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Another vote for Casablanca.
It's A Wonderful Life - perfect example of classic Hollywood narrative
Here's a topic I did in Film Studies: Compare and contract the concept of community and family in the films Blade Runner and Witness (both staring Harrison Ford). I got an A. Too bad Blade Runner is off the list...
For editing you can't beat:
Dziga Vertov's Man with a Movie Camera or Sergei Esenstein's Battleship Potempkin (the famous Odessa steps sequence has been given the Homage Treatment in The Untouchables and Brazil... and others I am currently forgetting).
Speaking of great films... Brazil, great film that plays with narrative reality and the ability to trust the protagonist.
Great editing and temporal game play, look no further than Nicholas Roeg's Bad Timing: A Sensual Obsession (highly recommend).
You can always count on Orson Welles: The Amazing Ambersons and Touch of Evil are always good, though the Lady from Shanghai and Mr. Arkadin are also good.
Jean Renoir's La Regle du Jeu (The Rule of the Game) is an excellent classic. Lots of bold depth of field shots and overlapping conversations that pre date Robert Altman by about 35 years.
Have a look at some film noir but also look at its predecessors in German Expressionism in the 20s (Metropolis, Der Golem, Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, M) and a similar movement in France in the 30s (Quai des Brumes, Pepe le Moko, etc.). The germans did dark first, then moved to France as the Nazis pushed them out and then many end up in Hollywood in the 40s.
Check of the films of Otto Preminger... lots of fun.
Speaking of moody films... the films of Powell and Pressburger: The Red Shoes and Black Narcissus.... not to forget, Peeping Tom. The film that pretty much ruined Powell's career because it was so creepy.
You might also want to get adventurous and explore some the Hong Kong works of film makers like: Ringo Lam and John Woo (avoid the Hollywood films as they are not nearly as complex).
For my money, some of the oddest films you will see (that are still entertaining) come from Winnipeg. Guy Maddin is a mad genius: Tales from the Gimil Hospital, Archangel and The Saddest Music in the World are all good.
I am going to stop now... I think I haven't been watching enough film or tv lately. Sorry for the ramble.
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"My hands are on fire. Hands are on fire. Ain't got no more time for all you charlatans and liars."
- Old Man Luedecke
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