STEVE MCQUEEN ESCAPES FROM THE AYN RAND SCHOOL FOR TOTS!! - A Look at the Best Films of 1963

The opinion I've held for quite some time regarding the cinematic output of 1963 was that it was very dire. I feel like that isn't anything new for me to say for this era, and anyone who has been reading these posts about the 60s and even the post I made about the stellar year for film that was 1957 (read about that here.), the international cinema landscape was wiping the floor with us consistently as they would tackle bolder topics and actually take risks with their presentation. 

If you were to look at the 5 films that were nominated for the Best Picture Oscar that year, I am sure 1 or 2 of them may have some fans...but really...it has got to be one of the absolute worst lineups in that award's history:

America, America

Cleopatra

How the West Was Won

Lilies of the Field

Tom Jones

As highlighted in bold, the British period farce Tom Jones won the award, and despite how often many of us like to bemoan how the Oscars don't always recognize comedies, it seems like they often choose the worst ones to focus on. Tom Jones is easily won of the worst winners, like in the bottom 10 quite easily. Even more hilarious is how its director Tony Richardson won in his category as well...but I call that out because Best Director contained a couple of nominees whose films didn't make it to Best Picture:

Otto Preminger for The Cardinal 

Federico Fellini, 8 1/2

Martin Ritt, Hud

If I were to say anything about these films, The Cardinal is fine. It is about on par with the actual nominees from that year, maybe even a little better. However, it still baffles me that Hud was not nominated considering it not only got multiple nominations, but it also managed to win Best Actress for Patricia Neal and Best Supporting Actor for Melvyn Douglas. 

Hud was the best film Hollywood made that year...and it will be only one of 2 films from Hollywood to make my top 10. There is also one British film which just so happens to be a little better than both of them. I promise I am not being cheeky with this, but all the English language films on the list round out the bottom 3 while the top 7 are all international features.

For those wondering about my thoughts on Fellini and 8 1/2, don't worry...I will in due time.

Let's begin this list, not with Hud or The Servant, but rather...

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#10 - THE GREAT ESCAPE

Directed by John Sturges

Written by James Clavell & W.R. Burnett

When I sat down to watch The Great Escape on a whim during a TCM airing, I heard the main theme of the film and immediately realized: "I HEARD THIS ON THE SIMPSONS!"

I swear, a lot of my pop-culture and history knowledge as a child came from watching The Simpsons and old episodes of SNL. The score's main theme, written by Elmer Bernstein, had been featured on a Season 4 episode of The Simpsons entitled "A Streetcar Named Marge" where little Maggie Simpson is on a quest to retrieve her iconic pacifier that was locked away by the conservative wacko who runs the Ayn Rand School for Tots.

Classic Simpsons was pure gold.

I am getting off track though. The Great Escape is certainly an entertaining film, and perhaps my one case of choosing a film that was highly populist for its time. It's an amazing story though as they do a fictionalized account of the mass escape that was made by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from a German POW camp in WWII.

It certainly helped establish Steve McQueen as the personification of "cool" as I'd argue he and Sean Connery had that market cornered in the 1960s.

I would also be remiss if I didn't mention the iconic motorcycle chase and jump scene, as that is easily one of the best stunts ever captured on film and yet another example of how that kind of work is always taken for granted. Thankfully though, the Academy will implement a Stunts Coordinator Oscar in 2027.

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#9 - HUD 

Directed by Martin Ritt

Written by Irving Ravetch & Harriet Frank Jr.

Help us, Paul Newman. You're our only hope!

So yes, Hud represents the one truly great all-around Hollywood achievement to make my list. It is also something of a revisionist western which typically aren't the kind of films to make these lists. 

As our titular character, Newman is the egotistical and shameless son of a cattle rancher named Homer (Melvyn Douglas). With them on the ranch is teenager Lonnie (Brandon de Wilde), who is orphaned after the death his father, Hud's elder brother. Both of these men take a liking to the down-to-earth housekeeper named Alma (Patricia Neal). 

Most of Hud is centered around generational conflict, particularly that of Hud's own desire to do things his own way. He will do anything to get what he wants and he cannot stand the bitter and disciplined nature of his father...all the while having young Lonnie look up to him.

Hud is a great example of a film in which we can't help but be taken by our protagonist even though he is the truest definition of an antihero. Not surprisingly, Paul Newman being Paul Newman helps greatly with that. Douglas and de Wilde are both very strong here, but I do have to single out Patricia Neal. Considering she doesn't have a lot of screen time and would clearly be seen as supporting by a normal metric, she commands the screen with such ease and dominates in her moments that it is truly hard to deny her that win.

Paul Newman would've made a good winner here, but I do want to acknowledge the historical feat that occurred that year as Sidney Poitier became the first person of color, man or woman, to win a Lead Acting Oscar for Lilies of the Field. I will go ahead and say that film is not that great, but he does a lovely job in it. 

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#8 - THE SERVANT

Directed by Joseph Losey

Written by Harold Pinter

Oh boy, it is time to delve into the world of Harold Pinter!

While technically an adaptation of a novel, the energy and vibe of The Servant is pure Pinter, who became one of the most successful and acclaimed playwrights of his time. 

A wealthy young man by the name of Tony (James Fox) hires the respectable Hugo (Dirk Dogarde) to be his new manservant. All is well with this arrangement until Hugo begins asking Tom hire his sister Vera (Sarah Miles) to be a live-in maid. Prior to this, Tony's girlfriend Susan (Wendy Craig) had expressed suspicions around Hugo's character which Tony had ignored.

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If there is a certain plot element that seems a bit familiar, you may not be surprised to learn that this film was an inspiration for Bong Joon-ho when he was devising Parasite, along with other films like The Housemaid and La Ceremonie. 

The Servant is a very cold film; one that truly embraces the stuffy class system that England never seems to be able to shake. Pinter's dialogue combined with the stately and elegant direction of Losey makes this out to be a rather underrated gem from British cinema. 

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#7 - THE BIG CITY

Written & Directed by Satyajit Ray

Much like I said when recently writing about Kobayashi, I feel like I have not said enough about Satyajit Ray. A lot of that is due to the same reasons as Kobayashi in that I feel like the years of their prime aren't ones I have discussed as much.

In the case of Ray, I will say I have seen a smaller sample of his filmography which is something I need to fix. He started off very strong with what would become his Apu trilogy in the 50s, but one of the few others of his that I have seen and thought fondly of was The Big City. 

Ray's work always makes me think of Ozu or the Italian Neo-Realist films but placed within the confines of India. Considering his Apu Trilogy had a young male protagonist, The Big City gives a female protagonist with Arati (Anil Chatterjee), who is a housewife living in Calcutta and feeling a bit cramped and stifled by what is expected of her. She decides she wants to become a lady of the workforce and gets a job as a salesperson.

The more I think about Ray, the more I feel like I need to rewatch the films I have seen and seek out the ones I haven't. He is one of those filmmakers who just treats everything with such a beautiful simplicity and grace that I would call him the true definition of a humanist. 

The Big City is actually my favorite film of his other than his debut, Pather Panchali...at least that is how it stands right now. Perhaps that may change on another viewing.

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#6 - THE LEOPARD

Written & Directed by Luchino Visconti

Co-written by Suso Cecchi d'Amico, Pasquale Festa Campanile, Enrico Medioli, & Massimo Franciosa 

I have never really given as much attention to Luchino Visconti as I should. Maybe he isn't my absolute favorite filmmaker, but I do acknowledge that he was very crucial to the resurgence of Italian cinema following WWII and then adapted from his neorealist roots into sweeping epics that looked visually stunning and often attacked the decadence of the bourgeoisie, sort of like Luis Bunuel did.

