Director Alejandro González Iñárritu Breaks Down His Most Iconic Films | GQ

Filmmaker Alejandro González Iñárritu breaks down his most iconic films, including The Revenant, Birdman, Babel, Amores Perros, 21 Grams, Biutiful, and his latest, Bardo: False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths.
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths debuts on Netflix December 16, 2022. www.netflix.com/bardo
Director - Graham Corrigan
Director of Photography - AJ Young
Editor - Jimmy Chorng
Talent - Alejandro González Iñárritu
Producer - Kristen Rakes
Associate Producer - Sam Dennis
Production Managers - Andressa Pelachi & Peter Brunette
Production Coordinator - Carolina Wachockier
Talent Booker - Meredith Judkins
Camera Operator - Shay Eberle Gunst
Audio - Will Miller
Production Assistant - Ariel Labasan
Post Production Supervisor - Rachael Knight
Supervising Editor - Rob Lombardi
Assistant Editor - Billy Ward
--
0:00 “Music is the king of everything”
0:50 The Revenant
3:42 Birdman
9:53 Babel
13:12 Amores Perros
15:41 21 Grams
18:29 Biutiful
21:18 Bardo: False Chronicle Of A Handful Of Truths
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[@mattd1659]

My dad has absolutely no interest in cinema - he’s seen like 3 films in his whole life. But he randomly watched Birdman on a plane, wouldn’t stop talking about it and has watched it like 5 times since. Blew his mind

[@jj-if6it]

I've never known someone to not watch movies! haha. If that blew his mind, there is so much more he would probably love

[@Armando_Lara]

It's a very complex flim. I've watched it about those times and there are always new things to discover.

[@doc8013]

@@jj-if6it well, Birdman is a one-of-a-kind type masterpiece so that surely helped lol.

[@jj-if6it]

@@doc8013 I didn't like it but fair enough haha

[@doc8013]

@@jj-if6it ah man, that sucks lol. You're not gonna find a film that looks as beautiful and as technically brilliant as that movie. Plus, the performances are....wow. But fair enough, to each their own.

[@KidFresh71]

Mr. Iñárritu is such a gentleman. I once attended a Hollywood event where he expertly interviewed another one of my favorite filmmakers, Guillermo del Toro. After the event, the three of us found ourselves outside in the parking lot. I got to briefly chat with them, and so badly wanted to ask for a selfie, but didn't want to come across like a loser. Alejandro somehow read my mind and asked if I wanted a photo with Mr. del Toro, and then took a long time to expertly set up the angle of the shot, with great care and attention to detail. I cherish that photo, and to date it's my favorite celebrity encounter. Two filmmaking legends, who were completely humble, friendly and down to earth.

[@michaelmoraga2926]

Wow... Photo by Iñárritu. ¡Órale! 👍

[@rotisseriechickenlover-jb4cc]

thats so cool wtf

[@TheMELTDOWN911]

wow!

[@abrahampinamiranda4337]

Top 10 luckiest people on earth

[@udaysingh-wr2kw]

Can i seee that photo?

[@themusic6808]

Birdman is one of my all time favourite movies. The continuous shot with minimal editing, one central location and limited cast really puts you right there as if you were watching it unfold live before you.

[@alexanderflemming7083]

Go watch BARDO

[@ssotkow]

4:02 Iñárritu shot that film in 19 days. Mind blown.

[@filmtoppings]

It takes talent to have FIVE Oscars. A really special filmmaker

[@davidalvarez7666]

Not to mention being the director who gave Leo his first ever Oscar

[@benoh3399]

Babel is such a masterpiece…the story of the deaf girl is especially captivating and to this day I still can’t say why this part stood out too me.

[@The_Ostrich]

God of War Ragnarok is a masterpiece

[@jj-if6it]

one of the best movies I've ever seen and I still think about it to this day

[@sam1555]

Maybe you just like seeing Japanese puss

[@gracegg1174]

The film left the same effect on me. Mostly because how real it felt watching her struggle and tension with people around her. Also the coldness of Tokyo, in contrast with its ongoing chaos.

[@arthursouza9641]

I am Not mexican. But a i am pround of this country for this trio of Amazing Fillmakers of hollywood: Alejandro G Inaarritu, Guillermo Del Toro and Alfonso Cuarón.

[@joaovictorkelima2551]

Que suores te encontrar aqui Arthur

[@vladimirhorowitz]

Don't sleep on Luis Bunuel.

