The Cannes Film Festival takes place in Cannes, France every year to showcase films of all genres. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood attend, and it has skyrocketed the careers of many acclaimed filmmakers. The festival screens films from all over the world, making it a very diverse festival with many interesting points of view. One of the greatest aspects of the Cannes Festival is that it has aided European films to gain global recognition. At the same time, the Cannes Festival has become a go-to point for producers and distributors to make deals on films, making it a great stepping stone for independent filmmakers.
The Cannes Festival was created in 1938 by Jean Zay, Phillippe Erlanger, and Robert Favre Le Bret. It became a main competitor of the Venice Film Festival as it grew and began to gain attention. At the same time, it became a place where a lot of show business scandals occurred. Many acclaimed filmmakers have served on the Cannes Jury to pick the award winners. Some of them have been legendary directors like Steven Spielberg, Tim Burton, and David Lynch. Thanks to the Cannes Festival, the world has seen many fantastic and artistic films that have stood the test of time. Filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and Martin Scorsese screened their earlier work at the festival, boosting their recognition and careers. Here’s a look at the best films that premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, ranked.
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8 The Square
BAC Films
At the 2017 Cannes Film Festival, The Square took home the Palme d’Or. This brilliant film dives deep into the art world and focuses on a curator named Christian (Claes Bang) who juggles controversies and relationships during the promotion of an art exhibit. The film is a fascinating and original story of the art world that tackles several themes, including free expression and greed. The Square is filled with several scenes of chaos, and it is captivating from beginning to end.
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7 The Pianist
Canal+
Roman Polanski’s Oscar-winning film The Pianist premiered at Cannes in 2002, where it also won the Palme d’Or. The film tells the horrifying true story of pianist, Władysław Szpilman, who spent years in hiding during the Holocaust. Adrien Brody gives the finest performance of his career as Szpilman and earned an Oscar for Best Actor. The film is about the will to live, even after loss. It is a brutal, yet magnificent, film about the Holocaust.
6 The Tree Of Life
Fox Searchlight Pictures
Terrence Malik’s The Tree of Life, premiered at Cannes in 2011 and won the Palme d’Or that year. The film is a magnificent journey through life, nature, and the cosmos. At the same time, it focuses on the dynamics of a family living in a small Texas town. The plot is fascinating, yet ambiguous, and the film has groundbreaking visuals filled with brilliant cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki throughout. The cast includes Brad Pitt, Sean Penn, and Jessica Chastain.
5 Blue is the Warmest Color
Wild Bunch
Blue is the Warmest Color premiered and won the Palme d’or at Cannes in 2013. The film is a real and brutal story about love and features brilliant performances from Léa Seydoux and Adèle Exarchopoulos. Although it is a love story, it also focuses on how difficult it is to remain in love as time goes on. The dialogue is magnificent, and it leaves the viewers exhausted by the end due to the conflict and drama throughout.
4 Parasite
CJ Entertainment
Acclaimed filmmaker Bong Joon-ho premiered his film, Parasite, at the Cannes Film Festival in 2019, and it became the first South Korean film to win the Palme d’Or. The story focuses on a poor family who disrupts the life of a wealthy family, creating a lot of chaos along the way. It is a brilliant depiction of the ruthlessness of capitalism and the disparity of the class system. The film is extremely stylized and features many breathtaking visuals. At the same time, the cast is top-notch and everyone brings something to the table.
3 Apocalypse Now
American Zoetrope
Apocalypse Now received the Palme d’Or at Cannes in 1979 prior to it being finished before its release. The epic Vietnam War film was produced, co-written, and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, making it one of the finest films of his career. It follows a U.S. soldier (Martin Sheen) who is sent on a mission to assassinate Colonel Walter Kurtz (Marlon Brando). It is one of the greatest war films of all time that features terrific performances and groundbreaking visuals throughout.
2 Taxi Driver
Columbia Pictures
Taxi Driver skyrocketed the career of Martin Scorsese after it premiered at Cannes 1976, winning the Palme d’Or. It has since been considered one of the greatest films ever made. The film follows a Vietnam veteran (Rober De Niro) who becomes prone to violent tendencies while driving a taxi in New York City. It features one of De Niro’s greatest performances of his career and showcases the effects that war can have on the mind of an individual.
1 Pulp Fiction
A Band Apart Jersey Films
In 1994, Quentin Tarantino took home the Palme d’Or at Cannes after premiering his classic film, Pulp Fiction. The film will go down in history as one of the greatest movies of all time. It is entertaining from start to finish, while offering a fantastic blend of comedy and drama. The top-notch cast, including Samuel L. Jackson and Uma Thurman, bring Tarantino’s masterful dialogue to life. It is a movie that features different storylines that are intertwined, coming together in epic fashion. It is the type of film that can be watched year after year.
