Jane Campion has been directing films since the '80s, and her career has held a steady upwards trajectory. The most recent film in her oeuvre is The Power of the Dog, a film that makes a powerful statement on toxic masculinity, family, and love. Her work is earning accolades and inspiring others, but many want to know - what inspires Jane herself?
In a recent interview with Criterion, Jane opened up about her favorite films that inspired her as a viewer and director. These films are eclectic and unique, befitting the directorial style that Campion has developed for herself. For film buffs interested in widening their horizons, these are her favorite movies.
The Night Porter - 6.7
This 1978 film explores a romance between a concentration camp survivor and a former SS officer. The Night Porter is a dark film about trauma and cycles of violence - but these themes come through in thoughtful ways. This film does its work without vulgarity and doesn't take pleasure in the violence.
This is a very frank and dark film, which is part of why IMDb audiences didn't enjoy it as much as Campion. She told Criterion that the film convinced her that people's lives are less logical and more poetic, something that has influenced the way she portrays characters throughout her filmography. She was most struck by the film's "extraordinary psychological perversity and truth."
Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto - 7.4
A pseudo-historical film starring Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune in one of his earliest films, Samurai I: Musashi Miyamoto is the first in a trilogy of such films. These films follow the story of the titular legendary samurai from his early days as an outlaw named Takezo, up through him earning his samurai name of Musashi Miyamoto. The life of a samurai is difficult and arcane, but Mifune's portrayal and Hiroshi Inagaki's directorial style merge into a splendid film.
Campion notes that this is a film she had no prior knowledge of before watching, but it quickly became one of her favorites. Her filmography features many biographical films, from Bright Star (about John Keats) to An Angel at my Table (about herself), and this film may inspire her comionate portrayals.
The Firemen’s Ball - 7.5
This 1967 movie is all about the titular ball, during which nothing goes as planned. The Firemen's Ball is a Czechoslovakian film that is funny and raucous, while also held up by an undercurrent of political satire. The historical context of Czechoslovakia in the '60s is important to when watching, though what audience take away from the film might not be what they might expect.
Jane's main interest in this film is the behind-the-scenes work. She was very interested in Milos Forman's as the director, who put in every effort to make the characters as natural as possible. This is a film she had read much about, but only recently watched, so its influence on her work is largely coming in an academic sense.
Contempt - 7.6
Contempt is an Italian movie that explores art and business as two warring factions. The plot follows a young screenwriter and actress couple who have their lives upended by a producer who pays special attention to the starlet. Jean-Luc Godard's direction guides the film through the industry in ways that few green-horn directors would be able to even consider and his understanding of film and the business around it makes this perhaps one of the director's most personal films.
Campion has a special affinity for Godard, stating that he is the most 'modern' director in film. She finds his work conceptual, chic, and irreverent, traits that she ires and seeks to replicate in her own work.
Badlands - 7.8
In another interview with Far Out, Jane Campion stated that Badlands is one of her favorite films of all time. In the movie, a young greaser and an impressionable young woman enter a relationship - one that ends in the deaths of many throughout the badlands of South Dakota. This film is an early debut of actors Martin Sheen and Sissy Spacek, and the intimacy of their performances is deeply moving.
Campion referred to this as a "perfect film," with incredible performances by Spacek and Sheen. The aspect of Badlands that has most influenced her is the ways that the director Terrence Malick helped pull out unique performances by getting the actors to incorporate their own histories into their work.
That Obscure Object Of Desire - 7.9
While most of Campion's favorites come from Japanese or Italian cinema, one of the few french classics that she lists is the 1977 film That Obscure Object of Desire. A romance told in flashbacks, a middle-aged man recounts his story as he falls in love with a young chamber-maid. While most know French cinema for its works of horror, This film is a standout among all of cinema for its emotion and connection.
Director Luis Buñuel is an idol of Campions and her first "deep love in cinema." She most ires the ways he draws out hypocrisy from the bourgeois lives of the characters and lays bare how nothing is sacred. His refusal to sentimentalize the story is something that Campion emulates in her drive to record raw and honest portrayals.
La Strada - 8.0
La Strada, The Road, is a heartbreaking tale of a young girl sold to an entertainer. The film follows her as she is mistreated and exploited by the man and others. The story of La Strada is strikingly familiar if you've watched the Power of the Dog - the broad emotional strokes ring very similarly in the ways abs are often the people most relied upon in one's life.
Campion has a deep appreciation for Federico Fellini and his cinematic mind. She states that every shot in this film appears deeply thought out. Campion's own films share this cinematic vigor, particularly The Piano and Portrait of a Lady.
Tokyo Story - 8.2
A classic of Japanese cinema, Tokyo Story follows an elderly couple as they visit their adult children in Tokyo. This is a very slow and intimate film that explores the pains of aging, the difficulty of family, and the ways that the elderly are often pushed away in the interest of the younger generation's personal lives.
The story is heartbreaking, but every moment is a picture in this film from the great Yasujiro Ozu. Japanese cinema is well known for moments of contemplation in the midst of the action and, in a film like Tokyo Story, the action is as open and considerate as the spaces between, which underpins the slow, unspoken nature of many interpersonal relationships - these are influences that show through in Campion's films.
Scenes From A Marriage - 8.4
This is a film that has seen a recent American remake, but the original Swedish version cannot be upstaged. Scenes From A Marriage follows a man and a woman through their tumultuous relationship. Through everything, they still love each other. The raw human experiences that are seen throughout are echoed throughout Campion's films, particularly the autobiographical An Angel at My Table.
This story was originally told in six hour-long episodes, so this is more of a time investment than the average movie. While the current series of Scenes From A Marriage continues to leave audiences with questions, as well as features incredible performances by Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain, the original run is difficult to outdo.
Seven Samurai - 8.6
The highest-rated film on Campion's list, Seven Samurai is a rare film that is both a crowd-pleaser and critical darling. The story is simple and popular and has been imitated time and time again: an impoverished town is beset by outlaws, and a heroic team of colorful personalities is gathered to save the day.
This film is one of the all-time greats of Japanese cinema, and that it continues to be a popular film for both critics and audiences alike is no small feat. Campion notes her appreciation of the balance of humor and emotion, as well as the breadth of character. These are things she has aspired to in her films like The Power of the Dog.
