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Quentin Tarantino is a walking cinema encyclopedia. The legendary director chose his 11 favorite films!
Before becoming one of the best film directors of all time, Quentin Tarantino was an avid consumer of cinema. In fact, from an early age, he already knew the aesthetics that his films would have.
In your book Cinematic SpeculationQuentin Tarantino revealed how “Killer” (1986), by Pedro Almodóvar, inspired him – “I remember when I worked at a film store in Manhattan Beach, Video Archives, and I would talk to my colleagues about the types of films I wanted to make and the things I wanted to do. do within these films. I used the example of the opening of Matador, by Almodóvar. Their response was, “Quentin, they won’t let you do that.” I replied: “Who are ‘they’ to stop me? They can screw themselves.”
Inspiration led him to direct films such as “pulp Fiction” (1994), “Lawless bastards” (2009), “Reservoir Dogs” (1992), “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” (2019), “Kill Bill Vol.1” (2003), “Django Unchained” (2012), among others.
Even after establishing himself as one of the best directors of all time, Quentin Tarantino continued to show his opinion – the favorite westernThe perfect romantic comedyO ideal counterculture film, your least favorite movie, least favorite remake and the romantic comedy that made you cry. Now the legendary director revealed his 11 favorite films of all time.
11) JAWS (1975)
One of the best horror films in the history of cinema, made by Steven Spielberg. This film has the particularity of barely showing the shark, using the occult to spread fear to the viewer.
With a 97% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, is factually one of the best films of its kind. Adam Nayman, from The Ringergoes on to write, “the beauty of this 1975 Steven Spielberg classic is that you can choose how to see it: as a shark thriller or as an allegory about the failed leadership of institutions.”
10) FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO (1943)
From 1975 we jump to the golden 40s with “Five Graves to Cairo”, by Billy Wilder. It is only the director’s third film, the second after his arrival in the United States of America.
According to the official synopsis, “Five Graves to Cairo” takes place “during the Second World War, where an undercover British soldier tries to get information to the Allies that the Germans have tons of supplies buried in five excavations in Egypt.” Despite being the director’s least seen film, it received three Oscar nominations – Best Cinematography (Black and White), Best Interior Decoration (Black and White) and Best Editing.
9) UNFAITHFULLY YOURS (1948)
A film of love and suffering that meets comedy directed by Preston Sturges. For many it is one of the best slapstick comedy. What kind of comedy is this? A style of humor where there is an exaggeration of physical movements, beyond what would be natural and normal.
With a 94% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Bosley Crowther from New York Times, he writes, “it’s a shame that Preston Sturges isn’t required by law to produce at least one film – maybe two – a year. Because no one makes films like him.”
8) CARRIE (1976)
O first (and one of the best) books Stephen King could never have existed and consequently this film. This is because three days after writing, Stephen King thought the story wasn’t good enough and threw it in the trash.
His wife Tabitha went to get the crate and convinced the writer to continue the story. The rest is history. Stephen King became one of the best writers of all time and several of his books were adapted into films, most notably “Carrie”, by Brian De Palma. A film so bloody that it is impossible to take your eyes off the screen.
7) PANDORA’S BOX (1929)
O film The oldest on this list comes directly from the Old Continent, more specifically from Germany. According to the official synopsis, “Lulu (Louise Brooks) is a young woman so beautiful and seductive that few can resist her mermaid charms. The men who are drawn into their web include respectable newspaper editor Dr. Ludwig Schön (Fritz Kortner), his music producer son Alwa (Franz Lederer), circus artist Rodrigo Quast (Krafft-Raschig) and old friend by Lulu, Schigolch (Carl Goetz). When Lulu’s charms inevitably lead to tragedy, the downward spiral engulfs them all.”
6) FIVE FINGERS OF DEATH (1972)
One classic of martial arts, “Five Fingers of Death”, directed by Chang-hwa Jeong, features Lieh Lo, Ping Wang, Hsiung Chao, Chin-Feng Wang, Feng Tien, among others.
A cult film within the genre that achieved an 86% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Matt Brunson from Film Frenzyhe writes, “the film that started the whole kung fu craze in the United States.”
5) HIS GIRL FRIDAY (1940)
Quentin Tarantino and Clint Eastwood put this film as one of your favorites. And with good reason. This romantic comedy is so great thanks to the perfect pair – Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell. The story is top notch, but without these two actors it would never have had the success it had.
With 99% on review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Matt Brunson, from Film Frenzyhe writes, “one of the best films of all time – if one chooses to place a comedy in a time capsule to be analyzed by 25th century historians, this might well be it.”
4) TAXI DRIVER (1976)
It is almost mandatory to have a Martin Scorsese film on any best films list, a director whose filmography is full of masterpieces – “All Good Guys” (nineteen ninety), “Taxi Driver” (1976), “the wolf of Wall Street” (2013), “The Irishman” (2019), “Shutter Island” (2010), and now “Flower Moon Assassins” (2023).
In this particular work we follow Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro) a war veteran who is fed up with the corruption he sees around him. Despite his questionable way of life he decides to help a young prostitute (Jodie Foster) in trouble.
3) BLOW OUT (1981)
“Jack Terry is a sound designer and is used to different types of sounds, but one in particular changes his life. He records a compromising shot and ends up becoming the target of the assassin of a presidential candidate”, can be read in the official synopsis.
This film performed poorly at the box office but is one of Brian De Palma’s best films. On Rotten Tomatoes, Kevin Maher from TIMES (UK)he writes, “a film in horrora paranoid political drama and a serial killer movie all at the same time.”
2) RIO BRAVO (1959)
One of the best westerns in the history of cinema, “Rio Bravo”, by Howard Hawks reached second place on Quentin Tarantino’s list. With the legendary John Wayne in the lead role, this film tells the “story of a sheriff’s almost solitary resistance against the arrogance of a powerful rancher.”
1) THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY (1966)
Just reading the title of this film already echoes in your head the incredible soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. This film is part of “The Dollars Trilogy”, and of the three films, it is the best known.
According to the official synopsis, “during the American civil war, three men are looking for a box with 200 thousand stolen dollars. One of them, Setenza (the Bad), kills two men and a boy with the aim of locating the money. On the other hand, Joe (the Good) and Tuco (the Villain) are partners in the scam. After a failed coup, they separate. However, they cross paths again and, when Tuco is preparing to finally abandon Joe in the desert, they find a dying soldier who ruins their plans. The soldier reveals to the Villain the location of the 200 thousand dollars: in a cemetery. However, only the Good One confesses in which grave the hidden treasure is found. The two men are thus forced to join forces once again and after several adventures and some attempts at betrayal, they arrive at the cemetery, where Evil awaits them.”
Have you seen these films? Do you agree with the director’s opinion?
