Category Archives: Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners

1980 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Tearjerkers

Ordinary People-1980

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Ordinary People-1980

Director Robert Redford

Starring Mary Tyler Moore, Donald Sutherland

Scott’s Review #1,500

Reviewed November 15, 2025

Grade: A

Ordinary People (1980) shows that a quiet film with excellent writing and superb acting can pack an emotional punch, surpassing the gimmicks or action sequences other films often use to draw attention.

It’s character-driven and tells a story of a family tragedy and the ramifications and complications that affect the surviving members.

The emotional intelligence that director Robert Redford embeds in the film is astonishing.

Deserving of the 1980 Best Picture Academy Award, it proves how crucial strong writing and strong characters are to a quality film.

Significantly, it propelled 1970s television sitcom star Mary Tyler Moore, known until then as the iconic girl-next-door type, into cinematic respectability.

Her narcissistic, uptight character was uncharted territory and a career risk for the actor who ended up exceeding expectations.

Tortured by guilt following the death of his older brother, Buck, in a sailing accident, we meet the alienated teenager Conrad Jarrett (Timothy Hutton) right off the bat, following a failed suicide attempt.

Returning home to his affluent Chicago suburban life following an extended stay in a psychiatric hospital, Conrad tries to deal with his mental anguish and also reconnect with his mother, Beth (Mary Tyler Moore), who has grown bitter after the accident.

His emotionally wounded father, Calvin (Donald Sutherland), tries to gently repair the family damage with the help of a psychiatrist, Dr. Berger (Judd Hirsch), who begins to treat Conrad.

Alvin Sargent wrote the screenplay based on Judith Guest’s 1976 novel.

Combined with Redford’s masterful direction, the story never shifts into a soap opera, with Calvin or Beth having affairs, turning to booze, or other showy plot devices meant to stir up drama.

Instead, it’s about how they and Conrad handle their trauma. Each has an individual view of the events, who they blame, and how they cope with such trauma.

The audience can easily empathize and relate to the incidents if anyone has faced a death, loss of a job, an accident, a divorce, or any such upheaval in their lives.

Redford’s posh autumnal suburban landscape envelops the story, enhancing the experience.

The Jarretts’ affluence shows in their attendance at local theater, their golf, their European vacations, and their ability to send Conrad to a psychiatrist.

Exterior shots of large suburban homes, luxury cars, housekeepers, well-manicured lawns, and sleek golf courses convey their comforts.

It makes their pain a bit more understandable as they, especially Beth, soak in luxury as a way of comforting herself from the loss of her son.

Can’t their money help alleviate some of the suffering?

I had mixed emotions about Beth’s character. Appearing to be a cold bitch with Conrad and the assumption that she favored the dead son, she never visits Conrad in the hospital after his suicide attempt, instead fleeing to Europe on vacation. She engages in small talk with him rather than caring for him.

What kind of mother could do that?

But I realize that she is hurting too, and when she becomes teary-eyed or crumbles in her husband’s arms, I feel genuine sympathy for her, a testament to Tyler Moore’s talents.

My favorite character, though, is Conrad (Hutton).

Via flashbacks, we see the closeness of the brothers’ relationship and the action that occurred during the drowning.

Hutton delivers on many levels. Whether staring into the distance, pondering events, exploding with rage, tenderly sharing a date with a blossoming love interest, Jeannine (Elizabeth McGovern), or struggling with a friend, Karen, his performance is always inspiring.

Ordinary People (1980) marks his directorial debut; Redford crafts a layered family drama with a beautifully moving pace that draws the viewer into the lives of the main characters.

The still-taboo topic of mental illness and therapy is also embraced, showing that expressing feelings is better than repressing emotions.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Robert Redford (won), Best Actress-Mary Tyler Moore, Best Supporting Actor-Timothy Hutton (won), Judd Hirsch, Best Adapted Screenplay (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Robert Redford (won), Best Actor-Drama-Donald Sutherland, Best Actress-Drama-Mary Tyler Moore (won), Best Supporting Actor-Timothy Hutton (won), Judd Hirsch, Best Screenplay, New Star of the Year-Actor-Timothy Hutton (won)

1972 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Favorite Film of the Year, Guy Films, Mob, Top 10 Films, Top 100 Films, Top 25 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 50 Films

The Godfather-1972

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The Godfather-1972

Director Frances Ford Coppola

Starring Marlon Brando, Al Pacino

Top 250 Films #4

Scott’s Review #196

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Reviewed November 24, 2014

Grade: A

The Godfather (1972) is one of the most identifiable and brilliant film masterpieces of all time. It is so ingrained in pop culture and film history that it was a blueprint for 1970s cinema, and its legend deserves to live on.

The film has not aged poorly nor been soured by overexposure. It is as much a marvel today as it was when it first hit theaters.

The film revolves around the Corleone family- a mob family living in New York. They are high-powered, wealthy, and influential with politicians and law enforcement alike. They are the cream of organized crime families.

The patriarch of the family is known as “The Godfather”; his real name is Don Corleone, played by Marlon Brando.

The eldest son, hot-headed Sonny, is played by James Caan. The middle son, Fredo, played by John Cazale, is dim-witted and immature, serving as the family’s weak link.

Finally, the youngest son is the film’s central character. Michael, played by a youthful Al Pacino, has just returned home from World War II as a decorated, Ivy League-educated hero.

Throughout the film, Michael wrestles with steering the Corleone family business toward the straight and narrow or continuing the death, bloodshed, and corruption that currently plague the family.

Rounding out the Corleone family is Tom Hagen, an Irish surrogate son of sorts, who serves as the family attorney. Connie, the temperamental and emotional sister, and Mama Corleone, the passive wife of Don, complete the prominent family.

The supporting characters are numerous, ranging from family friends and relatives to corrupt mobsters and those introduced while Michael lives in Italy.

The brilliance of The Godfather lies in the richness of its numerous characters, as well as its structure and pacing.

Even minor characters are vital to the film, and every scene is essential and effortlessly paced, so it neither feels rushed nor dragged out; the film is immeasurably character-driven.

My favorite character is Michael Corleone, as he is the most troubled and complex of all. Pacino plays him to the hilt as, initially, a nice guy trying to do the right thing, going against the grain, and non-traditional- he proposes to a WASP woman who has no Italian heritage.

When events unfold a certain way, Michael suddenly becomes the family’s leader, despite being the youngest son, and the character’s complexities deepen from there.

Specifically, the revenge-killing sequence is brilliant, keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat through a car ride, a meal at a restaurant, and a men’s room scene, until all hell finally breaks loose, all the while Michael is conflicted, unsure, and intense.

Has he veered too far from being a nice guy? Can he salvage the family business without being ruthless? Michael faces a battle of good vs. evil.

The scenes are brilliantly structured.

The grand opening scene alone is beautiful, as the audience is introduced to the entire family- cheerfully dancing and frolicking during a bright and sunny outdoor wedding (Connie’s) at the Corleone estate, while inside a dark interior study, a man begs Don Corleone to help avenge his raped and beaten daughter by having her attackers killed.

Several scenes in The Godfather are my personal favorites—the aforementioned restaurant scene, where Michael faces a dilemma involving a corrupt policeman and a high-powered figure. One can feel the tension in this extended scene.

The scene in a Hollywood mansion where poor, innocent, horse Khartoum meets his fate in the most gruesome way imaginable.

Later, Michael’s beautiful Italian wife, Apollonia, has an explosive send-off.

Toward the end of the film, an improvised scene is set in a tomato garden, with an elderly Don Corleone playing with his young grandson.

Finally, the brutal toll-booth scene involving Corleone’s son, Sonny, is mesmerizing, murderous, and flawlessly executed.

The lack of any strong female characters and how women are treated (either beaten or passively following their husbands) is bothersome.

Unfortunately, this was still the case circa the 1940s.