The Leopard is not my favorite work of his, that would be Rocco & His Brothers, but I will say that in terms of its scope and its technical achievements, this has got to be one of the most beautiful looking films ever made, right up there with the likes of Barry Lyndon and Days of Heaven. 

We have Burt Lancaster traipsing over to Italy for this one to play Don Fabrizio Corbera, an aging prince who is dealing with his ladder-climbing opportunist nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) and also Claudia Cardinale as both Don's goddaughter Angelica, and her own mother Bertiana all during the era of Italian Unification in the mid 19th century.

For many years, several edits had been made to the film with the original US cut being deemed a disaster. It wasn't until years later when the full version was released that critics took notice and deemed it a new classic.

I will say that despite this placement on my list, I find myself maybe wondering if the film is due a revisit; perhaps I will even think more fondly of it all these years later.

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#5 - THE FIRE WITHIN

Written & Directed by Louis Malle

I have written about the work of Louis Malle on her several times, and I always seem to make the same point that I forget how much I truly love his work. 

While not exactly one of his absolute best, The Fire Within is the first real triumph of his early career, even over Elevator to the Gallows or Zazie dans le Metro which I still like those very much. Despite being French, Malle's work was never directly placed into the same group as The French New Wave, nor did he ever write for Cahiers du Cinema. He often didn't work in the same kind of visual styles, even though I'd argue Zazie very much did...so much so that Francois Truffaut championed it and all of his work.

The Fire Within tells the story of Alain Leroy (Maruice Ronet), a man who is currently in rehabilitation for his alcoholism while his American wife Dorothy has returned to New York, leaving him in Versailles.

In order to try to find any potential fulfillment in his life, he leaves the clinic and has encounters with various friends and acquaintances and women. The question is will he actually find the solace and comfort that he desperately craves.

The Fire Within was, believe it or not, a strong inspiration for Wes Anderson. In his early masterwork The Royal Tenenbaums, Luke Wilson's Richie says the line "I am going to kill myself tomorrow" which Anderson took directly from Malle. I guess you could argue that Anderson at least had more whimsy...

Finding oneself is a topic that we all can relate to, although one could just label something like The Fire Within as depressing, but it is darkly beautiful at the same time. In a lot of ways, I see this as an earlier sibling to Joachim Trier's Oslo, 31 August.

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#4 - THE SILENCE

Written & Directed by Ingmar Bergman

When it comes to films that scream "IT'S INGMAR!", I do think The Silence is one that doesn't get enough attention because this one is absolutely brimming with all the typical Bergman trademarks: closeups, shadow lighting, the sense of dread, complicated familial relationships...and it is also one I am very fond of.

The Silence stars two of Bergman's semi-regular performers, Ingrid Thulin and Gunnel Lindblom, as sisters Ester and Anna. The two of them are traveling, along with Anna's 10-year-old son Johan (Jorgen Lindstrom), by train late at night to return home. In the process, they stop off at a town called Timoka, located in a fictional Central European country that is on the brink of war. Ester is a professional translator but does not know the language of this country.

The relationship between Ester and Anna is cold to say the least. Ester is the eldest and seriously ill; she's also highly intellectual. Anna is far more sensual and even voyeuristic and seems to care for her elder sister with disdain. 

Some have argued if perhaps Ester and Anna once had an incestuous relationship or, at the very least, Ester may have desperately wanted to be like her sister, so she may have fantasized about having an encounter with her. Then you have young Johan, who seems to be a major focus of his aunt Ester as she tries to bond with him intimately by stroking his hair and caressing his face...which also leaves some cause for alarm.

In some ways, there are elements to The Silence that show glimpses of what was to come in future Bergman films like Persona and Cries & Whispers. I do think it deserves to be talked about more in the Bergman filmography, and frankly so does....

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#3 - WINTER LIGHT

Written & Directed by Ingmar Bergman

We just can't escape the world of Bergman it seems.

Much like he did in 1957, though perhaps it was to even grander results then, Ingmar Bergman delivers us yet another one-two punch of stellar works that most filmmakers would dream to have maybe a few years apart, let alone in the same year.

Winter Light is Bergman diving into the world of faith and how it can lead to a true existential crisis the moment you may doubt what is out there when you thought this was practically your whole life.

Bergman was inspired to write Winter Light after having a talk with a local clergyman who said he had struggled a bit when he gave someone spiritual advice only for them to commit suicide shortly thereafter. He added some of his own details, which also helped form a defacto trilogy with not just the aforementioned The Silence, but 1961's Through a Glass Darly, which just so happened to be the #3 film on that list. Bergman did relate to this belief but later retracted his belief that it was a true trilogy.

Both Gunnel Lindblom & Ingrid Thulin make another appearance here after being in The Silence. 

Gunnar Bjornstrad plays a pastor of a small village church named Tomas Ericsson. He is married to Karin (Lindblom), who happens to be pregnant. When the film begins, he is finishing up a sermon with only a few people in attendance...including his ex-mistress Marta (Thulin) who happens to be an atheist. 

One of the other people in attendance is a local fisherman named Jonas (Max von Sydow) who is living in fear when he discovers that China is developing an atomic bomb...and it is through all of that, and Tomas' "spiritual" advice, that leads to Jonas killing himself.

This leads Tomas down a path to questioning whether or not he believes in a God. This is where a rather direct connection to Through a Glass Darkly comes into play when the character of church organist Frederik Blom (Olaf Thunberg) quotes and mocks the line about God being love from that film verbatim. 

Winter Light doesn't try to give you the belief that there is a God. Instead, Bergman shows us that perhaps with all the pain and suffering in the world, why is "God" silent? 

When the film ends, we aren't even sure if Tomas has reclaimed his true faith or not...I am inclined to believe he hasn't...but he persists. 

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#2 - HIGH & LOW

Written & Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Co-written by Hideo Oguni, Ryuzo Kikushima, & Eijuri Hisaita

Just like Bergman, we have Akira Kurosawa back again with a vengeance and giving us one of the finest films of his career...which is certainly saying a hell of a lot.

High & Low was Kurosawa returning to a modern day setting after spending a lot of time in the world of ronins/samurais. Even so, Toshiro Mifune is still here and just as strong as ever playing Kingo Gondo, a businessman who is looking for more control of the shoe company of which he is a board member. He is so eager for this that he intends to leverage a buyout of the company with his life savings, but this is thwarted when he receives a call from someone that his son Jun has been kidnapped and the abductor is seeking a ransom of 30 million Yen. 

But wait - Jun shows up at home. It was all a prank. 

WELL...not so fast...the kidnapping DID occur, but they took the wrong boy. Instead, they abducted Shin'ichi, the son of Gondo's chauffeur. Even though the kidnapper realizes his mistake, he still wants to have the same ransom delivered to him.

Not surprisingly, Kurosawa navigates this film with as much thrilling tension as in any action/adventure film he may have made, and in the process, delivers a first-rate example of how to deliver an excellent crime procedural. The crazy thing is that when the film was reviewed by American critics at the time, a lot of them dismissed the film as being lesser than Kurosawa's work from the 50s. 

Perhaps some were turned off by how he spared no detail to be left unturned? The pacing of this film can be rather slow, but it is the perfect example of how to do a "slow-burn". The tension is palpable, and it is clearly a forerunner to future films that deal with crime such as Memories of Murder, Zodiac, and even Parasite. 

More recently, Spike Lee remade the film as Highest 2 Lowest which saw Denzel Washington taking on the role but making him a wealthy music mogul. I will admit that I haven't seen it yet...the reviews certainly didn't help...but perhaps I should check it out sometime. 

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#1 - 8 1/2

Written & Directed by Federico Fellini

Co-written by Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano, & Brunello Rondi

I did say we would get to Fellini in due time!

