With a career that spans over six decades, Michael Caine has become one of the most recognizable faces in film.
With countless classics under his belt and collaborations with top directors like Christopher Nolan, Caine’s understanding of cinema is second to none. So, when he says a film is one of the best ever made, it’s worth paying attention.
During an interview with Esquire, Caine placed the 1949 thriller The Third Man on a list of his top five favourite movies.
Set in post-war Vienna, The Third Man, directed by Carol Reed, follows American writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotten) as he arrives in the city to visit his old friend Harry Lime, only to learn that Lime has recently died in a mysterious accident.
As Martins digs deeper, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, and his search for the truth plunges him into a dangerous conspiracy.
Known for its haunting zither score by Anton Karas and Orson Welles’ magnetic performance as Harry Lime, The Third Man is a masterclass in tension and atmosphere. Michael Caine holds the film in high regard, praising its suspenseful storytelling and unforgettable visuals, which have influenced countless filmmakers since its release.
The other movies the star recommends are equally iconic, and Casablanca (1942), directed by Michael Curtiz, takes the crown as his all-time favourite.
The romantic drama, set against the backdrop of World War II, stars Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, a nightclub owner in Casablanca who is forced to choose between love and duty when his former lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) reappears in his life.
He also recommends On the Waterfront (1954), Elia Kazan’s powerful drama starring Marlon Brando as Terry Malloy, a dockworker who stands up to corruption on the New Jersey docks. Brando’s iconic performance is widely regarded as one of the greatest in film history – a view that Caine seems to agree with.
David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is another of his favourites. The epic film follows T.E. Lawrence (played by Peter O’Toole) as he unites warring Arab tribes during World War I.
For a more modern pick, Caine recommends “anything by Christopher Nolan.” His close collaboration with Nolan – appearing in The Dark Knight Trilogy, Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet – has given him a front-row seat to the director’s genius.
“I think anything done by Christopher Nolan, and I’ve been in all of his movies! But I think Chris Nolan is the greatest movie director. I think he’s the new David Lean. I’m his lucky charm, he says! I am lucky, because Dunkirk has taken over half a billion dollars”, says Caine.