One could argue that Kay Adams, played by Diane Keaton, is the strongest female character because she questions the Corleone family’s motives and tries to keep Michael honest and trustworthy. She has little in common with the other female characters.

Lines such as “I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse” and “Don’t forget the cannolis” are unforgettable and quote-worthy.

The film’s finale is breathtaking—a combination of bloody killings and a peaceful scene in which Michael accepts the honor of becoming his nephew’s godfather.

As he pledges his devotion to God and denounces Satan, the murders he orchestrated are simultaneously being executed.

The character, while complex, suddenly becomes a hypocrite.

Some view Michael as strictly a hero whose choices should not be questioned or analyzed; others see him as a complex, tortured, and flawed character rather than a hero.

Watch The Godfather and The Godfather Part II (1974) as companion pieces, as Part I is slightly more straightforward and easier to follow than the more complex, layered sequel.

The Godfather (1972) is storytelling and filmmaking at its absolute best and continues to influence films to this day.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Francis Ford Coppola, Best Actor- Marlon Brando (won), Best Supporting Actor- James Caan, Robert Duvall, Al Pacino, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director- Francis Ford Coppola (won), Best Actor-Drama-Marlon Brando (won), Al Pacino, Best Supporting Actor-James Caan, Best Screenplay (won), Best Original Score (won)

1974 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Film noir, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 50 Films

Chinatown-1974

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Chinatown-1974

Director Roman Polanski

Starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway

Top 250 Films #27

Scott’s Review #321

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Reviewed January 3, 2016

Grade: A

Chinatown (1974) is like a perfectly aged fine red wine- with each passing year or viewing, it becomes more and more spectacular.

A thinking man’s film, if you will, Chinatown is a complex puzzle, just waiting to unravel in a layered, complicated fashion. However, this is to its credit, as it is a fantastic, rich film noir, and as good as cinematic writing gets.

Set in the 1930s, the set pieces and art direction are flawless – as great a film in terms of look as it is in story.

Director Roman Polanski and star Jack Nicholson are primarily responsible for the film’s success.

The direction is a marvel, with astounding cinematography, flow, and pacing.

With a slow build, the film takes off at just the perfect point as the mystery deepens, building to a crescendo.

Nicholson plays Jake Gittes, a handsome Los Angeles private investigator hired by a woman claiming to be Evelyn Mulwray. Evelyn desires to have her husband followed, as she suspects him of having an affair with another woman.

Jake begins tailing the woman’s husband, only to uncover an intriguing mystery involving the Los Angeles water supply.

Soon, the real Evelyn Mulwray (Faye Dunaway) turns up, and the film segues into a masterful web of complications and twists.

You won’t see the ending coming.

Nicholson leads the film as only he can. With his charismatic, aww-shucks attitude, mixed with humor, he is eye candy for the camera as he takes the case and becomes more and more immersed in the action.

This film was a pivotal point for him as he began a slew of worthwhile and abundant performances in pictures.

Let us not forget Dunaway’s acting performance. Smoldering, sexy, classy, intelligent, and vulnerable, she perfectly plays almost every emotion.

Chinatown, Bonnie and Clyde (1967), and Mommie Dearest (1981) are her best works in a career that spanned decades of success.

Chinatown (1974) is an entity unto itself in film noir. It is incredibly well-written, nuanced, and flawless.

This film must be seen.

The final thirty minutes- in addition to the “great reveal” are also violent, shocking, and extraordinary. A blueprint of what great filmmaking truly is.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Roman Polanski, Best Actor-Jack Nicholson, Best Actress-Faye Dunaway, Best Original Screenplay (won), Best Original Dramatic Score, Best Sound, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Roman Polanski (won), Best Actor-Drama-Jack Nicholson (won), Best Actress-Drama-Faye Dunaway, Best Supporting Actor-John Huston, Best Screenplay (won), Best Original Score

1965 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Historical Drama, Romantic Drama, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films, Top 50 Films

Doctor Zhivago-1965

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Doctor Zhivago-1965

Director David Lean

Starring Omar Sharif, Julie Christie

Top 250 Films #31

Scott’s Review #42

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Reviewed June 18, 2014

Grade: A

Doctor Zhivago (1965) is a great film to watch on a cold night or throughout the crisp winter or holiday season.

The film is a classic masterpiece directed by the talented David Lean (Lawrence of Arabia, 1962; A Passage to India, 1986), whose perfectionism shines through in his epic films.

Nearly every scene could be a painting, so the cinematography alone is reason enough to become enchanted with art.

Of course, the story is also a goldmine as a sprawling decades-long love story unfolds amid the ravages of the bloody Bolshevik Revolution.

The film is set in the bitter cold of Russia (though all scenes were shot in Spain), and the harsh climate and war combine with a doomed love story set against the backdrop of numerous battles and wartime conditions.

Nearly all sequences are set in winter, and the blustery, icy effects contrast with numerous scenes of cozy, candlelit cabins or more extravagant, glowing surroundings.

For the best viewing experience, viewers should be surrounded by fire, flaming candles, or another form of warmth while a snowstorm or blizzard rages outside for a perfect viewing experience.

A large-screen television or a cinema is simply a must to watch this film, as it is epic on the grandest scale.

Omar Sharif and Julie Christie (a gorgeous star in her day) are perfectly cast as Uri and Lara, young forbidden lovers enthralled with one another but involved with others.

The film dissects their first meeting and their story over the years, through marriages, births, and deaths amid the ravages of early-twentieth-century Russia.

Despite their affairs, neither is deemed unsympathetic—quite the contrary.

Audiences will fall in love with the pair and become enchanted as they watch their love-tortured adventures unfold.

Sharif and Christie are just magnificent and utterly believable as a couple.

The set pieces are magnificent and flawless in design and detail (my favorite is the Ice Palace).

The cinematography is breathtaking, and the content is remarkably close to the superior novel by Boris Pasternak, evoking a sense of “really being there” in the viewer.

Doctor Zhivago (1965) is a brilliant film, perfect for a snowy winter evening.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-David Lean, Best Supporting Actor-Tom Courtenay, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Music Score-Substantially Original (won), Best Art Direction, Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color (won), Best Costume Design, Color (won), Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 5 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-David Lean (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Omar Sharif (won), Best Screenplay-Motion Picture (won), Best Original Score-Motion Picture (won), New Star of the Year-Actress-Geraldine Chaplin

1973 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Horror, Psychological Horror, Satanic, Top 100 Films, Top 20 Horror Films, Top 250 Films, Top 40 Horror Films

The Exorcist-1973

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The Exorcist-1973

Director William Friedkin

Starring Ellen Burstyn

Top 250 Films #59

Top 40 Horror Films #13

Scott’s Review #326

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Reviewed January 5, 2016

Grade: A

Making a lasting mark on cinematic history and impossible to be unfamiliar with in some form of pop culture, The Exorcist (1973) is a classic supernatural horror film that transcends the genre and becomes a Hollywood success story.

Along with Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976), these three films share haunting “religious” themes and explore dark, sinister topics such as “god versus the devil” and “good versus evil.”

The Exorcist is a masterpiece on every level and is adapted from the 1971 hit novel of the same name.

The story centers on “demonic possession” and was quite simply a shocking subject when The Exorcist was released in 1973, scaring the wits out of those brave enough to see it (especially Christians) everywhere.

Some abhorred the subject matter and refused to have any part of the film; their loss.

Ellen Burstyn stars as Chris MacNeil, a noted actress who relocates to Georgetown to film a movie. Along with her is her twelve-year-old daughter, Regan (Linda Blair).

As filming wraps, Regan begins acting strangely—making noises, becoming belligerent, and urinating on the floor during a dinner party.

Worried, Chris enlists the assistance of priests (Max von Sydow and Jason Miller).

Things progress from bad to worse as Regan spirals out of control, and Chris and the priests determine that an exorcism is the only resolution to the problem.

The Exorcist, directed by William Friedkin, sets up the film in a clever way, using various technical elements to build tension.

