Jon Towlson

Film critic and author
UK

Voted for

FilmYearDirector
Roma città aperta1945Roberto Rossellini
L' Âge d'or1930Luis Buñuel
Meshes of the Afternoon1943Maya Deren, Alexander Hackenschmied
Mirror1975Andrei Tarkovsky
L'Atalante1934Jean Vigo
Don't Look Now1973Nicolas Roeg
The Spirit of the Beehive1973Víctor Erice
Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans1927F.W. Murnau
The Searchers1956John Ford
The Gospel According to St. Matthew1964Pier Paolo Pasolini

Comments

Roma città aperta

1945 Italy

Vanguard film of neo-realist movement that influenced filmmakers internationally; deserves recognition as such alongside Bicycle Thieves.

L' Âge d'or

1930 France

Largely overshadowed by Un Chien Andalu as a surrealist film but equally subversive and sustained.

Meshes of the Afternoon

1943 USA

Archetypal psychodrama that continues to influence filmmakers, a timeless piece.

Mirror

1975 USSR

Unique film memoir and dream poem, reflects the world in a raindrop.

L'Atalante

1934 France

Has a freshness and immediacy that never seems to fade.

Don't Look Now

1973 United Kingdom, Italy

Comes as close as any to ideal of film as transference of thought.

The Spirit of the Beehive

1973 Spain

Masterful evocation of time and place, of childhood perception, and of how cinema shapes our view of the world.

Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans

1927 USA

The apogee of silent cinema as an expressive medium.

The Searchers

1956 USA

Perhaps the first, and greatest, revisionist Western.

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

1964 Italy, France

Destroys the commonplace in reimagining the greatest story ever told using amateur actors and a beautiful soul music score.

Further remarks

Very honored to take part in this poll. Thank you for inviting me to participate.