Errol Morris names the 10 greatest movies of all time
When we talk about the very best documentary filmmakers, the same old names come up time and time again: Werner Herzog, Michael Moore, and even Louis Theroux, but the director who has arguably impacted contemporary culture considerably is the eccentric American creative Errol Morris. Known for his quirky, vibrant style Morris has been an active filmmaker ever since his 1978 debut feature, Gates of Heaven.
Observing his subjects rather than integrating them, Morris allows the mystery of his subjects to take centre stage, revealing their inner persona to the camera with unparalleled ease and honesty. Indeed, whilst most of his films don’t play on a comedy angle, you’d be forgiven for believing that some, like his 1978 debut, were mockumentaries due to their larger-than-life character, influencing countless quirky genre-benders in the modern industry.
A decade after his debut and just one other TV movie, Vernon, Florida, Morris released his magnum opus, a documentary about police corruption that captured the minds of critics and audiences alike. It was an investigative study that revealed a convicted man was wrongfully accused; 1988’s The Thin Blue Line received acclaim across the world for its brave and bold storytelling.
Thanks to his contributions to the documentary field throughout the 20th century, Morris was called up to take part in the Sight and Sound poll of 2002, which invites the greatest filmmakers to name what they believe to be the best movies of all time.
Morris’s list included a great number of eccentric choices, such as the 1936 Jean Renoir movie The Crime of Monsieur Lange, Edgar G. Ulmer’s 1945 classic Detour and Human Desire by Austrian filmmaker Fritz Lang. In fact, there’s little in terms of commercial cinema, aside from one movie from the great American filmmaker Billy Wilder and another from Britain’s very best directing export.
Morris’ pick from Wilder’s filmography is the 1951 film Ace in the Hole, starring Kirk Douglas as Chuck Tatum, a frustrated journalist who exploits the small story of a man stuck in a cave in order to help his own career. Also starring Peter Hall, Jan Sterling and Robert Arthur, Wilder’s movie is recognised as a classic of mid-20th century cinema, being nominated for an Oscar for ‘Best Writing, Story and Screenplay’.
As for Alfred Hitchcock, Morris plays it safe with the horror classic Psycho from 1960, a film that arguably sparked the slasher movie obsession that festered in the following two decades. Undoubtedly, Hitchcock’s most famous film, Psycho, tells the story of a secretary who embezzles money and goes on the run, only to check into the Bates Motel and seal her terrifying fate.
Take a look at the full list of Errol Morris’ picks for the ten best movies of all time below.
Errol Morris picks the 10 greatest movies:
- Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)
- A Man Escaped (Robert Bresson, 1956)
- The Crime of Monsieur Lange (Jean Renoir, 1936)
- Detour (Edgar G. Ulmer, 1945)
- Human Desire (Fritz Lang, 1954)
- La prise de pouvoir par Louis XIV (Roberto Rossellini, 1966)
- Make Way for Tomorrow (Leo McCarey, 1937)
- Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)
- Stray Dog (Akira Kurosawa, 1949)
- There’s Always Tomorrow (Douglas Sirk, 1956)