For starters, the eerie musical score is highly effective at scaring the audience, similar to that of Rosemary’s Baby.

The film is also lit very well, so it appears dark with dim lighting- the cinematography and the windy rustling of leaves in the exterior sets are great.

The cover art should reflect the film’s unique style: black and white. A man with a hat and suitcase peers up at the second floor of a house where a glowing light illuminates. The image is intriguing and haunting.

Enough cannot be said for Linda Blair’s performance as Regan, especially in the final act. During the “pea soup” and “Jesus crucifix” scenes, a different voice was used, but Blair’s facial expressions and emotions are admirable.

As Regan is bedridden, angry, scared, and emotional, there is no limit to Blair’s range. Throughout a large part of the film, she is a sweet, young girl, innocent, so much so that her transformation is both shocking and disturbing to witness.

The final act of the film- the “exorcism” is riveting and a groundbreaking aspect of film history. The terrifying scene, all taking place in one child’s tiny bedroom, elicits fright and is nail-bitingly intense.

The Exorcist (1973) is a highly influential film that has inspired filmmakers for decades and still resonates with audiences today.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-William Friedkin, Best Actress-Ellen Burstyn, Best Supporting Actor-Jason Miller, Best Supporting Actress-Linda Blair, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Sound (won), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-William Friedkin (won), Best Actress-Drama-Ellen Burstyn, Best Supporting Actor-Max von Sydow, Best Supporting Actress-Linda Blair (won), Best Screenplay (won), New Star of the Year-Actress-Linda Blair

1971 Films, Action, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Crime Thriller, Thriller, Top 100 Films, Top 250 Films

The French Connection-1971

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The French Connection-1971

Director William Friedkin

Starring Gene Hackman

Top 250 Films #71

Scott’s Review #342

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

The French Connection was the first R-rated film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1971.

This praise, similar to The Silence of the Lambs being the first horror film to win Best Picture in 1991, is well worth noting and quite honorary.

The film succeeds, for other critics and me, because of its unique camerawork, shot in a documentary style, and its quick edits.

It is much more intricate in every way than the traditional crime thriller.

Gene Hackman stars as the feisty detective, Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, who, along with his partner, Buddy “Cloudy” Russo (Scheider), is determined to crack the case of a massive heroin smuggling syndicate from France.

The narcotics are flowing into New York City, and the duo is determined to get to the bottom of the drug ring, figuring out who the mastermind is and defeating their foe.

The primary culprit is a suave French drug lord named Alain Charnier, brilliantly played by Fernando Rey.

Throughout the film, the action is nonstop, traversing Manhattan and Brooklyn by subway and car as Popeye becomes increasingly obsessed with the case.

Director William Friedkin, who also directed the legendary 1973 film, The Exorcist, deserves a heap of praise for creating a movie of this caliber.

All can enjoy The French Connection, and it is well beyond the limitations of a “guy film”- it is much more than that.

The editing and frenetic pacing work wonders for the film, all the while not ruining the experience or overshadowing the good plot. Quite simply, the film is a chase across New York City.

Friedkin distinguishes the boroughs by making Manhattan seem sophisticated and stylish, while Brooklyn comes across as dirty, grizzled, and drug-laden.

The settings are perfect.

The best scene in the film is the well-known car chase throughout New York City. Popeye is determined not to lose his man, the man riding in a subway on an elevated platform.

Popeye steals a car and proceeds to chase the subway, narrowly missing pedestrians, including a woman with a baby carriage, as he recklessly weaves in and out of traffic at a high speed to keep pace with the train.

This is a phenomenal scene as the excitement and tension continue to build.

The film’s conclusion and final scene are cynical, leaving the audience perplexed and unsure of what has transpired.

The French Connection invites reasonable discussion and even interpretation, a novel aspect of the action film.

Providing a tremendous glimpse into 1970s Manhattan and Brooklyn, The French Connection is an exciting film that oozes with thrills, car chases, and a good story.

The film is unique in style and still holds up incredibly well- one of my favorites in the action genre.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-William Friedkin (won), Best Actor-Gene Hackman (won), Best Supporting Actor-Roy Scheider, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-William Friedkin (won), Best Actor-Drama-Gene Hackman (won), Best Screenplay

1950 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Black & White, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Film noir, Los Angeles, Top 250 Films

Sunset Boulevard-1950

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Sunset Boulevard-1950

Director Billy Wilder

Starring Gloria Swanson, William Holden

Top 250 Films #101

Scott’s Review #330

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Reviewed January 8, 2016

Grade: A

I adore films about Hollywood (good ones), and Sunset Boulevard (1950) is an absolute treasure.

Directed by classic film director Billy Wilder, the film is a film noir about a legendary silent film star, Norma Desmond, who struggles to cope with the advent of sound movies and the instability of her life, plagued by mental illness as her career has long since ended.

Handsome Joe innocently stumbles upon her mansion, forming an eerie relationship that ends in tragedy.

Sunset Boulevard is a famous street in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, California. It is immediately featured in the film as Joe Gillis, played by William Holden, drives down the street, an unsuccessful screenwriter whose car is about to be repossessed.

Joe narrates the film, and we see a man lying dead in a vast swimming pool. Ironically, this is the film’s ending, and Wilder works backward in an interesting way, so the audience knows tragedy will eventually ensue.

To avoid being chased by men, Joe pulls into a driveway and hides his car in a garage near a vast yet run-down mansion. He is mistaken for a coffin salesman and meets the infamous and creepy Norma and her servant, Max.

The coffin is for Norma’s deceased pet chimpanzee. Intrigued and broke, Joe hatches a plot to rewrite Norma’s terrible screenplay- and make some money from the aging Hollywood star.

Norma needs companionship. The two, along with Max, embark on a complicated relationship marked by jealousy, passion, and rage.

The black-and-white style works exceptionally well in the film, and the lighting creates a sense of intrigue and film noir mystique.

Sunset Boulevard combines noir with a rich character study of Norma, and we feel her pain and isolation as she is cast aside due to the times.

I love how Wilder focuses on the gloomy nature of Norma’s vast mansion—especially when she throws a New Year’s Eve party, isolated with just her, Joe, and a hired band—and intersperses it with a lively Hollywood party filled with young, energetic, up-and-coming talent.

The scenes blend seamlessly and effectively showcase the two different worlds and perspectives.

Sunset Boulevard is a brilliant depiction of old Hollywood at its best (and worst). A study in ambition, struggle, high hopes (Joe), and faded success and dreams shattered in reality, where delusion is the only defense (Norma).

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Motion Picture, Best Director-Billy Wilder, Best Actor-William Holden, Best Actress-Gloria Swanson, Best Supporting Actor-Erich von Stroheim, Best Supporting Actress-Nancy Olson, Best Story and Screenplay (won), Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (won), Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Billy Wilder (won), Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture-Drama-Gloria Swanson (won), Best Performance by a Supporting Actor in any Motion Picture-Erich von Stroheim, Best Screenplay-Motion Picture, Best Original Score-Motion Picture (won), Best Cinematography-Black and White

1962 Films, Adventure, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Biography, Drama, Epic, Top 250 Films, War, World War I

Lawrence of Arabia-1962

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Lawrence of Arabia-1962

Director David Lean

Starring Peter O’Toole

Top 250 Films #139

Scott’s Review #355

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Lawrence of Arabia (1962) is quite a grand film that must be seen on a large screen. This will ensure full appreciation of the production’s enormous scale.

Numerous shots of objects in the distance are featured, and the small screen dulls the experience.

An excellent film from top to bottom and groundbreaking at the time, Lawrence of Arabia achieves its place in cinematic history due to the scope and vast proportions of the production.

It’s a treat to revisit from time to time.

The film is divided into two parts with an intermission, as with epics that last nearly four hours.

Peter O’Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence, a bored British Army Lieutenant who talks his way into a transfer to the Arabian desert.

