Essential Films Series

The Essential Films series of reviews is intended to help readers understand how film has gone from being a mere curiosity to the most popular art form worldwide in little more than a century, by analysing individual films from the dawn of the medium to the present day. The selection of titles will follow a rough chronological path, aimed essentially at tracing the development of the medium. The films will range from early experimental pieces, through the silent era, Hollywood and World Cinema, as well as taking account of the independent avant-garde and the impact of television.

Film reviews also serve another purpose, however. We all want to find the best in any artform. By selecting a number of pieces that might be considered mandatory for any serious filmgoer, Essential Films offers an opportunity to discover uncharted territory, as well as kindling a debate on our varied appreciation of the ups and downs of a form which some still argue does nothing but entertain us.

This website is designed to offer a broad look at all the titles that were considered for the series. The exercise aims at building a personal canon, looking at all the various aspects of film-making that elevate the medium as one of the most important art forms of contemporary times.

Essential Films Contributors

Ion Martea (editor)