GREAT CINEMAMASTER LIST
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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 #552 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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View Imitation of Life film page
Original poster artwork · Great Cinema Master List

Spoiler-free premise

Lora Meredith, a white single mother who dreams of being on Broadway, has a chance encounter with Annie Johnson, a black widow.

Read expanded premiseLonger, still spoiler-free

Aspiring actor Lora Meredith and daughter Susie form a household with Black widow Annie Johnson and her light-skinned daughter Sarah Jane. As Lora's career rises, Annie supports the family while Sarah Jane increasingly rejects the identity society punishes.

Why it belongs

Imitation of Life uses glossy melodrama to critique race, motherhood, ambition, and passing through color, mirrors, costume, and devastating performance.

Read expanded why it belongsThe fuller editorial case

Stage doors, dressing rooms, shared kitchens, white clothing, mirrors, photographs, and Frank Skinner's score make success and erasure visually linked—Juanita Moore and Susan Kohner give Annie and Sarah Jane the film's deepest conflict.

Major award record

Metadata only · zero points in 40/40/20
Golden Globes1 win1960 · official film record ↗
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture1960 · Susan Kohnerofficial film record ↗

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

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

Institutional reference ranks

Sight & Sound75IMDb Top 250—AFI 100—
Reference metadata only · not part of the 40/40/20 score

Great Cinema Master List scores

Greatness9.6
Engagement7.7
Ease6.5

English · Not Rated
Narrative Feature
Mood: Romantic & Reflective