5 Classic Films to Revisit this Spring

By Shirley Erskine-Schreyer & Eileen Bernardi

Rear Window by Alfred Hitchcock

So let’s put down the Tiger King, step away from all those news podcasts and lose ourselves for a moment in some of the golden moments of the past. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite classic movies, complete with gorgeous sets, enviable wardrobes, fascinating characters and compelling plots. These are the ones we’ve watched over and over and over.

Gone with the Wind

This saga of the antebellum south is one of the most beautiful films in cinema history, and Vivien Leigh is just so incredibly mesmerizing to watch. I. watched this film over and over and over as a child (Clark Gable was my first crush and the only time I’ve loved a man with a mustache). The controversy surrounding the films’ racism and romantic depiction of the American South also give the viewer a chance to evaluate the role of art as historical artifact and why some are motivated to whitewash history.

Roman Holiday

Audrey Hepburn. Gregrory Peck. 1950s Italy. Yes, please.

Rear Window

Somehow this film feels pretty prescient for the times. A man with a broken leg is trapped in his apartment and looking out the window is witness to a murder. The entire film takes place from Jimmy Stewart’s point of view, making voyeurs of all of us.

Some like it Hot

Funny, joyful and one of Marilyn Monroe’s most critically acclaimed films.

Gilda

A fascinating film noir film with the stunning Rita Hayworth taking the stage as a rather complex femme fatale.