Ralph Fiennes’ 4 favourite films – One so controversial John Wayne turned down | Films | Entertainment
Ralph Fiennes has an impressive back catalogue as a movie star, going back over 40 years. The three-time Oscar nominee is well known for playing villains, from his chilling portrayal of Amon Göth in Schindler’s List to Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter. More recently, he received an Academy Award nod for Conclave and has impressed critics with his latest role in 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. During the press tour for the latter, the 63-year-old revealed his four favourite films of all time after being asked to name them on the spot. Check them out below, ranked by him in no particular order.
High Noon (1952)
This Oscar-winning Western stars Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly in a tale about a marshal who must decide to either leave town with his wife or face a gang of murderers alone. Incredibly controversial at the time, John Wayne was initially set to star until he realised the script about a lawman abandoned by a local community was an analogy for the Hollywood blacklisting of suspected Communist sympathisers. Calling it “un-American” for what he perceived to be a portrayal of cowardice, Duke went on to make 1959’s Rio Bravo as a rebuttal, in a Western about a hero supported by his loyal friends. A stage adaptation of High Noon, which is now considered one of the best movies of all time, is currently being performed in London’s West End, starring Billy Crudup.
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