Well, I am indeed continuing with the series. And this list actually was easier to put together than the others because I haven't actually seen that large of a number of 70s movies. But I did still see enough that I had to narrow down a list of just 10.
Some film people actually say that the 1970s was the best decade for film. I can see why they say this because pretty much every popular genre we have today owes something to a film icon from the 70s. Also, some of the most well-structured films I have ever seen, even if they weren't as influential as some of the others, came from this decade.
As usual, here are the movies that did not make the final cut ranked by preference:
"The Muppet Movie," "Blazing Saddles," "Halloween," "The Warriors," "What's Up, Doc?," "Superman," "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," "Annie Hall," "All the President’s Men," "The Exorcist," "Willy Wonka," "The Pink Panther Strikes Again," "The French Connection," "The Jerk," "Animal House," "Tom Sawyer," "Meatballs," "Grease," "Apple Dumpling Gang," "Robin Hood," "Life of Brian."
10. "Apocalypse Now"
One of the most interesting war dramas of all time. Set in Vietnam, Martin Sheen's Captain Willard is sent into the jungle to track down Marlon Brando's rogue Colonel Kurtz. This mission is off the books as they actually want him to kill Kurtz. The movie is a war/horror masterpiece with excellent cinematography, great performances (including Robert Duvall's underused Lt. Kilgore, who "loves the smell of napalm in the morning"), and a killer soundtrack, whether original music or classical. It actually turns out one of the most memorable aspects of the film was unplanned. Originally, Kurtz was intended to be a badass, bloodthirsty, Rambo-type soldier who would do battle with Willard when he found him. But, that didn't work out when Marlon Brando showed up to the set and looked like he had been to KFC a few too many times. Director Francis Ford Coppola, having worked with the difficult Brando before, simply made the character a fat man whom the natives see as a god and keeps Willard from killing him immediately by playing mind games with him. The war has clearly driven Kurtz mad and is doing the same to Willard. Kurtz exploits this for all it's worth, until the climax where Kurtz utters those now famously haunting words, "The horror, the horror." Whereas Saving Private Ryan showed us the horrors of war through realistic battle and carnage, this movie showed it more through the psychological toll it can take. Another must-see for everyone!
9. "Rocky"
Given its competition that year, I don't know that I would say this movie was altogether deserving of its Best Picture award, but I'm not angry about it because IT'S ROCKY!!! The film that became the template for just about every inspirational sports drama, we see a young bum named Rocky who dreams of being a legitimate boxing contender. He gets his chance when the boxing champ, Apollo Creed, says he wants to take him on as a publicity stunt. Through determination and the persuasion of his coach, Mickey, Rocky goes further than anyone would have expected from him. The thing about this movie is it's as much of an underdog story behind the scenes as it is onscreen. It was a low budget film which was written by Sylvester Stallone just over a weekend! Yet, it went on to be named Best Picture and was everyone's favorite movie of the year. Just another source of inspiration of how much can be done with so little.
8. "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest"
Jack Nicholson is known for playing very similar characters that are still somehow distinct from each other. This was the one that started the Nicholson trend, I believe. He had already been in classics like Chinatown and Easy Rider, but this was the one where he played the character that we came to expect from him thereafter. We follow him as he pretends to be a mental case to keep from going to prison. He ends up at an asylum run by the tyrannical Nurse Ratched. He lets the men know that they don't have to take this abuse, and they do have the ability to think for themselves. Ratched, of course, tightens her grip as the rebellion intensifies. It is only a large personal sacrifice from Nicholson's McMurphy that ultimately solidifies their want for freedom! This film is shot in a very raw manner, so that the asylum feels like the most desolate place on Earth, and we want these men to escape this living hell. Nicholson's energy (which earned him Best Actor) will keep us hoping until the startling, bittersweet climax. There is no doubt in my mind it deserved Best Picture, despite the next entry having come out the same year...
7. "Jaws"
The classic that made Steven Spielberg a household name and pretty much invented the summer blockbuster, we see the story we all know by now of the hunt for a shark that keeps frequenting a beach. Just like another movie on this list, the genius comes in keeping the monster hidden for most of the movie, until they finally do battle with it. I don't really have anything new to say about such an icon, so if you haven't seen it, do it!
6. "Network"
Being a Communications major, I like movies that look at the ethics of what's right and wrong in the field of media. This dark satire focuses on an older anchor who's about to be fired. He thinks he has nothing to lose and goes off on mad rants about society. The network notices its ratings skyrocketing, so they keep him on, of course, taking advantage of his mental instability. This was the film where the famous "mad as hell" rant came from, as well as Ned Beatty's infamous "world is a business" speech. The acting, cinematography, and social commentary in this film are all top notch. So, I definitely recommend this, especially if you want to go into filmmaking or media yourself.
