We've finally made it to the penultimate edition!
Thing are starting to heat up a little bit and as we inch closer to the 20s, we will start to see films that I do consider myself to be a fan of even if they weren't my actual choice in the grand scheme.
One of my more controversial rankings will be occurring pretty quickly, and if you are a film buff, you will probably immediately know which film I mean when it pops up.
So, let's continue with Volume 4!
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#39 - FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
Directed by Fred Zinneman
Written by Daniel Taradash & James Jones
For what it is, From Here to Eternity works as a fairly melodramatic film that succeeds mainly from the success of its ensemble.
I have come to notice that to be a big trend with a lot of these winners: the actors save the day! A lot of the time, that is true even at the expense of the directors and the screenwriters.
Not sure I have much to say about this one...in some ways, it sort of serves as a solid middle-of-the-road film for me.
When it comes to 1953, I actually tend to side with Tokyo Story as my favorite film for that year. Considering I have also called that my favorite film of the 1950s as a whole, needless to say that puts a lot of pressure on From Here to Eternity to hit that level. It could've come close but it simply doesn't.
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#38 - GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
Directed by Victor Fleming
Written by Margaret Mitchell & Sidney Howard
I have never been a big fan of Gone With The Wind...and this was even before I truly understood the more problematic elements of the material.
What is really pushing this film as high as it is can really only be traced back to Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable, Hattie McDaniel, Olivia de Havilland, Thomas Mitchell, and Butterfly McQueen.
I also do feel that Victor Fleming (although some of this film may not even be truly attributed to him) did a fantastic job from a directorial standpoint.
The scope of the film is one to marvel at, especially for its time. Some of the cinematography is simply gorgeous, to say the least.
Still though...this movie plays like southern propaganda and tends to sympathize with Confederate tendencies.
For a film that is often considered the finest piece of entertainment to come out of the supposed "Greatest Year of American Cinema", I think that it is the wrong choice to say the least.
1939 also gave us The Wizard of Oz, The Rules of the Game, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Stagecoach, Ninotchka....I mean...I don't give much of a damn about Gone with the Wind.
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#37 - NOMADLAND (2020)
Written and Directed by Chloe Zhao
I wanted to love Nomadland, but I didn't quite see the same level of rapturous love that many seemed to pour upon it.
I did, however, admire the film for the most part.
I appreciated the story that was told; I appreciated that Zhao was able to adapt real-life Nomads into the film with seeming ease; and I think McDormand and Strathairn also slipped right into the world in a very believable way that didn't make it seem like they were famous actors posing as Nomads.
The remarkable thing about Frances McDormand is she is one of those celebrities who simply doesn't give a damn about glamour or impressing anybody. She cares about doing the work and going home...and to think she managed to win a THIRD Best Actress Oscar (only Katharine Hepburn has achieved that) when she didn't campaign a single bit the whole season aside from participating in some online events to support Zhao and the film crew was quite the feat in of itself.
I do think Nomadland has an issue in that it almost paints Amazon as a savior to McDormand's Fern in that working for them allows her to basically live without a steady job for most of the year. I hesitate at giving Amazon any credit there...but I do feel that Nomadland offered a unique movie experience and I think it was a bold decision for the Academy to embrace it.
As it stands, my favorite films from 2020 included:
Quo Vadis, Aida?
The Father
Never Rarely Sometimes Always
Sound of Metal
Promising Young Woman
Black Bear
Minari
Shiva Baby
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#36 - THE LOST WEEKEND (1945)
Directed by Billy Wilder
Written by Billy Wider, Charles Brackett, Charles Jackson
When discussing the filmography of Billy Wilder, most people tend to reference Sunset Boulevard, Double Indemnity, Some Like it Hot, and The Apartment. I never hear as many people discuss The Lost Weekend, but even though I think I would probably rank the film behind the others of his I just listed, I think The Lost Weekend was a very admirable effort in showing the horrors of a drunken bender.
Ray Milland was considered something of a B-level actor prior to The Lost Weekend but Wilder saw something in him and with this film, he gave a truly realistic performance as lovely and depressed alcoholic.
I think that is truly the biggest success within the film is how well it depicts this gritty weekend bender and doesn't shy away from the disgusting nature of it.
It doesn't pander and it doesn't try to sugar coat it. Considering they just gave Best Picture to a film like Going My Way the year prior, I commend them for going for a darker film like this...even if some may claim it was a make-up choice for not honoring Double Indemnity the year before.
