ART ISN'T EASY!: “Everyone would like to be different…”

I told myself when I started these lists of going decade by decade discussing my favorite films from each year that I would stick to that decade until I was done. Needless to say, I already found myself getting bored writing about the 2010s (it DOES get better later on but I don't want to do the years out of order).
So yeah, I am not on assignment. I am not making my living writing this blog...though one can dream...so I shall proceed to talk about a decade that will thrill me: the 1970s.
I have said many times on this blog that I consider the 70s to be the pinnacle of cinema. While international cinema did experience a glorious boom in the years following WWII and through the 60s, I think many a film historian/critic/buff would argue that the 70s would be when Hollywood finally caught up to the trend.
Although ironically enough, 1970 as a year for film will not measure up to most of the other years. I have already talked about four years of film from this decade, so I only have 6 years to discuss which feels less daunting. Here are the links to those posts:
1973
1975
1978
1979
When it comes to the inaugural year of the decade, 1970 is still a year when international cinema dominates compared to Hollywood...but we do see glimmers of that gritty, indie vibe that would become more synonymous with the decade as it goes by.
I will say that I had about 9 films that I selected pretty easily for the list, and then I had 3 more that battled it out for the 10th spot. The two films that missed out were M*A*S*H, which I have always liked but wouldn't say I loved it as much as some. I didn't even get into the TV series, if I am being honest...but I am admittedly not the most passionate fan of some of Altman's works, so I guess it isn't a surprise.
I also considered Loving, which does share a title with the non-related 2016 film which delved into the 1967 Loving v. Virginia case about interracial marriage. However, this Loving is about a cad of a man named Brooks (George Segal) who is balancing his career, his family, and a mistress...and while maybe not a stunning film, I do appreciate the energy and think that it was a great showcase for Segal.
I will also admit that on a 5-star scale, none of these reach that status. Instead, all of these films receive a 4.5 rating for me, except for my #10 slot which gets a 4/5. But for my #10 slot, I did choose a film that maybe I wouldn't rewatch anytime soon but is saved greatly by its leading man.
#10 - PATTON
Directed by Franklin J. Schnaffner
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Edmund H. North

I think a lot of the legend of Patton comes from the iconic opening scene depicted in the photo above of George C. Scott standing in front of the American flag giving that speech with the immortal line "Americans love a winner and will not tolerate a loser".
Scott was also one of those actors who vehemently hated the idea of awards shows and pitting artists against each other, which frankly, good on him. He had every intention of declining the award if he won, but he was still expected to take it. When Goldie Hawn opened the envelope to announce the winner, she famously said, "Oh my god...the winner is...George C. Scott in Patton" and then broke into a gale of laughter.
I suppose I hold a bit of a sentimental love for Scott as an actor, because I associate him a lot with my late grandfather. This isn't due to any kind of resemblance or demeanor, but he was a huge fan of A Christmas Carol as an artistic property, and he loved Scott's version from 1984 the most. To this day, I do consider that my favorite dramatic version of the piece because as a 90s kid, I do hold a fondness for The Muppet Christmas Carol.
As a film, Patton is handsomely made...maybe a bit stuffy and a little bloated thanks to its running time, but it is that George C. Scott performance as the legendary WWII General George S. Patton that sees you through. It also doesn't hurt that Jerry Goldsmith's militant score is thrilling as well, but I can honestly see why the film hasn't been embraced as the years have gone by.
It isn't a film I necessarily LOVE, but that central performance is first rate and if Oscars are going to exist, I am glad George C. Scott has one. Hell, he should've been nominated and taken the win for Supporting Actor six years prior for Dr. Strangelove.
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#9 - THE BOYS IN THE BAND
Directed by William Fredkin
Written by Mart Crowley

Considering it is 1970 and the idea surrounding homosexuality was viewed as abominable by most, it was rather remarkable that something like The Boys in the Band got made.

The story is simple: a group of gay friends meet up at Michael's (Kenneth Nelson) Upper East Side apartment to prepare a birthday party for Harold (Leonard Frey), who shows up at the party with Alan (Peter White), a man he claims is a super conservative straight man and that everyone needs to keep their flaming tendencies in check.

There has been a fair amount of vitriol spewed at the film from the gay community, and I will admit that I totally understand that sentiment. While it is clearly a film that was groundbreaking in giving characters like these a voice and a platform, it also presented them in a light that was rather maudlin. Michael Klemm wrote in Cinema Queer that the final results were simply "gay men wallowing in self-pity". You could even argue that it presents this lifestyle as a cautionary tale, but to be frank, I sort of forgive the film (and original play also by Crowley) for how it is presented.

