The Bad Seed (1956).
The Seventh Seal (1957).
蜘蛛巣城 (Spiderweb Castle) (Throne of Blood) (1957). Having seen it once before, I watched it only with the commentary track on, and learned some interesting details about Kurosawa’s technique. For example, he liked to shoot with multiple cameras; besides being a relatively cheap way to get more footage to cut together, this prevents the actors from “playing to the camera”.
Nights of Cabiria (1957).
Silk Stockings (1957). I endured the tedious dialogue only long enough to see Cyd Charisse’s first dance.
どん底 Donzoko (The Lower Depths) (1957). When the characters had vented their frustrations at each other for about twenty minutes, I dropped out.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957). Damn fine picture. I saw it just once before, in 1976-7, dubbed in French.
I Soliti Ignoti (Big Deal on Madonna Street) (1958) may replace The Lavender Hill Mob as my favorite caper comedy.
If you like anti-Communist humor, skip Silk Stockings and try Billy Wilder’s One, Two, Three (1961).