life of William Randolph Hurst, who tried to have it banned, but incorporates elements from the lives of other fat cats il find out more...

Two Ruritanian states go to war after somebody calls President Groucho an upstart. Totally irreverent towards patriotism, religion, justice and anything else respectable. Probably the brothers' greatest movie. find out more...

Stewart is superb as the young Wisconsin senator put up to the job, who then exposes the corruption in the Senate and upholds true American values. Popular wish fulfilment served up with such fast talking comic panache that you don't have time to question its cornball idealism. A great film! find out more...

Winner of 8 Oscars, this is the story of a misfit who challenges the power of the tough New York Longshoremen's Union. Steiger plays his brother, caught between divided loyalties, and Eve Marie Saint plays the woman he falls in love with. Highly recommended viewing despite its political premises. NB the special pleading on behalf of informers, deriving presumably from the fact that Kazan and Schulberg named names during the McCarthy witch-hunts. find out more...

A gangster movie that spawned a million with Coppola on top directorial form and Brando and Pacino at their very best. Brilliantly believable and detailed stories unfold complete in every scene as the movie waltzes to its violent moral climax of living and dying by the sword. find out more...

A lawyer raising his children alone in the midst of racial hatred, injustice and hypocracy is the only man prepared to defend a young black man accused of rape by a white trash family. A superb study of racism in Americas deep South boasting a wonderful script, photography and acting in an adaptation worthy of the book; A total classic. find out more...