Has it aged well in some ways? I would say no. However, it works as a rather dreary snapshot of a time when these people were living the life they chose knowing that the overwhelming majority considered them vile.

So no, it isn't exactly perfect, but I do think Fredkin and this ensemble capture such a vibe for the time. It also doesn't hurt that the film begins with that great montage set to Cole Porter's "Anything Goes" that blends into a cover by Harpers Bizarre that put me under a spell right away when I first saw it.

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#8 - DONKEY SKIN
Written & Directed by Jacques Demy

When it comes to the filmmakers who helped shape the iconic French New Wave, I think it is safe to say that the work of Jacques Demy that took on a more vibrant and decadent approach. In some ways, you could argue that he had a certain whimsy to that of Federico Fellini.
While most known for The Umbrellas of Cherbourg and The Young Girls of Rochefort (and yes, I do prefer those films), you never really hear Donkey Skin being discussed in the same breath, but it is honestly a fascinating film in how it blends it musicality with romance and fantasy and comedy...especially when you consider what the film's main storyline.
Demy's muse, Catherine Deneuve, plays a queen and her daughter. When the Queen is dying, she asks her husband the King (Jean Marais) that if he were to remarry, he must marry someone who is at her level. His advisers are quick to push him to remarry and produce another heir.
However, he has something else in mind. The only way to truly find a woman as beautiful as the Queen would be to marry someone who is of the same ilk: their own daughter, the Princess.
With the help of a fairy godmother (Delphine Seyrig, Jeanne Dielman herself!), she goes into disguise to try to prevent herself from actually having to marry her own father.
So yeah...incest...
It is crazy to think that this is actually based on a real-life fairytale of the same name that was written in 1695 by Charles Perrault...and that it all turns into such a strikingly gorgeous piece of work.
This is simply one of those films I don't quite know how it works, but it does. Demy was a master, Deneuve is one of the most compelling actresses to ever grace the screen, and in terms of visual aesthetics, you could always turn to work of Demy to find the most sumptuous offerings.
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#7 - WANDA
Written & Directed by Barbara Loden

"If you don't have anything, then you're nothing. You may as well be dead. You're not even a citizen of the United States".

When thinking about the history of women becoming filmmakers, a lot of them owe a debt to pioneers such as Barbara Loden. She had worked as an actress steadily for years and happened to be married to legendary film and theatre director (and whistleblowing jackass) Elia Kazan. She felt compelled to create this film born out of her own feelings of boredom and reading about a woman who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for participating in a bank robbery.
Kazan had stated he wrote the original script, but Loden stepped in and rewrote it many times to the point it was pretty much her own creation.
Set in rural Pennsylvania in the Scranton/Poconos area then booming with the anthracite industry, we meet Wanda (whom Loden also plays). She has left her husband and is ready to completely start over fresh to the point that she even relinquishes all rights to her children to him.
Wanda aimlessly moves around and intends to run away again with a man with she had a one-night stand with only for him to abandon her at an ice cream parlor. She is also robbed of everything after falling asleep in a movie theater...but things take an interesting turn when at a bar, she clings to an older man named Norman Dennis (Michael Higgins) who just so happens to be planning to rob the bar. He then proceeds to take her as an accomplice.
When Wanda was released, many prominent female film critics such as Judith Krist and Paulene Kael both trashed the film as being insufferable due to the character of Wanda being relentlessly unsympathetic and stupid. Loden herself called them out as likely being jealous for even having the opportunity for this kind of artistic expression.
A truly bleak but captivating film and it is a shame that Loden died so young just a decade after the film's release of breast cancer. I would've loved for her to have more of an opportunity to grow as an artist.
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#6 - THE BIRD WITH THE CRYSTAL PLUMMAGE
Written & Directed by Dario Argento

Considered the Grandfather of the Giallo, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage was the film that put Italian filmmaker Dario Argento on the map.

Dripping with excessive style and violence and often eroticism to boot, the “giallo” (yellow) sub-genre of horror would be something of a forerunner to what would eventually become the Slasher…albeit maybe done with a bit more taste and class.

Tony Musante stars as Sam, an American writer who is vacationing in Rome with his model girlfriend (Suzy Kendall) who becomes determined to uncover the identity of a serial killer who is targeting young woman around the city when he sees a black figure attack a young woman in an alleyway.

Some critics, such as Roger Ebert who could be surprisingly receptive to horror films, liked the film but tried to compare it unfavorably to the works of Hitchcock. I do think this is a little unfair to both parties as Hitchcock was essentially making films under a whole other censorship system (Frenzy notwithstanding), while Argento was coming in at a time where it seemed as though a more liberal approach to what you could put on the screen and get away with.