As the film opens, it is 1935, and Lawrence has just been killed in a motorcycle accident. While this concept of revealing the ending and working backward is common in current films, it was novel in 1962 when the film was made.

While in Arabia, Lawrence successfully bonded bitter rival tribes to unite against Turkish oppression during World War I. He meets two young guides and other central characters there: Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) and Sherif Ali (Omar Sharif).

Much of the film features the battles between the rival tribes and Lawrence’s struggle to achieve peace.

Many location sequences show Lawrence and company traveling miles and miles across hot desert.

Some complain that Lawrence of Arabia is too slow-moving a film, but that is its selling point. I find the scenes of the group languishing across the desert incredibly lush and rich in meaning.

The intense heat and beating sun are fantastic in their cinematic grandeur. The film is meant to take its time—precisely what an experience in the Arabian desert would be like—and the mountainous dunes and swirling winds are brilliantly filmed.

David Lean is the king of the sprawling epic, and Lawrence of Arabia is his crowning achievement.

Lawrence is a well-written, layered, and complex character. He is not easy to describe or understand, which is also to the film’s credit.

The sheer weight loss that O’Toole underwent over the two years it took to film Lawrence of Arabia is impressive enough, but he was also a tortured soul emotionally.

The epic film Lawrence of Arabia (1962) requires a half-day of dedicated viewing, but it is worth every minute.

For a reminder of what an actual, breathtaking film looks like sans the oversaturated CGI and quick edits, one should take a deep breath and appreciate this work of art for its majestic look.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-David Lean (won), Best Actor-Peter O’Toole, Best Supporting Actor-Omar Sharif, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Music Score-Substantially Original (won), Best Sound (won), Best Art Direction, Color (won), Best Cinematography, Color (won), Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 6 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-David Lean (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Anthony Quinn, Peter O’Toole, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Omar Sharif (won), Best Original Score-Motion Picture, Best Cinematography-Color (won), New Star of the Year-Actor-Omar Sharif (won), Peter O’Toole (won)

1983 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Chick Flicks, Drama, Favorite Film of the Year, Sentimental, Tearjerkers, Top 250 Films

Terms of Endearment-1983

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Terms of Endearment-1983

Director James L. Brooks

Starring Shirley MacLane, Debra Winger

Top 250 Films #152

Scott’s Review #368

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Reviewed January 9, 2016

Grade: A

Terms of Endearment (1983) is a sentimental favorite of mine, and while I am slightly embarrassed to include this chick-flick to end all chick-flicks on my favorites list, it is also a damned good sentimental film and makes me a bit weepy each time I see it.

It is pure Hollywood mainstream formula, but somehow Terms of Endearment works (romantic films are not usually at the forefront) and even won the coveted Best Picture Oscar in 1983.

That must say something.

So if it is so sappy, what makes it so great? For starters, it has exceptional acting all around, especially from the leads Shirley MacLaine, Jack Nicholson, and Debra Winger.

How can you go wrong with a talent of that caliber?

MacLaine and Winger play Aurora and Emma Greenway, a mother and daughter (the father is deceased) who share a lifelong love-hate relationship and live in the Midwest today.

Nicholson plays Garrett, a retired astronaut (and womanizer) and the object of Aurora’s affection.

The chemistry among all three is apparent- I sinfully find it delicious that Winger and MacLaine despised each other throughout filming, adding a layer of curiosity and intrigue to the film and during their scenes.

Director James L. Brooks wisely balances the heavy drama with comedy, so the film does not become too overwrought.

For example, Garrett and Aurora have a humorous courtship, constantly bickering or misunderstanding each other- he is a womanizing playboy type and Aurora a domineering, insecure woman- they end up needing each other, nonetheless.

The unforgettable drive and beach scene they share are hilarious.  Even though the duo is tenuous and difficult, I love them all the same.

The tear-jerker scenes are emotional, especially the deathbed scene at the end of the film. So much raw emotion happens at once, and, a rarity in film, the child actors are real, believable, and flawless.

The film feels like watching a true, real-life drama play out. The heartache feels real, and the film as a whole feels very genuine.

Also interesting is Emma’s failing marriage to Flap (Jeff Daniels) and her subsequent affair with kind-hearted Sam (John Lithgow), as well as her departure from her mother’s hometown, the constant phone calls, and being in one another’s lives, just like a real mother and daughter relationship often is.

Terms of Endearment (1983) incorporates all of the elements that make a good, old-fashioned, dramatic tear-jerker, and I find myself a sucker for it each time that I watch it.

Oscar Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-James L. Brooks (won), Best Actress-Shirley MacLaine (won), Debra Winger, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Nicholson (won), John Lithgow, Best Screenplay Based on Material Based on Another Medium (won), Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-James L. Brooks, Best Actress-Drama-Shirley MacLaine (won), Debra Winger, Best Supporting Actor-Jack Nicholson (won), Best Screenplay (won)

1955 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Period Drama, Top 250 Films

East of Eden-1955

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East of Eden-1955

Director Elia Kazan 

Starring James Dean

Top 250 Films #205

Scott’s Review #1,092

Reviewed December 17, 2020

Grade: A

James Dean wasn’t with us for very long, tragically dying at the tender age of twenty-four, but he made three films: Rebel Without a Cause (1955), Giant (1956), and East of Eden (1955), all-powerful showcases and unique.

Dean gives a brilliant, humanistic, and sometimes tragic performance.

East of Eden, his first film, is the only one he got to preview. I hope he liked it because it will live forever as a gem.

Based on the John Steinbeck novel of the same name, the story is also a biblical retelling of Cain and Abel, brothers who clash and spar.

Director Elia Kazan, famous for supporting and using Method actors in his films, gave a tremendous performance as Dean, which was key to the film’s empathetic nature.

The key to East of Eden is that it reflects on several characters, who are both good and bad, detailing their struggles.

Nobody is completely good or completely bad. The story analyzes good versus evil and the multitude of layers between both extremes, making the experience juicy, truthful, and brilliant.

Set in 1917 during World War I, the story is set against two sunny coastal California towns. Cal Trask (Dean) perceives his father, farmer Adam (Raymond Massey), as favoring Cal’s brother, Aron (Richard Davalos).

This leads to much resentment, jealousy, and conflict. Aron is the apple of Adam’s eye, and we wonder why.

Furthering the drama is Cal’s love for Aron’s girlfriend, Abra (Julie Harris), who doesn’t rebuff any advances.

Cal and Aron’s mother, Kate (Jo Van Fleet), who they think is dead, is alive and well and running a brothel in a nearby town. Assuming a different name, she harbors secrets.

Before you get the impression this is some cheesy soap opera, East of Eden, like the novel, is heavily character-driven and nuanced with development.

It ultimately draws the audience in and envelops everyone in its simmering qualities.

East of Eden is packed with powerful scenes after powerful scenes, and in more than one, the allegiances and rooting values shift from character to character.

Some of the best moments are when Cal self-destructs after his father refuses his birthday gift, or when Cal cruelly reveals the true nature of their mother’s profession to the innocent and unsuspecting Aron.

Finally, Cal and Abra’s kiss atop a Ferris wheel is filled with smoldering desire and deadly consequences.

The acting was tremendous across the board. Much of the credit must go to Kazan for pulling fabulous performances out of the players, a feat only a Method-acting director can achieve.

While the cast is exceptional, the film belongs to Dean, who imbues his character with enough emotion and vulnerability to sustain his topsy-turvy, tortured existence.

Knowing that the actor died soon after filming gives the film an eerie and sentimental feel.

This is comparable to a more recent example, when Heath Ledger died after delivering a brilliant performance in The Dark Knight (2008).

This is hardly a war film or a guy’s film, as the ladies also get to shine with rich characters. Julie Harris and Jo Van Fleet portray flawed characters in juicy roles rife with meaty scenes filled with conflict.