My favorite films from 1945 were both foreign offerings. The first was Marcel Carne's Children of Paradise and Roberto Rosselini's Rome: Open City.
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#35 - THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017)
Directed by Guillermo del Toro
Written by Guillermo del Toro & Vanessa Taylor
I was still not fully immersed in following films for most of the 2010s, so when I saw the trailer for The Shape of Water for the first time, I thought it looked intriguing and was especially excited to see Guillermo del Toro out with a new film.
What I didn't expect was for a film like that to become an Oscar contender...and even more surprising that it ended up winning the whole shebang!
I am almost surprised that the film pulled off the win not just because of its fantasy/science-fiction themes, but rather that it did seem to cause a lot of division amongst audiences.
For me, I very much enjoyed the film and thought del Toro created a such a fascinating world all within the confines of 1962 Baltimore (and to think that the antics of Hairspray would be happening at the same time....)
I also think that Sally Hawkins was luminous in this and that Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, and Michael Shannon all provided truly strong supporting performances.
It was a visual feast of a film with a truly great score and a core relationship that seemed highly unlikely to be the lead of an Oscar winning film: woman has sex with a fish man.
I never thought we'd see that kind of film, let alone have it when Best Picture.
As it stands, I think it was a worthy winner though it was not my personal choice. I would give higher marks to Phantom Thread, Three Billboards, and Ladybird.
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#34 - CHICAGO (2002)
Directed by Rob Marshall
Written by Bill Condon
After Moulin Rouge had paved the way for musicals to return to the big screen the year prior, Chicago came in the next year with a vengeance...and it also had the help of Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein aside, I still think this adaptation of Chicago was very well done. Marshall's intention to have all of the numbers coming from inside Roxie's head was a brilliant decision (and the cutting of the song "Class" because it didn't fit that directorial vision was the difficult but correct choice).
Zellweger's performance works but, to me, it hasn't aged as well.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, however, still owns the film and even upon a fairly recent rewatch, I was quite impressed with how much she could command the screen.
Looking back at the film's trajectory, it is still kind of surprising it managed to catch hold like it did with the awards circuit...but it was an immensely entertaining effort.
I do think movies like Talk to Her, City of God, The Pianist, Far From Heaven, and Catch Me If You Can have managed to stand the test of time a little better though.
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#33 - PATTON (1970)
Directed by Franklin J. Schaffner
Written by Francis Ford Coppola & Edmund H. North
War movies aren't necessarily my cup of tea. However, despite the stuffy nature of Patton, I have to give credit to the performance of George C. Scott, a truly phenomenal actor who doesn't nearly get enough praise these days.
When he won the Oscar, he was not present. In fact, he made a big fuss about his hatred of awards to the point that when Goldie Hawn announced him as the winner, she sighed "Oh my god...the winner is George C. Scott" and preceded to laugh.
This was at a time when a lot of actors began bemoaning the legitimacy and reasoning of why awards needed to be handed out in the first place. Aside from Scott, you had Glenda Jackson, Marlon Brando, and Dustin Hoffman...although as mentioned before, Hoffman's vitriol was more over the fact that he lost to John Wayne for True Grit...and I think most actors would have a right to be angry about that.
As it stands, George C. Scott was simply fantastic as the titular Patton. He makes the film a must-see event in a lot of ways. It does feel overlong, and it does tend to drag (yet another trend I tend to point out with these films), but I would most definitely recommend the film be viewed for the sake of Scott's work.
1970 was actually not the best year for film. I would say my favorite film from that year was Women in Love, which doesn't exactly stand up with the best films of the rest of the 1970s, but it is a truly interesting piece by Larry Kramer containing a wonderful Oscar winning performance by Glenda Jackson...who also stayed away that evening because she didn't give a damn.
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#32 - THE DEPARTED (2006)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
Written by William Monahan, Alan Mak, Felix Chong
There was such a sense of joy when Martin Scorsese finally managed to win Best Director. This was something that was 30 years in the making after he had been ridiculously snubbed for a nomination for Taxi Driver and then missed out on his bids for films like Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and The Aviator.
That particular evening, in one fell swoop, he netted both Director and Picture and all seemed right in the world.
Then the dust settled and, at least for me, he basically won for lesser work.
