Ten Favorite Debut Films
(in alphabetical order, with a preference for movies that represent a high point (if not always the absolute pinnacle) in their directors’ filmographies)
Before the Rain (directed by Milcho Manchevski, 1994)
The Chocolate War (directed by Keith Gordon, 1988)
The Duellists (directed by Ridley Scott, 1977)
The 400 Blows (directed by François Truffaut, 1959)
The Iron Giant (directed by Brad Bird, 1999)
Marty (directed by Delbert Mann, 1955)
Reprise (directed by Joachim Trier, 2006)
The Spirit of the Beehive (directed by Victor Erice, 1973)
12 Angry Men (directed by Sidney Lumet, 1957)
You Can Count On Me (directed by Kenneth Lonergan, 2000)
— September 6, 2021