Andrei Tarkovsky once named his favourite American film of all time
Andrei Tarkovsky is still regarded as one of the chief innovators of Soviet Cinema, having created a nearly flawless body of work before his tragic demise at the age of 54. Through timeless masterpieces such as Stalker and Solaris, Tarkovsky fashioned a new language of cinema with which he examined the fundamental truths about time and space.
Starting with Ivan’s Childhood, Tarkovsky made one masterpiece after another while attempting to grapple with heavy existential themes like spirituality and modernity. Although he disliked the genre frameworks of science-fiction, he changed the genre forever by reimagining it in Stalker as well as Solaris.
Tarkovsky’s metaphysical brand of cinema and his preference for long takes has been vastly influential in the emergence of new arthouse voices from all over the world. He was deeply moved by the works of a handful of filmmakers who were active during his lifetime, ranging from Akira Kurosawa to Robert Bresson.
During a conversation with film historian Leonid Kozlov, Tarkovsky revealed his favourite films of all time. Kozlov recalled: “It was at this point that I asked Tarkovsky if he would compile a list of his favourite ten or so films. He took my proposition very seriously and for a few minutes sat deep in thought with his head bent over a piece of paper.”
The selection contained multiple Japanese masterpieces by directors like Kurosawa, Kenji Mizoguchi and Hiroshi Teshigahara. Interestingly, it also included two films by Bresson – Mouchette and Diary of a Country Priest – and three by Ingmar Bergman – Winter Light, Wild Strawberries and Persona.
In Tarkovsky’s list of his favourite films, there was only one American entry, but it definitely deserves a spot on any such list. That film was none other than the 1931 masterpiece City Lights, one of Chaplin’s finest creations, where he stars as the Tramp and falls in love with a blind girl while trying to maintain a volatile friendship with a millionaire who has a serious drinking problem.
Kozlov added: “Then he began to write down a list of directors’ names—Buñuel, Mizoguchi, Bergman, Bresson, Kurosawa, Antonioni, Vigo. One more, Dreyer, followed after a pause. Next, he made a list of films and put them carefully in a numbered order. The list, it seemed, was ready, but suddenly and unexpectedly, Tarkovsky added another title—City Lights.”
