Pumpkin Eater

This one goes to the top of the list. B&W, 1964, Anna Maria Italiano dressed in (mostly) awful outfits. The men are—even by standards of the '60s—outrageous weasels (especially an oleaginous James Mason). And most of the women (including Yootha Joyce in a wonderful short role) are, understandably, nearly bonkers. But…

An outstanding script by Harold Pinter, cleverly and sparely directed with astonishing cinematograpy for any era (from Ossie Morris). Two scenes stand out. The main flashback starts with a close-up of Anne Bancroft's face framed by the brim of a felt hat; exterior lighting. The background, not in focus, fades to white and then fades in again to place her in a different scene while the lighting on her face remains unchanged. With computer graphics? Easy. But on film… A second scene: Bancroft kneeling before a gas fire—we see her full face, weeping, by the flickering flame's light. Deep in the richly-furnished room behind her Finch, lit from a window to one side of the room, is standing, arguing with her. Both characters in perfect focus.

Also, isn't it comforting to know that Harrods' Food Hall has hardly changed in 45 years?

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