I do consider this to be Fellini's magnum opus, which is quite a feat when he had made films like La Dolce Vita, La Strada, and Nights of Cabiria. When it comes to international cinema, 8 1/2 was one of the earliest I sought out and even though I might've been a bit ignorant or unsure about what all it was trying to say, I was swept up in it and found myself completely enamored. 

When I revisited the film years later during my oft-discussed 2020 Quarantine Film Marathon, I found myself responding to it even more than I had before.

The title comes from Fellini's filmography in that up to that point, as he had made that many films (he also included films he co-directed) and while Fellini identified strongly with the themes within the film, the one area he didn't waver was that of his loving marriage to his wife, actress Giulietta Masina, who had starred in La Strada and Nights of Cabiria. 

The auteur in this film is that of Guido Anselmi, played by one of the most charismatic men to ever grace the screen, Marcello Mastroianni. He is suffering from "director's block" as he tries so hard to get his science fiction epic off the ground, but he is too distracted from the difficulties in the production and the fact his marriage to Luisa (Anouk Aimee) is falling apart...which could also be related to the fact that Guido is rather infatuated with two other women: Claudia (Claudia Cardinale), who he often views as the Ideal Woman in his work; and Carla (Sandra Milo), another mistress who is eager to spend more time with him. 

A lot of what makes 8 1/2 so compelling is that it manages to make the idea of "the tortured artist" far more interesting by giving him so many layers and facets...not to mention we get to watch a film being made within a film.

Everything about this film feels like a beautiful and surreal dream. Fellini pours his heart and soul into this film; everything is left on the table without any hint of fear or caution. It may be such a simple story when you think of it as "the tortured artist" but there are so many things to unpack and marvel at. The inner turmoil and vulnerability of Guido, who is way to obsessed with the erotic; veers into sadomasochistic tendencies; and all he seems to want is to return to the loving embrace of his mother.

8 1/2 is a film that somehow manages to feel off-the-cuff as if it is truly happening in front of a camera but somehow put together as a prime example of arthouse cinema. It is as passionate and personal and thrilling an offering that any filmmaker has given us.

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FINAL THOUGHTS:

I came into 1963 with a bit of disdain, but honestly...I am very pleased with this list. It isn't exactly comprehensive but my top 4 films all would receive a 5-star rating for me which is rather respectable compared to most years. The tides will start turning though, because 1964 is the first year that we will see English-language films starting to pick up steam. It won't be full steam ahead necessarily, but I do think it is a year where we can see even more glimmers of hope that (Hollywood) cinema is on the brink of a renaissance. 

MARY GOT INTO THE MORPHINE AGAIN! - A Look at the Best Films of 1962

THIS IS MY 200th POST WRITING ON THIS BLOG. THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS STUCK BY READING ME RAMBLE ON ABOUT FILM (and occasionally TV and Theatre...) FOR THE PAST DECADE.

I APPRECIATE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU! 

Often times, I end up spoiling what to expect with my upcoming lists. Not only have already stated or hinted at a couple of films that will be making an appearance on this list, but I also stated that this is often considered one of the strongest years for cinema in history.

I happen to agree with that statement. While I might honestly prefer 1960 a bit more, I think there is a wealth to explore within '62...and there will be more films from the Hollywood scene making an appearance here.

HOWEVER - the majority of them will be listed as Honorable Mention.

Yep, that's right...the Honorable Mentions are back for this round! I will be listing SIX films in that category and of those, four of them are in English.

However, the top 10 will still be tilted towards the rest of the world with only THREE Hollywood films making the cut. Let's get started with our Honorable Mentions and with one film that contains a one-two punch of excellent Oscar winning performances.

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HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Cape Fear

Directed by J. Lee Thompson

Written by James R. Webb

While most people know this material from Martin Scorsese's 1991 remake with Robert DeNiro ("Counselor...come out, come out wherever you are!) which in turn helped inspire the absolutely brilliant parody on The Simpsons where Sideshow Bob tries yet again to kill Bart ("Nobody who speaks German can be an evil man!), I personally cannot forget this original effort and a lot of that is due to the undeniably fascinating presence that Robert Mitchum had as an actor.

Known for often playing vile men just like the role of Max Cady here, Mitchum can play sinister like very few actors could. Here, his Max Cady is out for revenge against Sam Bowden, an attorney played by Gregory Peck, who helped put him behind bars several years before...and he is ready to target not just Sam, but his whole family. 

Cape Fear is an early glimpse into the darker material Hollywood would eventually churn out in another decade or so, and while maybe not as stellar as some of the films ahead of it, I do greatly admire what it accomplishes.

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Days of Wine & Roses

Directed by Blake Edwards

Written by JP Miller

If you were to say the name "Blake Edwards", normally films like The Pink Panther or Victor/Victoria or Breakfast at Tiffany's come to mind for me. He was very good at sly comedies and dramas that still had a bit of whimsy to them...which is why Days of Wine & Roses does play as a bit of a surprise considering its a darker dive into the dissolution of a marriage thanks to alcholism.

Jack Lemmon and Lee Remick (a truly underrated actress) both give devastating performances as Joe and Kristen, with the former introducing Kristen to the joys of drinking socially after having spent all of her adult life as a teetotaler. Kristen consumes a few Brandy Alexanders and realizes that she loves how drinking makes her feel...and from there, the two get married, have a daughter, and descend into full-blown alcoholism. 

Joe eventually finds his way out, but it is the one whom he persuaded to drink that is still left behind. Maybe it does flirt a bit with melodrama, but Edwards does wonders here and it helps that Lemmon and Remick are at the top of their game.

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The Miracle Worker

Directed by Arthur Penn

Written by William Gibson

 A legendary film based on a highly regarded play which in turn was based on the true story/1903 autobiography "The Story of My Life" by Helen Keller. As many may know even without seeing the film, Helen Keller had become deaf, blind, and mute from a severe illness at infancy. She eventually would learn to communicate with others with the work of the tireless and passionate tutor Anne Sullivan.

Anne Bancroft won her only Oscar for her work as Sullivan, although her win is often overshadowed by the drama caused by Bette Davis and Joan Crawford...which we will get to later.

Patty Duke became, to that date, the youngest person to win a competitive Oscar and while I would argue another person should've won (more on that later as well), Duke is still immensely deserving in her own right. The rigorous and rather combative work these two accomplish together has got to be some of the finest acting put onscreen up to that point. Some of their more intense scenes were so intense that each of them had to wear extensive padding under their costumes...and this also happened 8 TIMES A WEEK when Bancroft and Duke originated the roles on Broadway.

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L'Eclisse

Written & Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni

Co-written by Tonio Guerra, Elio Bartolini, & Ottiero Ottieri 

Gather around everyone! Antonioni is back with the third and final entry in the "MONICA VITTI IS A HARLOT!" trilogy. Okay, I kid...it is more complicated than that.

As I stated following the 1960 entry of L'Avventura and the 1961 entry of La Notte, we now get L'Eclisse....but only as an Honorable Mention this time. When a young woman named Vittoria (Vitti) ends her most recent relationship, she tries to regroup and visits her mother at the chaotic Rome Stock Exchange. While there, she overhears a young stockbroker and takes an interest in him. That would be Piero (Alain Delon), who just so happens to be her mother's personal stockbroker. 

L'Eclisse is a film that does suffer from one very glaring attribute: blackface. 

Monica Vitti does blackface in a scene in which she is talking to one of her neighbors who is a white colonialist...and to be frank, it is a very offensive moment although what DOES work about it is how much it makes these rather well off rich (racist) people look absolutely pathetic as they drown in their ennui and first world problems. 

