The French film industry has impacted artists all over the world since since the release of the short film A Journey to the Moon in 1902. French directors made a lasting impression on both critics and viewers by employing good storylines and cutting-edge production techniques. And while if some of these films may seem foreign to more contemporary American audiences, that doesn’t make them any less essential viewings for film aficionados in general.
They both have the most well-known directors French cinema has ever produced, and with good reason. Each of these projects is genuinely superb from start to finish. Having said that, here is a list of the top French films of all time.
À bout de souffle (1960)
One might easily argue that Jean-Luc Godard is the single most significant filmmaker to have ever been born in France given that he is the only director to have appeared twice on this list and that he ultimately took the top slot. And without a doubt, bout de souffle (1960), the work that launched his career and made him famous around the world, was his most important and influential piece.
Its English title, Breathless, refers to the story of a French criminal named Michel who escapes the law and falls in love with an American college student who wants to become a journalist. The finished movie, which made use of a variety of uncommon techniques (jump cuts, for instance, in continuity editing), has been hailed as a personal favourite by numerous well-known directors, including Akira Kurosawa. Moreover, Godard made his directorial debut with this.
Bande à part (1964)
With his iconic body of work, Jean-Luc Godard—possibly the most well-known representative of the French New Wave film movement—could likely top this list on its own. Moreover, Bande à part (1964), sometimes known as Band of Outsiders in the United States, had an impact on Quentin Tarantino and other future directors around the globe. A specific scene from the movie at hand served as a major inspiration for his well-known dancing scene from the Jack Rabbit Slims restaurant in Pulp Fiction (1994).
Yet that merely scratches the surface of the influence that Bande à Part commands. Three friends who are also caught up in a love triangle attempt to rob a stockpile of money at one of their residences, a Parisian villa, in this sort of heist movie. Godard’s skill as a filmmaker has ensured that its legacy will endure forever.
Beau Travail (1999)
This iconic French film was made by Claire Denis, arguably the most significant French director of the modern era, and was loosely based on Herman Melville’s 1888 novella Billy Budd. And without a doubt, Beau Travail (1999) is her foundational work of poetry in motion, as both critics and fans generally concur.
On paper, its tale of troops in the French Foreign Legion seems relatively uninteresting, yet the movie’s deep thematic significance lies behind its thrilling surface. One of the greatest films of its day, and even all time, is frequently cited as Beau Travail. To say that this is a must-watch would be an understatement.
Caché (2005)
This Michael Haneke-directed film boasts one of the more intriguing stories on the list merely based on its premise. In the 2005 film Caché, a Parisian couple named Georges and Anne, who run a TV talk show, are shown receiving a number of videotapes that seem to indicate that they are being pursued. or, at the very least, somewhat under observation. The end result is a psychological roller coaster that made the aforementioned director famous around the world.
Also, Juliette Binoche as Anne and Daniel Auteuil as Georges both gave excellent performances. The latter, who has numerous honours (including an Academy Award) to her name, is undoubtedly one of the best French actresses to have ever lived. But more about her later. Regarding contemporary French cinema, Caché made Haneke a prominent player in the field by introducing the country to American viewers.
Cléo From 5 to 7 (1962)
By the time this list is finished, anyone who is not familiar with the French New Wave should be an expert because many of the most important works from the region at hand were produced during that time. In addition, Agnes Varda, one of the most well-known and accomplished members of the aforementioned film movement, directed Cléo From 5 to 7 (1962).
Inspiring behind-the-scenes features like screenwriting and cinematography have helped thousands of French New Wave films inspire filmmakers all around the world over the past six decades. With Varda’s major effort, both of those were masterfully on exhibit, and it is without a doubt one of the most significant in the area.
Elevator to the Gallows (1958)
The majority of the people involved in this production, such as the director Louis Malle or the actors Jeanne Moreau and Maurice Ronet, may not be well-known to the general filmgoing public, but Miles Davis, an American trumpeter, wrote the film’s brilliantly evocative score. According to critics, his original soundtrack for Elevator to the Gallows from 1958 was innovative because it stirs up feelings of grief and despair unlike many other scores that had come before.
But the movie itself also has a compelling story that holds up from beginning to end. When Julien Tavernier gets stuck in a lift, their plans to assassinate Florence Carala’s well-to-do husband fall apart. The story follows the murder plot of the two illicit lovers. Its somewhat absurd notion was made into a reality by excellent directing and sharp screenwriting.
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
Alain Resnais wasn’t the actual writer of the film’s script, despite being a well-known member of the French New Wave, a cinematic movement that frequently portrayed filmmakers as the “auteurs” or “writers” of their own screenplays. Instead, this story’s narrative was created by French novelist Marguerite Duras, and it centres on an anonymous French actress and a Japanese architect who have 24 hours of intensely personal chats with one another.
