Wim Wenders names his five favourite movies of all time
Cinema changed significantly from the birth of the 20th century and right up until its final days on December 31st, 1999, when the world thought it would be blindsided by the millennium bug. The ‘golden age’ of Hollywood came and went, with the likes of John Wayne, James Stewart and Katherine Hepburn going with it, before cinema became exponentially more creatively expressive, taking on the visual language of global artists like Jean-Luc Godard, Chantal Akerman and Wim Wenders.
A key figure in the formation of New German Cinema in the 1960s onwards, Wenders came to the scene inspired by the road movies being made across the pond in America. The 1974 film Alice in the Cities was his first major contribution, with the director gaining considerable critical praise for his unique and intimate approach to the relationship between characters and their immediate environments.
Rarely putting a foot wrong, Wenders followed up his success with Wrong Move in 1975 and Kings of the Road in 1976 before letting his American influences be known with The American Friend, starring Dennis Hopper, in 1977. Indeed, his influence would end up having a knock-on effect on the up-and-coming American filmmakers, with Jim Jarmusch becoming heavily inspired by his style, even penning him a letter of thanks after watching 1984’s Paris, Texas,
Predictably, Wenders’ list of favourite movies is equally as eclectic, choosing a number of classics from across the globe while in conversation with A-Frame.
First on his list is undoubtedly a film that influenced his early career, Jean-Luc Godard’s Contempt. “It is an incredible film in scope and shows Godard at his best,” Wenders said of the celebrated classic, “It’s a heartbreaking film with Brigitte Bardot and Jack Palance. Telling the story of a screenwriter whose marriage disintegrates while he’s writing, Contempt has been championed for generations”.
We’ve already spoken about the fact that Jarmusch and Wenders had a great impact on each others’ careers, and the latter has honoured the American by choosing Down by Law as one of his all-time favourite movies. “He’s a genuine storyteller,” Wenders stated, “It’s profound, moving, and very intelligent, contemporary filmmaking. It’s a great example of the cinema of Jim Jarmusch”.
Third on his list is the 1958 Anthony Mann movie Man of the West, which tells the story of a reformed western outlaw who becomes stranded after a failed train robbery. Speaking about the underrated genre film, Wenders stated: “The first retrospective I saw was an American director called Anthony Mann, and the first film where I consciously understood how movies are made was a Western he made called Man of the West…I had this revelation while watching it”.
One of the finest and most adored filmmakers of the early 20th century was Howard Hawks, the western-lover who helmed some of the best movies of the time, including Rio Bravo and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. But, Wenders chose the 1939 film Only Angels Have Wings as his favourite, stating: “It’s a fantastic film. It’s all shot in the studio, and the airplanes are all flimsy, cut-out airplanes, but it’s one of the greatest adventure stories. And so funny. I love it”.
Last on his list is the 1939 Jean Renoir movie The Rules of the Game, starring Marcel Dalio and Nora Gregor. Considered one of the best examples of quality pre-war filmmaking, Wenders said of the film, “For me, it’s almost the ideal movie. It’s very funny, fluid, and has an incredible range of characters. It also has the premonition that war is in the air. Nobody knew that a World War was coming, but he anticipated it, and it is a totally amazing film”.
Wim Wenders’ favourite movies:
- Contempt (Jean-Luc Godard, 1963)
- Down by Law (Jim Jarmusch, 1986)
- Man of the West (Anthony Mann, 1958)
- Only Angels Have Wings (Howard Hawks, 1939)
- The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