Antonioni did seem to always epitomize a certain type of glamour or allure in his work, but it could be seen as alienating in a lot of ways. I do think I had to grow to appreciate his work more over time, and even so, I still wouldn't rank him as being one of my all-time favorite filmmakers. Nevertheless, he did treat film in a very poetic and literal sense and sometimes I can't help but value that.

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Jules & Jim

Written & Directed by Francois Truffaut 

Co-written by Jean Gruault 

As Francois Truffaut's third feature film, Jules & Jim was seen as a return-to-form following his sophomore outing Shoot the Piano Player, which I also still like a lot. 

While it doesn't compare to his exquisite film debut with The 400 Blows, there is a lot to find charming about his take on a love trial set before, during, and after WWI in Paris. We meet Jim (Henri Serre), a French bohemian along with his timid best friend from Austria named Jules (Oskar Werner).

The two of them both have an encounter with a vivacious and free-spirited woman named Catherine (Jeanne Moreau) and take to her instantly. All 3 of them make for an inseperable trio, even though it is shy Jules who ends up wooing her to be his partner and eventually her husband. All the while, Jim can't help but pine for Catherine...and perhaps Jim may get his wish.

Truthfully, when I first saw Jules & Jim I wasn't quite expecting the darker turns that it did take. Serre, Werner, and especially Moreau are all splendid here. 

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Sanjuro 

Written & Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Co-written by Ryuzo Kikushima & Hideo Uguni

As the sequel to 1961's Yojimbo, I am by no means saying that the quality of Sanjuro is less than its predecessor, but it is also isn't helped by the fact that 1962 is such a strong year by comparison.

You have the imminent Toshiro Mifune back as our ronin, and somehow, it proves to be an even funnier and far more violent film than the last outing. Also, the film manages to be relatively short (a little over 90 minutes) and it is a joy to just watch Mifune bemoan about how he is surrounded by idiots for most of the time. 

Was Mifune one of the greatest actors to have ever lived? Yes, of course, I am not an idiot!

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#10 - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO BABY JANE?

Directed by Robert Aldrich

Written by Lukas Heller

Leave it to Hollywood. One might think "Oh! Look at what an event it was for people to see two legends like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford in this film together. These veteran stars are still viable and we should cast them more!"

Instead, it became: "Oooohhhh...which old crone over the archaic age of 50 could star in this knock of Whatever Happened to Baby Jane?" The sad truth is that Baby Jane unearthed a new form of film horror known as "hagsploitation" which did exactly as I just said. Also, I am not saying that ageism is no longer issue for women in film these days, but it does seem truly depressing how Hollywood looked at someone like Bette Davis who had given some of the finest performances of that era and said..."Naahhhh! She's...she's..53..." and then proceed to scream in terror for the next 45 minutes. 

Aside from the ageism and, frankly, not going into the discord between Davis and Crawford, Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? is such a delicious and campy psychological horror treat. 

Jane Hudson (Davis) had been a child star of vaudeville who got a lot of love and accolades from her family and the public, meanwhile her sister Blanche (Joan Crawford) lived in her shadow and endured a lot of abuse from their father and not much support from their mother.

And yet...SURPRISE! As an adult, Jane's career floundered while Blanche became a highly respected actress, much to the dismay of Jane who longs for the glory days. However, Blanche's career is cut short when she is involved in a car accident that leaves her paralyzed. Jane, who had been on a 3 day drunken stupor, is considered to be the cause of the accident. 

Now the two live in a house that Blanche had been able to purchase from her savings, but Jane is about to find the means to stage a comeback...by writing a letter to daddy. If you know, you know... ;-)

Did Bette Davis deserve to actually win Best Actress that year? Honestly, it would've been deserved. Bancroft deserved it too, but we also have one other contender I might've considered instead. Stay tuned for that one!

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#9 - VIVRE SA VIE

Written & Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

What could one say about Jean-Luc Godard? He was a bit of an interesting and mythical figure in a lot of ways, perhaps even more so than anyone else who came from either Cahiers du Cinema and/or The French New Wave. Overtly political, he often expressed Marxist and at one time, even identified as a Maoist which led to him clashing with Jane Fonda on the set of Tout va Bien. Perhaps more problematically, he was frequently labeled an antisemitic and that he might have harbored sexist tendencies on top of that.

If I were to label him strictly as a filmmaker, even at that stage I wouldn't call him my favorite of the French New Wave. I feel like I responded more to Francois Truffaut or Jacques Demy or Agnes Varda in that respect.  If I can say anything about Godard as praise, I do admire the experimentation he attempted with film or what one would consider a film to actually be.

While nowhere the eventual abstract nature he would eventually become accustomed to, I have always considered Vivre sa vie to be my favorite of his works...even over Breathless; perhaps battling for the title with Pierrot le Fou. 

Anna Karina is 22 year old Nana, a woman who is seeking more out of life and asks her husband Paul for a divorce so she can go off to be an actress. In the process, she is also giving up custody of her infant son. Not everything will work out smoothly for her as her desire for stardom soon leads her into a world of prostitution.

Could one read this as Godard saying "if only the woman stayed at home"? I suppose so...and that certainly goes along with the idea of him being a sexist. However, the film works so well thanks to Anna Karina's performance as Nana. She gives this character so much depth and humanity when she easily could come across as truly despicable at every turn...sort of in a similar vein as Harriet Andersson in Summer with Monika only on a darker level. I would certainly rank her as giving one of the finest performances of the 1960s at the very least.

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 #8 - THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL

Written & Directed by Luis Bunuel

French filmmakers, a lot like the Brits across the Channel, do love tackling the idea of class and putting the rich through hell.

Jean Renoir did it with The Rules of the Game which is one of the gold standards, but Luis Bunuel practically honed it into an artform, with one of the best examples being The Exterminating Angel.

A group of guests gather at a very lavish dinner party at a mansion, but some mysterious force seems to keep them all there even when they express a desire to go. As the days go by, the eloquent and sophisticated attributes of these partygoers descends into something more savage and scathing...as if they are suddenly the 1% taking up a lifestyle more akin to Lord of the Flies.

The idea of watching the rich suffer is something most people love to do. It was part of the reason the primetime soap opera boom of the 1980s was so popular, and why films like Parasite managed to overcome the foreign "stigma" and become a worldwide sensation in a way very few foreign films are.

The Exterminating Angel is cynically and hilariously funny, but that is in the darkest sense possible. Bunuel takes us into some pretty distressing places, but hey...I guess maybe there is one line that rings very true: "I believe the common people, the lower class people, are less sensitive to pain".

EAT THE RICH!!

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#7 - THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE

Directed by John Frankenheimer

Written by George Axelrod

Back in my middle and high school days, I found it fascinating when my classmates would respond positively to certain films that I might've expected them to find dull.

There were some examples of them not being particularly enthused. I remember my 6th Grade music teacher showing us The Sound of Music and most of the class was bored. Two years later in the same class, we were shown Amadeus which everyone adored.

I had already seen The Manchurian Candidate before we watched it in my AP 20th Century History class my junior year, but I was curious how my class would respond to it. For a film made in 1962, it DOES have a bit more bite to it; a sign of what was to come from our cinematic output by the end of the decade...and due to that, they were over the moon with it.

The Manchurian Candidate is a chilling thriller revolving around Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), a Korean War vet who had been captured and brainwashed by communists. Once he returns to the United States, he falls into being an assassin as part of a communist conspiracy. 

This is likely one of the more seen and known entries on this list, so I may not delve into this one as much.

HOWEVER - I did want to single out Angela Lansbury, who plays Raymond Shaw's mother Eleanor Shaw-Iselin, who married Senator John Iselin. He is the Vice Presidential nominee for the upcoming election but the goal is for the main candidate to be assassinated so that John Iselin can become the nominee by default.