Katharine Hepburn once famously said (although it was regarding acting) that all the right actors win Oscar, but for the wrong performances.
In the case of Scorsese, he won for the wrong movie. Among the nominees, I honestly would've given Best Director to Paul Greengrass for United 93, but that was never going to happen.
Scorsese should've won for GoodFellas, Taxi Driver, and Raging Bull...and I say that as someone who (gasp) doesn't really worship Raging Bull.
The Departed is a fun movie and it felt like a great mix of Scorsese returning to his roots but with a modern flair after taking a more "artsy" detour with films like The Aviator, Gangs of New York, Kundun, and The Age of Innocence.
It is a killer ensemble, too. DiCaprio, Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Farmiga...
Can't go wrong there!
2006 was one of my favorite years for cinema. It would certainly make a top 10 list of best years for film quite easily.
Pan's Labyrinth, Children of Men, Little Miss Sunshine, The Lives of Others, Thank You For Smoking, The Devil Wears Prada, United 93, The Queen, Borat, Inland Empire, Notes on a Scandal, Volver, Letters from Iwa Jima....you get the idea.
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#31 - BIRDMAN (2014)
Directed by Alejandro G. Inarritu
Written by Alejandro G. Inarritu, Armando Bo, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris
I can recall being a little surprised with Birdman won Best Picture...but that was also at a time when I wasn't following the award season as much as I had in the late 90s and into the 2000s.
My expectation was that Boyhood was on track to win a lot more, but I also had my heart devoted to two other films in the race: Selma and The Grand Budapest Hotel.
However, this is a case where I am not going to bash the movie as I actually quite liked Birdman.
I thought the "one-shot" gimmick worked well, I thought Michael Keaton did a great job and was more worthy of the Oscar than Eddie Redmayne, I loved the theatrical setting which doesn't feel as frequently used in film these days.
I feel like we are sort of seeing the tides change now to the point where the films I am bringing up are films I do truly like, but other movies I just tend to like a tad more with each new slot.
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#30 - THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
Directed by William Wyler
Written by Robert E. Sherwood & MacKinlay Kantor
I feel like The Best Years of Our Lives used to get a bad rap for being the film that beat It's a Wonderful Life for the Oscar.
I also get the sense that more people have grown to appreciate the film over the years, and I would say I am among that group, too.
When it comes to somewhat melodramatic kitchen sink dramas that feature WWII, or the ending of it, as a backdrop, it is hard to really find much to fault with The Best Years of Our Lives.
Sure, it is a truly monumental thing for these soldiers to be able to come home from the war, but what this film chooses to focus on is what makes it a lot more fascinating.
Cpt. Fred Derry is returning home to a loveless marriage.
Sgt. Al Stephenson is coming home to a family that has grown up and doesn't even truly know him.
Navy sailor Homer Parrish is now having to prepare to live life without his hands.
While it may have its moments of being a bit too on-the-nose, I would say a lot of the emotional weight of the film is more than earned. Considering most of the films that had won Oscars within its first 20 years of existence, I think The Best Years of Our Lives stands as one of the best...even if it was only my 2nd favorite film of 1946. My favorite would've been A Matter of Life & Death.
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#29 - UNFORGIVEN (1992)
Directed by Clint Eastwood
Written by David Webb Peoples
As I stated when discussing Million Dollar Baby, I am not overly fond of Eastwood as a director...but the finest achievement of his career would have to be Unforgiven.
Westerns are certainly not my forte, as I have stated, but everything about Unforgiven makes for a truly gripping experience. Eastwood is certainly in his wheelhouse here and he manages to get a truly marvelous villainous performance out of Gene Hackman, netting him his 2nd Oscar.
I feel like the script does have slight issues in terms of its use of exposition, but the whole final result is certainly one of the better experiences I have had viewing a western.
When it comes to 1992 as a year of film, I tend to consider my #1 choice to be Spike Lee's epic biopic of Malcolm X, which was snubbed for most major nominations. I do want to also commend nominees Howards End and The Crying Game, two great British imports that left indelible impressions...although the latter has since left a lot to unpack in terms of its political correctness.
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#28 - CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981)
Directed by Hugh Hudson
Written by Colin Welland
This is easily going to be one of my more hated placements, I am sure.
Do I think Chariots of Fire deserved to win Best Picture?
