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Some of the greatest films in cinema history have not only paid homage to New York City, but in some films, New York is one of the characters, beautiful and imperfect. It was tough whittling this list down to a handful of favorites, but I did so by choosing films in which New York plays a key role in the story, the cinematography and the development of characters. I chose films that, without New York as a backdrop, could not be made.

1. Manhattan

Woody Allen’s tour de force, “Manhattan,” was released in 1979 and is an extraordinarily funny film about the complicated love life of a New York comedy writer. “Manhattan” is Allen’s love story, though, to the city, with breathtaking cityscapes of Manhattan as the background and a score of George Gershwin music that somehow ties it all together.The film stars a hilarious Allen, Diane Keaton, and a sweet, heart-breaking Mariel Hemingway.

2. West Side Story

This film won 10 Academy Awards, and was groundbreaking. The 1961 musical by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise is still remarkable to watch, even if it is a bit dated. Who can resist the rooftop dance number, “America,” or Tony walking along the streets of the city, singing “Maria?” The film, of course, stars Natalie Wood and Richard Beymer as star-crossed lovers from different New York neighborhoods who fight society and their families to be together. New York is an essential part of the film and the story, and composers Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim would have it no other way. 

3. Breakfast at Tiffany’s

This wonderful 1961 film starring Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard is also a love story to New York City. Audrey Hepburn’s defining role was that of naive socialite Holly Golightly, based on the character from Truman Capote’s novella. An interesting side note — nearly all the exterior scenes were shot on location in New York, but almost all the interior scenes were filmed on a lot in Burbank, Calif. The Tiffany’s scene, of course, was shot in Tiffany’s on Fifth Avenue.

4. The Godfather, Parts I and II

The whole Godfather saga is inextricably intertwined with New York. In Part I, we see 1940s New York, and in the brilliant Part II, we watch the young Don Vito Corleone enter Ellis Island and struggle for survival on the mean streets of the city. Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and Robert DeNiro gave performances of their lives, with Brando and DeNiro winning Best Actor Oscars in 1972 and 1974. Both films also won the Academy Award for Best Film.

5. Midnight Cowboy

Believe it or not, “Midnight Cowboy” was once an X-rated film and won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1969. Although later reclassified with an R rating, “Cowboy” remains a gritty film that is as much about how a city like New York can swallow you up as anything else. Jon Voight plays a Texas boy who’s arrived to seek his fortune as a sexual hustler. But he becomes just another face in the crowd and befriends the thief/hustler Ratzo Rizzo, played by Dustin Hoffman in an unforgettable performance.This is a sad tale of friendship between two souls lost in a big, bad city. Check out the great trailer for the film, below.

6. The French Connection

How could we forget Popeye Doyle, the tough New York City narcotics detective played by Gene Hackman? This 1972 film directed by William Friedkin is a fast-paced crime story with seat-of-the-pants car chases on the streets of New York. It also won multiple Oscars. The film’s most famous chase takes place when a relentless Doyle uses a Pontiac LeMans to chase down an elevated train with a hitman aboard. The conductor and train operator aboard the train were actual NYC Transit Authority employees, and the chase was filmed in Brooklyn. The video below is the entire seven-minute chase scene.

7. King Kong

Our tragic anti-hero, King Kong, met his demise, of course, in New York City. How appropriate. Kong, the fictional giant ape from Skull Island, made his first appearance on film in 1933. Since then, there have been two remakes, including my favorite — the 2005 version directed by Peter Jackson. As we all know, once Kong is captured at Skull and taken to the Big Apple to be exhibited as the Eighth Wonder of the World, all hell breaks loose. Below is an awesome colorized scene from the original “King Kong.”

8. When Harry Met Sally

This hit romantic comedy, released in 1989, teamed up director Rob Reiner, actors Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan, and the beautiful city of New York. Crystal and Ryan play platonic friends who keep avoiding their deeper feelings for each other. It’s a sweet, funny film with lots of scenes of two perfect young people strolling along the streets of New York. In the video below, Ryan enjoys her famous fake orgasm in a scene shot at New York’s Katz’s Deli.

9. Saturday Night Fever

When “Saturday Night Fever” was released in 1977, it was a phenomenon. Soon, we were all flocking to the discos, trying to dance like John Travolta and buying polyester. In this conventional story, Tony Manero, a 19-year-old Italian-American from Brooklyn, becomes the hero of the local nightclub at night. Like Joe Buck of “Midnight Cowboy,” Tony is desperate to break out of his stifling surroundings. The Bee Gees soundtrack is a nice extra. New York, especially the divide between Brooklyn and Manhattan, is front and center in this film. Look for the harrowing Brooklyn Bridge scene.

10. Goodfellas

I think this film was Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece. “Goodfellas” is the story of real-life mobster Henry Hill, played by Ray Liotta, his rise to power in New York in the 1950s and his fall in the 1970s, thanks to cocaine and the FBI. The film also stars Joe Pesci, who won an Academy Award for his role, Lorraine Bracco and Robert DeNiro, and all turn in great performances. The film was shot in New York and takes place largely in Brooklyn. If you’ve never seen “Goodfellas,” the trailer below is a great way to start.

The Runners-Up:

And here, in no particular order, are my runners-up:

“On the Town,” 1949.

“Barefoot in the Park,” 1967.

“Do the Right Thing,” 1989.

“The Out of Towners,” 1970.

“Sex and the City,” 2008.

“Wait Until Dark,” 1967.

“Guys and Dolls,” 1955.

The “Spiderman” films, 2002, 2004 and 2007.

“Dog Day Afternoon,” 1975.

“Wall Street,” 1987.

“Annie Hall,” 1977.

“Taxi Driver,” 1976.

“On the Waterfront,” 1954.

“Big,” 1988.

“The Apartment,” 1960.

“The Odd Couple,” 1968.

“Rear Window,” 1954.

“Gangs of New York,” 2002.