My 10 Favorite Films for Creative Inspiration

Sometimes, when creativity and inspiration leave us, we have to immerse ourselves in the creativity of another to regain them both. What follows are my ten favorite movies I constantly find myself returning to when in need of inspiration. Whether it be their visual spectacle, their storytelling, or the collective force of their artistry, they always manage to knock the creative block loose.

While I'll maintain that all these films are cinematic achievements in the "good movie" sense, their appearance in this list shouldn't necessarily imply that I find them to be the greatest films ever made; indeed, many of them are cinematic masterpieces, but they are delineated here specifically for some defining characteristic that draws the viewer in and inspires the creative mind — aspects that I'll expound upon for each individual film.

10. Koyaanisqatsi

"Koyaanisqatsi" has no narrative or dialogue; it's an 85-minute visual tone poem of tableaus in both urban and natural areas of the United States, set to a brilliant and slowly evolving score by minimalism master Philip Glass. The very premise of the film requires you to suspend your expectations of experience as a viewer, and that in itself serves to broaden one's perspective and perhaps shake loose preconceived notions of what can be and what should be. "Koyaanisqatsi" is a Hopi word meaning "life out of balance," and the film's juxtaposition of natural scenery with the frenetic nature of urban life beautifully and tragically captures that. I won't go so far as to say that that juxtaposition is Koyaanisqatsi per se; that's the beauty of the film: it embodies a purity of art in that art has no intrinsic meaning, and in that very lack of meaning is an invitation to invest one's own meaning in the raw materials the film bestows upon the viewer.

9. What Dreams May Come

"What Dreams May Come" is far more traditional in its storytelling; certainly, the fictional depiction of heaven, hell, and the mortal coil in between and the struggle of humankind to unite and resolve all that lies in each realm is not original per se, and the film itself relies on rather traditionalist literal interpretations of the worlds that lie beyond the mortal, which may or may not annoy some viewers. Regardless of its potential storytelling missteps, it's unsurpassed in the sheer visual spectacle and beauty of said representations. Filmed on Fuji Velvia film, it's vibrant, immense, and elaborate, and even if you are put off by its unsubtle story or the manner in which it is told, its visual prowess demands a viewing all by itself. 

8. No Country for Old Men

I've been known to revel in the bleak; I tend to find it more interesting, but let's not delve into my psyche here. This film is bleak in every sense of the word, and that unrelenting onslaught of a doom seemingly forever just around the next corner rewires your brain just a bit, even if only temporarily. Indeed, in one of the film's most powerful scenes, the film's antagonist utters, "It's been traveling 22 years to get here, and now, it's here." The film's incredible commitment to a singular premise on so many literal and figurative levels is immersive, and the clarity of its presentation is where I find the most inspiration. It achieves weight without density, and when I find myself tied up in storytelling for storytelling's sake, that's exactly the principle to which I strive to return.

7. Psycho

"Vertigo" is actually my favorite Hitchcock, but "Psycho" is a tour de force in editing. The film revolutionized the movies in a lot of ways, setting new standards for what was allowable on-screen in terms of violence and sexuality and standardizing the way we see films. Before "Psycho," people often came and went from movies as they pleased, but Hitchcock insisted that people not be late for the beginning and that admittance was to be barred after the start of the movie, which was all due to the unusual character trajectory of Marion Crane. The (in)famous shower scene alone makes the film worth seeing.

6. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

​Arguably the first real horror film, "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" is a bizarre, yet entrancing emblem of German Expressionism. Light and shadows were painted directly on sets, and the entire film's look embodies a violent angularity. Set pieces are often reflective of character's emotions in a given scene, and the neuroses and deranged mental state that pervade the storyline become very literally expressed in the visual language of the film.

5. JFK

Beware the violent images in the clip below.

How do you tell a story the world already knows? Though Stone may have taken liberty with historical record, it does not lessen the impact of the film, which won the Oscars for both cinematography and film editing. It's a tremendously complex and intricate story, and in its three-hour runtime, Stone manages to tell it with the detail of a documentary but the enthralling experience of a rapid-fire mystery unraveling — no easy task. Pulling this off fell squarely on the film's cinematography and editing, which is a masterful blend of historical footage, recreations, and modern cinematic scenes, all fragmented to represent the chaos of the story and held together by Jim Garrison's (Kevin Costner) subjective experience. No matter what theory of the assassination of JFK you subscribe to, the film captures your imagination and makes you think, which in my opinion, makes it a success. The scene above is one of my all-time favorites in all film.

4. Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

"Master and Commander" is, in my opinion, one of the most complete films ever made in the sense that it is remarkably satisfying and self-contained in its storytelling while simultaneously presenting a visual feast. In that sense, it's very much a great example of what a Hollywood-sized budget can produce when put in the right hands. It's also likely the most "traditional" film on this list in the sense that there isn't some quirk that I return to to invigorate my creativity; it's simply damn fine storytelling coupled with gorgeous imagery. 

3. Double Indemnity

"Double Indemnity" is arguably the height of film noir. While its mannerisms can seem a bit trope-y at times, it's executed with such brilliance that they tend to lend to its charm rather than detract from it. It's a very dark film in both a literal and figurative sense; light (and more so the lack thereof), shadows, and angularity all contribute to its atmosphere, while its storyline is augmented by the very unapologetically literal representations of its characters' twisted actions and thoughts. Its lighting and compositions are full of creativity and are a large part of why the film remains influential to this day.

2. La Règle du Jeu

​Many consider "Citizen Kane" to be the greatest film ever made, but I will argue vociferously that that honor belongs to "La Règle du Jeu" ("The Rules of the Game"). Renoir's biting commentary on the haute bourgeoisie is as elegant as it is subtly brutal, containing some of the most brilliantly staged and timed scenes in the history of film — so slick that the sheer magnitude of their choreography often goes unnoticed. It's the sort of execution of style that inspires not only by its end product, but also by the very sophistication of said execution.

1. Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

The immediacy of "Birdman's" realism coupled with its fantasy element is entrancing, and the incredible precision in its filming lends itself to a sort of controlled chaos. The film was shot to look like one long take, and while it isn't that in the most literal sense (à la "Rope"), Emmanuel Lubezki's flawless cinematography goes a long way to achieve the same effect. Entire scenes were planned down to the moment; Emma Stone recalled one six-minute take being ruined because she came around a corner a bit too early. The overall effect is unique as it is enveloping, and when coupled with the film's strong script and performances, as well as its plot line about the act of creativity and the struggle of the creative, it's a great watch when you need inspiration.

Obviously, this list is personal to me and is not meant to be a definitive listing of the films that inspire creativity; indeed, I left off many that I adore because I wanted this list to be focused on the concept of shaking the mind loose and freeing it. What films do you use for that purpose? Let me know in the comments!