The candidates in France's presidential vote revealed their favourite films on Monday, with Socialist frontrunner Francois Hollande liking "Spartacus" and far-right Marine Le Pen "Braveheart".

Film website Allocine revealed the lists after asking the candidates to name their top five films, and the right-wing incumbent President Nicolas Sarkozy was the only candidate unwilling to play along with the format.

Sarkozy expressed appreciation for films such as Carl Theodor Dreyer's 1928 "The Passion of Joan Arc" or the work of Stanley Kubrick, but refused to rank his favourites, saying it was impossible to compare.

Hollande, who polls show is the clear favourite to win the two-round vote on April 22 and May 6, listed Kubrick's "Spartacus", Eric Rohmer's "My Night at Maud's" and Francois Truffaut "Stolen Kisses".

Le Pen made populist choices, including the 1982 French comedy "Santa Claus is a Bastard" and Mel Gibson's violent Scottish epic "Braveheart", which she hailed for promoting "patriotism, bravery, the sense of honour and sacrifice."

Surprisingly, the Communist-backed far-leftist Jean-Luc Melenchon selected mainly US films, including "Little Big Man", "Blade Runner", "Apocalypse Now" and "Out of Africa".