I often don’t think as much about the giallo period, but I do think I ought to give credit where credit is due…and of course, Argento would strike pay dirt a few years later with arguably the most iconic film of his career: Suspiria.

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#5 - DEEP END
Written & Directed by Jerzy Skolimowski
Co-written by Jerzy Gruza & Boleslaw Sulik

When it comes to Polish filmmakers, I will often go on and on about Krzysztof Kieslowski as I consider him one of the finest to ever make a film.

In terms of name recognition, I would say his closest peer would be Jerzy Skolimowski, but I have never been as passionate about his works as they often leave me cold or I'll say "yeah, that was good".
Deep End is usually the one I consider to be the exception, and it happened to be Skolimowski's first real foray into English language filmmaking.

Set in London, a 15-year-old named Mike (John Moulder-Brown) is hired to work at a bathhouse where he is trained by Susan (Jane Asher). Mike wasn't aware that it is expected of him to help serve the female clients that come in, which he at first feels a bit violated about...that is until he zeroes in on winning the affections of Susan.

When Paul Thomas Anderson made Licorice Pizza back in 2021, I couldn't help but notice the parallel of a 15-year-old boy pining for a 25-year-old woman. The difference is that PTA's film took on an aimless and frivolous approach while Deep End takes on an approach that clearly lives up to its title.

This is a darker trip into the mind of infatuation as Mike's obsession is essentially a snap in his psychosis, where he will not consider any other kind of romantic or intimate prospect with anyone else; he only wants Susan.

The film is a little disjointed, to be sure, and can feel a bit like you're experiencing whiplash between the dark comedy that slips into creepier territory. It manages to still work for the most part, especially with the stellar performances, and also the score with selections by Cat Stevens.

You could say this was the time of Free Love, but unfortunately for Mike & Susan, it will cost them both.
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#4 - FIVE EASY PIECES
Directed by Bob Rafelson
Written by Carole Eastman

Shining like a beacon in what would be called the "New Hollywood" era of the late 60s into the 70s, Five Easy Pieces is one of those early glimpses into what we could see coming out of our own country.
Jack Nicholson had been a Supporting Actor nominee the year prior for Easy Rider where he made a very strong impression with his sly and mercurial personality...so it isn't a surprise that he got snatched up to lead a film not long after.
Five Easy Pieces is the film where we truly see what made Jack Nicholson such a compelling performer. He plays Bobby Dupea, an oil rig worker who is resentful of his life after having had a privileged youth as a piano prodigy.
He learns that his father is dying and decides to make the road trip back to Washington with his girlfriend Rayette (Karen Black), who dreams of one day becoming a country music singer. However, his family's upper-class background makes him nervous about bringing Rayette into their orbit.
Most people remember the diner scene in which Jack Nicholson spars with a waitress that ends with him telling her to hold the chicken "between her knees" and him swiftly brushing all the contents of the table before departing the diner. Yes, this scene is pretty iconic for a reason, and it is one of those indelible moments that just SCREAMS Jack Nicholson....but this film is so much more than that scene.
As a character study for self-loathing and alienation and hiding from your past (and present), Five Easy Pieces is a sneakily heartbreaking and devastating film...but it also somehow doesn't play as bleak as it could've. Having Nicholson play Bobby was a divine piece of casting, plus Karen Black was such an underrated actress who deserved a better career.
Of the actual nominees at the Oscars that year, Five Easy Pieces should've won the top prize. I can concede to George C. Scott beating Nickelson but honestly, he would've been equally worthy.
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#3 - LE CERCLE ROUGE
Written & Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville

I can't say that I am necessarily drawn to heist films, but I would be willing to claim that Le Cercle Rouge is my favorite of that subgenre. Of all the auteurs of the French New Wave, Jean-Pierre Melville was the one who was very adept at crime thrillers as his "niche".

A prisoner named Corey (Alain Delon) is released from a Marseille prison for good behavior but manages to hear from a warden about a very lucrative jewelry shop in Paris that could be prime to rob. He then begins his journey to Paris, complete with robbing a former associate of his that he is no longer friendly with in order to obtain an inauspicious American made car to drive there.

On the commute, Corey encounters an escaped convict named Vogel (Gian Maria Volonte)) who had been commuting by train from Marseille to Paris to be interrogated by the very renowned Commissaire Mattei (Andre Bourvil), and eventually the two recruit an alcoholic ex-policeman named Jansen (Yves Montand) to join the heist.