Hiroshima, My Love (1959), like the majority of French films from this era, continues to have a significant impact thanks to its ground-breaking approaches to general filmmaking. For instance, the film employs flashbacks to incorporate a nonlinear narrative within a rather simple plot, as many directors still do, including Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino. And each novel method came together in Hiroshima, My Love to provide the sixth entry on this list.
La Haine (1995)
La Haine (1995) is regarded as a true masterwork of cinema, from its stylish opening scene to the delicacy of the final frame. Thanks to a clever script with head-spinning dialogue, a concept with palpable resonance, and performances that create intriguing dynamics around every crime-infested lane of the film’s compelling plot, it might rank even higher on this list of the greatest French films ever made.
La Haine, however, also includes some of the most captivating camera movements you’re ever going to see. Each individual is ideally positioned within each scene to aid the cinematography, which also includes the blocking. These movements are just perceptible enough to be noticed without detracting from the focal point of the particular photo. However, from a purely technical perspective, all of this study barely scratches the surface of the crime movie directed, written, and co-edited by Mathieu Kassovitz. Underground, there is a whole new level of complexity that can be discovered once you begin looking for what lays beneath.
Le Fabuleux Destin d’Amélie Poulain (2001)
Amelie (2001), the most recent film on the list, might also be the one that more contemporary movie lovers are most familiar with. It follows the development of a shy waitress from Montmartre, Paris, as she struggles with her personal issues and moulds the lives of those near to her to match her own story. A must-watch romantic comedy with an ensemble cast is produced as a result of its original and understated conception.
It’s one of the few films on the list that was made in colour, and in this case, its unconventional use of colour received high praise. The colours of Amelie unquestionably rank as significant, and they, coupled with a strong narrative and excellent performances, help this project reach number nine.
La règle du jeu (1939)
Even decades after their release, the films from France’s New Wave movement continued to inspire artists around the globe, but the filmmakers behind them were undoubtedly influenced by previous works from their own country. Yet possibly none had as great an influence on their work as The Laws of the Gamed (1939), directed by renowned French filmmaker Jean Renoir.
It follows a number of French upper-class bourgeoises as they socialise in a château just before the outbreak of World War Two, along with their individual, underpaid servants. Yet the film’s skilled camerawork, particularly the director’s great eye for mise en scene, caught the attention of many critics, other experts, and even fans. Here, a variety of aspects of filmmaking are considered innovative. The Laws of the Game, however, ultimately lands this high because of both the legacy it has amassed recently and the impact it had on the members of France’s New Wave.
Le Samouraï (1967)
Le Samoura (1967) had a global impact mostly because of the captivating chemistry between the key actors. However, there were some positive comments from critics across the board, with some focusing on the moody and fashionable direction of renowned director Jean-Pierre Melville. And as it follows a hitman who is trying to find his unidentified employers after a job that went somewhat awry.
The end result is a great thrill ride into the French underworld in which various crime fiction cliches play brilliant roles. Every narrative point imaginable—police lineups, bugged surveillance systems, covert operations—and more—is included. The overall project served as an inspiration to many artists around the world, including Walter Hill and John Woo, and its legacy is expected to endure for many years to come.
Les Quatre Cents Coups (1959)
The movie in question was directed by François Truffaut, who is credited with effectively founding the French New Wave with his 1954 essay La certaine tendance du cinéma français. The movie is considered to be one of the most important examples of the style. The plot of the 1959 film Les Quatre Cents Coups, which translates to The 400 Blows in English, centres on a disobedient teenager in Paris who finds himself at odds with the adults in his life due to his tendency of disobedience. Namely, a drama about coming-of-age.
And it’s largely regarded as not only one of the finest French films of all time but also among the best films ever made. It is also without a doubt one of the most significant works to emerge from the area in question. It made use of numerous filmmaking techniques that came to be linked with the French New Wave in general and probably contributed to the movement’s global acclaim. For lovers of French cinema, it is a must-see.
Three Colors: Blue (1994)
Three Colors: Blue (1994) also has Juliette Binoche in the starring role and tells the story of a woman whose husband and daughter died in a vehicle accident. And without a doubt, this is one of her best pieces, in which she plays the widow of the aforementioned well-known French composer who seeks solitude in an effort to put her problems in the past.
This is the first installment in Krzysztof Kielowski’s Three Colors trilogy, following Three Colors: White (1994) and Three Colors: Red (1994). The initiatives appropriately focus on the French Revolution’s core values of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The first installment is without a doubt the greatest, as is the case with many well-known film trilogies.
