Alejandro González Iñárritu’s 10 favourite films of all time
At a time when the commercialisation of cinema is a concern for many, Mexican auteur Alejandro G. Iñárritu should definitely be seen as one of its few remaining defenders. Although his films have often split public opinion, Iñárritu has always remained true to his own vision of cinema. Last year, he managed to polarise critics and audiences once again with his latest directorial effort Bardo – a sprawling semi-autobiographical epic about immigration and the creative process.
While many viewers labelled it as “self-indulgent”, that self-indulgence has always been one of the key creative weapons in Iñárritu’s arsenal. Featuring surreal symbolism, a gorgeous visual style and an incredibly transgressive dialogue with the violent history of colonialism, Bardo is one of those rare masterpieces that threatens to consume the audience with its unimaginable scope. The film might have been committed from several lists, but it’s undoubtedly one of the most striking features of 2022.
Last year also saw the publication of the highly anticipated BFI Sight and Sound poll. Alongside many prominent filmmakers, Iñárritu was also invited to submit his selection of the ten greatest cinematic masterpieces of all time. The filmmaker began by citing Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev: “There is a luminous duality coexisting in every frame of this film. The beauty and hardships of the physical world and the spiritual meaning in the interior life of Rublev.”
While commenting on the greatness of French auteur Jacques Tati and his prescient vision, Iñárritu included Playtime in his list of favourites. He noted: “Tati saw the world 50 years ahead of his time and he commented on it. Sonically and visually, each little detail on every single frame of this massive scale film is obsessive and elegantly clever. Tati’s unique timing and blocking made something precise and controlled extremely funny.”
Another gem by the great Ingmar Bergman also found a place on Iñárritu’s list. The director acknowledged his admiration for the magical gem that is Bergman’s Persona: “From the opening credits to Bibi Andersson’s sexual monologue to how Liv Ullmann looks at the camera or how each silent moment is light, framed, sober and perfect, you know you are witnessing greatness. This is a walk in the mind of Bergman.”
Check out the list below.
Alejandro González Iñárritu’s favourite films:
- Andrei Rublev (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1966)
- The Tree of Wooden Clogs (Ermanno Olmi, 1978)
- You, the Living (Roy Andersson, 2007)
- L’Avventura (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1960)
- Ordet (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1955)
- Playtime (Jacques Tati, 1967)
- Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)
- Le Mepris (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel, 1972)
- La dolce vita (Federico Fellini, 1960)
Iñárritu’s selection is unerringly solid, featuring the works of true masters such as Michelangelo Antonioni, Jean-Luc Godard and Luis Buñuel, among others. The revered auteur ended his list with Federico Fellini’s 1960 opus La dolce vita, one of the greatest European cinematic achievements of the 20th century.
While talking about his personal relationship with Fellini’s work, the filmmaker revealed: “When I first saw this film, I was very young, and I will never forget my shock when Marcello finds out about Steiner’s tragic end: it changed something in me. The way Fellini navigates through the surface of the world while illuminating its darkest depths is superb.”
