Highest-Rated Movies about 'Avant-garde'

The Man With a Movie Camera (1929), Kuroneko (1968), How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It) (2005), My Life to Live (1962), Nico-Icon (1995), Stop Making Sense (1984), The Caretaker (1964), Koyaanisqatsi (1982) ... Let's take a look at the ranked list of the best Avant-garde movies.

#1. The Man With a Movie Camera (1929)

Storyline: Part documentary and part cinematic art, this film follows a city in the 1920s Soviet Union throughout the day, from morning to night. Directed by Dziga Vertov, with a variety of complex and innovative camera shots, the film depicts scenes of ordinary daily life in Russia. Vertov celebrates the modernity of the city, with its vast buildings, dense population and bustling industries. While there are no titles or narration, Vertov still naturally conveys the marvels of the modern city.

Plot Keywords: silent film, documentary, avant-garde, 1920s, black and white, visual poetry, everyday life ...

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#2. Kuroneko (1968)

Storyline: In this ghost story based on a folk tale of feudal Japan, a group of samurai mercenaries led by Raiko Minamoto (Kei Satô) storm the home of Yone (Nobuko Otowa) and her daughter, Shigei (Kiwako Taichi), pillaging their food before raping and murdering the pair and finally burning the house down. When the samurai are set upon by vengeful vampire-like ghosts, it falls to the warrior Gintoki (Kichiemon Nakamura) to slay the malicious spirits, but his connection to the victims leads to conflict.

Plot Keywords: horror, supernatural, folklore, ghost story, black-and-white, period drama, 1960s ...

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#3. How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company (And Enjoy It) (2005)

Storyline: Melvin Van Peebles was one of the first black directors to challenge the white establishment in his films, which include "Watermelon Man" and "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." In this documentary, the life of Van Peebles is discussed, including his work not only in film, but also as a novelist, actor, musician, stock trader and even Air Force pilot. Interview subjects include Gil Scott-Heron, Spike lee and Melvin's son and fellow filmmaker, Mario Van Peebles.

Plot Keywords: documentary, biography, musician, independent film, filmmaking, avant-garde, social commentary ...

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#6. Stop Making Sense (1984)

Storyline: David Byrne walks onto the stage and does a solo "Psycho Killer." Jerry Harrison, Tina Weymouth and Chris Frantz join him for two more songs. The crew is busy, still setting up. Then, three more musicians and two back-up singers join the band. Everybody sings, plays, harmonizes, dances, and runs. They change instruments and clothes. Bryne appears in the Big Suit. The backdrop is often black, but sometimes it displays words, images, or children's drawings. The band cooks for 18 songs, the lyrics are clear, the house rocks. In this concert film, the Talking Heads hardly talk, don't stop, and always make sense.—<jhailey@hotmail.com>

Plot Keywords: concert film, documentary, music, live performance, 1980s, american film, art film ...

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#7. The Caretaker (1964)

Storyline: Naive and lonely Aston (Robert Shaw) rescues the homeless and manipulative Davies (Donald Pleasence), inviting him to stay at his rundown family home. Aston's brother and guardian, Mick (Alan Bates), dislikes the shiftless Davies, but comes to see him as someone to unload the house onto when Aston proposes that Davies become its caretaker. Mick, fed up with his responsibilities, hopes Davies' duties as caretaker will extend to caring for his brother as well.

Plot Keywords: psychological horror, black and white, british, short film, experimental, surreal, minimalist ...

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#8. Koyaanisqatsi (1982)

Storyline: This experimental film looks at the world and more specifically the effect man has had on the landscape and the environment. Without narration, the film shows the world in a pristine condition and untouched: blue skies, beautiful landscapes and endless vistas. The man-made world is much less appealing. Essentially a montage using a variety of film techniques to provide a visually stunning montage of images.—garykmcd

Plot Keywords: experimental, documentary, avant-garde, visual poetry, nature, modernity, technology ...

