Johnnie To’s Top10
Prolific Hong Kong filmmaker Johnnie To has directed more than forty films, including Election, Exiled, and Mad Detective. His latest, Vengeance, is currently in some North American theaters, from IFC Films.
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1
Seven Samurai
Akira Kurosawa
The opening scene, with the horses, is one of the best ever. It always mesmerizes me.
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2
High and Low
Akira Kurosawa
It has a great setup, great characters, and a great theme. Kurosawa’s vision raised the film to another level.
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3
Straw Dogs
Sam Peckinpah
Sam Peckinpah and Dustin Hoffman at their best. The rape scene is horrific and haunting.
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4
Harakiri
Masaki Kobayashi
The first view of the sword sent chills through my spine.
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5
Le samouraï
Jean-Pierre Melville
This film gave birth to the cool hit man archetype.
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6
Le cercle rouge
Jean-Pierre Melville
It contains a Buddhist concept that is echoed in some of my own works. Here we see three heroes caught in a unique situation where their friendship matters more than anything else.
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7
In the Mood for Love
Wong Kar-wai
It’s a film with great flavors. I wish it would just play on and on.
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8
Brazil
Terry Gilliam
An abstract and strange world. A view of what we all may become one day.
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9
The Last Emperor
Bernardo Bertolucci
It’s almost surreal to see Chinese costume drama performed with English dialogue!
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10
Yojimbo
Akira Kurosawa
A film that combines the sitcom and the samurai film.