Many important directors—especially those who left their mark and had a decisive influence on cinema—have often expressed their own vision through trilogies. Of course, there are also those who were compelled to give in to the temptation of the trilogy, as it was impossible to cover the adaptation of a book or the original screenplay they were working with in a single film. However, there were also those truly great creators whose work had such a profound impact on cinema—or even on societies or artistic movements— that, in retrospect, expert scholars characterized three of their iconic films as a «trilogy.».
Although it wasn’t easy, we’ve selected ten of the most significant film trilogies, by great directors, brilliant production teams, and actors who left their mark on their era and will always serve as benchmarks for cinema. These classic films, which are emblematic of each director’s body of work, vividly illustrate their contribution to cinema, their spirit, and their artistic legacy. Of course, trilogies—or franchises (which often amounted to two or even three trilogies)—are excluded, as their primary concern in production was box-office success.
10. Indiana Jones
Cinema’s greatest storyteller, backed by the ever-energetic George Lucas as producer, introduced us in 1981 to the most famous archaeologist, Indiana Jones, played by the charismatic Harrison Ford, in an entertaining spectacle that will likely be hard to top. The first film, *Raiders of the Lost Ark*, along with the third installment, «Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade,» are timeless, delightful adventures of incredible inspiration and creativity, while in between, «*Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Lost Ark* isn’t quite on the same level, but it features one of the best openings, a tribute to the era of »Golden Hollywood.« Several years later, two more unnecessary sequels would follow, but Spielberg had, to a greater or lesser extent, transformed himself into a businessman as well as an Oscar contender.
9. Of Faith and Silence
From the froth of entertainment to the deepest depths. Into the uncharted seas of faith, into which Ingmar Bergman—the atheist son of a Lutheran pastor—dived. Bergman addresses faith, God’s silence, and existential anguish in many of his films, but there is also the trilogy that began in 1961 with *Through a Glass Darkly*, followed by *Winter Light*, and concluded with the famous *The Silence*. Inspiring direction, as well as master classes in screenwriting economy, while the memorable performances introduce us to a great generation of actors.
8. Life and Love
The great maverick of Italian cinema, a unique poet of images, decides to tell three fairy tales for adults, which he stripped down to their essence in a way only he knew how. Starting with *The Decameron* in 1971—based on Boccaccio’s book of the same title—he would spend the following year on «The Canterbury Tales» and conclude with «One Thousand and One Nights.» Pazolini celebrates love and sex, but also life itself, once again challenging the conservative establishment.
7. For a Handful of Dollars
Sergio Leone’s trilogy, which would introduce the spaghetti western to the cinematic universe and introduce us to a tall man from America, Clint Eastwood—making him a star and subsequently one of the most important American directors. From the very first shot of the first film, *A Fistful of Dollars* (1964), based on Kurosawa’s *Yojimbo*, we realize that we’re dealing with something completely different from the classic Western. There are no good or bad characters; everyone has something to hide, and money is the most corrupting force in our sordid world. «Duel at El Paso» will follow the next year, and the trilogy will conclude with the masterpiece «The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.» It goes without saying that Ennio Morricone’s contribution is perhaps even more significant than Leone’s.
6. Tricolore
Three colors—blue, white, and red—which make up the French flag and symbolize freedom, equality, and fraternity, inspired the great Polish director to create a trilogy, which also serves as his swan song. The director of *The Double Life of Veronika*, with its philosophical and ideological depth, would go on to make three masterful films about a Europe losing its soul, succumbing to materialism. In 1993 with «The Blue Ribbon,» in 1994 with *The White Ribbon*, and in the same year with *The Red Ribbon*, she would deliver three films in which the past, the present, and the future intertwine in a remarkable way, all starring the exceptional Juliette Binoche.
5. Alienation
Critics adored them, audiences loved them, and film history has ranked them among the greatest trilogies. Michelangelo Antonioni, the poet of images, with his astonishing films *L’Avventura* (1960), *La Notte* (1961), and *L’Eclisse* (1962), speaks as insightfully as anyone about alienation, foreshadowing a bleak future for humanity’s estranged relationships. However, the films also form a trilogy dedicated to the Italian director’s muse, the unforgettable Monica Vitti, whom countless cinephiles would fall in love with for her fragile beauty.
4. The Bourgeoisie’s Reading Material
The famous and, paradoxically, Oscar-winning *The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie* is the first film (1972) in a trilogy about the notorious—according to Luis Buñuel—bourgeoisie. The Spanish director and leading exponent of cinematic surrealism would mercilessly expose the hypocrisy of the upper middle class, followed by the wonderful, though not as famous, films *The Phantom of Liberty* (1974) and *The Dark Object of Desire* (1977). In essence, Buñuel never excluded the bourgeoisie, the church, and the sins of their leading representatives from his remarkable cinematic universe.
3. Indian silk
There is no more apt and meaningful description of the leading Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray than that offered by Akira Kurosawa: ’Not having seen Ray’s films is like not having seen the Sun or the Moon!« Film lovers around the world will discover Ray through his legendary »Apu Trilogy.« Three films chronicling Apu’s coming of age, with the filming of the first—and best—film, *The Song of Return*, taking about four years. A cinematic marvel about Apu’s childhood, it will move audiences with its simplicity, the depth of the director’s thought, and the exquisite scenes that will enchant. Two more masterful films would follow: 1956»s «The Invincible» and 1959«s »The World of Apu.« Rai is also characterized as the »Neorealist of the East,« as he himself admitted that he was decisively influenced by Vittorio De Sica’s *Bicycle Thieves*.
2. Godfather I, II & III
An iconic epic by the brilliant Francis Ford Coppola, which even today continues to spark debate over whether the first part is better than the second—and is therefore the greatest film ever made. Two unsurpassed films, about which everything has been said—regarding their directorial brilliance, their anthology of scenes and shots, Mario Puzo’s unparalleled screenplay, the performances of Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, James Caan, Robert Duvall, Roberto De Niro, John Cazale, as well as the unforgettable character actors and the iconic faces of the mafiosi. And, of course, the music by Nino Rota, the cinematography by Gordon Willis, and the remarkable production. Fifteen years later, the third and final film followed in 1990; while it may not quite measure up to the first two, it was an excellent film in the spirit of the crime family saga.
1. Neorealism
Vittorio De Sica, the leading figure of the holy trinity of neorealism—along with Rossellini and Visconti— would go on to direct, immediately after World War II, three films that defined Italian neorealism and had a decisive impact on world cinema. The mere fact that it gave us Satyajit Ray is enough to place it at the top of the list of the greatest trilogies. In 1946, he would direct the heart-wrenching *Shoeshine*, which essentially gave birth to neorealism and won the precursor to the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Two years later, he directed the classic—and perhaps one of the best films of all time—’Bicycle Thieves,« a film that effortlessly and cathartically brings tears to the eyes. In 1952, »Umberto D.« would also be released, a film brimming with humanism. We must, of course, also mention de Sica’s screenwriter and close collaborator, Cesare Zavattini, who was behind all three films.
X. Anagnostakis