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#9. Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari (1920)

Storyline: Francis, a young man, recalls in his memory the horrible experiences he and his fiancée Jane recently went through. It is the annual fair in Holstenwall. Francis and his friend Alan visit The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, an exhibit where the mysterious doctor shows the somnambulist Cesare, and awakens him for some moments from his death-like sleep. When Alan asks Cesare about his future, Cesare answers that he will die before dawn. The next morning Alan is found dead. Francis suspects Cesare of being the murderer, and starts spying on him and Dr. Caligari. The following night Cesare is going to stab Jane in her bed, but softens when he sees the beautiful woman, and instead of committing another murder, he abducts her. Jane's father awakens because of the noise, and he and some servants follow the fleeing Cesare. When Cesare cannot outrun his pursuers anymore, he gently places Jane down on the ground, and runs away. Francis and the police investigate the caravan of Dr. Caligari, but the ...

Plot Keywords: silent film, horror, psychological thriller, surrealism, black and white, classic cinema, mystery ...

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#10. Kwaidan (1964)

Storyline: This film contains four distinct, separate stories. "Black Hair": A poor samurai who divorces his true love to marry for money, but finds the marriage disastrous and returns to his old wife, only to discover something eerie about her. "The Woman in the Snow": Stranded in a snowstorm, a woodcutter meets an icy spirit in the form of a woman spares his life on the condition that he never tell anyone about her. A decade later he forgets his promise. "Hoichi the Earless": Hoichi is a blind musician, living in a monastery who sings so well that a ghostly imperial court commands him to perform the epic ballad of their death battle for them. But the ghosts are draining away his life, and the monks set out to protect him by writing a holy mantra over his body to make him invisible to the ghosts. But they've forgotten something. "In a Cup of Tea": a writer tells the story of a man who keep seeing a mysterious face reflected in his cup of tea.

Plot Keywords: horror, anthology, japanese, supernatural, folklore, classic, black and white ...

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#11. Battleship Potemkin (1925)

Storyline: Based on the historical events the movie tells the story of a riot at the battleship Potemkin. What started as a protest strike when the crew was given rotten meat for dinner ended in a riot. The sailors raised the red flag and tried to ignite the revolution in their home port Odessa.

Plot Keywords: silent film, black and white, historical drama, classic film, expressionism, navy, oppression ...

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#12. That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)

Storyline: Just after boarding a train, much to the surprise of his fellow passengers, a man pours a bucket of water over a young girl on the platform. Over the next few hours he explains (and we see in flashback) how he became obsessed by her (so much so that he failed to notice that she was played by two different actresses, representing different sides of her personality), and how she tantalised him, but would never allow him to satisfy his desire for her...

Plot Keywords: surrealism, erotic, psychological, drama, romance, art film, french cinema ...

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#13. The Holy Mountain (1973)

Storyline: A Christlike figure wanders through bizarre, grotesque scenarios filled with religious and sacrilegious imagery. He meets a mystical guide who introduces him to seven wealthy and powerful people, each representing a planet in the Solar system. These seven, along with the protagonist, the guide and the guide's assistant, divest themselves of their worldly goods and form a group of nine who will seek the Holy Mountain, in order to displace the gods who live there and become immortal.

Plot Keywords: surrealism, religion, symbolism, cult film, psychedelic, mysticism, experimental film ...

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#14. Proteus: A Nineteenth Century Vision (2004)

Storyline: The animated documentary Proteus explores the nineteenth century's engagement with the undersea world through science, technology, painting, poetry and myth. The central figure of the film is biologist and artist Ernst Haeckel, who found in the depths of the sea an ecstatic and visionary fusion of science and art.

Plot Keywords: science fiction, 19th century, visual art, experimental film, short film, history, avant-garde ...

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#15. Eega (2012)

Storyline: Sudeep is a high profile industrialist who gets whatever he wants and he has a special eye for beautiful women. To get them, he will not hesitate to do anything. That desire gets triggered when Sudeep sees Bindu, a micro artist who runs a non-profit organization. However, Bindu is loved by Nani who keeps following her everywhere. Though Bindu loves him, she doesn't express it to him and enjoys the attention. The story takes a turn when Sudeep discovers the feelings of Bindu for Nani and is unable to digest his defeat. He kills Nani. But Nani is born again as 'Eega'(fly) and he wants to take vengeance on Sudeep.

Plot Keywords: fantasy, action, comedy, romance, revenge, supernatural, animation ...

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