Mark Ruffalo’s favourite movie of all time
Mark Ruffalo‘s filmography is remarkably diverse and dynamic. In his latest role for Poor Things, he portrays a debaucherous lawyer on a mission to corrupt. Throughout his career, he has showcased his versatility by excelling in comedy, drama, and action genres. Therefore, when pondering his favourite film, it could easily belong to any genre, given his proficiency across various cinematic landscapes.
Few actors have managed to successfully navigate a career as varied as Ruffalo’s. In movies like 13 Going On 30 and Just Like Heaven, he proved his romantic leading man potential. When he joined the Marvel Cinematic Universe, he became a key name in the action world, while roles in films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Shutter Island showed his seriousness.
His own film taste is just as eclectic, too. When asked by Letterboxd for a selection of his favourite films, Ruffalo’s choices varied from the iconic 1960 Federico Fellini film La Dolce Vita through to Yorgos Lanthimos’ strange 2018 period drama The Favourite.
His all-time favourite film, however, leans into real drama over emotional drama. “I’d probably say On The Waterfront,” Ruffalo said, selecting the 1954 crime classic.
The movie played a vital role in making Marlon Brando a star. After his breakout in films like A Streetcar Named Desire and Julius Caesar, On The Waterfront solidified his position as Hollywood’s new obsession. For Ruffalo, it takes the cake as the actor’s finest work, stating, “It’s [Marlon] Brando at… his all-time best.”
As a sum of incredible parts, his love for the film also comes down to the director, as he added, “It’s Elia Kazan, who is one of the all-time great directors”. Kazan is widely regarded as one of the greatest directors in history and he also played a major role in bringing Brando to the world’s attention after casting him in the Broadway production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Kazan was also one of the first people to cast the likes of James Dean and Warren Beatty, proving he had a real eye for new talent.
For On The Waterfront, Kazan and Brando worked together for the fourth time, already being a wildly successful duo. The coming together of these two legends, mixed with a great story, makes the film so incredible to Ruffalo. “It’s Elia Kazan, who is one of the all-time great directors. And it’s just the perfect mix of great storytelling, social commentary and great acting,” he said.
But more than just a good old movie, the actor thinks it’s still a vital watch today, adding, “It’s political and still relevant.” The film deals with corruption, power and exploitation of the working man. “Those themes are still happening today. It’s universal,” Ruffalo continued.
While this wasn’t Kazan or Brando’s first film, to Ruffalo, it stands out as an important one. As an actor who also came up on stage before moving to the screen and having covered many bases in terms of genre and style, he believes the film is a triumph of storytelling regardless of form. “Coming from the theater, to tell those kind of stories in film, is what’s really exciting to me,” he concludes on his favourite movie.