[@lmaoyz]

@@vladimirhorowitz or carlos reygadas

[@fermorac]

@@vladimirhorowitz Spaniard born but yeah, Mexican by choice

[@jamk2668]

Check out Carlos Reygadas. He's the best living Mexican director. Unlike the three amigos, he doesn't get seduced by the power of Hollywood. He's fully committed to making pure cinema.

[@raspberryripple88]

So happy to see Amores Perros get a mention - such a great film!

[@elephantello1518]

Yes

[@Funkyfanfare-py4uh]

Such a perfectly devastating movie

[@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

one of my fav of all time - brilliant but devastating movie

[@kuku1647]

Yeah.. Its a such a great

[@gxv333]

Top 10 for me.

[@PeterSantenello]

Iñárritu is such an amazing creative. All of his movies put so many of us in a dreamlike state. My wife and I started our first date starting about Birdman and that connected us immediately.

[@Ignaciombr]

Interesting that one of my favorite KZbinrs likes a renowned Mexican director!

[@kkitchen63]

He is like the a Mexican Akira Kurosawa. He has his own style and it's fantastic. Such a great storyteller!

[@allhaildrewzavic2838]

Accurate

[@papacinoooo]

yes

[@buniteer]

Out of all the movies he talked about, I have not seen 2 of them (21 grams & Bardo). The rest, all of them have impacted me tremendously. They've made me laugh, cry, be in awe, and really just make me think about life. Such a talented director. A gift to cinema.

[@PaganPoetry]

Bardo its in Netflix right now, enjoy !

[@filmtoppings]

21 Grams is outstanding

[@zheretxc]

bardo is a very good movie but you might have to watch it a few times, very interesting watch

[@justanotherblackwhitemicke7817]

Bardo is a completely mexican movie, soo I do reccomend watch it with an open mind, I personally think its a masterpiece

[@marcoreali5197]

Then you are in for a ride my freind!

[@m.murtazamurad8803]

The first three films Inarritu made - Amores Perros, 21 Grams, and Babel - were extraordinary. So raw on emotions and the performances in those films were mind blowing. I remember when I saw 21 Grams back in 2003, I was stunned into silence. I had never seen actors act the way they act in that film, especially Naomi Watts. What a performance!!

[@fermorac]

Sadly, those stories were created by Iñárritu and Arriaga; after many fights between both writers, they split ways and we lost that style in future films. You should see "Biutiful"

[@spb78art]

My favourite director of all time. So great to finally get a video like this and hear him talk about his films in details

[@ozcartadeo2918]

Iñárritu a veces es descrito cómo mamón y egocéntrico, pero cuando lo escuchas hablar de sus filmes es obvio que en la producción de su arte es enormemente humilde, siempre habla de los logros en conjunto con su equipo, la importancia de transmitir emociones y como lo más importante es la película y es ahí donde está su ambición Felicidades Alejandro, eres un chingón!!!

[@bajocero5453]

Tal vez tengas alguna razón en lo dices pero las "referencia tan explicitas que hace de otros films me hace dudar de tus palabras cuando hablas de sus películas un ejemplo que me queda muy claro es "el renacido" con las obras de Tarkovski. es de pena ajena y decepciona y se cuestiona .¿ Homenaje o plagio?

[@antoniolemus2774]

Lo que dices de mamón y egocéntrico es la gente que tiene envidia y se siente menos

[@mastah2494]

Chinga yo nunca e escuchado que digan que es mamon dafuk?

[@eduardoescobar1906]

@@bajocero5453 tu comment apesta a envidia

[@bajocero5453]

@@eduardoescobar1906parece ser mas bien que en tu ser es envidia un reflejo de tu persona. Yo solo añado información amigo.

[@virgonero2060]

"Buitiful" one of the most felt and greatest visual story ever told

[@andryfrens842]

Amazing movie and the ending with the father is unique😮

[@GeoKnowLearning]

The kindest way of calling Edward Norton an a-hole that I've ever heard! hahaha

[@lazaromurad322]

back in the autumn of 2005 I was invited by my uncle who worked for Alejandro as a casting director and camera director to the Babel set in Mexico, I have always loved movies and I couldn't believe where I was, I got to see Alejandro pass by giving tons of notes to people I also saw Elle Fanning as a little girl through the camera and then we were part of very few people who got to meet and get a photo with Gael Garcia Bernal I couldnt believe how many people you need to make a movie, especially shooting scenes in a Wedding then I gave my uncle my dvd of 21 grams so that Alejandro could sign it and he did! and also Babel was nominated for best picture at the Oscars so its even more incredible, definitely a huge highlight of my life!!!

