Ian Aitken

Comments

Vertigo

The apex of Hitchcock's career, in which his characteristic themes find their most subtle form of expression. There are moments of sublime cinema in this film, often emphasised by moving camerawork, and the outstanding musical score.

La Règle du jeu

On the surface, a slight comedy of manners, and yet considered so dangerous that it was banned by the French government of the day. Renoir's film shows a morally bankrupt ruling class leading France into slaughter in the forthcoming Second World War. No more devastatingly ironic and subtle critique of wealth, power and privilege has ever been made. A great film by a committed activist film-maker.

Battleship Potemkin

A truly revolutionary film, at the level of both form and content. When it emerged in 1925, this film transformed cinema, placing film squarely amidst the high arts, rather than just amidst the commercial arena. No other film in the history of the cinema has had such a revolutionary impact.

Tokyo Story

Ozu's most important film, and the apogee of his realist film-making

M

Lang's most important film

The Godfather

Coppola's best film

The Searchers

The most important western film

Seven Samurai

Kurosawa's most important film, and he is also perhaps the most important director

Rashomon

Kurosawa's groundbreaking, modernist, relativist film

The Birds

The most important horror film.