I got several favorites depending on the mood I am in and the time of day.. i love silent movies like the early ones by David Watk Griffith. Therexare gems like Broken Blossoms and the epic Intolerance. Fritz Lang too made several classics (Metropolis and the James Bond forerunner Dr.Mabuse and later M.
Then there is F.W. Murnau's Faust and Sunrise. All those movies relied on a great story andvonly few, if any, special effects.