[@allhaildrewzavic2838]

This is one of the greatest directors of our time

[@samdunkdunk]

One of the best filmmakers living today! 💯

[@moothaship75]

One of my favorite scenes in Biutiful is when Uxbal stares at his reflection by a street window and when he walks away, his reflection stays put. One of the many unexplained and unspoken things that make this movie incredibly beautiful.

[@dorincucos2197]

What stuck with me was the birds scene. Even if it is a believably realistic scenario, it feels fantastical, and there is something beautiful about hispanic cultures, how they have this sense for the supernatural being a natural subtle part of real life.

[@SmilingBear-sy8mv]

Wowie

[@eddiecardwell]

This man, Cameron, Del Toro, Villanueve, Robert Eggers, and the Daniels are leading the charge in film and I couldn’t be more excited.

[@moderndilettante6896]

They are a breath of fresh air in a world filled with superhero sequels where good guy wins.

[@gaboalvarez9849]

Since i watched Birdman i watched all his filmography and was forever touched by his vision, Iñárritu's films have a soul and spirit that none other directors has. Forver my fav

[@grady187]

He did a VR project called “Carne y arena” about migrants being led across the border by a coyote - it put you right there in the desert with them. When I say it was amazing I mean people walked out of there crying.

[@carlitocool8393]

Babel was the first film of Inarritu's I ever saw. I saw it at a film festival and was captivated by it. I have been of fan of his films ever since. A master filmmaker.

[@Cheloluis2003]

Dude I could listen Alejandro for hours talking about his movies, such a great director

[@mohofojo8129]

El maestro! What a time to be alive for a film lover with some of the greats like Del Toro and Iñárritu at the top of their game.

[@GeoKnowLearning]

Don't forget Cuaron on that list! Mexico gave us some of the all time best!

[@OliverHollingdale]

THE REVENANT is in my top 5! seriously incredible movie

[@sunburn1013]

Yes! The performance he pulls out of Leonardo Di Caprio is breathtaking. I have seen this film so many times and never tire of it

[@Zanollo5]

Omg. Really? It's in my top 3 most overrated movie of all time. The CGI bear is the only thing good on this movie.

[@OliverHollingdale]

@@Zanollo5 curious to know your top few movies

[@Zanollo5]

@@OliverHollingdale overrated? Avatar and all Superheroes movies (specially Black Panther)

[@bajocero5453]

Tarkovski perhaps would not think the same, check it out.

[@Major98]

Legendary filmmaker. Amazing filmography

[@JinGalactica]

Each time Birdman is on the TV, I watch it. I stop what I'm doing, get tea ready and watch it all the way through. call it a fanatic curse? either way, its an amazing film.

[@voyager1108]

I agree 200 percent

[@annacoribioanna]

There is a spectacular and extremely breathtaking scene in Bardo (on Netflix) where a woman falls to the ground and no one wants to help her and then suddenly all other pedestrians start falling too, in an superb choreography.. Those people are made to represent all of the people (particularly women) that have disappeared in Mexico or murdered.

[@visions_of_noah]

The story of that Central Park scene is insane!! Now I love this movie even more!

[@leeyan9049]

Alejandro is pure human genius and this breakdown is one of GQ's best, would be cool to see the same with Paul Thomas Anderson and Wes Anderson.

[@thefabulous4]

Birdman is a masterpiece

[@benbeasant3443]

This is the only answer required

[@MrJesseforsell]

Amen

[@rohanb2657]

So good

[@superawesomefunfilms]

literally one of the best movies ever made

[@The_Ostrich]

God of War Ragnarok is.

[@asukas666]

After The Revenant I thought that he should be the one to direct Cormac McCarthy's Blood Meridian, if they ever do it. Here's hoping!

[@samw1red805]

Could also see him direct a spin-off of Children of Men. He would be perfect.

[@benbeasant3443]

Forever grateful to him for making bird man!

[@fettfan91]

Thank you for highlighting this director, every single one of his films is deeply layered and artistically made.

[@jj-if6it]

0:49 I like how he just goes "Revenant" haha. Loved the movie because of Leo's naturalistic acting. I've enjoyed him for years but this was really something special

[@SatanSupimpa]

Now do one of these with Emmanuel "Chivo" Lubezki, the director of photography for The Revenant and Birdman, that also has a third oscar for Gravity.

[@jj-if6it]

Love what he said about Leo. He is a true professional

[@sofiathompson3531]

What a brilliant and interesting man.

