Less is more sometimes, isn’t it? Take a look at Lars von Trier’s film Dogville for a clear example. The utilization of minimalism within cinema has been explored by theorists for decades and is distinct from the way the sensibility appears in other art forms. Cinema is not just what we see, but how a filmmaker chooses to show it to us. Part of the reason why minimalism in film has resurfaced in popularity is perhaps the COVID-19 pandemic, which has forced filmmakers to adapt to new production schedules.
At the 2021 Oscars, films like Nomadland and Minari were top contenders. Evidently, there has been a transition to minimalism in cinema, but this unique subgenre dates back a century as well. Here’s a closer look at the finest minimalist films to date.
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5 Rope (1948)
Transatlantic Pictures
Rope was impressively shot with long takes, and Alfred Hitchcock even cleverly blended the edits by moving the camera behind someone’s back (or an object) and “cutting” as the screen went black. But in general, the film is very minimalist since it uses only one location — one room! — and just a handful of actors. Rope follows Brandon and Philip, two young men who share a New York City apartment. They consider themselves intellectually superior to their friend David Kentley, and as a consequence, decide to murder him. Together, they strangle David with a rope, and placing the body in an old chest, they proceed to hold a small party. The guests include David’s father, his fiancée Janet, and their old schoolteacher Rupert, from whom they mistakenly took their ideas. As Brandon becomes increasingly more daring, Rupert begins to suspect. In addition to the elegant and lengthy takes, the suspenseful, anxiety-inducing subject matter makes Rope one of Hitchcock’s most impressive efforts.
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4 Before Midnight (2013)
Castle Rock Entertainment
In 1995, Ethan Hawke teamed up with Richard Linklater for the first time to play Jesse, a college student who meets a young French woman (Julie Delpy) on a train in Before Sunrise. The two decide to have an adventure in the hours they have left before she returns to Paris, and he flies back to the U.S. Linklater, Hawke, and Delpy reprised their roles as writer/director and stars with two more films — effectively making up the Before trilogy — over the next two decades, with 2004’s Before Sunset and 2013’s Before Midnight following the pair as they age separately and together. Before Midnight perhaps takes the cake as the best in the trilogy due to the intense drama that surfaces in that extended hotel room scene in the third act. But all three films are very minimalist in nature due to the simplified settings, limited actors, and real-time edits. It’s like we’re watching a meandering documentary — in a good way.
3 12 Angry Men (1957)
United Artists
Here’s another film that takes place almost entirely in one stuffy, nerve-racking room. In 12 Angry Men, a Puerto Rican youth is on trial for murder, accused of knifing his father to death. The 12 jurors retire to the jury room, having been admonished that the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. 11 of the jurors vote for conviction, each for reasons of his own. The sole holdout is Juror #8, played by Henry Fonda. As Fonda persuades the weary jurors to re-examine the evidence, we learn the backstory of each man. Everything unfolds in real-time, similarly to Rope and Before Midnight, and the killer suspense makes 12 Angry Men worth watching again and again.
2 Tokyo Story (1953)
Shochiku
Talk about a heart-wrenching story that will make you pick up the phone, call your parents/loved ones and tell them you love them. That’s what this writer did! And on a minimalist level, almost every shot in the beautifully-filmed Tokyo Story is static to powerful effect. The storyline follows an elderly couple who live in the small coastal village of Onomichi, Japan, with their youngest daughter. Their other three surviving adult children, whom they have not seen in quite some time, live either in Tokyo or Osaka. As such, the parents make the unilateral decision to have an extended visit in Tokyo with their children and their respective families.
All of their children treat the visit more as an obligation than a want, each trying to figure out what to do with their parents while they continue on with their own daily lives. The only offspring who makes a concerted effort on this trip is their widowed daughter-in-law, whose husband was killed eight years earlier in the war. You will love certain characters here and despise others — which is evidence enough that the emotionally charged Tokyo Story is not to be missed.
1 The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
Société Générale des Films
The Passion of Joan of Arc is a 1928 French silent historical film based on the actual record of the trial of Joan of Arc. The film was directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer and is widely regarded as a landmark of cinema (via Criterion). The film summarizes the time that Joan of Arc was a captive of England, depicting her trial and execution. On a minimalist level, the film was shot on one huge concrete set modeled on medieval architecture in order to realistically portray the Rouen prison. The film is known for its cinematography and pioneering use of close-ups. Even further, Dreyer did not allow the actors to wear make-up and used lighting designs that made the actors look more grotesque. Film buffs have certainly already seen this one, but we encourage everyone else to experience this classic as well.