5. "Alien"
Is it a sci-fi? Horror movie? I personally think it's both. Unlike most recent horror movies, which rely on cheap jump scares and over-the-top gore to sell themselves as horror movies, this one is all about atmosphere. A crew of astronauts receives a signal from an alien planet and assume somebody needs help. However, they soon discover that the signal was actually a warning to keep away, and their ship is soon inhabited by a hostile alien force that begins picking them off one by one. Unlike its sequel, "Aliens" (which is also amazing), this one isn't a big action movie. It's one that uses its atmosphere to be a chilling psychological thriller. The tagline says "In space, no one can hear you scream." That's what they go for here. The frightening thoughts of the alien being nearby are only elevated by the claustrophobia of having to confront this menace in outer space where there is nowhere else to run. Until we see the alien dead, we find ourselves fearing for our lives right alongside the crew, led by the heroic Ellen Ripley (whom we get to know better in the sequel). My heart was pounding literally the entire time I watched this all the way through the first time. There are a few effects that look fake now, but for the most part, it holds up surprisingly well for an almost 40-year-old movie!
4. "Taxi Driver"
In the mid-70s, director Martin Scorsese and screenwriter Paul Schrader were feeling a bit...lonely. So, they decided to make this film which would express in cinematic form how they felt. Whether the audience liked this film or not, they just knew they had to make it. To their surprise, they found that their audience actually related to it a lot, too! There's just something in this film that can speak to everyone, no matter what generation they're from. We follow a lonely, insomniac taxi driver named Travis Bickle, who has long since come home from fighting the war and is trying to find his place in the world. He also finds himself disgusted by the "scum" he sees every night. At first, he thinks a local politician might help with that, but the guy turns out, of course, to be full of it. Add to this a recent snub by a pretty girl, and Travis has had enough. He decides to take the cleaning of the streets into his own hands, particularly the case of a young prostitute who can't seem to leave on her own... One of Robert De Niro's finest performances. I would actually say that this is his best one, except maybe "Raging Bull." I thought this movie had to be based on a book or something, but I was surprised to discover that it's a completely original screenplay! I couldn't believe it because Travis is probably the most layered character I've ever seen written directly for the screen! There's so much to him, it's hard to sum him up. He's an insomniac, a manic depressive, a social justice warrior, etc. He's so complex, he has to be based on other people. And the story has the perfect arc, as seen through his disturbed mind, all the way until one of the most debated endings in film history. As with most of Scorsese's earlier work, the film is kept raw. Even a shootout isn't stylized, it is like what a shootout might actually look like. Not for everyone, but I still highly recommend this raw masterpiece for anyone who thinks they might relate to it!
3. "Star Wars"
I'm not explaining it. If you haven't seen this by now, the most basic Star Wars movie everyone has to see, I refuse to reward your bad behavior by explaining it all to you. Your sentence for your crime is you must watch this film repeatedly, until you know it backwards and forwards! But I will say it changed cinema forever, and everyone is still trying to replicate its success. Now, get to work!
2. "A Clockwork Orange"
It's pretty messed up, I'll admit. But, it's also one of the most fascinating films I've ever seen. We see a teenager named Alex Delarge and his fellow "droogs" who get off on committing acts of "ultraviolence." But, after Alex takes things too far one day, he gets arrested and put in an elaborate government program which will program his mind to be repulsed by violence. The prison chaplain objects to this plan, saying that it is wrong to tamper with one's free will. The government doesn't care. As long as crime is down, they'll do anything. Of course, Alex now finds it extremely hard to cope in a "normal" world, especially with all his former victims and friends now after him. It is a great study of the psychopathic psyche and what lengths we can (and should) go to in order to prevent crime. To what end will we go to stop men like Alex? Is it right to inflict unethical things on one man to help society? Is it really helping society? Two of the most telling events portray people's hypocrisy. The first instance is when a man who is against the experiment takes pity on Alex and takes him into his home. But the man soon discovers that Alex actually wronged him in the past and all of his standards just disappear. He no longer cares about his cause. He only wants revenge and becomes just as sadistic as Alex was. The next one is when the public protests the experiment and so the politicians must pretend to be friends with Alex in order to calm them down, resulting of course, in Alex going back to square one. Malcolm McDowell gives one of the most convincingly creepy performances I have ever seen, and how he didn't get nominated for Best Actor, I'll never know. I also love Stanley Kubrick's artistic flair. The visual style in this movie and the eerie music really give the necessary atmosphere. I have to admit I feel I've shortchanged Kubrick a bit until now. Perhaps, I'll make up for it next time...
1. "The Godfather"
Very rarely do I see a film that I consider perfect in every way, but that is how I feel about this film and its equally legendary sequel. The script is written impeccably to keep you hooked for the entire three-hour run time. The cinematography is excellent. The acting is top-notch. Every single performer is at the top of their game. The characters are all well-written and memorable, especially the arc given to Al Pacino's Michael Corleone, who tried to be a moral man, but slowly fell to the allure of his family's crime life. He should have won an Oscar for one of the two movies. Apparently, the Academy really likes Vito Corleone, though, since they gave an Oscar to both Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro for their respective portrayals of him! I don't think there's any question that the two movies and Apocalypse Now are Francis Ford Coppola's three ruling masterpieces and always will be. I've heard that The Conversation is really good, too, but it won't be remembered as well as these. I mean, it was nominated for Best Picture the same year as The Godfather Part II, and the latter won, so there you go! I could go on for a long time about these movies. Just believe me when I say I'm not exaggerating that they are absolutely, objectively perfect films right down to the last detail and more than win best films of the decade (close to best of all time) by a landslide! Not even a contest.
