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Movie Classics

Directors, decades and the films that defined them

74 cards~12 minReferences included

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4 chapters · 74 cards
  1. 01
    Cinema before 196012 cards · ~2 min
  2. 02
    New waves and classics, 1960–197914 cards · ~2 min
  3. 03
    Cinema, 1980–199928 cards · ~5 min
  4. 04
    Cinema since 200020 cards · ~3 min

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01
Prompt: This 1942 wartime romance set in French Morocco.
Pop CultureA little curiosity
Classic film · IDENTIFYThis 1942 wartime romance set in French Morocco.Think it. Then flip it.
02
Prompt: This filmmaker directed Casablanca (1942).
Pop CultureA little curiosity
Classic film · RECALLThis filmmaker directed Casablanca (1942).Think it. Then flip it.
03
Prompt: This 1941 drama following a powerful newspaper tycoon.
Pop CultureA little curiosity
Classic film · IDENTIFYThis 1941 drama following a powerful newspaper tycoon.Think it. Then flip it.

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  1. 01This 1942 wartime romance set in French Morocco.IDENTIFY
    Casablanca (1942)

    Casablanca is a 1942 wartime romance that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Casablanca (film)
  2. 02This filmmaker directed Casablanca (1942).RECALL
    Michael Curtiz

    Casablanca is a 1942 wartime romance that won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Casablanca (film)
  3. 03This 1941 drama following a powerful newspaper tycoon.IDENTIFY
    Citizen Kane (1941)

    Citizen Kane follows the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate and is frequently cited among cinema's greatest achievements.

    Share this card ↗Source: Citizen Kane
  4. 04This filmmaker directed Citizen Kane (1941).RECALL
    Orson Welles

    Citizen Kane follows the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate and is frequently cited among cinema's greatest achievements.

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  5. 05This 1939 epic romance set during the American Civil War.IDENTIFY
    Gone with the Wind (1939)

    Gone with the Wind is an epic Civil War-era romance that held box-office admission records for decades.

    Share this card ↗Source: Gone with the Wind (film)
  6. 06This filmmaker directed Gone with the Wind (1939).RECALL
    Victor Fleming

    Gone with the Wind is an epic Civil War-era romance that held box-office admission records for decades.

    Share this card ↗Source: Gone with the Wind (film)
  7. 07This 1939 musical fantasy about a girl swept to a magical land.IDENTIFY
    The Wizard of Oz (1939)

    The Wizard of Oz is known for its transition from sepia-toned Kansas into vivid Technicolor Oz.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
  8. 08This filmmaker directed The Wizard of Oz (1939).RECALL
    Victor Fleming

    The Wizard of Oz is known for its transition from sepia-toned Kansas into vivid Technicolor Oz.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
  9. 09This 1952 musical comedy about Hollywood's shift to sound.IDENTIFY
    Singin' in the Rain (1952)

    Singin' in the Rain satirizes Hollywood's transition from silent film to sound.

    Share this card ↗Source: Singin' in the Rain
  10. 10This filmmaker directed Singin' in the Rain (1952).RECALL
    Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen

    Singin' in the Rain satirizes Hollywood's transition from silent film to sound.

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  11. 11This 1958 psychological thriller about obsession and fear of heights.IDENTIFY
    Vertigo (1958)

    Vertigo introduced the dolly zoom, a camera technique later widely imitated.

    Share this card ↗Source: Vertigo (film)
  12. 12This filmmaker directed Vertigo (1958).RECALL
    Alfred Hitchcock

    Vertigo introduced the dolly zoom, a camera technique later widely imitated.

    Share this card ↗Source: Vertigo (film)
  13. 13This 1960 horror thriller centered on a roadside motel.IDENTIFY
    Psycho (1960)

    Psycho's motel shower scene remains one of the most analyzed sequences in film history.

    Share this card ↗Source: Psycho (1960 film)
  14. 14This filmmaker directed Psycho (1960).RECALL
    Alfred Hitchcock

    Psycho's motel shower scene remains one of the most analyzed sequences in film history.