As with most of Steinbeck’s works, specifically The Grapes of Wrath, the landscape is a character, and East of Eden is no exception. With dusty roads and mountainous backgrounds, events ooze with atmosphere and beauty.

The lush northern coastal California landscape portrays a grandiose magnificence that counterbalances the conflict its inhabitants are experiencing.

The central takeaway from East of Eden (1955) is that we are complex creatures with a mixture of good and evil. We sometimes want to do the right thing, but in doing so, we hurt those we love.

The main characters suffer from pain, regret, good intentions, poor decisions, and loss.

The rich dialogue, adaptation, acting, and cinematography make the film near perfection.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Director-Elia Kazan, Best Actor-James Dean, Best Supporting Actress-Jo Van Fleet (won), Best Screenplay

Golden Globe Nominations: 2 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Special Achievement Award-James Dean (won)

1982 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Fantasy, Kids, Science Fiction, Top 250 Films

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial-1982

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E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial-1982

Director Steven Spielberg

Starring Henry Thomas

Top 250 Films #224

Scott’s Review #756

Reviewed May 10, 2018

Grade: A

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) is a wonderful, magical film that will melt the hearts of anyone with even a tad of cynicism.

The film is otherworldly (quite literally) and contains a message of acceptance and appreciation of other beings.

Blending humorous moments with tender drama and tears, the film becomes a fantasy, science fiction, and humanistic story. The film still feels fresh and relevant today with a bevy of forever-remembered scenes and references- a wonderful story of friendship.

The audience is immediately introduced to a pack of alien botanists, who arrive in a California forest from their faraway planet to study plants one night.

When government agents interrupt the peaceful moment, the “extraterrestrials” are forced to depart, leaving one creature behind.

When ten-year-old Elliott (Henry Thomas) discovers and begins communicating with what will become known as “E.T.”, the duo forge a wonderful, lasting friendship as they try to return E.T. to his homeland.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial is crowd-pleasing in every way, offering a bit of everything for all of its lucky viewers.

Director Steven Spielberg reportedly made this film because a wanted to share a childhood imaginary friend with the world, and the charm shines through in this personal story.

The film contains an overall innocence that is pure benevolence- E.T. teaches Elliott as much as Elliott teaches E.T.

Who can forget the pair’s first meeting, when Reese’s Pieces became a huge cultural phenomenon? The lovely quote “E.T. phone home!” is still as poignant and teary-eyed as it was in 1982.

Enjoyable and recognizable, E.T. has become a cult figure. Odd-looking, wide-eyed, and yet of a lovable nature, even cute, the filmmakers were careful not to make him too frightening.

Using real actors and distorted voices, E.T. became famous, appearing on lunch boxes, T-shirts, textbooks, and binders throughout the early 1980s.

Released in the “modern age” of 1982, the film provides a genuine portrayal of suburban life at that time.

In the sunny, subdivision-style neighborhood where Elliott and his family live, the absent father figure (so common in many 1980s films) and the single-mom/divorced-parents phenomenon take hold, making families like this commonplace.

If made in 1960, Elliott would have had two happy parents and a white picket fence.

Dee Wallace, as Elliott’s mother, Mary, received several mom roles throughout the decade, portraying them with a wholesome middle-America quality.

Henry Thomas, like Elliott, is crucial to the success of E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, and sadly, the actor never did much beyond this great film. While it’s tough to create chemistry with a creature from outer space, the young actor does just that as we see the two as connected friends.

The duo especially shines during the emotional “death” scene and the farewell scene finale.

The supporting characters who round out Elliott’s family are well cast and effectively convey what a typical suburban family looks like.

Michael (Robert MacNaughton) is slightly surly yet protective as the older brother, and Gertie, played by a very young Drew Barrymore (soon to become a superstar throughout the 1980s and 1990s), is cute, bubbly, and teeters on the edge of stealing the show as the precocious five-year-old.

At its core, what makes E.T., The Extra-Terrestrial so appealing is its heart- a sympathetic creature’s desire to return home and be with his loved ones is the main focus.

A slight comparison can be made to the 1939 masterpiece The Wizard of Oz. As Dorothy yearns to return to her home amid an exotic, unfamiliar, and sometimes scary world, so does E.T., making both films similar and equally appealing.

Rich in elegance, intelligence, and creativity, Spielberg crafts a tale themed for mass consumption and ripe for mainstream appeal. Rather than weave a contrived or clichéd story, he spins a magical, long-lasting good story that will appeal to the kid in all of us.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) earned many Oscar nominations but lost the big prize to the epic Gandhi that year.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen, Best Original Score (won), Best Sound Effects Editing (won), Best Sound (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 2 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Steven Spielberg, Best Screenplay, Best Original Score (won), New Star of the Year-Actor-Henry Thomas

1960 Films, Adventure, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Historical Drama, Top 250 Films

Spartacus-1960

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Spartacus-1960

Director Stanley Kubrick

Starring Kirk Douglas

Top 250 Films #247

Scott’s Review #1,250

Reviewed April 30, 2022

Grade: A

Typically, when influential director Stanley Kubrick’s name is uttered, films such as The Shining (1980), 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), and Barry Lyndon (1975) are immediately thought of, and for obvious reasons.

The haunting, moody musical score, the long camera shots, the dark humor, and the clever camera tricks are easy to pinpoint.

1960, the director was hired to direct the gorgeous epic Spartacus after Hollywood star Kirk Russell unceremoniously fired the first director.

None of the previously mentioned elements are easy for me to notice and are more or less absent, but a grand battle scene in a luscious green field is very reminiscent of Barry Lyndon.

This is likely because Spartacus was not Kubrick’s film entirely; instead, it belonged to others with more clout.

Spartacus is a brilliant film for many reasons. Some epics suffer from a hokey, cliched feel and can be overwrought, predictable, and tired.

The rebellious Thracian Spartacus (Russell), born and raised an enslaved person, is sold to Gladiator trainer Batiatus (Ustinov). After training to kill for the arena, Spartacus turns on his owners and leads the other enslaved people in rebellion.

As the rebels move from town to town, their numbers increase as escaped slaves join their ranks. Under the leadership of Spartacus, they make their way to southern Italy, where they intend to cross the sea and return to their homes.

Spartacus is grand, sweeping, cinematically significant, and everything else you’d expect from a 1960s Hollywood epic with enormous stars of its day.

Looking beneath the surface, the film is riddled with interesting tidbits like bisexuality, homoeroticism, and violence, more in tune with an art film or modern war film than the safety of a movie made during this time.

Particularly noteworthy is that Dalton Trumbo wrote the screenplay. One of the Hollywood Ten, he refused to testify before the House Un-American Activities Committee in 1947 during the committee’s investigation of alleged Communist influences in the motion picture industry.

After the release of Spartacus, it marked the beginning of the end of the Hollywood Blacklist for Trumbo and other affected screenwriters.

Thank goodness.

In a famous scene, recaptured enslaved people are asked to identify Spartacus in exchange for leniency; instead, each enslaved person proclaims himself to be Spartacus, thus sharing his fate.

The suggestion is that this scene was meant to dramatize the solidarity of those accused of being Communist sympathizers during the McCarthy era.

Besides the political importance, Spartacus showcases a beautiful romance between Spartacus (Russell) and Varinia (Jean Simmons), a gorgeous slave girl.

The tenderness and authenticity are palpable as many of their early scenes involve no dialogue but only longing and expression through both actors’ eyes.

I celebrated the connection between the actors at the forefront of much romance. Russell carries the film with calm masculinity, quickly making him heroic and likable.

He is the charismatic, good guy who has been wronged and ill-fated.

A sequence oozing with machismo and homoeroticism occurs when evil Crassus (Olivier) is bathed by his slave boy Antoninus (Tony Curtis).

He seductively explains that while sometimes he prefers snails, he also likes oysters. The implication is that he is bisexual, brazenly so, and expects the youngster to become his sex slave.

