Johnny Depp’s favourite Johnny Depp movie
The ebb and flow of Johnny Depp‘s storied career in cinema have left an indelible mark on film aficionados around the globe.
Commanding the screen with roles ranging from the charismatic Captain Jack Sparrow to the eccentric Mad Hatter, Depp’s talent for metamorphosis is unparalleled. However, like the multifaceted characters he embodies, Depp’s off-screen life has seen its share of highs and lows, with the intensely publicised legal challenges involving ex-wife Amber Heard casting something of a shadow over his contributions to cinema.
Despite these off-screen challenges, Depp’s passion for cinema remains unbridled, and his choice of personal favourite often reveals more than just cinematic preferences – it unveils a deep-seated respect for a kindred spirit. For Depp, amid all his blockbusters, one black-and-white biographical film stands out, showcasing his deepest affection for both the director he was collaborating with and the character he was portraying.
In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly, where Depp provided a selection of his favourite films of all time, he inadvertently named his favourite film he’d ever been in: Tim Burton’s Ed Wood. “Despite my involvement,” he began, reminiscing, “This movie is a tender, comic gem”.
Touching upon his partnership with Tim Burton, whom he’s worked with on a dozen projects, Depp revealed that their creative collaboration was deeply personal. With Burton, he shared “an almost brotherly sensibility”, making their venture into the life of 1950s B-movie director Edward D. Wood Jr something of a transformative experience.
Half biographical recounting and half homage to Wood’s style, 1994’s Ed Wood showcased one man’s relentless optimism amidst countless setbacks. Complementing the ensemble cast, Depp highlighted, “An amazing cast to work alongside in Martin Landau, Bill Murray, et al.”
Landau, in particular, was highly praised for his moving portrayal of Hungarian horror legend Bela Lugosi. Their collective effort was underpinned by a freedom that Depp obviously cherished and hinted at being rare: “With the artistic freedom we had, Tim Burton produced an American classic.”
Although its status as a classic is perhaps not a widely held conviction, it certainly stands out in both Depp and Burton’s catalogues. Marrying a trademark style that they’d forged some years earlier with Edward Scissorhands, this playful and hypnotic biopic both revelled in the sheer silliness of the films that Wood made whilst also paying the utmost respect to one of the most overlooked underdogs in cinema.
During the 1950s, Wood produced several outlandish, zero-budget pictures, most notably Plan 9 From Out of Space. Towards the end of the century, however, Wood, unfortunately, gravitated further and further towards more lurid and crass material, eventually making outright sexploitation and pornographic movies, with titles like Orgy of the Dead and 1971’s Necromania.
Nevertheless, it’s easy to see how his early work resonated with Burton. In Depp’s words, Ed Wood was “A love letter to a filmmaker that didn’t receive many”.
