Alan Arkin’s 10 favourite movies of all time
Among the most beloved actors of his generation, Alan Arkin was a true Hollywood treasure whose brilliant filmography speaks for itself. In an oeuvre that spanned multiple decades, Arkin collaborated with different generations of artists, such as Peter Falk in The In-Laws and Steve Carell in Little Miss Sunshine. His longevity and versatility contributed to his status as an unfailingly dependable performer within the industry.
During an interview, Arkin was once questioned about the cinematic masterpieces that shaped his own artistic sensibilities and his views on the craft that defined a significant portion of his life. Demonstrating an eclectic taste in movies and a deep knowledge of the diverse traditions of world cinema, the veteran actor cited household names like Charlie Chaplin while also acknowledging the brilliance of lesser-known gems such as Charles Laughton.
Beginning with Jean Renoir’s The Rules of the Game, Arkin said: “All the characters in this film, as in most of his films, are specific and memorable — and Renoir’s vision of life is never pat: he can go from farce to tragedy in a moment, seamlessly, and all the while managing to be above the emotional content of his films. Understanding of it, compassionate towards his characters, but fearlessly above it. In addition, his staging, both of the actors and in the camera work, is breathtakingly imaginative.”
Including Federico Fellini’s 1960 work, the actor claimed: “When La dolce vita first came out, I felt that it was the most visually stunning and provocative film I had ever seen. It remains a jaw-dropping high-wire act, constantly stunning us with its energy, its imagination, its movement, its surprises — in both story and imagery — its wit, the brilliance of its camerawork, costumes, and music, with an endless parade of memorable characters.”
Arkin also named Akira Kurosawa as a major influence: “Whenever I watch Seven Samurai, I am immediately transported to sixteenth-century Japan. No analysis is possible, no appreciation of performance, direction, camera work, music. Somehow, I’m left feeling that miraculously, Kurosawa found a way to dig up a 400-year-old Japanese documentary. It’s a film completely devoid of artifice or ego. I have seen many of the actors in other films, but I always feel as if they’ve made some mistake, that their true identity lies in Seven Samurai.“
Check out the full list below.
Alan Arkin’s 10 favourite movies:
- The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
- La dolce vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
- Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
- Gomorrah (Matteo Garrone, 2008)
- The Night of the Hunter (Charles Laughton, 1955)
- The Wages of Fear (Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1953)
- The Horse’s Mouth (Ronald Neame, 1958)
- The Grand Illusion (Jean Renoir, 1937)
- The Great Dictator (Charlie Chaplin, 1940)
- Sullivan’s Travels (Preston Sturges, 1941)
With seminal works by acclaimed directors such as Henri-Georges Clouzot, Arkin’s selection is a great way for fans to understand more about the late actor’s cinematic preferences. One movie that Arkin always turned to during a professional crisis was Preston Sturger’s Sullivan’s Travels, one of the greatest examinations of the Hollywood apparatus and an artist’s role within it.
The actor revealed: “Sturges’s improbable, implausible, yet completely believable fairy tale about Hollywood, about filmmaking, in all of its nonsense and its life-changing glory. Sturges digs deep into farce but on the way, finds something deeply thoughtful and moving. It’s the film I turn to whenever I think my career is devoid of meaning.”
