Without a doubt, the director of Reserve dogs, Violent times and Django Unchained He is one of those personalities who not only amazes with his fascinating and original filmography, but also with his vast knowledge of films. Some will say that he is a walking encyclopedia and the passion and confidence with which he talks about countless feature films—even the most forgotten ones—attest to his colossal cinephilia. so when Quentin Tarantino Write a list of what you consider the best films in history (like the one published in 2022 by the magazine Sight & Sound) you absolutely have to pay attention.
Discover below the twelve films that Quentin Tarantino considers the best ever made, a large part of which corresponds to the 1970s.
love fast (His Girl FridayDir. Howard Hawks, 1940)
Upon discovering that his best reporter (and ex-wife) has re-engaged, a desperate newspaper editor suggests that they cover one last story together before the wedding, hoping to win her heart again in the process. It is a hilarious comedy that is not surprising that Tarantino has come to consider the best film seen during his youth, full of improvisation but above all, fast dialogue and full of spontaneity.
The big escape (Dir. John Sturges, 1963)
In this superb example of war cinema, acclaimed for its cast and action sequences, soldiers of the Allied Forces set out to escape from a German prison camp during World War II. It is curious that Tarantino’s love for this feature film has led him to recreate one of his most memorable scenes in once upon a time in hollywoodwhere he imagines the fictional Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) as the star, instead of Steve McQueen.
the good, the bad and the ugly (Dir. Sergio Leone, 1966)
This revered classic of the Old West is about three rival gunslingers who set out to overcome every obstacle (including the ruthless desert and brutal civil war) in order to find a hidden treasure that only they know exists. Some time ago, Tarantino called this spaghetti western the greatest cinematic achievement in history. The fact that a large part of his films include confrontations of the type mexican standoff It is precisely due to the influence of Sergio Leone.
Dear Professor (Dir. Roger Vadim, 1971)
A mix of black humor, sexual comedy and mystery, this uncomfortable feature film narrates the macabre events around a high school where several students begin to be stalked by an enigmatic serial killer. It is one of the countless exploitation films that emerged in the 70s, this being a subgenre honored by Tarantino in his film Death Proofwhere a group of women are also threatened by a homicidal maniac.
Shark (Dir. Steven Spileberg, 1975)
In 2022, Tarantino stated in an interview with ReelBlend that Shark It was the best movie ever made, not in the sense of high art, but in terms of spectacle. And it was certainly thanks to this blockbuster feature film that Steven Spielberg came to lay the foundations for what we today classify as blockbuster summer; in this case, telling us the story of three intrepid sailors tasked with hunting a dangerous shark that threatens the tourists of Amity Island.
You might also be interested in: How to change the world… with a shark that doesn’t work
Apocalypse now (Dir. Francis Ford Coppola, 1976)
Winner of the Palme d’Or at Cannes, this magnum opus of war cinema contains dialogues and scenes today considered among the most emblematic of the seventh art. On the other hand, apart from the praise that Tarantino dedicates to this film set in the Vietnam War, the filmmaker has also said that the extended version of Apocalypse now It allowed him to see that sometimes it is better to delete material so as not to affect the rhythm of the story; knowledge that years ago helped him to realize Kill Bill.
Carrie (Dir. Brian De Palma, 1976)
What was the first film adaptation of a Stephen King novel is also the one that Tarantino holds in highest esteem. His appreciation for this horror film is palpable even in the director’s own style: violent and with seas of blood that soak the faces of his characters. Until the climax scene of Inglorious Bastards visually evokes the Carriewhere a group of students and teachers will pay for the abuse suffered by a deranged teenager with telekinetic powers.
You might also be interested in: Carrie: Why is it a classic?
The gang of rogues (Dir. Michael Ritchie, 1976)
The plot of this sports comedy revolves around a retired alcoholic baseball player who becomes the coach of a team of misfit children seeking to excel in a highly competitive youth league. At the time, this film was a tremendous box office success and, in Tarantino’s eyes, it is one of the titles that his generation – the one that grew up in the 70s with a huge attachment to cinema and television – talked about endlessly. .
Taxi Driver (Dir. Martin Scorsese, 1976)
More than a decade ago, Tarantino described this acclaimed psychological thriller as “the best character study ever committed to film.” To the center of Taxi Driver We have Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a taciturn taxi driver from New York City who is slowly heading down a path of violence in the face of the decadence and broken morals that surround him. Tarantino has stated that he was inspired by this memorable character to write the protagonist of The Movie Critichis next film.
cursed load (Dir. William Friedkin, 1977)
Despite initial negative reviews and disastrous box office performance, cursed load It has been favorably revalued until today it reaches the status of a masterpiece. The story follows four fugitives from the law who meet in South America with the mission of transporting highly explosive material. The sequence in which cargo trucks must cross an unstable suspension bridge is described by Tarantino as “one of the best suspenseful moments in cinema”.
Rolling Thunder (Dir. John Flynn, 1977)
Written by Paul Schrader (same screenwriter of Taxi Driver), this film narrates the tragic return home of a decorated soldier in Vietnam, who despite being far from the war, becomes the victim of an atrocious criminal act. Tarantino remembers Rolling Thunder with particular enthusiasm because it was the film responsible for him beginning to take himself more seriously as a film critic. “I felt like it was a film that I had discovered and that other people didn’t know,” said the director at Cannes 2023.
Rebellious and confused (Dir. Richard Linklater, 1993)
“It’s my favorite movie of the ’90s,” Tarantino said a decade ago, within the framework of the 20th anniversary of the release of this comedy. coming of age about a group of teenagers about to finish high school in a small Texas community. The film does not have any central conflict and rather brings together a set of subplots that illustrate the lifestyle of these young people, whom Tarantino has come to consider his own friends.
Antonio G. Spindola I have very bad memory. Out of solidarity with my memories, I choose to get lost too. Preferably, in a movie theater.