Best Movies on Loneliness Before 1980?

The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter. So well done, and so sad.

Harold and Maude.

The Conversation

It's interesting that you mention La Strada as a movie about loneliness, because I have never quite seen it that way, although I can easily see it being interpreted in that manner.

Loneliness can take on several forms (spiritual, emotional, sexual etc.) and is featured in some ways in most movies. Every romantic comedy ever made could be argued to be a movie on loneliness, although such movies do not usually contemplate the nature of loneliness per se. It is quite difficult for me to name movies that focus solely or majorly on the topic of loneliness.

Since you named a Felini film, I would say that his next film 'Nights of Cabiria" is a good film about loneliness. Among other filmmakers, I would say Belle Du Jour.

I googled "films about loneliness" and I was irked to see films like 'Wild Strawberries' and 'Chungking Express' near the top of every list. I've seen Wild Strawberries hundreds of times, and do not believe the movie is about loneliness. It is about a man who examines his his suppressed humanity when confronted with loneliness. I've always interpreted La Strada in the same manner. I'm not convinced about CE addressing loneliness. Quite honestly I would say that 'In the mood for love' and 2046 focus on loneliness more. Anyway, I do agree with some movies on that list like:

Taxi Driver
Solaris
Ali: Fear eats the soul

Since I just mentioned a movie by Fassbinder, I would say that I think every single movie of his strongly deals with loneliness. Every one of them. The same applied to the bulk of Antonioni movies I think.

If I were allowed to name more recent movies about loneliness I would say Three Colors: Blue, Adaptation and Lost in Translation.