I first saw the Oscar as my guide to finding the really good stuff in movies. Most of the time, they were right. But other times were me just not getting why it won all those awards, or even got nominated.
Thankfully, I have come to terms that the Oscars are not the be-all and end-all, and that I do not lose sleep over the winner not being the one that I wanted. However, 14 of them are in my top 100 films of all-time.
So far, there have been 92 Best Picture winners over time. I have currently seen 82 of them. The 10 winners that I have yet to see are Driving Miss Daisy, Gigi, Gentleman's Agreement, The Lost Weekend, Going My Way, The Life Of Emile Zola, The Great Ziegfeld, Cavalcade, Grand Hotel and Cimarron.
Here is my ranking of the Best Picture winners, and I must mention that I think ALL of these are really good films:
85) Tom Jones (1963)
84) The Broadway Melody (1929)
83) You Can't Take It With You (1938)
82) Unforgiven (1992)
82) Unforgiven (1992)
81) A Man For All Seasons (1966)
80) In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
80) In The Heat Of The Night (1967)
79) Nomadland (2020)
78) Moonlight (2016)
77) Out Of Africa (1985)
76) Midnight Cowboy (1969)
75) Patton (1970)
74) The English Patient (1996)
73) Annie Hall (1977)
72) On The Waterfront (1954)
78) Moonlight (2016)
77) Out Of Africa (1985)
76) Midnight Cowboy (1969)
75) Patton (1970)
74) The English Patient (1996)
73) Annie Hall (1977)
72) On The Waterfront (1954)
71) Marty (1955)
70) Braveheart (1995)
70) Braveheart (1995)
69) The Hurt Locker (2009)
68) All The King's Men (1949)
67) Argo (2012)
66) The Shape Of Water (2017)
68) All The King's Men (1949)
67) Argo (2012)
66) The Shape Of Water (2017)
65) The French Connection (1971)
64) Green Book (2018)
63) The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)
62) Around The World In 80 Days (1956)
61) Shakespeare In Love (1998)
64) Green Book (2018)
63) The Greatest Show On Earth (1952)
62) Around The World In 80 Days (1956)
61) Shakespeare In Love (1998)
60) Rocky (1976)
59) 12 Years A Slave (2013)
58) Platoon (1986)
59) 12 Years A Slave (2013)
58) Platoon (1986)
57) No Country For Old Men (2007)
56) Chicago (2002)
55) Ordinary People (1980)
56) Chicago (2002)
55) Ordinary People (1980)
54) Hamlet (1948)
53) Mutiny On The Bounty (1935)
52) Spotlight (2015)
51) Oliver! (1968)
51) Oliver! (1968)
50) An American In Paris (1951)
49) Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
48) Rebecca (1940)
47) Birdman (2014)
49) Lawrence Of Arabia (1962)
48) Rebecca (1940)
47) Birdman (2014)
46) The Godfather Part II (1974)
45) How Green Was My Valley (1941)
44) Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
43) The Apartment (1960)
42) West Side Story (1961)
45) How Green Was My Valley (1941)
44) Kramer vs. Kramer (1979)
43) The Apartment (1960)
42) West Side Story (1961)
41) It Happened One Night (1934)
40) From Here To Eternity (1953)
39) The Godfather (1972)
40) From Here To Eternity (1953)
39) The Godfather (1972)
38) CODA (2021)
37) Casablanca (1942)
37) Casablanca (1942)
36) Mrs. Miniver (1942)
35) A Beautiful Mind (2001)
35) A Beautiful Mind (2001)
34) Parasite (2019)
33) Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022)
32) Million Dollar Baby (2004)
32) Million Dollar Baby (2004)
31) Terms Of Endearment (1983)
30) The Deer Hunter (1978)
29) The Last Emperor (1987)
28) Gandhi (1982)
27) All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
26) My Fair Lady (1964)
25) The Sting (1973)
24) Wings (1928)
23) Amadeus (1984)
22) The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
21) Crash (2005)
20) The Artist (2011)
19) The Sound Of Music (1965)
18) The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
17) Gone With The Wind (1939)
16) The King's Speech (2010)
15) Chariots Of Fire (1981)
14) The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
13) All About Eve (1950)
12) American Beauty (1999)
11) Titanic (1997)
10) The Departed (2006) - The film that finally got Martin Scorsese his Oscar. A re-make of the Hong Kong thriller Infernal Affairs, it sees a cop go undercover to infiltrate a gang while there is a mole in the police.
It is a hugely exciting and tense crime thriller with great performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon.
It is also the last Best Picture that was also my film of the year.
9) Dances With Wolves (1990) - This 3hr adventure epic sees Kevin Costner direct and star as a Civil War solider be exiled to a remote outpost. While befriending a Native American tribe, he slowly moves further away from the beliefs of the military.