Lansbury is the person I referred to earlier when I said that I would've voted for someone else other than Patty Duke, but it just goes to show how problematic some of these awards competitions can be. Most of us think as Lansbury these days for her work as Jessica Fletcher on Murder, She Wrote or her legendary streak of Broadway musical performances from Mame to Sweeney Todd or the fact that she was the voice of Mrs. Potts in Beauty & The Beast. 

To see her in this role was an absolute mindblower for me when I first saw it. Her screen presence is pure power and could send a shiver down your spine.

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#6 - LONG DAY'S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT

Directed by Sidney Lumet

Written by Eugene O'Neill

The fact that this film is only #7 on this list is a clear example of how strong of a year 1962 is, because I am typically a sucker for this material

Long Day's Journey into Night is the semi-autobiographical magnum opus of the luminous playwright Eugene O'Neill, who had passed away nearly a decade prior to the film getting released. In fact, he had written the play more so to work out his own family and personal demons and forbid anyone to produce it as a play even after he passed away.

When he did pass in 1953, his widow Carlotta insisted it be published. O'Neill had given a sealed manuscript of the play to Random House saying they should wait for it to be published 25 years following his death. He sent another sealed copy to the O'Neill Collection at Yale.

The results were truly stunning. I would gladly accept the claim of someone calling it the finest play ever written, and as expected, the film does excel because they use O'Neill's text without any real adjustment aside from making the film a bit more cinematic in its staging. 

We watch a family crumble to their various dysfunctions throughout a single day, which includes father James (Ralph Richardson), mother Mary (Katharine Hepburn), eldest son Jamie (Jason Robards), and youngest son Edmund (Dean Stockwell). 

Each of them has various resentments and bitter feelings towards the others...to put it mildly...and all of this leads up younger Edmund developing what is believed to be tuberculosis and Mary falling captive to her morphine addiction.

I have never exactly been as passionate a fan of Katharine Hepburn compared to some of her contemporaries (I responded more to Bette Davis typically), but this might very well be the finest Hepburn had ever been in a film. Mary Tyrone is such a devastating and difficult role and frankly, I think she should've won an Oscar for this over Bancroft and Davis and Remick (there was also Geraldine Page in Sweet Bird of Youth). 

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#5 - IVAN'S CHILDHOOD 

Written & Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky

(Although he was uncredited for writing it)

Co-written by Vladimir Bogomolov, Andrei Konchalovsky, & Mikhail Papava

It is always a treat when I get to discuss a filmmaker who hit a bullseye on their first go-round. While not as abstract or challenging as his later films would be, Ivan's Childhood is a clear sign that this Andrei Tarkovsky fellow would be going places.

Upon its release, the Soviet Union was still in the midst of the Khrushchev Thaw, which was the ease on censorship and a quest of finding a "peaceful coexistence" with other nations following the reign of Joseph Stalin.

What better way to go after that kind of ideal than looking into the horrors of war and how it can deeply affect young children? Based on Vladmir Bogomolov's short story "Ivan", Ivan's Childhood focuses on the titular 12-year old boy who is left orphaned following his parents' murder by German forces in the midst of WWII.

Even though Tarkovsky felt passionate about conveying his hatred of war, he certainly didn't feel the film was as strong as it could of been. It may not be his best work, but I would argue that the emotional weight of it is a lot stronger. Perhaps that might be due to the film being a little more "accessible" than say Stalker or Mirror.

In the end, the artist may always bemoan their work while others praise it. Tarkovsky would further develop his craft, but considering it was his debut, he gave us one of the most beautiful and poetic war-themed films ever made.

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#4 - LAWRENCE OF ARABIA

Directed by David Lean

Written by Robert Bolt & Michael Wilson

If I were to be basing this list off of what film is most often selected as the best film from 1962, it just seems like Lawrence of Arabia would be the likely candidate.

Looking at a film like this, one might just see it as a grand sweeping epic of such scale that perhaps some directors would've relied simply on that to carry everything. Certainly it IS an epic of that scale, but David Lean was the kind of filmmaker who could find a way to portray a strong character arc within the cacophony. 

Lawrence of Arabia manages to be an excellent character study that masquerades as a sweeping epic. Lean's take on the involvement of the British in Arabia is rather biting and cynical, and he certainly doesn't shy away from T.E. Lawrence's (a remarkable Peter O'Toole) tendency to be obsessed with himself and how that can cloud some of his own judgements.

Much like with The Manchurian Candidate, this is likely one of the more widely seen films on this list and I am not sure I have as much to offer to the discourse either. I will admit that perhaps this is one of those films that I admire greatly as a whole rather than the sum of its parts. It can be a bit slow moving at times, but I can't help but marvel at what David Lean accomplished here...but considering I am one of those film people who thinks Lean's best film was Brief Encounter, maybe that comment shouldn't come as a surprise.

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#3 - AN AUTUMN AFTERNOON

Written & Directed by Yosujiro Ozu

I would be remiss if I didn't say I felt a tinge of sadness as I began writing this. When I wrote about The End of Summer on my 1961 post, I mentioned we would be getting Ozu's swan song for 1962.

When it comes to a grand finale, I think Ozu should be very pleased that he was able to go out with something like An Autumn Afternoon, which I think is one of his best. Perhaps the only unfortunate aspect is that his frequent muse Setsuko Hara is not featured here, but we still have a strong ensemble of Ozu regulars including Chishu Ryu and Shima Iwashita.

As for what Ozu gives us with An Autumn Afternoon, he sticks very closely to his usual themes: family, societal expectations, and the patriarchy.

Ryu plays Shuhei, a widower with 3 adult children. The only daughter Michiko (Iwashita), who is 24, is still single and he feels he has a duty to see to it that she gets married...so in true Anatevka fashion, he tried to arrange a marriage for her.

What I always find so remarkable about Ozu's work is that he challenges some of the stuffier and archaic customs of his home country, but always does it in a way that doesn't feel preachy or melodramatic. He also handles all of his characters with grace and dignity. Ozu was a filmmaker who had no ounce of pretension; for every flash provided by Kurosawa or Mizoguchi or Teshighara or Kobayashi, Ozu was there (along with Mikio Naruse) to provide the quiet and genteel dramas and bittersweet slice-of-life stories. 

In some ways, it makes me think of Ingmar Begman...although not necessarily in the visual aesthetic area as Bergman could be seen as very distinct in his style...but the comparison for me is that both he and Ozu relied a lot on the face of their actors to be their canvas. 

I treasure Ozu's work, and while at first glance he may seem a bit static, the passion brimming in his work is rather glorious...and I wish I could've had more of his films to discuss for the 60s. However, one of these days I will tackle the 40s and 50s which will give me a chance to go gaga for him again.

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#2 - HARAKIRI

Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

Written by Shinobi Hashimoto

When I wrote about Kobayashi's A Soldier's Prayer in my 1961 post, I mentioned that another one of his films is the current reigning #1 film on Letterboxd as of this writing: Harakiri.

Samurai films are certainly known for their action sequences, and sure, those are done to absolute perfection here, but what makes Harakiri so spellbinding is how its story is structured and how well it uses the flashback motif as way to give us information without it seeming like an earful of exposition. 

The story is pretty straightforward in that Tsugumo Hanshiro (Tatsuta Nakadai) is a veteran who has lost everything good in his life. He has no job and he has no family to call his own, so he comes into the courtyard of the House of Iyi with one mission in mind: to find someone to help him commit seppuku (or "harakiri"), or rather - a ritualistic suicide. 

Instead, the senior counselor of the Iyi clan Saito (Rentaro Mikuni) tries to disaude him from doing this by telling him the story of Motome, another ronin veteran who approached the clan for the same exact ritual and the painful details of what occurred when the clan took offense to the increased number of suicides that had come about. 