I find myself not having a ton of rhapsodic things to say about Le Cercle Rouge, but that is clearly not due to lack of love or admiration of the film as it is officially a top 3 selection for this list.
I think the reason for that is I think it is one of those films that is hard to really talk about because on paper, it seems so simple and relatively inconsequential. This is one of those films that just has to be experienced for its presentation as Melville's pared-down script and slick direction are done with such intricate care that gives such a chilly vibe that makes you remain alert and intrigued. Everything about the film feels cold in how it looks and presents itself...and then you have the heist scene itself, which is roughly a half hour in length and contains barely any spoken dialogue.
I think one thing about the French that I admire as artists is that even when they are making grittier films, they still somehow make the final product so fucking elegant. Melville may not be spoken of as frequently as Truffaut, Godard, or Demy but he really had these gritty crime films down pat.
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#2 - THE CONFORMIST
Written & Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci

Whoever thought that a glimpse into the world of a Fascist functionary would be so stunningly beautiful to look at...but hey, I guess that's what you get when you have Vittorio Storaro as your cinematographer.

In what is likely Bernardo Bertolucci's best work, The Conformist tells the story of Marcello Clerici (Jean-Louis Trintignant), the aforementioned Fascist functionary under the dictatorship of Benito Mussolini. He is ordered to assassinate his former university professor Luca Quadri, who is an avid anti-Fascist. Marcello is married to Giulia (Stefania Sandrelli), but when he gets closer to getting Quadri, he falls madly in love with his wife Anna (Dominique Sanda).

A lot of the film beyond this is told via flashbacks leading up to the events surrounding the assassination plot which actually greatly inspired Francis Ford Coppola as he was making The Godfather Part II. A scene in The Conformist involving Dominique Sanda running through a snowy forest was the inspiration for the oft discussed and debated Sopranos episode "Pine Barrens".

There is honestly a lot to love about The Conformist. In many ways, Bertolucci, who was only 30 at the time, made a film that truly had a distinctive voice, but it also had the glorious flair of Fellini while being as gritty as the works of filmmakers like Melville.

As I brought up at the beginning, this is a truly stunning film visually. The use of light, color, and shadow is so enrapturing that even in moments where not a lot of coloring or shadow are being used, the cinematography is still very rich and vibrant. Just look at the pic I provided!

While the film did have its detractors for being a bit "all style, no substance", I disagree with that sentiment. I really appreciate how lived in, but heightened this world is and how even if a lot of its themes may be a bit on the nose and not rife enough for deep analysis, the film simply just works.

As long as you can present the story efficiently and with immense skill, that is quite the effort in of itself.

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#1 - INVESTIGATION OF A CITIZEN ABOVE SUSPICION
Written & Directed by Elio Petri

Co-written by Ugo Pirro

This is a film that I can't help but get infuriated by while also being so enamored and captivated by the sheer level of cocky bravado and sleezy injustice on display.

Gian Maria Volonte, whom you may remember from Le Cercle Rouge, plays a recently promoted police inspector that we only know by his nickname: "Il Dottore" (The Doctor). With his new level of power, he decides he wants to try his hand at testing those waters.

He is seeing a woman that's married to a gay man, but he ends up killing her and does what he can to cover up his involvement in the crime. Due to his new lofty law status, he inserts him into the investigation framing her gay husband and also a radical leftist.

So, with all of this power and the ability to do everything to swiftly clean up his involvement in the crime, will Il Dottore manage to get away with it, or will others find out about the crime, or we will he succumb to his own guilt?

When the film premiered at the 1970 Cannes Film Festival, it was praised for how bluntly it depicted police corruption and how easy it would be for that group to commit crimes and get away with them. The superiority complex we witness with Volonte's Il Dottore is certainly presented with a dark satirical element, but it also feels brutal to think about through today's modern lens.

Seeing corrupt police officers face their comeuppance, just like anyone of power who abuses their authority, is something I think most of us can't help but enjoy witnessing. I think the amazing thing about Investigation is how we watch the film progress and take a morbid fascination in his sadistic corruption, but then all we are left with by the end is an existential parable that makes you sit and ponder everything you just witnessed.

The film ends with a quote by Franz Kafka:

"Whatever impression he may seem to us, he is yet a servant of the Law; that is, he belongs to the Law and as such is set beyond human judgment".

A fascinating and troubling film all at once.
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FINAL THOUGHTS:
Even if I may not have given any of these a 5-star rating, I do think pretty highly of all of these films. Perhaps Patton is a bit of a holdout, but I opted to go for what worked about it in the long run.
Although, we are going to be seeing a pretty big shift once we get into 1971. Not to spoil anything before that post is even up for grabs, but it will be a list that is primarily dominated by English-language films which feels like a real switch up for this time period. In fact, the top 2 films for 1971 are so close in admiration for me that I truly don't know what I will name as #1 at the moment.
Stay tuned for 1971!