The warmth of the bathtub and the luxurious atmosphere contrast with the proximity and touch of both male characters.

In 1960, this scene was way ahead of its time.

The conclusion of Spartacus is melancholy and surprising. Having bested Rome’s cruelty, one might have expected to see Spartacus and Varinia happily ride off into the sunset.

This doesn’t happen, and the film is richer for it. There is pain and despair as there was in real life. Wisely sparing complete doom and gloom, the ending is satisfying as one central character escapes a deadly demise and moves ahead.

Spartacus (1960) is one of the greats. It has muscle and texture, and many below-the-surface nuances are ripe for discussion. For these reasons, it’s a must-see.

Oscar Nominations: 4 wins-Best Supporting Actor-Peter Ustinov (won), Best Art Direction-Color (won), Best Cinematography-Color (won), Best Costume Design-Color (won), Best Film Editing, Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture

Golden Globe Nominations: 1 win-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Stanley Kubrick, Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Laurence Olivier, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Peter Ustinov, Woody Strode, Best Original Score-Motion Picture

1981 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama

On Golden Pond-1981

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On Golden Pond-1981

Director Mark Rydell

Starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn

Scott’s Review #1,297

Reviewed September 8, 2022

Grade: A

A beautiful and quiet family drama, On Golden Pond (1981) is a brilliantly acted and written story about life, specifically aging and dying.

It tells one lovely story arc after another, exploring the relationships among its main characters.

With heavyweights like Katharine Hepburn, Henry Fonda, and Jane Fonda signed on to star, how could the film not be a success?

It was not only a blockbuster in the summer of 1981, but it also earned 10 Academy Award nominations and numerous other awards, showing that sometimes subdued stories about human relationships win big.

The anticipation of legendary stars Fonda and Hepburn, golden icons of Hollywood, finally appearing opposite each other in a film must have made film lovers salivate back in 1981.

Norman Thayer (Fonda) is a grumpy older man trying to enjoy his golden years. He and his nurturing wife, Ethel (Hepburn), spend summers at their New England vacation home on the shores of idyllic Golden Pond.

Norman is experiencing memory problems and frets about dying, while Ethel makes the most of it, enjoying the beautiful loons on the water and chatting with the local mailman.

One year, their adult daughter, Chelsea (Jane Fonda), visits with her new fiancée (Dabney Coleman) and his teenage son, Billy (Doug McKeon), on their way to Europe.

After leaving Billy behind to bond with Norman, Chelsea returns, attempting to repair the long-strained relationship with her aging father before it’s too late.

The greatest part of On Golden Pond is that it is believable. The tender love that Norman and Ethel share, the tensions between Norman and Chelsea, and the burgeoning friendship between Norman and Billy Jr. feel so very real and poignant.

Beautiful scenes emerge between the older man and a young man when Norman turns Billy Jr. on to literary classics like A Tale of Two Cities and Treasure Island.

Viewers can easily see themselves in real-life situations like this, or in moments like when Ethel and Chelsea discuss a strained relationship.

Years and years of memories and situations between the characters spring to life, making the dialogue rich with flavor.

Moving sequences, like when Norman suffers a heart attack and is involved in a boating accident, are teary and sentimental but fresh with emotion.

They do not feel manipulated.

As if the richly acted scenes are not enough, screenwriter Ernest Thompson, who wrote the film based on his play, provides credibility. He felt the passion the story would bring to the big screen, and he was right.

As I grow older, I appreciate Norman and Ethel. They stick together through thick and thin, sometimes quarrel, but love each other with a bond that can never be severed.

We all know and love couples like them.

The cinematography bristles with sweet nature. From the loons to the other sounds of summer, the camerawork elicits the light of late summertime. I constantly had to remind myself that I wasn’t really in the countryside but was in my living room.

A tearjerker that carefully combines heavy drama with comical moments that lighten the load, On Golden Pond (1981) is a truthful and emotional extravaganza about death that never feels sad or downtrodden.

It’s much too clever for that; instead, it’s an uproarious crowd-pleaser.

Oscar Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture, Best Director-Mark Rydell, Best Actor-Henry Fonda (won), Best Actress-Katharine Hepburn (won), Best Supporting Actress-Jane Fonda, Best Screenplay-Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Sound

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Mark Rydell, Best Actor-Drama-Henry Fonda (won), Best Actress-Drama-Katharine Hepburn, Best Supporting Actress-Jane Fonda, Best Screenplay (won) 

1959 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, Religious

Ben-Hur-1959

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Ben-Hur-1959

Director William Wyler

Starring Charlton Heston

Scott’s Review #1,265

Reviewed June 9, 2022

Grade: A

One of the many pleasures of watching Ben-Hur (1959) is marveling at the extensive cinematic brilliance of the entire cast and crew.

Saying it’s a spectacle is not enough; it’s a must-see.

It had the largest budget ($15.175 million) and the most extensive sets built of any film produced at the time, allowing enormous spending to create one of cinema’s most lavish and grand films.

I shudder to think of how powerful it was to see this film on the large screen in a movie theater and the sheer mesmerizing quality it had on audiences.

I’ve anticipated viewing the film for years and finally did. Why I waited so long is beyond me. It does not disappoint, and the extravagance is immeasurable.

I sat in awe at the many aspects of the film created before CGI, making it as impressive in 2022 as it was over sixty years ago.

Charlton Heston plays Judah, a Palestinian Jew who fought the Roman Empire during Christ’s time. He becomes involved in a vicious feud with his ambitious boyhood friend Messala (Stephen Boyd).

Their hatred culminates in an exciting yet vicious chariot race.

Condemned to life as an enslaved person, Judah swears vengeance against Messala. He escapes, later crossing paths with a gentle prophet named Jesus, who helps Judah save his family despite his death.

The film made a household name out of Heston and, other than its big budget, is legendary for its use of homoeroticism and an unspoken love story between two men who are at first the best of friends and who later become bitter rivals.

The film had several screenwriters, and if looking closely, some uneven storytelling is largely overlooked by the enormous spectacle of the finished product.

Gore Vidal, who was openly gay, insisted on a homosexual interlude, conspicuously, of course, between Judah and Messala.

Giggle-worthy to those in the know is that Boyd played his character as a spurned gay lover of Heston’s, with Heston unaware of the underlying romantic angle. This is rumored to be because Heston couldn’t handle it had he known.

This knowledge made me enjoy the subtext of the scenes between the two men even more than I should have.

To prove the above point, the written romance between Judah and Esther (Haya Harareet) lacks much chemistry, and I didn’t view them as brothers and sisters or good friends.

Other scenes of shimmering, muscular men sitting around in towels are further proof of Ben-Hur’s homoeroticism.

These juicy intrigue tidbits provide tingles, but the main draw is the famous chariot scene, which is as exciting as an action scene in a movie.

The outdoor arena, packed with thousands of onlookers, provides a perfect setup for the round-and-round racetrack, as dozens of horses are whipped into a dizzying frenzy and go faster and faster.

The peril is prominent as numerous riders drop to their death, mangled into pieces from being stampeded by the horses.

Other sequences, like the leper colony and the crucifixion of Jesus, are beautiful and astounding.

Director William Wyler, a heavy hitter at the time with gems like Mrs. Miniver (1942) and The Best Years of Our Lives (1946), easily usurps those excellent films with Ben-Hur.

It won eleven of its twelve Oscar nominations and employed ten thousand extras!

Ben-Hur (1959) is the definition of an epic film. Expensive and expansive, the breathtaking chariot scene is one of the best I’ve ever seen in a film.

Not feeling dated, it’s a marvel of exquisiteness and magnificence.