Harakiri is a brutal and devastating film; Kobayashi's visions come off as very dark compared to other similar Japanese filmmakers like Kurosawa or Mizoguchi, but I am shocked at how often I end up overlooking him. It seems like more people are taking notice of his work (hence the Letterboxd rankings) and the more I think about Harakiri, the more I compelled to revisit it again.

It is hard to truly convey the experience that a lot of these post-war Japanese films can bring, even the smaller ones like those by Ozu or Naruse. 

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#1 - CLEO FROM 5 TO 7

Written & Directed by Agnes Varda

If I were to come up with a Mount Rushmore of films that would be symbolic of representing the finest of the French New Wave, Cleo from 5 to 7 would undoubtedly be on it. 

It gives me great joy whenever I get to talk about the badass and groundbreaking filmmaker that was Belgian-born Agnes Varda, a true icon for women in film and also the spouse of another icon of French cinema, Jacques Demy, who will we see making some appearances in the coming years. 

Varda was, in my opinion, the filmmaker who should truly be given the distinction of starting the French New Wave with her debut 1955 film La Pointe Courte. Although, Cleo from 5 to 7 was something else entirely. I can still vividly remember watching it for the first time.

I was 15 years old and it was January of 2004. We were in the midst of the award season where Sofia Coppola was getting a lot of attention for her wonderful film Lost in Translation which she make her the first American (and only 3rd ever overall) to get an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

My local library had a great film curator who recommended I check out the works of two beloved female filmmakers, one was Chantal Akerman (who was also Belgian) and Agnes Varda. 

It took me a little while to warm up to Akerman, but Varda had me compelled from the very beginning. We watch a professional singer known as Cleo Victoire (Corrine Marchand) who attends a tarot card reading. She is a bit on edge because she is awaiting the results of a biopsy to learn if she has stomach cancer. When the reader pulls the Death card, she tries to quell Cleo's fears that it just means a big transformation is coming; it doesn't have to mean that it is anything bad. Cleo takes it to heart and we proceed to follow her life for the next hour and a half while she waits to hear back from her doctor. 

I know that sounds simple and it might sound like I am just trying to sound like I am wanting to praise something for being profound even if it seems like not much happens. All I can say was that this is one of those films that felt like a game changer when I saw it that cold January evening. 

On the surface, this may be a film about a singer waiting to find out if she does have cancer, but Varda makes it so much more. A lot of the film has us seeing Cleo through her reflections in mirrors...including ones that are broken (like the one above). She has an image for herself, even if the idea of "Cleo" is not entirely real to her, and she is not willing to be looked at as an object no matter how others might try. She is a woman of individuality...and in terms of presence, it is hard to take your eyes off of her.

When Agnes Varda passed away at the age of 90 in 2019, I mourned her death just as many film fans and filmmakers did. Varda herself was a woman of individuality and I treasure everything she was able to give to us. What I would give for her to be able to live another 90 years.

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FINAL THOUGHTS: 

Yeah, I would say 1962 lives up to its reputation. This isn't even taking into account that I didn't call out some films that were fun, but not quite up to snuff to make a list like this. One example was the rather solid film adaptation of Meredith Wilson's seminal Broadway hit The Music Man or the very first James Bond outing with Dr. No or Stanley Kubrick's respectable though rather hollow adaptation of Lolita or perhaps one of the more glaring omissions from this list that some might have noticed: To Kill a Mockingbird.

As we come to the end of this post, I will mention again that I approach 1963 with a little bit of gloom. There WILL be some fantastic films on it, but it was a year that Hollywood greatly struggled and won't make as much of a dent. 

We do have some of our best masters making more appearances, so that is always something to rejoice.

ALONG CAME A SPIDER...& IT WAS GOD...& HE WANTS SEX: The Best Films of 1961

Bouncing around from decade to decade without a care in the world, I decide to venture into the fascinating decade for cinema that was the 1960s. What I find fascinating about the 1960s is how much international cinema still continues to dominate much like it was in the 1950s.

By comparison, Hollywood cinema was suffering. I say that there were obviously some amazing exceptions going against the rule, but the early 60s were still embracing the tired and archaic boundaries of the Hays Code. Once we get to the late 60s and the advent of the MPAA rating system...which is still problematic in its own way...we begin to see a dramatic shift in the kinds of films we will see come out from Hollywood as the seeds are planted for the glorious renaissance of the 1970s.

I wrote about 1960 a couple of years ago, which you can read about here. I have yet to tackle the rest of the decade, so we shall start with 1961 and proceed.

I do want to make one comment about a film that I am leaving off this list which will likely surprise a lot of you. I am not including West Side Story, and I will say that as a fan of musicals, I have a bit of a rocky history with this one. I do acknowledge its groundbreaking legacy for how certain stories could be told in a musical, but I do think the film suffers GREATLY thanks to its leads. Richard Beymer gives such a wooden and lifeless performance as Tony that it is hard to even connect with him. Natalie Wood fares a little bit better as Maria, but of course...she is acting in brownface. 

The Hays Code did say that different races could not appear onscreen in a romantic capacity, which would lead to some rather heinous casting decisions in those first 30-40 years of Hollywood. 

With that said, we shall begin the list with...not surprisingly...a non-English-language film. 

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 #10 - A DIFFICULT LIFE

Directed by Dino Risi

Written by Rodolfo Sonego

A somewhat forgotten Italian film that got lost in the shuffle next to works by the likes of Fellini and Antonioni, A Difficult Life is one of the pinnacles of Commedia all'italiana.  

Dino Risi is a filmmaker who reveled in this style, and he is able to make a story surrounding a rather serious topic and give it a lot of levity.

Silvio (Alberto Sordi) is a journalist who had fought during WWII and is facing the changes in Italy's political arena, but when he writes some vitriolic articles against the fascist regime, he ends up facing jail time. The story is told from the ending of WWII up to 1960 and it is remarkable how the film is able to accomplish telling so much from that span of time. 

It manages to be such a strong and biting satire while having this amazing mix of melancholy at the same time. It manages to tell so much while not sacrificing a lot of our emotional well-being...not that a film that drives us to tears is a bad thing, but it is always the mark of a strong filmmaker when he can mold comedy and tragedy together and not make it seem jarring in any way.

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#9 - THE END OF SUMMER 

Written & Directed by Yasujiro Ozu

Co-written by Kogo Noda

While not as discussed as some of his other works, The End of Summer is yet another strong effort from the master that was Yosujiro Ozu, a filmmaker I have raved about many a time on this blog and one that I feel had one of the most consistent streaks of any filmmaker in history.

The End of Summer would also be his penultimate film (spoiler alert: we will be seeing his final film on the 1962 list), as he passed away in 1963 at only 60 years old.

As is the case with many of his works, the story revolves around family dynamics within the confines of Japanese cultures and society. An older man by the name of Manbei (Nakamura Ganijiro) is the proprietor of a small sake factory, but his family becomes concerned as finances seem to be dwindling fast. They soon discover that he has been visiting with an old mistress from his past and that he may be giving her a lot of his money.

As expected, some of Ozu's regulars are here, such as the ever-lovely Setsuko Hara...but this is also one of the very few films that Ozu made in color. For some reason, I always felt him working in color was a bit jarring...but I will admit that the images of this film are quite lovely and it might be where the color cinematography works best.

Ozu was so adept at making these bittersweet stories that could be described as tragicomic and this is one of his strongest in that regard. It is essentially a look at the idea of death and the changing of Japan...which still seems particularly fitting with Ozu nearing the end of his own life.

