Sofia Coppola selects the most visually stunning movies of all time
Despite being one of modern cinema’s most established filmmakers, Sofia Coppola has routinely been criticised for her preoccupation with aesthetics. Many critics, typically male, have attempted to argue that Coppola’s movies are all style and no substance – completely disregarding the director’s sharp focus on the female experience, drawing on themes such as isolation, depression and the male gaze.
Directors such as Wes Anderson have been largely praised for having a distinctive, highly stylised aesthetic, rarely receiving the same levels of criticism as Coppola. Yet, due to Coppola’s fascination with ultra-feminine aesthetics, decorating her films in pastel hues and floral fabrics, her movies have often been labelled as “shallow”, “frivolous”, and “surface-level”.
However, Coppola’s use of aesthetics goes hand in hand with the thematic material of her work, creating rich, girlish worlds to fully immerse us in the minds of her characters. Possessing a strong eye for powerful, evocative visuals is key to making a good film, and Coppola has been influenced by some aesthetically unforgettable movies while crafting her own body of work.
Speaking to A.Frame, Coppola picked out five visually striking movies she loves dearly, which undoubtedly influenced her approach to creating an identifiable cinematic visual world. Her first pick was Wong Kar-Wai’s In The Mood For Love, a powerful romantic drama starring Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung. She commented, “You can’t take your eyes off every beautiful frame of this poetic, romantic film.”
She selected Luchino Visconti’s The Leopard, based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel of the same name. Released in 1963, the movie is set in the mid-19th century and features plenty of decadent sets. Coppola described the film as “Epic grandeur,” adding, “I love the ball scene—seeing it on a big screen is so unforgettable!”
Another 1960s number comes in the form of La Notte by Michaelangelo Antonioni, also known for movies such as Blow-Up and L’Avventura. The movie remains one of his most revered, and its stunning black-and-white photography makes it one of his most visually impressive. Coppola called La Notte “a great looking film,” adding, “I love the party scene and the Jean Moreau scene in the car in the rain.”
Coppola is also a fan of Alan J. Pakula’s political drama All The President’s Men, which was released in 1976. The movie charts the Watergate Scandal, with Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman in leading roles. She described the film as “a classic of this genre”.
She continued, “It has the best sets, lighting that has been emulated over and over and compelling visual storytelling.”
Finally, a more recent selection arrives with the 2017 documentary Jane, a movie about anthropologist Jane Goodall. Directed by Brett Morgan, the movie was widely praised, with Coppola calling it “Beautiful and inspiring ’70s photography of Jane Goodall discovering Africa.”
Sofia Coppola’s most visually stunning films:
- In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai, 2000)
- The Leopard (Luchino Visconti, 1963)
- La Notte (Michelangelo Antonioni, 1961)
- All The President’s Men (Alan J. Pakula, 1976)
- Jane (Brett Morgan, 2017)
