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Martin Scorsese’s favourite movies of the 1970s: “The memories of our lifetime”
Martin Scorsese’s recommended films of the 1970s reflect his longstanding view that cinema preserves shared memories and shapes how audiences see the world. The selection matters as a guide to the films that influenced one of the era’s most significant American directors, combining major New Hollywood works with European, Asian and cult cinema.
– *Aguirre, the Wrath of God* — Werner Herzog (1972)– *Ali: Fear Eats the Soul* — Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1974)– *All That Jazz* — Bob Fosse (1979)– *The American Friend* — Wim Wenders (1977)– *Apocalypse Now* — Francis Ford Coppola (1979)– *The Asphyx* — Peter Newbrook (1972)– *Barry Lyndon* — Stanley Kubrick (1975)– *Le Boucher* — Claude Chabrol (1970)– *The Chess Players* — Satyajit Ray (1977)– *The Conversation* — Francis Ford Coppola (1974)– *Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde* — Roy Ward Baker (1971)– *The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser* — Werner Herzog (1974)– *The Exorcist* — William Friedkin (1973)– *The Godfather* — Francis Ford Coppola (1972)– *Kings of the Road* — Wim Wenders (1976)– *Klute* — Alan J. Pakula (1971)– *The Legend of Hell House* — John Hough (1973)– *The Marriage of Maria Braun* — Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1979)– *M*A*S*H* — Robert Altman (1970)– *McCabe & Mrs. Miller* — Robert Altman (1971)– *The Merchant of Four Seasons* — Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1971)– *The Messiah* — Roberto Rossellini (1975)– *Nashville* — Robert Altman (1975)– *Touki Bouki* — Djibril Diop Mambéty (1973)– *Vampyres* — José Ramón Larraz (1974)
In short
- Scorsese’s picks span acclaimed American, European and world cinema.
- Herzog, Fassbinder, Coppola and Altman feature repeatedly.
- The list underlines Scorsese’s broad, lifelong cinephilia.
Explained simply
Martin Scorsese is one of America's most celebrated and influential film directors. His selection of favourite films from the 1970s matters because it reveals which cinema shaped his artistic vision and which works he considers the decade's most significant achievements.
The 1970s was a pivotal period in cinema history. In America, studios were willing to take greater creative risks with unconventional stories and styles, whilst in Europe, Asia and beyond, filmmakers were also creating groundbreaking work that challenged audiences in new ways.
Scorsese's selections range widely across this global cinema landscape, including commercially successful American films alongside lesser-known European, African and Asian works, as well as cult cinema. His diverse picks suggest he believes the most important films of the decade came from many different countries and traditions, not just from any single source.
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