L'Atalante

Jean Vigo's masterpiece-acclaimed-after-death, L'Atalante is so far ahead of its times(it was released in 1934). It tells the idyllic story of a sailor and his bride, sailing a barge down the waterways of France with a crazy old man as their first mate. It is interesting to note that all the three who played the main characters had long successful runs in the film industry, almost till their deaths in the late sixties and early seventies. All, except for the young and charismatic director of the film - Jean Vigo himself. Vigo died before he could see his film released and the film itself had to wait ten years till someone found out that it was one of those hidden diamonds of world film!

The camerawork and frames of L'Atalante are commendable for a film that old, a path breaker for the future art house movies. If people can give Citizen Kane a 10/10 which I guess is mostly because of it being such an outspoken film for its times, L'Atalante deserves a perfect score for being perfect in the art of film making.