Oscar Nominations: 11 wins-Best Picture (won), Best Director-William Wyler (won), Best Actor in a Leading Role-Charlton Heston (won), Best Actor in a Supporting Role-Hugh Griffith (won), Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Art Direction-Set Direction-Color (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Costume Design-Color (won), Best Film Editing (won), Best Sound Recording (won), Best Music-Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture (won), Best Special Effects (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-William Wyler (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Charlton Heston, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Stephen Boyd (won), Special Achievement Award-Andrew Marton (won)

1970 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Chick Flicks, Drama, Melodrama, Romantic Drama

Love Story-1970

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Love Story-1970

Director Arthur Hiller

Starring Ryan O’Neal, Ali MacGraw

Scott’s Review #950

Reviewed October 23, 2019

Grade: B+

Love Story (1970) was an enormous blockbuster hit at the time of release, with two good-looking stars of the day immersed in a tragic romance.

Almost fifty years later, the story feels contrived and watered down with a “been there, seen that” result.

While reviewing the film, one must keep in mind the period in which it was made (before similar films hit the circuit), and the chemistry between the leads holds up quite well.

Perhaps the film works best when seen as it was made, as it now feels dated.

Handsome Oliver Barrett IV (Ryan O’Neal) is a star ice hockey player attending Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He is heir to the wealthy Barrett family, led by his father, Oliver Barrett III (Ray Milland).

While at school, he meets the blue-collar Jenny Cavilleri (Ali MacGraw), who attends Radcliffe College, a neighboring college, and studies classical music. The couple falls madly in love and becomes inseparable.

Oliver faces anger after he proposes to Jenny. She accepts, and they travel to the Barrett mansion so that she can meet Oliver’s parents. They are judgmental and unimpressed with her, thinking she is nice, but hardly a companion for their son.

Later, Oliver’s father tells him that he will cut off his financial support if he marries Jenny. After graduation, Oliver and Jenny marry nonetheless and begin a life of economic struggle, but filled with happiness.

When they attempt to conceive, they learn that Jenny is terminally ill and has weeks to live.

The film’s primary appeal is the romance between Oliver and Jenny, which feels primal and honest. They are the cliched rich boy and poor girl equation, but in this film, the dynamic works.

O’Neal and MacGraw are good-looking and were on the cusp of Hollywood A-list status, so the casting aligned.

They ebb and flow at the beginning of the film with Jenny’s sarcasm and Oliver’s quiet arrogance, but there is never a doubt that the pair will fall madly in love, and we, the audience, are hooked from the start.

On an atmospheric level, the icy northeastern climate and the myriad of exterior scenes throughout Massachusetts give the film a proper ambiance.

For anyone who has studied at a university in this area or has an interest in it, the film succeeds, adding a robust flavor to the surrounding events.

The youthful wonder and promise of a bright future are central to the story, and the foreshadowing works well.

The film lacks guts in its pacing, though. Most of Love Story focuses on the newness of Oliver and Jenny’s romance, their hurdles with family members, and a brief nod to class and societal roles.

At a brief one hour and thirty-five minutes, there is very little time left for the shocking turn of events surrounding Jenny’s illness.

Coming out of nowhere, the character is alive and well, has a brief fainting spell, and is then seen lying on a gurney before dying off-screen.

There is no bedside death scene, no suffering or deteriorating health, and the entire tragedy is glossed over. Hence the title: the focus is on the “love story,” but this seems like a scam.

So much is invested in the couple that the loss seems skimmed over. How can one die from leukemia (blood cancer) within a few days anyway?

The filmmaker’s clear attempts to play it safe come at the expense of the overall film experience.

Love Story (1970) deserves praise for being one of the first of its kind- the romantic tearjerker. The genre would soon be overrun with imitators so cliched that they bring the original down a notch, making it feel trite.

The ‘chick flick’ contains good acting and lovely scenery, but lacks the emotional depth I was hoping for.

Melodramatic to a fault, the leads’ appeal drives the overall effort far more than it should.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Arthur Hiller, Best Actor-Ryan O’Neal, Best Actress-Ali MacGraw, Best Supporting Actor-John Marley, Best Story or Screenplay Based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published or Produced, Best Original Score (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 5 wins-Best Picture- Drama (won), Best Director-Arthur Hiller (won), Best Actor-Drama, Ryan O’Neal, Best Actress-Drama-Ali MacGraw (won), Best Supporting Actor-John Marley, Best Screenplay (won), Best Original Score (won)

1957 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Drama, Epic, War, World War II

The Bridge on the River Kwai- 1957

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The Bridge on the River Kwai- 1957

Director David Lean

Starring Alec Guinness, William Holden

Scott’s Review #908

Reviewed June 11, 2019

Grade: A

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957) is a war film that exemplifies character-driven storytelling from each character’s perspective.

Films of this genre often do not stray too far from the straight and narrow, showcasing a war-event perspective. This often becomes larger than the humanity piece.

A key point is that the American, British, and Japanese points of view turn the grand epic experience into a more personal one.

The film received numerous Oscar nominations, culminating in a Best Picture win.

The time is early 1943, amid the powerful and destructive World War II, when a group of British prisoners of war (POW) arrives at a Japanese camp.

Colonel Saito (Sessue Hayakawa) commands all prisoners, regardless of rank, to begin work on a railway bridge that will connect Bangkok with Rangoon.

Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness), the British commanding officer, refuses manual labor, and a battle of wills erupts between the two men.

Meanwhile, Commander Shears (William Holden), an American also being held at the same camp, vows to destroy the bridge to avoid a court-martial.

The complexities of the men’s relationships are the main draw and can be discussed at length. Each possesses a firm motivation, but the emotions teeter back and forth as they face various conflicts.

Each of the three principles is an analytical juggernaut within the human spirit, ranging from the courageous to the cowardly to the evil.

We are supposed to root for Shears and not root for Saito, but why isn’t that cut and dried?

Is Shears too revenge-minded? We cheer Nicholson’s resilience, but is he too stubborn for his own good?

The film’s whistling work theme nearly became famous when it was first released in 1957. Ominous and peppered with a macabre depression, the prisoners go about their work in a near ode to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ cheerier “Whistle While You Work” anthem.

As they continue to build the bridge dutifully, the audience feels a sense of dread and a foreboding atmosphere. What will ultimately happen? When two prisoners are shot dead while attempting to escape, the film takes a different turn.

Given that David Lean, responsible for such epic masterpieces as Lawrence of Arabia (1962) and A Passage to India (1984), directs The Bridge on the River Kwai, should be telling as far as the sweeping exterior landscape treats in store for the viewer.

The lavish Asian landscape, so picturesque and beautiful, is peaceful amid the chaos and vile treatment of the prisoners. This imbalance is wonderfully rich and poignant against the robust storytelling.

The climax is bombastic (literally!) and a nail-biting experience resulting in a stabbing, an explosion, and a heap of tension.

A train carrying important dignitaries and soldiers is racing towards the newly constructed bridge as one man is intent on detonating a bomb and destroying another race against time to prevent the bloodbath.

The suspense, action, and cinematic skill are front and center during the final act.

Deserving of each one of the accolades reaped on The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957), the film is the thinking man’s war film.

Layered with an underlying humanistic approach and with little violence given the subject matter, one can sink into empathy for each point of view presented instead of being force-fed a one-dimensional message.

Fine acting and gorgeous cinematography make this film one to be forever remembered.

Oscar Nominations: 7 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-David Lean (won), Best Actor-Alec Guinness (won), Best Supporting Actor-Sessue Hayakawa, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (won), Best Scoring (won), Best Cinematography (won), Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-David Lean (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Alec Guinness (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture-Sessue Hayakawa

1954 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Crime Drama, Drama, Mob

On the Waterfront-1954

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On the Waterfront-1954

Director Elia Kazan

Starring Marlon Brando

Scott’s Review #876

Reviewed March 9, 2019

Grade: A

Led by one of the best acting performances of all time, On the Waterfront (1954) was an essential and relevant film when it was made and remains influential today.

Director Elia Kazan and newly minted Hollywood star Marlon Brando collaborate on a film spectacle as much a character study as a tale of morality and social injustice.

