Tim Roth names the five movies that changed his life
Alongside the likes of Colin Firth, Daniel Day-Lewis, Gary Oldman and a few other prominent names, Tim Roth is considered part of the ‘Brit Pack’, a group of British actors that rose up towards the end of the 1980s. Roth is undoubtedly one of the finest actors of his generation and has consistently delivered some of the best performances in modern cinema.
Roth was nominated for a BAFTA for his film debut The Hit in 1984 and went on to perform in several acclaimed roles, including a number in Quentin Tarantino’s films – Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms – and one as Archibald Cunningham in the 1995 historical drama Rob Roy. While discussing his own creative vision, Roth once named the five films that changed his life during a feature with the Academy website A-Frame. Let’s take a closer look at them now.
First up for Roth is Alan Clarke’s 1989 short film Elephant, set in Northern Ireland during The Troubles. Roth said of Clarke’s moving work: “I think there are about three lines of dialogue in the whole thing, and it’s an extraordinary film. It was fascinating to watch. It was heartbreaking and very difficult, but on a cinematic level, it woke me up and really inspired me.”
Roth had worked with Clarke on the 1982 TV play Made in Britain, and the love for the British director does not end with Elephant, and the acting legend also picks out his 1979 drama film Scum, which tells of the brutal reality of a borstal prison. “When I saw it, that was the film that made me decide on the spot, ‘I want to do that. I want to work on films like this.’ These films are all movies that really touched me in different ways, and Scum very much changed my life,” Roth said.
Straying from Clarke but staying with stalwarts of British cinema, we arrive at Ken Loach and his 1969 classic Kes. The film tells of a young working-class lad whose life changes when he adopts a kestrel. “The film shows you this boy’s story that is desperately moving and very hard to watch, but which I think was brilliantly done by Ken,” Roth said. “Kes was a game changer for a lot of people. It definitely changed my life, and it helped change British cinema for the better.”
Heading right over the Atlantic Ocean, Roth takes us back to 1940 with His Girl Friday, directed by Howard Hawks, starring Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell, the latter of whom Roth is in particular admiration of. “Rosalind Russell was just spectacular,” he said.
He added: “It’s shocking after you see it to learn that she was scared by the improvisational way that Cary Grant worked because you would never believe she was nervous when you’re watching it. It’s an unbelievable performance. It’s a fantastic film, and it’s a lot of fun, but it’s very much Rosalind Russell who takes you on the journey throughout it.”
Finally, Roth rounds off his list with Woman of the Year, the 1942 film directed by George Stevens, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn. It tells of the relationship between two journalists and the problems that arise from Hepburn’s character’s commitment to her work. Roth said: “Watching Katharine Hepburn do her thing is always extraordinary, and you can’t get a better screen duo than her and Spencer Tracy. It’s extraordinary to watch them over the years. I love so many of their films, including Woman of the Year and Desk Set.”
The five movies that changed Tim Roth’s life:
- Elephant (Alan Clarke, 1989)
- Scum (Alan Clarke, 1979)
- Kes (Ken Loach, 1969)
- His Girl Friday (Howard Hawks, 1940)
- Woman of the Year (George Stevens, 1942)