Joseph Bull

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Taxi Driver

The greatest example of 1970s American cinema. De Niro’s best performance, Schrader’s best script, Scorsese’s best film. New York in decay, beautifully captured by Michael Chapman. A timeless depiction of isolation and radicalisation against the backdrop of political upheaval. 

In the Mood for Love

An evocative and moving depiction of loneliness and love in the city. One of the most tactile and sensuous films ever. Every single frame is so beautiful and memorable.

Hidden

Haneke uses the psychological thriller genre to tell a story about the violence of colonialism and the guilt and denial of the privileged. For me, this is a perfectly made film.

Beau travail

A unique take on masculinity and war. A juxtaposition of brutality and beauty. Agnès Godard’s cinematography is dreamlike. I love the choreography of the exercises and drills in the desert; they feel like dance routines.

Stalker

Tarkovsky creates such immersive atmospheric worlds, his films transcend cinema. Stalker is my favourite.

Killer of Sheep

One of the most truly poetic dramas ever made about family life. Burnett finds the most beautiful and tender moments against the backdrop of hardship.

Sunset Blvd.

I have vivid memories of watching Billy Wilder films with my grandmother as a kid. Sunset Blvd speaks to our time.

A Separation

For me, Asghar Farhadi is one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. This film is a family drama full of empathy and nuance, like all his work.

Blue

After seeing Blue as a teenager, it opened me up to what cinema and art could be. It is a very brave and inspiring film; An artist facing death makes a biographical work that is both radical and poignant.

Stranded in Canton

Eggleston's close proximity allows him to capture his cast of outsiders with such intimacy. It is something I have never seen in cinema before, only in photography or painting.