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#8 - LAST YEAR AT MARIENBAD

Directed by Alain Renais

Written by Alain Robbe-Grillet

Combing the feeling of the French New Wave mixed with the flourishes of Italian masters like Fellini and Antonioni, Alain Renais and his collaborator were able to achieve something so surreal with Last Year at Marienbad. In fact, Renais wanted the film to feel like it was a relic of the silent era of cinema and even asked Eastman Kodak to help him recreate the sort of mildly warped look old film often had...and in the process, wanted his performers to wear makeup more appropriate for the 1920s. The filmmaking effect was not fully achieved, but it still very much comes off as a fascinating aesthetic.

The image above is very well known as we see long shadows of the people, but the trees don't give off a shadow. This is because there was no sun that day, so the shadows of the people were painted on the ground. Oh, the magic of filmmaking...

Set at a luxury hotel with a ornate park accompanying it on the property, we meet two people who are only credited as "The Man" and "The Woman", these would be Giorgio Albertazzi and Delphine Seyrig (yes, Jeanne Dielman herself!). Everything about them, and a second man who appears (Sacha Pitoeff) are more or less a mystery.

We think that the man and the woman may have met before and it is possible they may have had an affair. The second man's identity also seems to be in question, but it is also possible he is the husband to the woman. 

A lot of the reason why I wanted to include Last Year at Marienbad here is that it feels like one of the most unsung achievements of arthouse cinema. It is so surreal and unusual in its approach but made with such style and care and detail that I can't help but admire it. 

It isn't necessarily a film I have a desire to revisit often, but it is one that I do think deserves more attention for how successful it is at setting out such an alluring and mysterious story that challenges its audience to not fully grasp what is happening and even if it may be real.

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#7 - A TASTE OF HONEY

Directed by Tony Richardson

Written by Shelagh Delaney w/Richardson

We are right in the heart of the era of British entertainment where the "social realist" style became quite popular, or as it became to be known: "kitchen sink dramas".

Usually these plays/films were mostly connected to that of writer Harold Pinter but another writer (and a female at that) who received a lot of attention for that genre was Shelagh Delaney.

In 1958, her play A Taste of Honey premiered to great success at the Theatre Royal Stratford East which was considered a fringe socialist theatre and one of the only outlets that would take it on as it was deemed a bit too radical for the relatively stuffy British society at the time. Delaney's goal was to revitalize British theatre and address social issues that weren't being discussed. That production happened to star two legends: Angela Lansbury and Joan Plowright. 

Our lead is Jo (Rita Tushingham), who is 17 going on 18 and living with her other Helen (Dora Bryan), a loud- and foul-mouthed woman who is unable to pay the rent and frequently takes in gentleman callers (and apparently not the kind that send jonquils...I guess Helen isn't like Amanda Wingfield...).

Helen ends up going off with Pere, a much younger man while Jo takes a similar path by meeting a younger black sailor named Jimmy (Paul Danquah). When it seems as though they may get married upon Jo turning 18, he goes back out to sea and Jo discovers she is pregnant by him.

Once she gives birth to the child, she takes up lodging with an acquaintance named Geoffrey (Murray Melvin) who just so happens to be gay...although he becomes something of a surrogate father.

I think A Taste of Honey is the kind of film that was very important for its time...and it is no surprise that it began its life as a play. While some of the storylines might scream like something you'd see on a soap opera, the dynamics and the grittier smokestack surroundings of North England ground you.

I may have mentioned this in a previous post, but I once had a coworker who claimed that the Brits don't make good films...and shockingly, I understood what he meant when he said it. And yet...now I think about it, and I realize how terribly wrong he was.

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#6 - THE HUSTLER

Written & Directed by Robert Rossen

Co-written by Sidney Carroll

When I think of actors who exuded some kind of charisma that could be seen as "off the charts" with a screen presence that felt cool even as they entered old age, I wouldn't object if that list began and ended with Paul Newman. 

In one of the defining roles of his illustrious career, the titular hustler known as Fast Eddie Felson is one cocky son of a bitch and he is out to prove something. His goal is to challenge a legendary pool shark known as Minnesota Fats (Jackie Gleason) and strengthen his reputation, but in reality, his own self-destructive tendencies get the better of him.

Hmmm...could someone revamp this into a modern-day story for Timothee Chalamet????

It's not just Newman or Gleason who give strong performances here. You also have the great George C. Scott and Piper Laurie, both also nominated for Oscars as well. Laurie, in particular, is captivating here and its also interesting how she stopped working for 15 years after this film only to get an Oscar nomination for her first film upon her return: Carrie...a dramatic horror film no less. 

Perhaps the film does falter a bit in the middle. In fact, that was one of the major reasons I never thought much of the film when I first saw it, but it is hard to deny how slick and stylish The Hustler is. Black & White cinema was seen by some as archaic as people viewed silent films in the 30s, but the truth is that B&W can be so glorious. It also lends itself perfectly to films like The Hustler to the point where I don't think its vibe would've exceeded as well in color.

Newman would go on to win his long overdue Oscar for the film's defacto sequel The Color of Money, which certainly isn't a bad performance, but it is the prime example of how the Academy has the history of finally giving a legend an Oscar for lesser work. Newman could've won for The Hustler (although the person who did win that year is in the next film on this list and he was very deserving), but I do think Newman was truly win worthy for Cool Hand Luke and especially The Verdict. He did always seem to compete against people who always edged him out, but if he had won for any of those films, it would've been well deserved.

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#5 - JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG

Directed by Stanley Kramer 

Written by Abby Mann

The highest of the Hollywood films to make the list for this year, Judgement at Nuremberg is a fictionalized depiction of the legendary Nuremberg trials that saw four judges and prosecutors (in reality, it was 16 total) facing charges for crimes against humanity as they had been part of the judicial system during the Nazi Occupation in Germany.

Even if the film is fictionalized, I do think that Mann's script handles the subject matter with a lot of dignity and vitality. Considering how pulpy or melodramatic films in the same vain as this could often get at that time, I feel like the emotional power was earned here.

The ensemble here is stellar. Spencer Tracy doing sterling work alongside Maximillian Schell in his Oscar winning performance as the German defense attorney Hans Rolfe; he especially is such a fascinating screen presence. He would even go on to have a lot of power in such a minimal role in 1977's Julia that he'd get an Oscar nomination for it. Nowadays, it actually feels like a surprise when these awards bodies actually give their trophies to legit supporting performances rather than co-leading ones. But I digress...

Lancaster, Dietrich, Widmark, and Montgomery Clift (in what may be his best work) give their all...it makes me feel like this may have been the film to win the SAG Best Ensemble award had it existed in the 60s. Although, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the lady of prowess that is Judy Garland.

In a smaller role as Irene Hoffman, Garland gives one of the finest performances of her career. It doesn't require any of her musical talents whatsoever but proves just how capable she was as a dramatic actress. Her scene on the stand when she feels as though she may indirectly end up helping the prosecution despite the horrors she faced during the Holocaust is so captivating. Aside from A Star is Born, this is easily the finest achievement of her career. She was expected to finally win an Oscar for it but lost in what was considered an upset to Rita Moreno for West Side Story. Unlike her loss to Grace Kelly when she was up for A Star is Born, it is hard to begrudge Moreno's win as she was far and away the best thing about West Side Story. 

Sorry, I went off on a tangent there. Nevertheless, Judgment at Nuremberg is a strong achievement from this era of Hollywood. A very bold and intense look at such a horrific time in human history. 

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#4 - THE HUMAN CONDITION 3: A SOLDIER'S PRAYER

Written & Directed by Masaki Kobayashi

It's a shame that I have been writing a blog for almost a decade, and I don't believe I have ever talked about the work of Masaki Kobyayashi.