Technically, no. I actually preferred nominees Atlantic City and Reds over it. I also loved other films from that year more that weren't nominated like My Dinner with Andre, Pixote, and Arthur.
Still though, this is a list where I am ranking a list of 94 films that won Best Picture and based on that, I have to admit that I actually really like Chariots of Fire.
Sure, it might be a little stuffy and twee and too British in a cliched way, but I have always found myself far more drawn to this film as a Cinderella Story rather than something like Rocky.
I also can't ignore the iconic score by Vangelis, even though the main theme does admittedly seem a little out of place with the rhythm of the running...but whatever...that's just a nitpick.
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#27 - A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS (1966)
Directed by Fred Zinneman
Written by Robert Bolt
Much like Chariots of Fire, I would say that A Man for All Seasons is a film that benefits more from the films that actually won the award rather than what lost. If we were to base this off of just the nominees it was up against, I much preferred Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and, to a lesser extent, Alfie. I would also rank films like A Man & A Woman, Blowup, and The Battle of Algiers above it.
On its own merit, I do find A Man for All Seasons to be a sterling film, perhaps a little dull in its approach but it is an exquisitely made film with gorgeous sets and costumes plus the acting, yet again, becomes a major saving grace.
Robert Shaw, most famous for being the grizzled Quint in Jaws, was a very refined British character actor and some of his best work is in this film as the infamous Henry VIII. Then you have Paul Scofield as Thomas More, which may be the prime example of being one of the best wins of the Best Actor category who didn't actually deserve the win. Frankly, that award should've gone to Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
A movie like this is a prime example of how something can be truly good, but it usually just comes down to a few films being more reared towards your taste instead.
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#26 - THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)
Directed by Robert Wise
Written by Ernest Lehman
The major success of The Sound of Music is kind of baffling in some ways. When the Original Broadway Production went up in 1959, many prominent critics deemed it outdated and too sweet...but the audiences loved it and it ended up tying for the Best Musical Tony Award with the now-mostly forgotten Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Fiorello! about the life of iconic NYC mayor Fiorello H. LaGuardia.
In the process, they both beat Gypsy.
Maybe not the best decision looking back on it.
As it stands, the movie version of The Sound of Music also seems to have its share of detractors. The esteemed film critic Pauline Kael savaged it in her review leading to her being dismissed from the publication. Christopher Plummer, who played Georg von Trapp, famously called the film The Sound of Mucus for its saccharine sensibilities despite adoring his co-stars.
It is one of those films that seems to always make it on "Best Of" lists but has a passionate group of detractors more than most other films.
While I will attest that I prefer The Shop on Main Street more as a film from that year, I do really love The Sound of Music and would consider it a bit of a guilty pleasure. I do try to watch it around the holidays every year just for the hell of it.
One particular criticism I want to call out is that Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer always claim that they tried hard to give the film a little more zest so that it wasn't too sweet. While this isn't on them, I do think it was a mistake they trimmed down the roles of the Baroness and Max. Taking out the two songs they prominently feature in: How Can Love Survive and No Way to Stop It do really take a certain edge out of the material that was sorely needed in the film.
Say what you will about the live broadcast version of The Sound of Music from 2013, but I did love how much they stuck to the original libretto and kept those songs in.
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#25 - MARTY (1955)
Directed by Delbert Mann
Written by Paddy Chayefsky
The remarkable thing about the track record of the winner of the Palme D'or, the Best Picture winner at the Cannes Film Festival, and the Academy Award for Best Picture is that only TWO films in the last 75 years have managed to win both prizes.
Several films would go on to be nominees, but it is sort of crazy to think that it would only line up twice as having the same winner.
Having Marty be one of those films seems quite surprising at first glance, but a movie like Marty proves that you don't need a big strapping budget and a glamorous locale...just a good script that tells a story about interesting characters.
A lot has been made fun of with Ernest Borgnine in the latter half of his career, but this is truly lovely work by him.
I often talk a lot about movies missing "an edge" and those movies that suffer from a lack of an edge have an uphill battle. I am not saying Marty doesn't suffer from that, but I also feel like Marty is the best example of a movie like this done very well, if not completely right.
As it stands, 1955 did offer some movies that I adored perhaps more than Marty.
Pather Panchali
Diabolique
Rififi
The Night of the Hunter
Those would be my top 4, but Marty would definitely be my #5.
