In your opinion, what makes a movie a “classic”?

“Classic” is an arbitrary and meaningless term that is used to refer to – and market – all kinds of art. A more direct way of stating ones affection for a movie is “I enjoyed that movie”. Or if the intention is to discuss the popularity of a film, you could say, “That film was/is popular”. Or if it’s to claim that it appears to have influenced many movies that came later, “That movie appears to have influenced many movies that came later”.

I tend to agree with @hmmmmmm that it’s kind of a meaningless term. I will say that classics tend to have a “timelessness” quality to them—that people of any generation can enjoy/appreciate them. I don’t know how to define it better than that. It would be interesting if there were some objective commonalities between all “classic” films.

Sure, the term is subjective. A “classic” is a film I could watch again and again.

A classic is a film whose relevance and/or popularity has lasted over time. How long that time frame should be is what might be up for debate. And sure there is subjectivity as well as to which films have staying power but that doesn’t make the term meaningless.

A film with enduring popularity, and widespread awareness of its existence, not just to a niche group. Quality is not required.
“Independence Day” is a classic, as is “The Room”.

I agree with @janbb. My partner and I have been watching highly rated films from several lists over the past several years. Some are brilliant and others are way off the mark, according to our tastes. There are a few that rate as classics.

Have you ever seen “Metropolis” by Fritz Lang? It came out about 1929 and is brilliant for its time. It’s dated, but if one can look past that, it still holds the audience. What about “The Godfather”? It took years after reading the novel, which I hated, to watch the film. Brilliant.

Then there are children’s’ films: “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, “Wily Wonka and The Chocolate Factory”, and “The Wizard of Oz”. What about “The Sound of Music”?

I might suggest a rewording of the question. “Give an example of a movie that you think is a ‘classic’ but others might disagree?”

For example, I think that nobody would argue that “Casablanca” is not a classic (even though it’s not Bogart’s best movie). But what about the movie “Airplane”?

@Caravanfan Neither “Casablanca” or “Airplane” is a classic. Casablanca is just loved by people who adore Humphrey Bogart. Airplane is created for people with a wacky sense of humor.

@Pied_Pfeffer I don’t see how you can say “Casablanca” is not a classic.

It begins.

@hmmmmmm So what? You got something better to do with your time? If you do, go to it. Discussing film history is better than fighting about politics all the time, IMHO.

What? I was joking. I thought the fists were going to come out during the “what is a classic” and Casablanca. I’ve already contributed to this thread. I think it’s interesting. :(

@hmmmmmm Ok then. I took it as snark and I also was seeing it as a lighthearted discussion. I have no need for fisticuffs here.

Even though Casablanca is clearly a classic. lol

Here is my 5 star Letterboxd review of Casablanca:

My dad taught classes in film making and the history of film for many years. He liked to say that The Maltese Falcon was Bogart’s best movie, but Casablanca had by far the best dialogue.

You all know the story. Bogart plays Rick, who runs a shady but highfalutin nightclub in the bowels of Casablanca, Morocco. People pass through Rick’s trying to buy their way out of Vichy France to Lisbon, Portugal, so they can go to the United States. Money passes hands, corruption is rife, and the Nazis are slowly tightening their grip.

This movie is a visual and auditory feast. In Rick’s place, everywhere you look something somewhere is happening. The music revolves around Sam, played by Dooley Wilson, who to this day still gets IMDB credits for the performance of “As Time Goes By”.

This is the second movie that I’ve seen in the last week that features Ingrid Bergman and Claude Raines. I liked Bergman a bit better in Notorious, but Raines here is fantastic as the corrupt French police chief. You never know where his chips will land and he steals every scene he’s in.

My daughter was driven a little nuts by the casual paternalism exhibited by Rick towards the Bergman character, and both my wife and daughter were surprised by the chain smoking Bogart. But it was 1942, and the dialogue is as poetic now as it was then. Watch it again, you will find yourself as I did whispering the line, “Play it Sam”.

So much to unpack here.

Casablanca is clearly a classic, and the second best movie ever made, the first being Citizen Kane.
A classic film doesn’t require years to be recognized. Pulp Fiction, Unforgiven, and the Lord Of The Rings movies were regarded as instant classics.
It has often been said a good movie has 2 great scenes, and no bad ones. Classics often break new ground in the way the story is told.

@filmfann I hear what you’re saying but I find the term “instant classics” to be an oxymoron. I think it does take a little time and distance to determine a classic.

@Caravanfan Yes about Casablanca. The lines, the scenes…..

And re: paternalism and sexism, most old movies are rife with them. and smoking. I just saw Now Voyager fo the first time and it is all about the smokes – as well as other things. And Claude Raines and Paul Henried are great in that as in Casablanca.

@filmfann I don’t know how closely you remember Casablanca, but did you notice anything odd about the scene where Rick is driving Ilsa? (It’s obscure, so if you don’t know, no shade. I’ll tell you)

@filmfann The other thing is that Casablanca was supposed to be a B movie. It did pretty well for being a B movie.

Casablanca just doesn’t work for me. Humphrey Bogart is traditionally grumpy. Elsa Lund is still smitten with Bogart despite being married to the man she really loves. He gets it and moves on. The end.

Is it really a classic, or do you just think so because others do?

@Pied_Pfeffer Yes, it is really a classic, and I love the movie. (And it’s “Ilsa” not “Elsa”).
But as I said, it’s not Bogart’s best movie; the Maltese Falcon is a better, tighter movie by far. But I like Casablanca better mostly because of what I wrote in my review and I love Claude Raines in this movie with all the loves.

@filmfann (The answer is he’s driving on the right side of the car. I think it’s the only scene in the movie where he is screen left of Bergman. There are lots of theories about this)

@Caravanfan LOL, I stand corrected on the spelling of the name. I’ll give you that Claude Raines is brilliant, as he he is in most films. I also liked The Maltese Falcon better.

Actually, my favorite is The African Queen – just love it.

You know I have never seen African Queen. I’ll put it on my queue. I love Katherine Hepburn

Not only is it a subjective term, but also consider the expression “an instant classic” – it seems that for many people at least, “classic” is not about age at all.

Does “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” count as a classic? What is it about that film that makes it timeless when so many other 80’s coming-of-age films don’t stand the test of time (“The Breakfast Club” excepted).

@gorillapaws Part of the challenge is that we tend to lean towards films (clothes styles, decor, music, etc.) that were popular in our teens. Another part is that the newer films tend to “borrow” other filming, stories, and/or acting styles. Perhaps you have noticed it on occasion.

I’m not a fan of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”. Movies that drag out the lack of control (the best friend, the sister, and the principal) make me uncomfortable. It was the same with “Risky Business”.

@gorillapaws I’m going to go with “yes”. And what makes it timeless is Ben Stein.

Casablanca was supposed to be a B movie, for sure. Ronald Reagan was supposed to play Rick. It was supposed to be based on a play called “EverComes To Rick’s”. The script wasn’t even outlined when shooting began. Dialog was often written the night before shooting. Ingrid Bergman didn’t know until the end if she was staying with Rick…
I disagree with @Pied_Pfeffer. Ilsa was truly in love with Rick, and only has admiration towards Victor Lazlo.
While all these elements made it difficult to make even a B flick, the struggle created a film with more heart and sentimentality than any other.

@filmfann I did not know about Reagan. I pulled out my copy of Casablanca Behind the Scenes and sure enough it’s there. He was first pegged for the role but got pulled.

Correction: Everybody Comes To Rick’s.

Bogart rewrote much of his dialog, as well.