The first two installments of The Human Condition trilogy came out in 1959, which is a year I have not discussed on this blog. Those films are both great, but it is the final installment of A Soldier's Prayer that is the grandest. However, Kobayashi's best work will be featured on my 1962 list so stay tuned for that.

My history with the whole trilogy is not exactly positive, but I think part of that was due to how horribly these films were presented when they were released on DVD in the late 90s. I had been compelled to check them out after having seen and loved Kurosawa's work, so it only made since to give Kobayashi a try. The visual and audio quality of those DVDs were horrendous to the point I couldn't even finish the films in full. 

In 2009, The Criterion Collection stepped in and worked their magic. I am fully convinced that a lot of people had a similar experience as me because in the past 15 years, the passionate raves this trilogy has received are undeniable. As of this writing (though it is subject to change very fast, and I didn't even realize it was THIS high), A Soldier's Prayer is ranked as the #2 film of all time! Part 1 is 9, and Part 2 is at 25. Yet another spoiler alert: the current #1 on Letterboxd just so happens to be the next Kobayashi film that I said will be on my 1962 list.

I do eventually want to talk about the first two installments once I make my way through the 50s to 1959, but the main storyline of the film follows Kaji (Tatsuka Nakadai) leading his soldiers behind enemy lines after Japan had lost their battle with Russia. 

This is not a film with a happy ending, but it stays with you: that image of Kaji walking through the bitter winter landscapes desperate for aid. I get the idea of not wanting to watch depressing films all the time, but I am of the belief that I don't always want something to end on a positive note. Life doesn't work that way, and I feel like films need to take on that approach. It all depends on how you frame it, and in the case of something like A Soldier's Prayer, it is first class.

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#3 - THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY

Written & Directed by Ingmar Bergman

For the second year in a row, Ingmar Bergman took home the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar following The Virgin Spring. Of the two, I actually think I prefer the former even though this one is ranking higher on this list. 

As is his won't, Bergman is ready to delve in headfirst to tell the tale of a family in crisis amped up to 11. One of his earlier mainstays, Harriet Andersson, plays a young wife with schizophrenia named Karin. She is married to Martin (another Bergman regular, Max von Sydow) and they are traveling to a remote island (the first of many films shot on the island of Faro) along with Karin's novelist father David (yet another Bergman regular, Gunnar Bjornstrand), and her youngest brother Minus (Lars Passgard...in his film debut and wouldn't work with Bergman again). 

This was a period of Bergman's career where he was heavily focused on faith in God whether that be in relation to questioning his existence, his motives, if he is love or if he is hate.

Andersson gives quite possibly her finest performance in this, and it is easily one of the greatest Bergman ever captured. It is to be expected that if you were to watch the majority of Bergman's biggest successes, you aren't in for the easiest of rides.

Through a Glass Darkly is beautiful, but also very haunting and you're left with a near-constant sense of unease. You could even go as far to say that the film is essentially us witnessing pure mental torment for nearly 90 minutes...but by golly, if there is a filmmaker who is going to make me willing to go along for that ride, it is Ingmar Bergman.

I will add that one thing that greatly hurts this film is its ending, which is something Bergman himself has regretted as he felt as though the idea of "God is Love" was mainly disingenuous and that it felt as though he was trying to "smear a diffuse veneer of love" to be more positive and reassuring.

Also - if you want shock value, you get some incest and talk of God as a spider trying to rape you so there's that. ;-)

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#2 - YOJIMBO

Written & Directed by Akira Kurosawa

Co-written by Ryuzo Kikushima & Hideo Uguni

Another iconic and influential film from the master known as Akira Kurosawa.

What is so hilarious about Yojimbo is that despite its high pedigree, it might be his 4th or 5th best film when it would likely be the best film for pretty much any other director. The themes of the film would go on to inspire Sergio Leone to make his spaghetti westerns, such as A Fistful of Dollars...although, Leone essentially plagiarized Yojimbo which led to a lawsuit.

Our protagonist is a nameless ronin (a forerunner to Clint Eastwood's Man with No Name in the previously mentioned Leone films). A ronin essentially means a samurai without a master, and not surprisingly, he is played by Kurosawa's muse Toshiro Mifune. This is likely one of his absolute best performances he ever gave which is sure saying a whole hell of a lot.

He takes on the name of Sanjuro Kuwabatake and gets involved with crime lords who are seeking for full authority of their small village. His "in" with the lords are that they both want to hire him as a bodyguard.

This might also be the funniest of Kurosawa's works as it is dripping with satire and farcical elements, and with how it takes on the brackets of the class system, I do think of it as having elements that would also go on to describe how Bong Joon-ho would tackle class in Parasite...although that was with far bleaker results. 

I do have to say one of my favorite stories about this film is how it had a screening in Maryland back in 1968 and that the hosts of the event hid away in the bathroom as attendees were freaking out at the violence. My how the times have changed...

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#1 - LA NOTTE

Written & Directed by Michaelangelo Antonioni

Co-written by Ennio Flaiano & Tonino Guerra

La Notte was a film that bored me to tears when I first saw it, and then when I watched it a second time, it was as if the world went from black & white to technicolor...even though the film IS in black & white.

Antonioni was, perhaps, the true definition of an arthouse filmmaker. I don't typically put him on the same level as someone like Ingmar Bergman, but if we are talking about a filmmaker who is able to drive a lot of his films based on mood/vibe and making it compelling, I would put money down on Antonioni being a master at that. 

La Notte was the second film of a trilogy that began with 1960's L'Avventura (which was featured on my list for that year) and was followed by 1962's L'Eclisse (spoiler alert: that will be on that year's list)...and I might be inclined to say it's my favorite of the trilogy even though I am not even sure why that is the case.

La Notte tells the story of a couple going through a difficult time in their marriage: Giovani (Marcello Mastroianni) and Lidia (Jeanne Moreau). Giovanni and Lidia visit the hospital of a dying friend named Tommaso (Bernhard Wicki) and despite his ailment, they all drink champagne to celebrate the release of Giovanni's latest novel, which translates to The Season.

However, Tommaso's pain becomes too severe which causes Lidia to leave the room and to wait outside the hospital. Once Giovanni leaves his friend, he is accosted by a sick younger woman who tries to seduce him. He agrees to do it until nurses interrupt them. Once he returns to Lidia and go to return home, he realizes Lidia is already onto him after he tries to pass off the encounter as "sleazy" and thus sets off the disintegration of a marriage over the course of a single day.

La Notte is paced to perfection. Antonioni always had a knack for allowing his stories to flow in rather subtle manner and before you would even realize what was happening, the character beats have drastically moved forward which leads to a truly remarkable ending.

Considering Antonini was a peer to Federico Fellini, I would say that he managed to find something of a middle ground between the glitzier and sumptuous style of Fellini and the grittier feeling of the Neorealist age that mostly had its time in the 40s and 50s. I do think Antonioni's work has a glitzier style compared to the neorealist works, but there was always something more grounded about his work if you were to put it next to something like La Dolce Vita or 8 1/2. 

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FINAL THOUGHTS:

As I mentioned in my intro, the first half of the 60s was mainly dominated by international films...but perhaps what I find really interesting about the first part of the decade is how erratic it becomes year by year. I really love 1960 as a year for film, but 1961 wasn't as strong in comparison. 1962 is often considered one of the great years of cinema, while 1963 is one of my least favorites off the top of my head...despite there being a couple of masterpieces. That trend continues as I recall 1964 being better and then 1965 taking a bit of a dip. 

Things start to turn with 1966...and while I would argue the decade ends on a mild whimper with 1969, I do consider this to be such a fascinating decade in so many facets beyond just cinema.

Stay tuned for 1962!