Yes, Polanski is a a vile man. But the movie is great — the style, the music, the story, the story within the story. Jack Nicholson is in top form: quirky, cynical and yet naive. He has now become over-the-top and gets old quickly.

All the bit players are good, but John Huston is exceptional. He steals the show every time he is on screen. The scene between Nicholson and Huston at Huston’s (Noah Cross’s) ranch on Catalina Island is one of the best ever.

The story parallels the city it is set in (LA in the late 30’s); all appears good, but the reality is quite different.

I have seen this movie about a dozen times, but each view is as fresh as the first.

I am firm on the first six, but can be talked out of the rest. I considered My Fair Lady and Birth of a Nation. Both are top 25, but I do not think either as good as the rest on the list. As for Wait Until Dark, I have not seen it. I will put it in my queue.

And Am I wrong in understanding both to have a certain irony that is similar in nature?

Granted that whereas Wittgenstein isn’t suggesting one do evil things for the purpose of influencing art and culture as Orson is there is still a similar irony to both of the statements. One would expect that establishing a peace organization would prove more beneficial than an organization advocating war and slavery and one would expect that brotherly love would produce finer art than would war and terrorism and so forth.