GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
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The Essential 713, made interactive

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great film.

Search 713 spoiler-free recommendations from 1916 to 2026. Filter by the night you want—not the list you’re supposed to finish.

Direct film viewShowing master rank #16 on its own—not above the ranking.
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Artwork
DirectorAll directors

Most represented · 6+ films

More recurring directors · 3–5 films54
All directors · surname A–Z438
ActorAll actors

Most represented actors

Big Three membership
Major award winners

1 selected film

Master Rank balances Greatness, Engagement, and Ease. Sort by Greatness for the artistic-canon view.

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Cast:
View Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

A farm boy joins a rebellion after discovering a message hidden inside a captured droid.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Farm boy Luke Skywalker discovers Princess Leia's plea inside the droid R2-D2 and joins Obi-Wan Kenobi on a journey beyond Tatooine. Smuggler Han Solo carries them toward the Rebel Alliance as the Empire's Death Star threatens entire worlds.

Why it belongs

Tactile worlds, revolutionary sound, mythic lucidity, and the hopeful drive of Luke's journey made Star Wars a new popular-cinema vocabulary.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Lucas blends classical adventure plotting, lived-in production design, John Williams's symphonic score, and effects that give ships convincing weight and speed. The result makes an invented galaxy feel instantly old, physical, and open to exploration.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Golden Globes1 win1978 · official film record ↗

Plus 1 additional win

No headline-category win to name

Totals include every recorded competitive win. Only Picture or top-film honors, Direction, Screenplay, and lead or supporting performances are named.

Good for
Date NightFamilyFilm Club
Descriptive guidance derived from rating, genre, runtime, mood, and GCML scores.

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound225IMDb Top 25030AFI 10013
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.3
Engagement9.7
Ease9.4

English · PG
Narrative Feature
Mood: Epic & Accessible