Without a doubt, the director of Reserve dogs, Violent times And Inglorious bastards He is one of those personalities who amaze not only with his fascinating and original filmography, but also with his extensive film knowledge. Some will say he is a walking encyclopedia, and the passion and confidence with which he speaks about countless feature films – even the most forgotten – is a testament to his colossal cinephilia. when then Quentin Tarantino writes a list of, in his opinion, the best films in history (like the one published by the magazine in 2022 Image & Sound) you definitely have to be careful.
Below, discover the twelve films that Quentin Tarantino considers to be the best of all time, a large part of which come from the 1970s.
Love quickly (Director: Howard Hawks, 1940)
When he finds out that his best reporter (and ex-wife) has gotten engaged again, a desperate newspaper editor suggests they cover one last story together before the wedding, hoping to win her heart again. It’s a hilarious comedy, and it’s no surprise that Tarantino is considering it the best film he saw in his youthfull of improvisation, but above all with fast dialogues and full of spontaneity.
The Great Escape (Director: John Sturges, 1963)
In this great example of war cinema, celebrated for its cast and action sequences, Allied soldiers make their escape from a German prison camp during World War II. It is curious that Tarantino’s love for this feature film led him to recreate one of his most famous scenes 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 (Director: Sergio Leone, 1966)
This revered Wild West classic is about three rival gunslingers who set out to overcome every obstacle (including the ruthless desert and brutal civil war) to find a hidden treasure that only they know he exists. Some time ago Tarantino reviewed this Spaghetti Western as the greatest cinematic achievement in history. The fact that a large part of his films contain confrontations of this kind Mexican standoff It is precisely thanks to the influence of Sergio Leone.
Dear professor (Director: Roger Vadim, 1971)
A mix of dark humor, sexual comedy and mystery, this uncomfortable feature film chronicles the macabre events surrounding a high school where several students are stalked by an enigmatic serial killer. It is one of the countless exploitation films made in the 1970s, a subgenre that Tarantino honored in his film Proof of deathwhere a group of women are also threatened by a homicidal maniac.
Read more: The best films in history according to Quentin Tarantino.
Hai (Director: Steven Spileberg, 1975)
In 2022, Tarantino stated in an interview with ReelBlend The Hai It was the best film 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 laid the foundation for what we now call film Blockbusters Summer; In this case he tells us the story of three intrepid sailors who are tasked with hunting down 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 (Director: Francis Ford Coppola, 1976)
This major work of war cinema, which was awarded the Palme d’Or in Cannes, contains dialogues and scenes that are now among the most symbolic of the seventh art. On the other hand, in addition to the praise that Tarantino dedicated to this film set in the Vietnam War, the filmmaker also said that the extended version of Apocalypse now allowed him to see that sometimes It’s better to cut material as long as it doesn’t affect the pacing of the story.; Knowledge that helped him realize this years ago Kill Bill.
Carrie (Director: Brian De Palma, 1976)
What was the first film adaptation of a Stephen King novel is also the one that Tarantino holds in the highest regard. His appreciation for this horror film is even noticeable in the director’s own style: violent and with seas of blood drenching his characters’ faces. Until the climax scene of Inglorious bastards visually reminiscent of that Carriewhere a group of students and teachers must pay for the abuse of a mentally disturbed teenager with telekinetic powers.
You might also be interested in: Carrie: Why is it a classic?
The gang of villains (Director: Michael Ritchie, 1976)
The plot of this sports comedy revolves around a retired alcoholic baseball player who becomes the coach of a team of misfits seeking to excel in a highly competitive youth league. At the time, this film was a huge box office success and, in Tarantino’s eyes, one of the titles that his generation – which grew up in the 70s with a great attachment to cinema and television – talked about endlessly.
Read more: The best films in history according to Quentin Tarantino.
taxi driver (Director: Martin Scorsese, 1976)
More than a decade ago, Tarantino described this acclaimed psychological thriller as “the best character study ever put to film“. To the middle of taxi driver We have Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), a taciturn taxi driver from New York City who slowly takes a path of violence in the face of the decadence and broken morals that surround him. Tarantino has stated that he was inspired to write the protagonist by this memorable character The film critichis next film.
damn load (Director: William Friedkin, 1977)
Despite initial negative reviews and catastrophic box office results damn load It has been positively enhanced until it reaches the status of a masterpiece today. The story is about four fugitives from the law who meet in South America to transport highly explosive material. The order in which trucks must cross an unstable suspension bridge is described by Tarantino as “One of the best moments of suspense in cinema“.
Rolling thunder (Director: John Flynn, 1977)
Written by Paul Schrader (same screenwriter of taxi driver), this film tells the tragic homecoming of a highly decorated soldier in Vietnam who, despite being far from the war, falls victim to a gruesome crime. Tarantino remembers Rolling thunder with particular enthusiasm because it was the film that caused him to start taking 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 about”explained the director at Cannes 2023.
Rebellious and confused (Director: Richard Linklater, 1993)
“It’s my favorite film from the 90s” Tarantino remarked a decade ago as part of the 20th anniversary of the comedy’s release grow up about a group of teenagers in a small Texas community who are about to graduate from high school. The film does not have a central conflict, but rather brings together a series of subplots that illustrate the lifestyle of these young people, whom Tarantino has come to consider as his own friends.
