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The films listed below are all excellent films with recurrent themes of solitude or loneliness. Numerous films examine these themes in a variety of ways, including alienation from society, facing one’s own inner demons, or just being stuck in a remote location. We will see how the “lonely” characters in a number of these movies are frequently put together with others who, more often than not, share their perception.

Our selections on this fascinating topic are slow-burning, moody, and emotionally intense. We hope you enjoy them. Please take note that the films listed below are arranged chronologically.

The 1957 Wild Strawberries

Wild Strawberries, which was written and directed by the amazing Ingmar Bergman, is not too dissimilar from the majority of his other work in that it explores themes of self-discovery and raises interesting concerns. However, we are treated to a kinder, more upbeat Bergman in this very magnificent drama, with amazing outcomes.

Isak, played by Victor Sjostrom, is a 78-year-old widowed professor who must travel a considerable distance by automobile in order to accept an award for his contributions to his field of work. He is compelled to face recurrent dreams and visions of broken human relationships from his past along the journey. These competitions only get more intense when he is put to the test by multiple interactions with those who share this suffering. He becomes more and more aware of how things could have been as he approaches his life’s goal.

Wild Strawberries is an incredibly sentimental and thematically poignant road journey that is brimming with symbolism in typical Bergman flair. This is a masterpiece by a brilliant director who was at the height of his abilities.

1964’s Red Desert

We see a woman’s pitiful battle with confusion and alienation in Michelangelo Antonioni’s heartbreaking debut color film, Red Desert. Antonioni creates a visually gorgeous and emotionally charged scene that reflects our protagonist’s psychological suffering through his masterful use of color.

Giuliana, portrayed by Monica Vitti, is a young mother whose husband, Ugo, works as the manager of a nearby chemical facility. Giuliana is deprived of the emotional support and attention she so sorely needs because of her overworked and uninterested husband. Giuliana’s mental state rapidly deteriorates as a result of this neglect, and we see our pain-bearer’s depressing hopelessness.

Red Desert is a slow-burning, fashionable character-study that will, in one way or another, stick in your head for a long time. It is a movie that will always split opinions.

1965 film Repulsion

Repulsion, a psychological horror film released in 1965, is Roman Polanski’s first English-language motion picture. The story, which stars Catherine Deneuve, centers on a young woman who is abandoned in her sister’s apartment and goes insane. The first and, in this viewer’s opinion, the best installment of Polanski’s ominous “Apartment Trilogy” is Repulsion.

Currently residing in London with her older sister is manicurist Carole Ledoux (Deneuve). Carole, a stunning but socially uncomfortable woman, would undoubtedly fit right in with one of Alfred Hitchcock’s feature films. The already preoccupied Carole starts to descend into madness as her sister departs to go on vacation with her boyfriend, revealing the actual horror of her twisted mind. In the feverish imagination of this young woman who has been physically and emotionally abandoned, cracks turn into craters, voices reveal rapists, and every sound conceals an unfortunate outcome.

Repulsion is an eerie and unnerving masterpiece that will go down as one of the most influential movies of the genre. It tells a cramped and graphic story of sexual repression and loneliness.

1967, Le Samourai

Le Samourai, the effortlessly stylish crime-drama by Jean-Pierre Melville, is the epitome of minimalist excellence. Le Samourai, a subtle yet incredibly captivating classic, is the product of a synthesis of stylistic quality and compelling tension, with leading man Alain Delon’s role practically bubbling with serenity and nonchalance.

With the exception of a tiny bird in a cage, Jef Costello (Delon), a hit guy, lives in a dreary one-room flat in Paris. The epitome of the lone wolf, Costello is devoid of feeling or expression, audibly toneless, and adept at making a poker face to surprise a statue. We see the loneliness build up to a really captivating finish as the authorities start to loom and a complex game of cat and mouse emerges.

Le Samourai is a straightforward tale with a straightforward premise that will keep you engrossed as it develops. Similar to our topic, Le Samourai is a subtle but utterly captivating show that deserves all of the accolades it has received.

1972 film Silent Running

Douglas Trumbull’s wildly underappreciated and intriguing sci-fi drama, Silent Running, was his directorial debut.

The outsider on a space shuttle crew entrusted with restoring plant life kept in domes affixed to space freighters, Freeman Lowell, is portrayed beautifully by Bruce Dern. Lowell is the only crew member who shows any passion or enthusiasm in their job of rebuilding what is left of our planet’s vegetation, even though they have been entrusted with such a significant and consequential duty. But when the group is told to demolish the domes and head back home, Lowell must make a crucial choice that he believes is necessary for the greater good.

Even though it is more than 40 years old, this picture has endured and continues to be incredibly visionary. Silent Running is a moving and contemplative film that is unquestionably science fiction done right.

1972 film Solaris

The 1972 Russian science fiction drama Solaris, which was directed by the legendary Andrei Tarkovsky, is regarded as one of the greatest space movies ever produced. With its eerily beautiful images, thought-provoking settings, and characteristic Tarkovsky long takes, Solaris is another movie on this list with minimal action that succeeds as a slow-burning psychological drama.

A Russian space station has been orbiting the ocean-like planet Solyaris for years in an effort to investigate this phenomenon. After reports of weird behavior and a lack of development, psychologist Kris Kelvin is tasked with looking into the strange activities occurring on board the station. After arriving in a hostile environment, Kris decides to investigate these incidents, only to be faced with similar circumstances himself. Kris becomes mired in his own emotions of loneliness and emotional isolation as he is faced with a terrifying incident from his past. Are they real, is the question.

Solaris, an epic vision by a very gifted and grandiose director, is a complicated and philosophically disturbing study in imprisonment and alienation. Even though Solaris isn’t his best film, it’s nevertheless a stunningly perceptive and engrossing film that pairs well with Kubrick’s own masterpiece, 2001.