10 Classic '80s Films

Raging Bull (1980)
More a fully-felt experience than a film, this celluloid masterpiece boasts one of the all-time great feats of directing – as well as one of the all-time great thespian performances. Together, Robert DeNiro and Martin Scorsese create a powerhouse portrait of boxer Jake LaMotta. While DeNiro’s physical transformation during the making of the film was astonishing, it is the emotion and complexity of feeling that mark LaMotta as one of cinema’s iconc characters. Scorsese’s unforgiving gaze shows not only the inner workings of a fragile, insecure man who can only express himself through jealousy, anger and violence, before showing the horrors that ensue. Scorsese’s camerawork is incredible, and each fight becomes an expression of LaMotta’s inner thoughts and feelings, transforming the humble sports scenes into dynamic, inventive and utterly compelling ways of showing one man’s self-destruction. Visceral and unparalleled.

My Left Foot (1989)
Now infamous for his immersive method-acting, Daniel Day-Lewis faced the challenge of his career – and gave the performance of a lifetime – in this stunning biopic. Playing Christy Brown, a man with cerebral palsy who overcame unimaginable obstacles to become an acclaimed Irish writer and artist, Day-Lewis’ empathy and emotion is matched only by director Jim Sheridan’s compelling direction. As a powerful portrait of poverty-stricken Dublin, the film is a visual feast. Our image of Brown is also multi-faceted: Christy is brilliant, frustrating and bitter, and the triumph of the film is making him as humanly fallible as he is inspiring.

Do The Right Thing (1989)
Known for his provocative work, outspoken nature and incendiary views, Spike Lee demonstrates his idealistic side in Do The Right Thing – albeit via an explosion of hate, racism and bigotry. The violence of Do The Right Thing erupts as an extension of literally, and metaphorically, long-simmering neighbourhood temperatures – but when it finally reaches boiling point, the result is something close to catharsis. An extraordinary cast and a richly complex portrait of Brooklyn add to the brilliance of the vibrant and urgent screenplay, which is vital but never didactic. As Martin Luther King quotes roll before the closing credits, the film ensures that its audiences will be thinking and talking about it long after the screen goes dark.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
Rob Reiner’s apotheosis of American mockumentaries features the mostly-improvised performances of co-writers/songwriters Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who prove their comedic genius as they play the inept, past-their-prime members of Spinal Tap, a heavy metal outfit whose remaining cachet amounts to being remembered as one of England’s loudest bands. As the band members – well, most of them – strive to weather the growing conflict within their ranks (as well as a lack of control over their releases and embarrassingly low turn-outs for their gigs), the deft and wicked writing makes it a cutting satire – not only of the rockstar lifestyle but, in movie terms, of the documentary form itself. Hilarious, hugely smart and endlessly quotable.

Scarface (1983)
Written by Oliver Stone and directed by Brian De Palma, this update of the 1932 film is widely recognised as one of the greatest mob films ever made. The film, which has become a cultural touchstone, follows Cuban refugee Tony Montana (Al Pacino) who arrives in 1980s Miami with nothing, but rises to become a powerful drug kingpin - though his power is undermined by paranoia and expresses itself in extreme violence. A superb portrait of both the allure and the threat of decadence, the film is ultra-violent but also nuanced. The characters, though posturing in nature and terrifying in action, are also fully-rounded people – though you have to look past the blood and glamour to find the humanity that gives the film its ultimate, Shakespearian power.

Back To The Future (1985)
When Marty McFly travels back in time to 1955 and meets his parents as high-school students, he must not only ensure they fall in love, but safely return to 1985. Robert Zemeckis’ talent for warm but smart comedy is on full display here, and the inventive, whimsical adventure is perfectly constructed, with every plot point falling perfectly into place. Michael J. Fox rightly shot to A-list status with his charming performance, which captures the journey teenagers have to undertake – from innocent child to someone who sees not only the darker side of the world, but recognises his parents as fallible beings. A rollercoaster ride at 88 mph.

Blue Velvet (1986)
Arguably the Lynchiest of David Lynch’s oeuvre, Blue Velvet is a beautiful wallop of a neo-noir mystery that hasn’t lost an ounce of its danger since its release. With characters that range from quirky to deeply mentally scarred, the film uncovers a seedy, deranged underbelly to an otherwise “normal” American town; and a mystery that brings the viewer down the rabbit hole of Lynch’s freakish, fascinating and fabulous vision. Dennis Hopper and Isabella Rossellini give unforgettable performances, while the symbols, motifs and askew vision Lynch is now known for are crystallised in the film, which has been endlessly deconstructed and is still open to infinite interpretation.

Blade Runner (1982)
Often voted the best sci-fi film of all time, Ridley Scott’s dingy, wet and overcrowded Blade Runner set the standard for the depiction of pre-apocalyptic dystopias. That the director had Harrison Ford, Sean Young and Rutger Hauer leading his cast didn’t hurt his successful attempt to bring this Philip K. Dick-inspired tale of a replicant-hunting policeman to gritty, believable life. Ridley Scott’s immersive visuals, Vangelis’ melancholic electro-score and the haunting performances fuse together perfectly in a compelling meditation on the human condition. Watch it more than once, and several scenes are burned into your brain forever.

ET (1982)
Steven Spielberg’s sense of wonder and magic – not to mention his unwavering belief in the power of childhood friendship – has never been more powerful or affecting than in this classic tale. When a small alien gets left behind on Earth and strikes up a friendship a ten year old boy, Spielberg captures an incredible and heartfelt connection that no-one saw coming. As ET struggles to find his way home, young Elliot is also suffering after the loss of this father. As the boy and his extra-terrestrial friend share an emotional torment, their unity points to a universal condition. A tale of growing up, making friends and finding home.

Platoon (1986)
Though many films have dismantled glorified visions of war, few have done it in such a powerful way. Along with Full Metal Jacket, Platoon quickly has become one of the definitive refutations the glory ethic. The first in a trilogy of Vietnam films by Stone, Platoon is rendered utterly unforgettable thanks to Charlie Sheen, Tom Berenger and Willem Dafoe’s incredible performances as men navigating different sides of the moral divide. Based on battles and soldiers Stone witnessed firsthand, his tale on the coming-of-age of one soldier spoke to an entire generation’s loss of innocence, and his razor-sharp view of war is relentlessly relevant.