    Share this card ↗Source: Psycho (1960 film)
  15. 15This 1962 epic based on a British officer's role in the Arab Revolt.IDENTIFY
    Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

    Lawrence of Arabia is celebrated for its widescreen desert cinematography and epic scale.

    Share this card ↗Source: Lawrence of Arabia (film)
  16. 16This filmmaker directed Lawrence of Arabia (1962).RECALL
    David Lean

    Lawrence of Arabia is celebrated for its widescreen desert cinematography and epic scale.

    Share this card ↗Source: Lawrence of Arabia (film)
  17. 17This 1968 science fiction epic about human evolution and AI.IDENTIFY
    2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

    2001: A Space Odyssey is noted for its scientifically grounded depiction of spaceflight.

    Share this card ↗Source: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
  18. 18This filmmaker directed 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968).RECALL
    Stanley Kubrick

    2001: A Space Odyssey is noted for its scientifically grounded depiction of spaceflight.

    Share this card ↗Source: 2001: A Space Odyssey (film)
  19. 19This 1972 crime saga following a Mafia family.IDENTIFY
    The Godfather (1972)

    The Godfather follows the Corleone crime family and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Godfather
  20. 20This filmmaker directed The Godfather (1972).RECALL
    Francis Ford Coppola

    The Godfather follows the Corleone crime family and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Godfather
  21. 21This 1975 thriller about a great white shark terrorizing a beach town.IDENTIFY
    Jaws (1975)

    Jaws is widely credited with establishing the modern summer blockbuster.

    Share this card ↗Source: Jaws (film)
  22. 22This filmmaker directed Jaws (1975).RECALL
    Steven Spielberg

    Jaws is widely credited with establishing the modern summer blockbuster.

    Share this card ↗Source: Jaws (film)
  23. 23This 1977 space opera launching a galaxy-spanning saga.IDENTIFY
    Star Wars (1977)

    Star Wars introduced visual-effects techniques that reshaped the film industry.

    Share this card ↗Source: Star Wars (film)
  24. 24This filmmaker directed Star Wars (1977).RECALL
    George Lucas

    Star Wars introduced visual-effects techniques that reshaped the film industry.

    Share this card ↗Source: Star Wars (film)
  25. 25This 1979 war drama set against the Vietnam War.IDENTIFY
    Apocalypse Now (1979)

    Apocalypse Now transposes Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness into the Vietnam War.

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  26. 26This filmmaker directed Apocalypse Now (1979).RECALL
    Francis Ford Coppola

    Apocalypse Now transposes Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness into the Vietnam War.

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  27. 27This 1981 adventure introducing an archaeologist hero.IDENTIFY
    Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

    Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced Indiana Jones and launched a long-running adventure series.

    Share this card ↗Source: Raiders of the Lost Ark
  28. 28This filmmaker directed Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981).RECALL
    Steven Spielberg

    Raiders of the Lost Ark introduced Indiana Jones and launched a long-running adventure series.

    Share this card ↗Source: Raiders of the Lost Ark
  29. 29This 1982 story of a boy who befriends a stranded alien.IDENTIFY
    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the top-grossing films of the 1980s.

    Share this card ↗Source: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  30. 30This filmmaker directed E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).RECALL
    Steven Spielberg

    E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial became one of the top-grossing films of the 1980s.

    Share this card ↗Source: E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  31. 31This 1982 science fiction noir set in a rain-soaked future city.IDENTIFY
    Blade Runner (1982)

    Blade Runner adapts a Philip K. Dick novel into a noir vision of a future Los Angeles.

    Share this card ↗Source: Blade Runner
  32. 32This filmmaker directed Blade Runner (1982).RECALL
    Ridley Scott

    Blade Runner adapts a Philip K. Dick novel into a noir vision of a future Los Angeles.

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  33. 33This 1985 comedy centered on time travel between decades.IDENTIFY
    Back to the Future (1985)

    Back to the Future's time machine is famously built from a modified DeLorean sports car.

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  34. 34This filmmaker directed Back to the Future (1985).RECALL
    Robert Zemeckis

    Back to the Future's time machine is famously built from a modified DeLorean sports car.

