Michael Mann Reveals His Top 10 Greatest Films Ever Made
Michael Mann, the acclaimed filmmaker behind movies like Heat and Collateral, once shared his picks for the greatest films of all time in Sight and Sound’s latest poll.
His selections reflect a mix of classic and modern cinema, highlighting both American and international masterpieces.
Topping Mann’s list is Francis Ford Coppola’s 1979 epic Apocalypse Now. Mann describes it as “a dark, high-voltage identity quest, journeying into over-load, wilderness and nihilism in an operatic and concrete narrative. A masterpiece.” The film, which adapts Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness to the Vietnam War, is widely praised for its stunning cinematography, intense performances, and hallucinatory depiction of war’s chaos.
Apocalypse Now has remained a benchmark for war films, and many critics call it one of the greatest achievements in filmmaking.
Mann also chose Citizen Kane, Orson Welles’ 1941 classic that investigates the life of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane. “Citizen Kane was a watershed,” Mann says, “a life’s linear narrative reassembled into a novelistic narrative by investigators querying its meaning.”
Celebrated for its innovative storytelling, deep focus cinematography, and complex character study, Citizen Kane is often cited as one of the most influential films in history.
Among his other selections are international landmarks like Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin. Mann notes, “Eisenstein not only laid the theoretical foundation for much of 20th-century modernist cinema, but in 1925 made one of cinema’s great classics, applying dialectics to montage, composition and meaning.”
Known for the legendary Odessa Steps sequence, the film’s editing and dramatic imagery have influenced countless directors around the world.
Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove (1964), Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Biutiful (2010), Carl Theodor Dreyer’s The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928), Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980), Jacques Tourneur’s Out of the Past (1947), Masahiro Shinoda’s Pale Flower (1964), and Tetsuya Nakashima’s Confessions (2010) round out Mann’s top 10.
These films have been widely recognized for their artistic innovation, memorable performances, and lasting impact on cinema. Raging Bull, for example, is frequently hailed as one of the greatest sports dramas ever, while The Passion of Joan of Arc is praised for its haunting emotional intensity and expressive visual style.
Mann’s picks highlight his appreciation for films that push boundaries and challenge audiences. He balances Hollywood classics with international gems, showing his respect for storytelling that combines artistry with emotional depth.
In my opinion, Mann’s list is a fascinating mix that reminds us how cinema from different countries and eras can equally shape the medium. Which of these films have you seen, and do you agree with his choices? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Michael Mann’s 10 Greatest Films:
- Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
- Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1924)
- Biutiful (Alejandro González Iñárritu, 2010)
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Stanley Kubrick, 1964)
- Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
- The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Theodor Dreyer, 1928)
- Raging Bull (Martin Scorsese, 1980)
- Out of the Past (Jacques Tourneur, 1947)
- Pale Flower (Masahiro Shinoda, 1964)
- Confessions (Tetsuya Nakashima, 2010)
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments!
