Winter-cinema-architecture, the perfect combination
When the temperatures plummet and it gets dark earlier in the evening, an afternoon on the sofa and a blanket can sound like a great plan. And for these moments we have made a selection of ten films that every architecture and interior design enthusiast should watch at least once in their lives.
Mary Poppins’ by Robert Stevenson
To begin with, we suggest this wonderful classic (not only for children) that takes us on a walk through London and shows us the typical Victorian architecture and design of the first half of the 20th century with its typical costumes, toys and objects from the family home.
‘Out of Africa’ by Sydney Pollack
Starring Meryl Streep and Robert Redford, Sydney Pollack’s film shows us the great colonial houses of Kenya, which maintained a Western style combined with local airs. Wooden furniture, natural fabrics, white sheets and the multitude of accessories such as suitcases, boots and chandeliers are a perfect representation of the colonial style.
“All about Eve” by Joseph L. Mankiewicz
This legendary film, starring Bette Davis, thanks to its costumes and décor, is a master class on the 1950s. It shows us the houses of an entire society, from the most humble to the most ostentatious.
Amélie’ by Jean-Pierre Jeunet
In the fabulous story of Amélie Poulain, the city of Paris and its architecture are the real protagonists. Amélie travels through some of the city’s most emblematic sites: the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, the Montmartre district and the Basilica of the Sacré-Coeur and different streets and cafés. In addition, we can appreciate the power of colour, vintage style, sixties and seventies furniture, wallpapers and naïve decoration.
“The Grand Budapest Hotel” by Wes Anderson’s
In this amusing film, set in a famous European hotel between the wars, we see Art Nouveau along with explosions of colour, impossible sets, theatrical staging and vintage furniture. We also see German Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, and Japanese applied arts, with their floral motifs, galleries and vaulted passages.
“Gone with the Wind’ by Victor Fleming
This film is a sample of how rich white people lived in the Southern part of the United States in the mid-19th century: the mansions, the architecture, the luxuries with their curtains, carpets and lamps.
“Manhattan” by Woody Allen
This film is a tribute to New York, its most famous streets and buildings. The architectural icons of the Big Apple in the late 1970s, such as the Empire State Building and the Chrysler, are shown over and over again in black and white shots.
“Vicky, Cristina, Barcelona” by Woody Allen
Another Woody Allen film and this time a postcard of the most modernist Barcelona: the Sagrada Familia, the Casa Milá and its iconic chimneys and the dragon at the entrance to Park Güell. The film unfolds with great masterpieces of art posing behind the main characters.
“The Last Emperor” by Bernardo Bertolucci
In this film the Forbidden City in Beijing appears as one of the main characters. The palace, recognised by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, was the point from which China ruled its world and every architectural and decorative detail enhances Chinese spirituality and the idea that the emperor is the centre of his Universe.
“Blade Runner” by Ridley Scott
This film shows us futuristic architecture and visualises the concept of the megapolis with its concentration of population in the same space. It presents us with a chaotic and decadent urbanism where buildings inspired by Mayan architecture coexist with Greek and Roman columns. In addition, the incorporation of two buildings that acquire great prominence in the film stand out: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Ennis House and George H. Wyman’s Bradbury Warehouses.