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  35. 35This 1989 drama exploring racial tension over one hot day.IDENTIFY
    Do the Right Thing (1989)

    Do the Right Thing unfolds across a single sweltering day in a Brooklyn neighborhood.

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  36. 36This filmmaker directed Do the Right Thing (1989).RECALL
    Spike Lee

    Do the Right Thing unfolds across a single sweltering day in a Brooklyn neighborhood.

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  37. 37This 1990 crime drama chronicling decades inside organized crime.IDENTIFY
    Goodfellas (1990)

    Goodfellas is based on a nonfiction account of a real mob associate's life.

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  38. 38This filmmaker directed Goodfellas (1990).RECALL
    Martin Scorsese

    Goodfellas is based on a nonfiction account of a real mob associate's life.

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  39. 39This 1991 thriller pairing a trainee agent with an imprisoned killer.IDENTIFY
    The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

    The Silence of the Lambs is one of only a few films to win all five top Academy Awards.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Silence of the Lambs (film)
  40. 40This filmmaker directed The Silence of the Lambs (1991).RECALL
    Jonathan Demme

    The Silence of the Lambs is one of only a few films to win all five top Academy Awards.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Silence of the Lambs (film)
  41. 41This 1993 adventure about a theme park of cloned dinosaurs.IDENTIFY
    Jurassic Park (1993)

    Jurassic Park's dinosaurs were a landmark achievement in computer-generated visual effects.

    Share this card ↗Source: Jurassic Park (film)
  42. 42This filmmaker directed Jurassic Park (1993).RECALL
    Steven Spielberg

    Jurassic Park's dinosaurs were a landmark achievement in computer-generated visual effects.

    Share this card ↗Source: Jurassic Park (film)
  43. 43This 1993 drama about a factory owner who saved Jewish workers.IDENTIFY
    Schindler's List (1993)

    Schindler's List is shot mostly in black and white and depicts the Holocaust through one factory owner's actions.

    Share this card ↗Source: Schindler's List
  44. 44This filmmaker directed Schindler's List (1993).RECALL
    Steven Spielberg

    Schindler's List is shot mostly in black and white and depicts the Holocaust through one factory owner's actions.

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  45. 45This 1994 comedy-drama following its title character through decades.IDENTIFY
    Forrest Gump (1994)

    Forrest Gump digitally inserted its lead character into archival historical footage.

    Share this card ↗Source: Forrest Gump
  46. 46This filmmaker directed Forrest Gump (1994).RECALL
    Robert Zemeckis

    Forrest Gump digitally inserted its lead character into archival historical footage.

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  47. 47This 1994 crime drama telling interwoven stories out of order.IDENTIFY
    Pulp Fiction (1994)

    Pulp Fiction interweaves several crime stories told out of chronological order.

    Share this card ↗Source: Pulp Fiction
  48. 48This filmmaker directed Pulp Fiction (1994).RECALL
    Quentin Tarantino

    Pulp Fiction interweaves several crime stories told out of chronological order.

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  49. 49This 1995 animated adventure about toys that come to life.IDENTIFY
    Toy Story (1995)

    Toy Story was the first feature film made entirely with computer animation.

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  50. 50This filmmaker directed Toy Story (1995).RECALL
    John Lasseter

    Toy Story was the first feature film made entirely with computer animation.

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  51. 51This 1997 romance set aboard the doomed ocean liner.IDENTIFY
    Titanic (1997)

    Titanic held the record for worldwide box-office earnings for more than a decade.

    Share this card ↗Source: Titanic (1997 film)
  52. 52This filmmaker directed Titanic (1997).RECALL
    James Cameron

    Titanic held the record for worldwide box-office earnings for more than a decade.

