10 Best Films Directed By Jean-Jacques Annaud, According To IMDb
Jean-Jacques Annaud is an Oscar-winning director whose career spans more than four decades. With great hits like Enemy at the Gates, Two Brothers, and Seven Years in Tibet, the director has had a celebrated history. Fans of Annaud generally look to catch his list of credits that have the best audience reception, and IMDb offers that insight.
With votes from thousands of users, IMDb scores reflect the undisputed best from Jean-Jacques Annaud as far as fans’ reception is concerned. Whether it’s a gritty backdrop like Enemy at the Gates or a sentimental romance like The Lover, viewers can line up their binge-watch of the director’s films as represented by their IMDb scores.
10 Notre-Dame On Fire (2022) - 6.6
Based on the real-life incident in 2019, Notre-Dame on Fire is a disaster film that focuses on the rescue efforts to save the building from total destruction. Jean-Jacques Annaud announced his intention to depict the fire onscreen not long after it happened, with the movie released three years later.
The director placed heavy emphasis on the cinematography needed to make the event seem as realistic as possible. The focus is also largely on the first responders who ensured the damage was kept to a minimum, along with the fallout from the incident.
9 Black And White In Color (1976) - 6.8
Annaud announced himself to the world with Black and White in Color, a film that won him the Oscar Award for Best Foreign Language Film in his directorial debut. It’s a satirical story about the kneejerk reaction to war and how no one ends up benefitting from it.
Set at the beginning of WWI, it’s about an attack by French colonists in West Africa on a German trading outpost, even though the latter pose no harm. Although a controversial subject, Annaud was praised for making a movie that pointed out the ridiculous causes of big-time conflict.
8 The Lover (1992) - 6.9
The Lover is a unique movie for the way it’s divided critics and audiences. It’s about a younger girl (Jane March) and an older man (Tony Leung Ka-fai) as they begin a romance. The conflict arises from his arranged marriage and their age difference.
The Lover didn’t impress critics as much and was called out for focusing too much on the sensual material. However, IMDb ratings show that viewers were a bit more impressed. In its defense, The Lover does seek to make the romance between the characters appear authentic and for audiences to see the characters as being genuinely in love.
7 Two Brothers (2004) - 7.0
To some fans, Two Brothers deserves to be considered among the best animal movies of all time. After all, it has a touching premise where a pair of tiger brothers are separated from their mother as cubs. The story then depicts their struggles to one day be reunited as a family.
Jean-Jacques Annaud deserves credit for making a film centered around animals so immersive, with viewers finding it easy to feel sympathy for the tigers. It has a payoff for fans by finally bringing the tiger family back together for what is both a heartbreaking and heartwarming film.
6 Seven Years In Tibet (1997) - 7.1
Jean-Jacques Annaud became known to western audiences with Seven Years in Tibet, which is based on Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer’s memoir of the same name. It’s set in the 1930s to 1950s, with Brad Pitt portraying Harrer’s imprisonment during WWII and his subsequent connection to the Dalai Lama.
Seven Years in Tibet is one of the most notable adventure and travel movies based on a true story, with Pitt’s star value propelling the movie to commercial success. It’s a harrowing tale of Harrer’s struggles during such a turbulent time in the world, with viewers appreciating Jean-Jacques Annaud’s direction.
5 Hothead (1979) - 7.2
While it might not be the greatest sports movie to be made, Hothead does have a notable twist on the genre. In the story, François Perrin (Patrick Dewaere) is an amateur football player who’s wrongfully convicted for a crime the team’s star has committed. Perrin is eventually released and becomes a football star himself, but uses this new fame to gain revenge on those that did him wrong.
Hothead’s premise might sound very morbid, but Annaud’s direction is such that even a heavy-handed plot such as this is presented as a comedy-drama. It’s also a thought-provoking movie about the dangers and hypocrisy around fame culture as the protagonist experiences both sides of the coin.
4 Quest For Fire (1981) - 7.3
Set in the prehistoric era, Quest for Fire stays true to its name, as it focuses on cavemen searching for fire. Since they are unaware of how fire is created, the cavemen go on an adventure with the belief that they will find fire somewhere along the way in their journey.
Jean-Jacques Annaud went with a comedic approach to this adventure film, which features minimal dialogue since the characters aren’t supposed to be capable of speech. It can feel absurd at times, but Quest for Fire has a surprising amount of heart behind it and it’s easy to become attached to the characters.
3 Enemy At The Gates (2001) - 7.6
Easily the boldest approach to directing for Jean-Jacques Annaud, Enemy at the Gates is a sprawling war film set during WWII. Main characters Vassili (Jude Law) and Danilov (Joseph Fiennes) are friends in different parts of the war effort, but their relationship is threatened after they both fall in love with soldier Tania (Rachel Weisz).
Enemy at the Gates carries a realistic look and feel of wartime conditions, complete with graphic violence. It’s entertaining for those who enjoy some good camaraderie and big-budget action, which the movie brings in at regular intervals to drive home the conflict taking place.
2 The Bear (1988) - 7.7
The Bear is largely considered the best movie starring an animal protagonist, as Jean-Jacques Annaud brought in a minimal cast to highlight the premise. It’s a survival film about an adult grizzly who befriends a cub bear as the two evade hunters after them.
There’s a touching story between the bears and a thrilling aspect to the way they defy their enemies. The Bear also won the director his best critical reviews to date and it’s clear that audiences also continue to hold the movie in high esteem.
1 The Name Of The Rose (1986) - 7.7
Almost like a medieval version of Sherlock Holmes, The Name of the Rose stars Sean Connery as friar William of Baskerville. The protagonist is summoned to an abbey where monks have been mysteriously dying and William uses his powers of deduction to solve the case.
Fans of the whodunnit genre will get a kick out of The Name of the Rose, especially with the way it blends the period setting with a murder mystery. Connery is in great form here, with Jean-Jacques Annaud leaving out enough clues for keen-eyed viewers to figure out the big reveal.