|
|
It really is the height of folly for a lone film enthusiast to
attempt to compile a list of
"the top French films of all time", since any such list
will inevitably be totally skewed by the taste, memory
and psychological makeup of the compiler.
A well-adjusted machine with
infinite eclecticism, perfect memory and no inbuilt-bias
might perhaps yield something of some value, but such
a machine has yet to be built, and who's to say that a
computer cannot have personal taste and deep-seated psychological hang-ups?
Yes, it is of course a pretty pointless exercise, this
list compiling malarkey, and the end result is either
something that is totally predictable or so insane that you
risk ostracism for the rest of your life.
In fact the only legitimate (?) reason for doing so would be
to fill a problematic slot in the TV schedule, in which case
every film in your list must have been made in
Hollywood, most preferably in the last five years, and with a
budget which is at least ten times the annual gross domestic
product of Belgium.
Anyway, in spite
of this (and because it's raining cats and dogs and I've
nothing better to do today other than paint the skirting board and
bury the remains of the mother-in-law under the patio), here is the official
Films de France Top Twenty French Films Of All Time (well,
excluding those that have yet to be made, those that have been
lost through the ravages of time, and all those I've forgotten about)...
|
|
|
|
|
Henri-Georges Clouzot (1955) |
|
20
|
|
|
An extraordinarily compelling suspense thriller which, with its chillingly
macabre murder scene and nerve-shattering climax, remains a popular classic of
French cinema. It may start out slow, but by the end of it you'll be on the edge
of your seat, scarcely daring to blink. Non-blinking spectators may just catch
the popular actor/rock-singer Johnny Hallyday make his (brief) film debut...
|
|
19
|
|
|
Atmosphere, atmosphere... For many, this bleak work from the great Carné-Prévert team
represents the apotheosis of poetic realism. There's not much room for light relief in this
grim portrayal of personal despair and revenge, other than some
sparkling repartee between the incomparable Arletty and Louis Jouvet.
|
|
18
|
|
|
Banned by the French authorities for being too depressing, Pépé
le Moko is now regarded as a masterpiece, a perfect blend of poetic
realism and film noir thriller, set in the Algerian Casbah. Directed by Julien
Duvivier and starring Jean Gabin, the film epitomises French cinema of the
late 1930s, reflecting a wider mood of pessimism in the years that preceded World War II.
|
|
17
|
|
|
This enchanting masterpiece of fantasy realism, set in a surreal fairytale world which
has itself become the stuff of legends, combines literary and visual poetry,
making this one of the most distinctive and memorable of French film classics.
|
|
16
|
|
|
This simple tale of love lost and regained has, despite its unfortunate history,
acquired the status of a classic. Vigo's last film, its enduring
appeal stems from its profound humanity, some daring photography and a
remarkable performance from Michel Simon.
|
|
|
Henri-Georges Clouzot (1953) |
|
15
|
|
|
H.G. Clouzot's best film out-does Hitchcock at almost every level, making this one of
the greatest suspense thrillers of all time. The film, which stars
a very young Yves Montand, has a sustained
dramatic intensity which makes it a truly exhausting and harrowing
cinematic experience.
|
|
|
Jean-Pierre
Melville (1970) |
|
14
|
|
|
The greatest film policier of them all is this slick heist movie from Jean-Pierre
Melville, the undisputed master of the genre. In this bleak existentialist homage to American film noir,
criminal masterminds played by Alain Delon and
Yves Montand are up against no less a figure than Bourvil - yes, the great comic actor who
is remembered for a song about pencils...
|
|
13
|
|
|
Money destroys all... Framed by lavish art deco sets, Marcel L'Herbier's
monumental adaptation of Emile Zola's novel provides cinema's most powerful
condemnation of the world of high finance. Richly artistic and
dramatically intense - thanks to some great cinematography and stunning acting
performances - this film marked the technical highpoint of silent French cinema.
|
|
12
|
|
|
Jean Cocteau's hauntingly surreal re-telling of the famous Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydic is
a visually stunning masterpiece, memorable for its bizarre representation
of Hell and Maria Casarès in the role of the seductive ice princess Death.
Some of the imagery has passed into film legend and has become the stuff of
our collective nightmares.
|
|
11
|
|
|
Possibly the greatest comedy in French cinema is this silent masterpiece from
René Clair. Based on a popular stage play by Labiche, the film is
replete with visual jokes and outrageous comic situations that will have you in
stitches.
|
|
10
|
|
|
Legendary actors Jean Gabin, Pierre Fresnay and Erich von Stroheim star in this
monumental anti-war film from director Jean Renoir. Made on the eve of
War II, the film pours scorn on the artificial barriers that divide
human beings from one another. Such egalitarianism was not for the Nazis, so
they attempted to obliterate the film. They failed.
|
|
9
|
|
|
This enduring masterpiece from François Truffaut
involves an explosive love triangle which captures fully the
director's humanity and morbid passion for life. Beautifully
filmed, sublimely acted, this landmark of the French New Wave features Jeanne
Moreau in arguably her best screen role.
|
|
8
|
|
|
Alain Resnais' solemn meditation on the Holocaust offers both a harrowing historical
record of the worst attrocity in human history and also a grim warning
to future generations. Although a short film, it leaves an indelible impression
on the spectator. A work of unparalleled humanity.
|
|
7
|
|
|
The film that established Truffaut as a director is this moving portrayal of
childhood rejection and rebellion, based on Truffaut's own experiences
as a child. It was the first in a series of five films charting
the life of Truffaut's alter ego, Antoine Doinel, played by the magnificent Jean-Pierre Léaud.
|
|
6
|
|
|
The one French film that will make you cry. With an unforgettable score from
Michel Legrand, this achingly poignant love story is masterfully composed by
New Wave director Jacques Demy, and features a fresh young actress named Catherine Deneuve.
|
|
5
|
|
|
Jean-Luc Godard vents his dissatisfaction with commercial
film making whilst simultaneously composing a harrowingly
melancholic story of ennui and collapsing relationships. Cinematographer
Raoul Coutard's work is unsurpassed, making this Godard's most
visually alluring film. And Brigitte Bardot gives the best performance of
her career.
|
|
|
Carl Theodor Dreyer (1928) |
|
4
|
|
|
Only Carl Dreyer's silent film manages to convey the emotional power
of Joan of Arc's martyrdom. Through minimalist yet hugely
effective photography, the film tells a story of betrayal and atonement
which cannot leave its spectator unmoved. A beautifully poetic and
haunting work.
|
|
3
|
|
|
The crowning glory of the fruitful partnership of
director Marcel Carné and writer Jacques Prévert,
the standard bearers of poetic realism. A powerful story of
ambition and unrequited love, involving colourful theatre folk and
one of France's most notorious criminals. The faultless
cinematography is surpassed only by the acting, which includes
unforgettable contributions from Arletty, Pierre Brasseur and Jean-Louis Barrault.
|
|
2
|
|
|
Every element of Jean Renoir's cinema is represented in this, his greatest,
most compelling film. Dramatic intrigue flirts shamelessly with
unbridled farce to make the most spectacularly devastating satire on the
French social hierarchy. No wonder the
bourgeois elite hated it.
|
|
1
|
|
|
In his six-hour silent epic about the early life of Napoléon Bonaparte, director
Abel Gance pushed film-making technology of the 1920s to its absolute limit.
The result: one of the most visually stunning and remarkable films in history,
an extraordinary tribute to one of France's greatest historical figures.
"Masterpiece" is too small a word to describe this work of creative genius.
|
Browse books and DVDs on French cinema...
|
|
|
|
