Wes Anderson may have turned 48 on Monday, but his projects are still as fresh as they were when he made Bottle Rocket at age 27. Since his debut, Anderson has made eight more feature films, each of which could easily be deemed critical successes.

The poster for his latest film, Isle of Dogs, was released last month and marks his first return to animation since The Fantastic Mr. Fox. Of course, it features his typical whimsy and usual band of stellar actors, because at this point, who in their right mind would say "no" to being in a Wes Anderson movie?

Dogisle"Isle of Dogs" Courtesy of Fox Searchlight

Anderson has developed a style all his own throughout his twenty-odd years in the business, so it's interesting to see where exactly certain aspects of his voice come from. He sat down with Criterion Collection as a part of their Top 10 lists series to give us a glimpse at the films that served some role in inspiring his own. In regard to his upcoming feature, the films of Shohei Imamura may have been particularly helpful references for WWII Japan. 

If you have a FilmStruck subscription, then you're in luck, because most of these films can be seen on that platform. The rest are either available to rent or buy through Amazon. Check out the entire list below:

  1. The Earrings of Madame de . . . - Max Ophuls (1953)
  2. Au Hasard Balthazar - Robert Bresson (1966)
  3. Pigs and Battleships - Shohei Imamura (1962)
  4. The Insect Woman - Shohei Imamura (1963)
  5. Intentions of Murder - Shohei Imamura (1960s)
  6. The Taking of Power by Louis XIV - Roberto Rossellini (1966)
  7. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold - Martin Ritt (1965)
  8. The Friends of Eddie Coyle - Peter Yates (1973)
  9. Classe tous risques - Claude Sautet (1960)
  10. L’enfance nue - Maurice Pialat (1968)
  11. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters - Paul Schrader (1985)
  12. The Exterminating Angel - Luis Buñuel​ (1962)

Source: Criterion Collection

Wes Andersoncriterioncriterioncollectionfilmstruck
DirectingMovies & TV