    Share this card ↗Source: Titanic (1997 film)
  53. 53This 1999 science fiction about a simulated reality.IDENTIFY
    The Matrix (1999)

    The Matrix popularized the bullet-time effect, a slowed-time rotating camera technique.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Matrix
  54. 54This filmmaker directed The Matrix (1999).RECALL
    the Wachowskis

    The Matrix popularized the bullet-time effect, a slowed-time rotating camera technique.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Matrix
  55. 55This 2000 epic set among the arenas of the Roman Empire.IDENTIFY
    Gladiator (2000)

    Gladiator is set in the arenas of the Roman Empire and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Gladiator (2000 film)
  56. 56This filmmaker directed Gladiator (2000).RECALL
    Ridley Scott

    Gladiator is set in the arenas of the Roman Empire and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Gladiator (2000 film)
  57. 57This 2001 fantasy epic opening a quest to destroy a powerful ring.IDENTIFY
    The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)

    The Fellowship of the Ring opens Peter Jackson's trilogy, filmed largely on location in New Zealand.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  58. 58This filmmaker directed The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).RECALL
    Peter Jackson

    The Fellowship of the Ring opens Peter Jackson's trilogy, filmed largely on location in New Zealand.

    Share this card ↗Source: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  59. 59This 2002 drama portraying gang life in a Rio favela.IDENTIFY
    City of God (2002)

    City of God is based on a semi-autobiographical novel about crime in a Rio de Janeiro favela.

    Share this card ↗Source: City of God (2002 film)
  60. 60This filmmaker directed City of God (2002).RECALL
    Fernando Meirelles

    City of God is based on a semi-autobiographical novel about crime in a Rio de Janeiro favela.

    Share this card ↗Source: City of God (2002 film)
  61. 61This 2007 thriller following a hitman and a hunted drifter.IDENTIFY
    No Country for Old Men (2007)

    No Country for Old Men won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Coen brothers.

    Share this card ↗Source: No Country for Old Men (film)
  62. 62This filmmaker directed No Country for Old Men (2007).RECALL
    Joel and Ethan Coen

    No Country for Old Men won the Academy Award for Best Picture for the Coen brothers.

    Share this card ↗Source: No Country for Old Men (film)
  63. 63This 2019 drama about two families divided by class.IDENTIFY
    Parasite (2019)

    Parasite became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Parasite (2019 film)
  64. 64This filmmaker directed Parasite (2019).RECALL
    Bong Joon-ho

    Parasite became the first non-English-language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Parasite (2019 film)
  65. 65This 2006 spy thriller rebooting a long-running franchise.IDENTIFY
    Casino Royale (2006)

    Casino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise with a new lead actor in the role.

    Share this card ↗Source: Casino Royale (2006 film)
  66. 66This filmmaker directed Casino Royale (2006).RECALL
    Martin Campbell

    Casino Royale rebooted the James Bond franchise with a new lead actor in the role.

    Share this card ↗Source: Casino Royale (2006 film)
  67. 67This 2008 drama following a game-show contestant's past.IDENTIFY
    Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

    Slumdog Millionaire is set largely in Mumbai and follows a game-show contestant's backstory.

    Share this card ↗Source: Slumdog Millionaire
  68. 68This filmmaker directed Slumdog Millionaire (2008).RECALL
    Danny Boyle

    Slumdog Millionaire is set largely in Mumbai and follows a game-show contestant's backstory.

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  69. 69This 2010 science fiction thriller built around dreams within dreams.IDENTIFY
    Inception (2010)

    Inception is structured around nested dreams and is known for its deliberately ambiguous ending.

    Share this card ↗Source: Inception
  70. 70This filmmaker directed Inception (2010).RECALL
    Christopher Nolan

    Inception is structured around nested dreams and is known for its deliberately ambiguous ending.

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  71. 71This 2016 drama telling three chapters of one man's life.IDENTIFY
    Moonlight (2016)

    Moonlight tells its story in three chapters and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

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  72. 72This filmmaker directed Moonlight (2016).RECALL
    Barry Jenkins

    Moonlight tells its story in three chapters and won the Academy Award for Best Picture.

    Share this card ↗Source: Moonlight (2016 film)
  73. 73This 2022 science fiction comedy about parallel universes.IDENTIFY
    Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022)

    Everything Everywhere All at Once swept multiple major Academy Award categories.

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  74. 74This filmmaker directed Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).RECALL
    Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert

    Everything Everywhere All at Once swept multiple major Academy Award categories.

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