The epic of all epics, it's a big-budget picture amassing over 15,000 extras. Rome has never been so glorious-looking since the fall of the empire. The greatest and the most breathtaking climax comes during the chariot race. That scene is the reason alone the epic remains an insurmountable work of cinema. Although it's the highlight of Ben-Hur, the movie is much more than that which includes the rise of Jesus Christ.

Is The Big Country the Citizen Kane of Western films? Absolutely yes. A favorite of U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower who gave the movie four consecutive showings at the White House, The Big Country is so good that you won't be able to find more than a few that pack many lessons in one film.

Before there was La dolce vita, there was Roman Holiday. Both are similar films, but I prefer the latter over the former, William Wyler over Federico Fellini, and Gregory Peck over Marcello Mastroianni. The jury is still out for Audrey Hepburn vs. Anita Ekberg. Each is different in her own special way. Audrey is perfect for Roman Holiday while Anita is perfect for La dolce vita.

The performances are superlative. Clearly, Ralph Richardson's is the strongest, and therefore, he deserved the Oscar. Olivia de Havilland is fine while Montgomery Clift is way, way better than he was in The Search and Red River by ceasing to be one-note. Believe it or not, despite their chemistry, Olivia de Havilland and Montgomery Clift never got along during the filming.

Directed by William Wyler, The Best Years of Our Lives is a moving film about several returning veterans of WWII. As far as acting goes, Myrna Loy is the winner. Frederic March and Dana Andrews are very good, too. Virginia Mayo plays her part beautifully well. Harold Russell, a former soldier who actually served and lost his arms during the war, steals the show, winning two Oscars for his performance.

Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar make for a workable two-man show. As a result, the serial killer movie is well-made, thanks to William Wyler's unfailingly magic touch. The best part is the psychological game that both characters play: a lot of give and take. I like how it ends as Terence Stamp's character goes off for the next hunt as if it's another day which is a rarity.

Displaying plenty of noir, The Desperate Hours is a fine film at the hands of William Wyler. It may be clichéd with a predictable ending, but watching Humphrey Bogart and Fredric March go against each other makes the show special. It's hard to decide who to root for: the bad guy in the former or the hero in the latter.

The Letter is a good example of the film noir genre with superb performances by Bette Davis and James Stephenson who would die of a heart attack not long afterwards. It starts out with her killing a man, and the tale is told in a flashback to find out why.