[@shivagiri7406]

The cinematography in revenant is so amazing.

[@tonatiuhnino3711]

The Revenant is one of my favorite movies of all time.

[@q-man323]

I absolutely loved Bardo!

[@eduardoescobar1906]

Why are critics shittin on it?

[@q-man323]

@@eduardoescobar1906 I think because it's too outside the box. Critics haven't seen something like it before so they hate it.

[@fermorac]

@@eduardoescobar1906 because they were hoping other things, not an almost autobiographical movie (but it was pretty obvious, Cuarón did the same with his last film, Roma, now it's Del Toro's turn?)

[@mahedgefundco2342]

Me: I can’t imagine how many angles you need to see when you are the director Also Iñarritu “I shoot that film in 19 days” 4:01

[@Wwrtf1750]

I love listening to people who are absolutely fascinated and who dedicate their lives to doing what they love ….Definitely have a different sparkle in their eyes

[@NaticzkaKaminskaHenryDolphin]

There Will be Blood, Godfather and Amores Perros are my beloved movies. This is ART.

[@Ignaciombr]

I can watch amores perros 10 x and not get bored

[@benjaminbjrklund743]

This guy is a treasure

[@seafaringmax3159]

It’s always awesome listening to someone talk about their craft with such passion. You can see the guy loves what he does and he’s really good at it. It’s inspiring and entertaining listening to him.

[@user333-us4qz]

Babel and Revenant was Insane. 🎉

[@gerardozg9700]

Every time I reflect on what's there to be proud of for being Mexican, I think of him and the other two great Mexican film- makers ( Del Toro and Cuaron). Then I realize that the Mexican sense of expression and craft is world class. You find this in the simplest of taco stands, to the artisans selling their hand-made crafts on the side of the roads. It's in our blood. Que viva el arte Mexicano!

[@bjedo3]

I wanna be like this guy when I grow up. Fantastic

[@helloimroubin4752]

Birdman is my fav film of all time god I love this man so much

[@James_Blazer]

That story with the pre-editing / drummer on Birdman is awesome

[@nowayjose1313]

Everyone should watch all of his movies. Each one is very good and there is a reason why he is a multiple Oscar winner as a director and writer.

[@mellowscorpio]

that story about birdman and the drummer distraction is crazy.. he's a magician, in so many ways

[@hollowme2091]

Alejandro is literally my favorite director. For one simple reason, his works never disappoint.

[@jean-marclambert2936]

He is one of the greatest director ever, equal only to Kubrick, or PT Anderson , or Wells... Birdman , knowing now how they had to overcome so much limitations, is one of the greatest movies ever and an absolute masterpiece .

[@alexolsson5592]

Not to sound pretentious but please just watch more movies, if wells and kubrik are the pinnacle of filmmaking in your opinion you need to watch more imo. Inarritu and pta are really good though.

[@jean-marclambert2936]

​@@alexolsson5592 It is common knowlegde that Wells and Kubrick are some of the best directors of all time. They have influenced so much all the greatest directors we have today. They have invented modern movie making and are real genius.

[@alexolsson5592]

I agree that they are good (especially kubrick) but using that kind of argument that they are good because of the influence that they brought to the art of filmmaking is not that appealing of an argument (imo). I love citizien kane and many kubrick films as much as the next person but I have found that as you experience more film and directors that you grow of the likes of Welles and Kubrick as the movies they make are more surface level in many aspects. There are far better directors like Edward Wang, Tarkovsky and Bergman for example (heavily pretentious) that excell so much more in every facet of filmmaking and really brings cinema to its full potential. So basically having Welles and Kubrick in your top 3 directors = shows you are not that well versed in film, just follow other people blindly without really knowing what makes them great (as they are) or you just have to put it bluntly basic taste (Stuckmann or George Carmi). But yeah thats just my 2 cents.

[@user-yb4gv3qo4y]

Muchas gracias por sus obras maestras, compañero Iñárritu. Saludo internacional de los obreros rusos.

[@dorincucos2197]

"this role that Guillé... that... Benicio del Toro plays" - it is nice to know even Iñarittu mixes them up sometimes :)

[@virgonero2060]

This guy is fluent in visual language

[@SatanSupimpa]

Funny that he starts talking about music, because music is what led me to his films. Specifically the fact of having Control Machete on the soundtrack of Amores Perros.

[@educostanzo]

I remember watching Amores Perros in VHS back in the day (it feels like a year ago) and sincerely thinking wow, this is great stuff, I hope this guy keep making movies, and there you go... The Revenant is the one that stoods out to me, just the bear sequence alone, wow!