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#24 - IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
Directed by Frank Capra
Written by Robert Riskin
As one of the last films to come out of the fascinating pre-Code era of early Hollywood, It Happened One Night remains a shining staple in the world of romantic comedies.
Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert make for one of the best duos in a film, especially when discussing RomCom chemistry.
It is a very witty film that still manages to hold up a lot better than many of the films Hollywood embraced at that time...and it is no surprise that it was the first of only three films to win the Big 5 Oscars: Picture, Director, Actor, Actress, and Screenplay.
I have to say though: it does truly seem a crime that Bette Davis didn't actually get nominated that year for Of Human Bondage. Her work in that film showed an intensity that was certainly unlike the peers of that era. She was unparalleled in many ways.
I would actually say this may be the first potential instance where I would say my favorite film from that particular year won the award.
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#23 - THE DEER HUNTER (1978)
Directed by Michael Cimino
Written by Michael Cimino & Deric Washburn
*SPOILERS FOR A NEARLY 45-YEAR-OLD FILM*
I feel like very few directors had such a quick ascend to acclaim and as quick a downfall as Michael Cimino. I also bet that a lot of you probably aren't even familiar with him by name.
After The Deer Hunter swept the Oscars, Cimino was basically as hot a commodity that seemed worthy to add to the New Hollywood group of directors like Coppola, Scorsese, Bogdonavich, Spielberg, de Palma, and Lucas.
That all changed with his maniacal and overbearing reputation that he received while making Heaven's Gate, which was released to great mockery and bashing in 1981 after a tumultuous filming.
But for one brief shining moment, Cimino had his Camelot.
The Deer Hunter was a truly dark and depressing film about the trials of going to war and how it affects you after the fact. You could think of it as the Vietnam version of The Best Years of Our Lives only you want to just sit and wallow in despair afterwards.
I actually had to act out a scene from this in an acting class when we were learning about acting on film. Mostly it was to get us to be able to cry on cue and to not oversell it to the backrow.
I had to portray Michael (DeNiro) when he watches his friend Nick (Walken) lose at Russian Roulette and dying right in front of him. The dialogue was basically "Nicky! No! No!" but it was hard not to be truly shaken by the scene. I mean, how could you not be devastated by the idea of watching a dear friend die right in front of you?
The Deer Hunter is a fabulous winner, however my favorite film from that year was Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven. I also want to give a shout-out to these other great films of 1978:
Autumn Sonata
Halloween
An Unmarried Woman
The Meetings of Anna
In a Year with 13 Moons
Dawn of the Dead
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#22 - THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (2003)
Directed by Peter Jackson
Written by Fran Walsh, Peter Jackson, Phillipa Boyens
Perhaps another selection and placement on my ranking that may make some rather confused.
The Lord of the Rings trilogy is, as an adapted source material, an unparalleled success. Peter Jackson and his crew achieved something that most filmmakers never do: widespread acclaim and respect from passionate fans and critics alike.
My only thing is that despite the obviously breathtaking efforts it took to make these films, particularly the final installment referenced here, I just never connected to them on any deep level.
To put it into perspective, if you didn't realize my taste at this point, my favorite films from 2003 were Lost in Translation, Memories of Murder, American Splendor, Oldboy, and In America.
Still though, it was simply a remarkable achievement and when comparing it against the 94 films on this list, I have to give it due credit.
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#21 - ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
Directed by Lewis Milestone
Written by George Abbott
I still find myself shocked at how well I responded to All Quiet on the Western Front, and this is still having not seen it in over a decade.
With so many films that almost glamorize the horrors of war in years since the end of WWII, here we have an anti-war film made in 1930 that is blunt and yet far more humane in its approach than one might expect.
And to think, the script for the film was written by George Abbott, who would go on to be one of the premiere directors of musical theatre during the 40s and 50s.
I also think the film was smart in not shying away from giving equal weight and sympathy to the German soldiers, who are seen so young and treated to such horror that you can't help but be angered at all of the innocent lives lost over such a heinous war.
Certain technical aspects of the film are understandably dated due to the fact it was made in FREAKING 1930 (!!), but I have to commend everything about this film as being very bold and for taking an approach towards war that still feels far more radical than most films treat the concept today.
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CONCLUSION:
We are now within reach of the finish line!
Coming up next will be the top 20 selections of the 94 Best Picture winners.
Thanks for staying with me through these.
