Elia Kazan's films, ranked
The top 3 according to 569 votes from people: On the Waterfront (1954) · A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) · A Face in the Crowd (1957). (Updated Jan 11, 2024.)
Method acting on screen, from A Tree Grows in Brooklyn to The Last Tycoon: Kazan's films ordered from Gold Derby, Collider and Flickchart, with On the Waterfront on top.
Top 15
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1
On the Waterfront (1954)
Marlon Brando on the docks; eight Oscars including Best Picture.
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2
A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando in Tennessee Williams's play.
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3
A Face in the Crowd (1957)
Andy Griffith as a drifter turned media demagogue.
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4
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)
His first feature, a family in the Brooklyn slums.
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5
East of Eden (1955)
James Dean's first starring role, from Steinbeck.
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6
America America (1963)
His uncle's journey from Anatolia to New York.
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7
Splendor in the Grass (1961)
Natalie Wood and Warren Beatty in 1920s Kansas.
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8
Baby Doll (1956)
Carroll Baker in a Tennessee Williams scandal.
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9
Viva Zapata! (1952)
Marlon Brando as Emiliano Zapata; Oscar for Anthony Quinn.
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10
Wild River (1960)
Montgomery Clift and the Tennessee Valley Authority.
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11
Gentleman's Agreement (1947)
Gregory Peck exposes antisemitism; Best Picture and Best Director.
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12
Boomerang! (1947)
A prosecutor doubts the case against his own suspect.
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13
Panic in the Streets (1950)
A plague carrier loose in New Orleans.
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14
Pinky (1949)
Jeanne Crain as a light-skinned Black woman in the South.
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15
The Last Tycoon (1976)
Robert De Niro, from Fitzgerald; his last film.
How is this ranking ordered? By people's votes: each ▲ adds a point and each ▼ takes one away. Anyone can vote and add what is missing.
Is something missing?
Comments (8)
America America is so underrated, glad it made the top 6.
A Face in the Crowd should be first. It predicted so much about media and politics, it's scary.
People still argue about that 1999 honorary Oscar, half the room didn't clap.
Hard to separate the films from the man who named names in front of HUAC. Great director, though.
I separate art from artist here. Streetcar alone earns him a place in history.
Wild River deserves more love, beautiful film and almost nobody has seen it.
On the Waterfront at number one, obviously. Brando in the taxi scene is still the gold standard.
East of Eden is the one I rewatch. James Dean is incredible in it.