The greatest movies of the 1990s, according to Roger Ebert
Among the greatest contributors to the evolution of mainstream critical discourse around cinema, Roger Ebert changed the name of the game.
Using his unbridled passion for movies to champion important works and spread awareness about underappreciated auteurs, Ebert’s writings are still religiously read by fans all over the world. That’s exactly why many legendary auteurs like Martin Scorsese and Werner Herzog always acknowledge Ebert’s immense legacy.
Ebert is one of the defining artists of the critical landscape. He is perhaps the greatest reason why a few more attacks should be created against critics. His ability to not only accurately define a movie but do so with artistic flair is about as good as it gets
While his insightful critiques of individual cinematic projects still pique the interest of cinephiles, one of the major draws will always be his carefully curated “best of” and “worst of” lists. As someone who was at the centre of the contemporary cinematic landscape, Ebert’s understanding of cultural undercurrents was second to none. This is exemplified in his selection of the greatest movies of the 1990s, posthumously published on his website.
Including Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List in his round-up, Ebert wrote: “He depicts the evil of the Holocaust, and he tells an incredible story of how it was robbed of some of its intended victims. He does so without the tricks of his trade, the directorial and dramatic contrivances that would inspire the usual melodramatic payoffs. Spielberg is not visible in this film. But his restraint and passion are present in every shot.”
The late critic also praised the Coen brothers for their brilliant sense of humour in Fargo: “The screenplay is by Ethan and Joel Coen (Joel directed, Ethan produced), and although I have no doubt that events something like this really did take place in Minnesota in 1987, they have elevated reality into a human comedy – into the kind of movie that makes us hug ourselves with the way it pulls off one improbable scene after another. Films like Fargo are why I love the movies.”
While there are many masterpieces on this list, he gave the top spot to the dizzyingly powerful documentary Hoop Dreams: “Many filmgoers are reluctant to see documentaries, for reasons I’ve never understood; the good ones are frequently more absorbing and entertaining than fiction. Hoop Dreams, however, is not only a documentary. It is also poetry and prose, muckraking and exposé, journalism and polemic. It is one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime.”
Citing other acclaimed works such as Spike Lee’s potent 1992 biopic about Malcolm X as well as Quentin Tarantino’s transgressive 1994 gem Pulp Fiction, Ebert’s selection is a definitive look at some of the decade’s greatest cinematic achievements. While it doesn’t contain a lot of foreign films, it would be hard to dispute most of these entries.
While explaining the brilliance of Lars von Trier’s 1996 work Breaking the Waves, Ebert wrote: “The film contains many surprising revelations, including a cosmic one at the end, which I will leave you to discover for yourself. It has the kind of raw power, the kind of unshielded regard for the force of good and evil in the world that we want to shy away from.”
The best movies of a single decade are perhaps always incredibly difficult to firmly nail down. But if there is one man who is capable of bringing you perhaps the defining list of movies to watch from the 1990s, then it is Ebert.
Check out the full list below.
Roger Ebert’s favourite movies of the 1990s:
- Hoop Dreams (Steve James, 1994)
- Pulp Fiction (Quentin Tarantino, 1994)
- Goodfellas (Martin Scorsese, 1990)
- Fargo (Coen brothers, 1996)
- Three Colours Trilogy (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1993-1994)
- Schindler’s List (Steven Spielberg, 1993)
- Breaking the Waves (Lars von Trier, 1996)
- Leaving Las Vegas (Mike Figgis, 1995)
- Malcolm X (Spike Lee, 1992)
- JFK (Oliver Stone, 1991)