The musical soundtrack score composed by Leonard Bernstein only enhances an already astounding picture that is deservedly referenced as a masterpiece.

Terry Malloy (Brando) is a washed-up former local boxer who now spends his days slaving away as a dockworker on the dingy waterfronts of Hoboken, New Jersey.

Terry’s brother Charley (Rod Steiger) works for a vicious mob boss, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), who controls the area.

The police are aware of the ongoing corruption, but are limited by the lack of evidence and witnesses in routine crimes. When a fellow dockworker is killed, Terry falls for the victim’s sister, Edie (Eva Marie Saint), leading him to rethink his priorities.

The positive aspects of On the Waterfront are numerous. Meritful cinematography and location sequences, anchored by a rich story and flawless acting, lend the film authenticity.

The film was shot almost entirely on location in New York and New Jersey, using actual docks and outdoor sequences.

The dingy, water-soaked locales are riddled with secrets and dark violence, heightened by realism and grittiness.

Never looking more masculine or more handsome, though his portrayal of Stanley in A Streetcar Named Desire (1951) is a close second, Marlon Brando achieves riches in the world of stellar acting.

He is rugged yet compassionate, macho yet tender, and pours his heart into the role of Terry. One cannot help wondering if the self-professed method actor became Terry during filming.

With both vulnerability and strength, Brando embodies the character so well that he has become my favorite of all the film roles he has undertaken.

The supporting players dutifully flesh out the resounding cast with gusto.

Special mentions go to Karl Malden as Father Barry and Steiger as Charley. Like Barry, Malden brings warmth, patience, and benevolence in a world of crime and deceit. He attempts to console and mentor the folks in his world and is eventually beaten for his honesty and earnestness.

Charley is a different story, selling his soul to the devil and accepting the cards he has been handed, choosing to join with Friendly. At a crucial moment, he makes another devastating choice that changes his life forever.

Few films can proudly boast a scene or dialogue that remains timeless and imprinted on cinematic history, but On the Waterfront contains a scene of this caliber.

During a tremendously important moment in the film, Terry has a conversation with Charley and makes an impassioned statement-“I coulda’ been somebody. I coulda been a contender”, laments Terry to his brother, “Instead of a bum, which is what I am – let’s face it.”

This line is a historic piece of writing and is true to the character.

The film is more powerful and truthful because it represents Elia Kazan’s real-life plight. In the early 1950s, the director famously informed a government committee about suspected Communists, while many of his colleagues chose to go to prison rather than name names.

Many Hollywood actors, directors, and screenwriters were blacklisted for decades. On the Waterfront is frequently deemed an allegory to the director’s plight and is a personal story.

On the Waterfront (1954) is sometimes violent and always realistic, painting a portrait of one man’s struggle to overcome the lousy life he’s been given and do the right thing.

Thanks to gorgeous direction, an explosive lead performance by Brando, and all the pieces fitting perfectly in unison, the film is one of the greats and will remain one that generations will discover.

Oscar Nominations: 8 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Elia Kazan (won), Best Actor-Marlon Brando (won), Best Supporting Actor-Lee J. Cobb, Karl Malden, Rod Steiger, Best Supporting Actress-Eva Marie Saint (won), Best Story and Screenplay (won), Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, Best Art Direction, Black-and-White (won), Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (won), Best Film Editing (won)

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Elia Kazan (won), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture-Drama-Marlon Brando (won), Cinematography-Black and White (won)

1952 Films, Best Picture Oscar Winners, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, Circus, Drama, Epic

The Greatest Show on Earth-1952

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The Greatest Show on Earth-1952

Director Cecil B. DeMille

Starring Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, James Stewart

Scott’s Review #204

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Reviewed December 14, 2014

Grade: B+

Considered by some critics to be one of the worst Best Picture winners of all time, The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) is quite an impressive Hollywood spectacle.

It tells the story of the world’s largest railroad circus as it launches a tour across the United States, with plenty of drama throughout.

The film stars Charlton Heston, Betty Hutton, and James Stewart as the general manager, acrobat, and clown of the show, respectively.

The film used over 1,400 real Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey employees and hundreds of animals in its production, giving it an authentic circus feel.

Unfortunately, the film also has a schmaltzy quality and lacks strong acting, which, surprisingly, does not bother me and, strangely enough, works in a way.

Various characters have affairs with each other or fall in and out of love rather quickly- it makes for good drama, anyway.

Of course, the main appeal is the extravagant show. While the drama sometimes takes center stage, the lavish production and actual circus events shine through.

My favorite character, and arguably the only interesting character with any depth, in The Greatest Show on Earth is Buttons the Clown, played by James Stewart.

Buttons wears his clown costume, complete with full makeup, at all times. He is kind and mysterious. We learn that he “mercy killed” his dying wife and has joined the circus for protection from the police.

A wonderful human being, he was once a Doctor and tends to anyone in the circus troupe who needs assistance. Later in the film, he plays a vital role after a tragic accident.

His heartbreaking, tender conversation with his elderly mother, whom he only sees in secret once a year for a few seconds as she tearfully and discreetly visits him in the audience, is painfully sad to watch and such a sweet scene.

The Greatest Show on Earth’s best scene by far, still impressing today, is the massive train wreck near the conclusion.

The special effects and direction in Cecil B. DeMille’s 1952 film are brilliant. The train perfectly derails one night—it collides with an oncoming train and derails, highly effective in its enormity.

The scene does not look silly.

The way all the drama comes together in this scene—Harry, the crooked midway concessionaire and vicious elephant trainer; Klaus, who is responsible for the accident; Button’s true identity being revealed; and a significant character in peril—makes it top-notch and a satisfying conclusion to the film.

The stories involving Brad, Holly, Sebastian, and Angel are soapy and melodramatic, making them the film’s weakest point.

As a viewer, I couldn’t care less which character lusted after which or who wound up in bed together, but the movie itself is a spectacle, which is my main enjoyment.

The brightness, the revelry, and the circus performances are all wonderful.

Oscar Nominations: 2 wins-Best Motion Picture (won), Best Director-Cecil B. DeMille, Best Story (won), Best Costume Design, Color, Best Film Editing

Golden Globe Nominations: 3 wins-Best Motion Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Motion Picture-Cecil B. DeMille (won), Cinematography-Color (won)

1969 Films, Best Picture-Drama Golden Globe Winners, British, Drama, Historical Drama, Royalty

Anne of the Thousand Days-1969

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Anne of the Thousand Days-1969

Director Charles Jarrott

Starring Richard Burton, Geneviève Bujold

Scott’s Review #56

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Reviewed June 22, 2014

Grade: A-

Anne of the Thousand Days (1969) is one of the better historical dramas I have seen.

One can become absorbed in the history of royalty and learn a lot. It has a clear Shakespearean quality to it (tragedy) and is compelling in many ways.

It tells the true story of the tumultuous relationship between Henry VIII of England and his second wife, Anne Boleyn, whose union produced one of the most famous queens, Elizabeth I.

Henry VIII’s first wife, Katherine, was discarded amid much controversy and political intrigue.

The drama is part of what makes this film so enjoyable, along with the historical element. It is dramatic, but not a soap opera, and the acting is superior.

The film also has gorgeous costumes and cinematography.

Unfortunately, the finale of the beheading left too much to the imagination, and a more graphic scene would have put it over the top.

The film is near excellent, though.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Actor-Richard Burton, Best Actress-Geneviève Bujold, Best Supporting Actor-Anthony Quayle, Best Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium, Best Original Score for a Motion Picture (Not a Musical), Best Sound, Best Costume Design (won), Best Art Direction, Best Cinematography

Golden Globe Nominations: 4 wins-Best Picture-Drama (won), Best Director-Charles Jarrott (won), Best Actor-Drama-Richard Burton, Best Actress-Drama-Geneviève Bujold (won), Best Supporting Actor-Anthony Quayle, Best Screenplay (won), Best Original Score