Robert Eggers names "the best thing in cinema history"

The scene Robert Eggers called “the best thing in cinema history”

Robert Eggers is one of the most exciting voices within contemporary cinema, known for his innovative approach to horror cinema. Eggers established himself as a major artistic force to be reckoned with through projects like The Witch and The Lighthouse.

Recently, Eggers ventured into a different domain of cinema while making his latest project – The Northman. A historical Viking epic, the film had been in development for a while, but it was finally released earlier this year. Although it was written off as a commercial failure when it first came out, Eggers’ new project became profitable later due to home media markets.

After the release of The Lighthouse, which is often cited as his magnum opus, Eggers participated in a conversation with Rotten Tomatoes where he was asked to name his favourite films. The director quickly cited seminal filmmaking pioneers such as Ingmar Bergman and F.W. Murnau as major influences.

Eggers also listed Andrei Tarkovsky’s 1966 Soviet epic Andrei Rublev among his favourites. While talking about the film’s final scene, Eggers commented: “The last act, or the last movement of Andrei Rublev is probably just the best thing in cinema history. That bell casting sequence is just so powerful.”

As the film’s title suggests, Andrei Rublev is a fascinating biography about the eponymous painter from 15th-century Russia. Tarkovsky’s masterpiece is an indispensable world classic, a stunning sociopolitical portrait of the country that grapples with its extensive and complicated relationship with Christianity.

Eggers said: “In some ways, it’s kind of the same thing that Fanny and Alexander does where you’re not even sure who Andrei Rublev is for quite a while the first time you watch the movie, and this is the episode that makes sense together and works together [in a film that doesn’t have] this super linear, aggressive plot.”

Out of all the films he has seen, Eggers considers this to be the greatest ending scene of all time. He explained: “The last movement is very linear, that is incredibly cathartic once you’ve been marinated in this world. It really knocks you out. But in general, the movie is so well-staged and beautiful and stunning and inspiring. It’s completely mind-blowing.”

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