[@liampendergast8670]

Could here this guy talk for hours. So passionate about his craft. A true artist.

[@H4LFD3MON]

Birdman is absolutely AMAZING. I loved the film and will always recommend it.

[@kurtdewittphoto]

I just rewatched Revenant for the first time in a few years this weekend. Such an immersive movie. I love it.

[@SamuraiSama]

He's an artiste!

[@rafaelpaun1907]

The revenant is incredible. You can almost feel how cold the environments was through the screen.

[@Seba-oc1ze]

The absolute goat. my favorite filmmaker

[@petermulder7480]

Love all these films... Never knew it was the same director. All makes sense now... Only Birdman I could get in to it. Maybe I'll try again

[@JoseAngelFilms]

El maestro Iñárritu is definitely ahead of the game in cinema, when you have 3 of my favorite and greatest Mexicans like Alejandro, Alfonso and Guillermo del Toro it makes me so proud to be a Mexican myself!!! Gracias amigos por el "Arte del Cine"!! The Art of Cinema !

[@julesvox]

Joder, esto sí es cine

[@PaganPoetry]

Te queremos mucho Tio Ale !

[@sirchowchow]

I don’t know how many more times am I going to watch Birdman. It was a Masterpiece. Thank you Alejandro 👏

[@Mauricio21ish]

Birdman and The Revenant are two of the most beautifully shot films of all time

[@davidcardinales8939]

Regreso el Maestro!

[@VideoGame_Narrative_Collection]

birdman was such an immaculate experience wish i could watch that film for the first time again

[@aleki7568]

Amazing director 🔥

[@geoafe66]

Great director. Loved the Revenant

[@maxperez6760]

Viva Mexico 🇲🇽

[@Xnovality]

MESSI MESSI MESSI

[@AtomicMushroomz]

@@Xnovality Are you okay? Did you have a stroke?

[@skylarjeselnik]

@@Xnovality canelo canelo canelo 🤜🏻 😆

[@anthonys.8569]

Revenant is a masterpiece

[@makysujo1986]

my favorite director of all times, no doubt.

[@coleperschino5956]

MASTER FILMMAKER

[@MrWadeBarrett]

Happy holidays and a happy new year to the first 100 readers, the rest may a enjoy a lukewarm holiday season

[@DodderingOldMan]

Definitely my favourite director. But his films are so powerful that I can barely handle watching them. I saw Biutiful once; I'm not sure I have the emotional fortitude to watch it again.

[@cassusbr3672]

I love all of his films and his masterful directing, but nonetheless I think that without the eye of Emanuel Lubezky his films wouldn't be as impactful as they are, they together, are just on another level. Son el orgullo de México 🇲🇽✊

[@johnnybird5466]

Revenant was sooo freaking amazing.

[@Vollce]

Every single one of his movies is incredible. What a legend.

[@romanumeralz]

What a brilliant man.🎥

[@Cash42]

The Revenant is to this day one of my favorite experiences in a movie theater and I was late to it lol

[@DanielGreen0]

He's amazing.

[@chaberio1335]

Is it just me or does Alejandros voice soothe you? I love the way he says physically lol. He's the Mexican Morgan Freeman lol

[@eduardoescobar1906]

Isn't it something about having an accent? then again imagine if Alejandro spoke perfect americanized English with no accent, it'd be kinda weird.

[@menikmati789]

My dad downloaded a copy of babel, but didn’t know there was a separate subtitle file. He thought this was intentional, and the point of the movie was to not be able to understand what any of the characters were saying, and thought it was so daring and groundbreaking for a Hollywood film to take that risk..

[@XXSTEAKYXX]

to me his amore perros will always be one of my fav films

[@hugh-jasole]

Amores Perros is still his masterpiece. He has never topped it.

[@roy87345]

Master! ❤

[@rotisseriechickenlover-jb4cc]

this is so good

[@thedonton]

He doesn’t miss.. top 5 to ever do it

[@pawelzabicki7785]

I wish he could do something as fresh and brillant as Birdman.

[@guimouro26]

wow...amazing!

[@YoungPadawan85]

Keaton has this guy to thank for breathing new life into Keaton's stagnating career, that's not a dig against Keaton, i love Keaton's films

[@Wwrtf1750]

Iñárritu is absolutely brilliant, what he did in The Revenant was something else … and babel ?!!!?! I mean commonnnn there are a lot of brain involved, I love his job