The Dawn of Islam

Set against the conditions leading up to the French Revolution and the Reign of Terror, French doctor Alexandre Manette serves an 18-year imprisonment in the Bastille in Paris, followed by his release to live in London with the daughter he has never met.

Runtime

1h 55m

Director

Ralph Thomas

Cast

Dirk Bogarde, Dorothy Tutin, Paul Guers

Near the end of World War II, General Dietrich von Choltitz receives orders to burn down Paris if it becomes clear the Allies are going to invade, or if he's unable to maintain control of the city. After much contemplation, Choltitz ignores orders, enraging the Germans and giving hope to various resistance factions that the city will b...

Runtime

2h 53m

Director

René Clément

Cast

Jean-Paul Belmondo, Charles Boyer, Leslie Caron

The deep conversation between a Japanese architect and a French actress forms the basis of this celebrated French film, considered one of the vanguard productions of the French New Wave. Set in Hiroshima after the end of World War II, the couple -- lovers turned friends -- recount, over many hours, previous romances and life experience...

Runtime

1h 32m

Director

Alain Resnais

Cast

Emmanuelle Riva, Eiji Okada, Stella Dassas

Impoverished priest Harihar Ray, dreaming of a better life for himself and his family, leaves his rural Bengal village in search of work. Alone, his wife, Sarbojaya, looks after her rebellious daughter, Durga, and her young son, Apu, as well as Harihar's elderly aunt Indir. The children enjoy the small pleasures of their difficult life...

Runtime

2h 5m

Director

Satyajit Ray

Cast

Kanu Bannerjee, Karuna Banerjee, Subir Banerjee

Germany, 1945. Soldier Willi Herold, a deserter of the German army, stumbles into a uniform of a Nazi captain abandoned during the last and desperate weeks of the Third Reich. Newly emboldened by the allure of a suit that he has stolen only to stay warm, Willi discovers that many Germans will follow the leader, whoever he is.

Runtime

1h 58m

Cast

Max Hubacher, Milan Peschel, Frederick Lau

Clarice Starling is a top student at the FBI's training academy. Jack Crawford wants Clarice to interview Dr. Hannibal Lecter, a brilliant psychiatrist who is also a violent psychopath, serving life behind bars for various acts of murder and cannibalism. Crawford believes that Lecter may have insight into a case and that Starling, as...

Runtime

1h 59m

Director

Jonathan Demme

Cast

Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn

Two lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

Runtime

2h 6m

Director

Jonathan Demme

Cast

Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards

Years after his squad was ambushed during the Gulf War, Major Ben Marco finds himself having terrible nightmares. He begins to doubt that his fellow squad-mate Sergeant Raymond Shaw, now a vice-presidential candidate, is the hero he remembers him being. As Marco's doubts deepen, Shaw's political power grows, and, when Marco finds a mys...

Runtime

2h 10m

Director

Jonathan Demme

Cast

Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

Runtime

1h 28m

Director

Jonathan Demme

Cast

David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison

A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.

Runtime

1h 54m

Director

Jonathan Demme

Cast

Jeff Daniels, Melanie Griffith, Ray Liotta