It is a powerful story that affected me and many others.
8) Gladiator (2000) - Seen as one of the last great 'sowrds and sandals' films, director Ridley Scott gives us a visceral and highly enjoyable action drama.
Russell Crowe plays a Roman general who is betrayed and comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
It also stars the late great Oliver Reed who gives a fantastic performance in one of his last films.
7) Slumdog Millionaire (2008) - Winner of 8 Oscars in total, director Danny Boyle tells a unique story where an Indian teenager finds his destiny when being a contest on Indian's version of 'Who Wants To Be Millionaire'.
The perfect mix of story-telling and wonderful camerawork gives us something that makes us have a feeling that we can rarely get from watching a film.
6) Schindler's List (1993) - Steven Spielberg gives his most emotional film, which is about a German businessman who aims to help his Jewish workforce avoid persecution from the Nazi's. It's messages of power and racism is applicable to any generation.
What is even more impressive, is that this was the year that Spielberg also released Jurassic Park.
5) Rain Man (1988) - A film that I never thought I would like as much I actually do. It sees Tom Cruise plays a selfish pretty boy travel cross-country to find the brother he never knew, who has been left a fortune from their deceased father.
This film sees an unbelievable performance by Dustin Hoffman. His chemistry with Cruise's character will make you smile, cry and sometimes both simultaneously.
4) One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) - One of the most famous stories of all-time sees Jack Nicholson plays a criminal who pleads insanity and rebels the nurses within the mental institution.
Winner of 5 Oscars, this utterly remarkable story affected me in such a way, that it really opened my eyes to life and interesting films like this.
3) The Lord Of The Ring: The Return Of The King (2003) - The culmination of what it is seen by many as the greatest trilogy of all-time. For it is the perfect trilogy.
Peter Jackson's vision takes its final chapter. As the world of men form an army to fight the orcs of Mordor, two Hobbits make their final approach to destroy the One Ring.
This fantasy epic is special and will forever be timeless.
2) Ben-Hur (1959) - One of three films to hold the record of the most Oscars wins with 11. Charlton Heston plays a Jewish prince who is betrayed and put into slavery.
Once free, his path for revenge also takes a diversion via divine intervention.
Director William Wyler has some classics in his time, and this is probably his most successful one. It also contains my favourite scene of all-time. Yes, it's the chariot race.
1) Forrest Gump (1994) - Probably the most inspirational film I have ever seen. Director Robert Zemeckis tells the fictional story of Forrest Gump, whose life has contributed to some of the most historical moments of the late 20th century.
Tom Hanks has never been better, and this whole story became so ground-breaking that it ended up winning 6 Oscars in most of the high-quality Best Picture lists that included Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption.
30) The Deer Hunter (1978)
29) The Last Emperor (1987)
28) Gandhi (1982)
27) All Quiet On The Western Front (1930)
26) My Fair Lady (1964)
25) The Sting (1973)
24) Wings (1928)
23) Amadeus (1984)
22) The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
21) Crash (2005)
20) The Artist (2011)
19) The Sound Of Music (1965)
18) The Best Years Of Our Lives (1946)
17) Gone With The Wind (1939)
16) The King's Speech (2010)
15) Chariots Of Fire (1981)
14) The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
13) All About Eve (1950)
12) American Beauty (1999)
11) Titanic (1997)
It is a hugely exciting and tense crime thriller with great performances by Leonardo DiCaprio, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon.
It is also the last Best Picture that was also my film of the year.
It is a powerful story that affected me and many others.
Russell Crowe plays a Roman general who is betrayed and comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.
It also stars the late great Oliver Reed who gives a fantastic performance in one of his last films.
The perfect mix of story-telling and wonderful camerawork gives us something that makes us have a feeling that we can rarely get from watching a film.
What is even more impressive, is that this was the year that Spielberg also released Jurassic Park.
This film sees an unbelievable performance by Dustin Hoffman. His chemistry with Cruise's character will make you smile, cry and sometimes both simultaneously.
Winner of 5 Oscars, this utterly remarkable story affected me in such a way, that it really opened my eyes to life and interesting films like this.
Peter Jackson's vision takes its final chapter. As the world of men form an army to fight the orcs of Mordor, two Hobbits make their final approach to destroy the One Ring.
This fantasy epic is special and will forever be timeless.
Once free, his path for revenge also takes a diversion via divine intervention.
Director William Wyler has some classics in his time, and this is probably his most successful one. It also contains my favourite scene of all-time. Yes, it's the chariot race.
Tom Hanks has never been better, and this whole story became so ground-breaking that it ended up winning 6 Oscars in most of the high-quality Best Picture lists that included Pulp Fiction and The Shawshank Redemption.
No comments:
Post a Comment