Johnnie To’s Top 10

Posted: Sunday, July 27, 2014 by Tyler Durden in

Johnnie To’s Top 10

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.
  • Seven Samurai

    1.
    Seven Samurai

    Akira Kurosawa

    1. The opening scene, with the horses, is one of the best ever. It always mesmerizes me.
  • High and Low

    2.
    High and Low

    Akira Kurosawa

    2. It has a great setup, great characters, and a great theme. Kurosawa’s vision raised the film to another level.
  • Straw Dogs

    3.
    Straw Dogs

    Sam Peckinpah

    3. Sam Peckinpah and Dustin Hoffman at their best. The rape scene is horrific and haunting.
  • Harakiri

    4.
    Harakiri

    Masaki Kobayashi

    4. The first view of the sword sent chills through my spine.
  • Le Samouraï

    5.
    Le Samouraï

    Jean-Pierre Melville

    5. This film gave birth to the cool hit man archetype.
  • Le cercle rouge

    6.
    Le cercle rouge

    Jean-Pierre Melville

    6. 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.
  • In the Mood for Love

    7.
    In the Mood for Love

    Wong Kar-wai

    7. It’s a film with great flavors. I wish it would just play on and on.
  • Brazil

    8.
    Brazil

    Terry Gilliam

    8. An abstract and strange world. A view of what we all may become one day.
  • The Last Emperor

    9.
    The Last Emperor

    Bernardo Bertolucci

    9. It’s almost surreal to see Chinese costume drama performed with English dialogue!
  • Yojimbo

    10.
    Yojimbo

    Akira Kurosawa

    10. A film that combines the sitcom and the samurai film.

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