Decades of Cinema - 10 Best of the 1970's

If you missed my previous decades lists you can find the 1920's here, the 1930's here, the 1940's here, the 1950's here, and the 1960's here. On we go to the 1970's, here are my ten favorite films from a remarkable decade.

10. Badlands

My man Terrence Malick, who crafted my favorite film of all time makes the list here with his incredible debut Badlands. The story of a teenage girl who gets swept up in a romance with the much older Kit, a man doing his best James Dean impression, and what results when they run away together is a killing spree spread across the badlands in South Dakota. Truly one of the most impressive debuts I have seen.

9. Jaws

How much really needs to be said about Jaws? It is iconic cinema and if the 1970's weren't so loaded with amazing movies, you would find this much higher than 9th considering it resides in my 100 favorite films of all time list. It is the film that made people afraid to go in the water.

8. Autumn Sonata

I only recently watched Autumn Sonata for the very first time and yet here it is, in my top 10 of arguably the finest decade of films ever. It's that great. Yet again Ingmar Bergman finds his way into these lists and with good reason. Brilliantly performed, powerful cinema that is impossible to shake after it ends, Autumn Sonata is simply masterful.

7. The Spirit of the Beehive

Do you see that look on the face of the little girl above? That was me while I watched The Spirit of the Beehive, a lyrical and spellbinding film about a young child who attends a screening in her town of Frankenstein and becomes fascinated with the monster portrayed. The Spirit of the Beehive takes place during the Spanish civil war and the imagination of a child is a form of escape for a mind too young to process the chaos around her. Guillermo del Toro declared this to be one of his all time favorite films and it obviously served as the inspiration for his very own masterpiece Pan's Labyrinth. 

6. Stalker

Stalker infected my brain both during and after I watched it and I couldn't let go of how brilliant and confounding of an experience it is. Seriously, if you have ever wondered why Andrei Tarkovsky is regarded as one of the finest auteurs since the medium of film was created, sit back and just let the oddness and beauty of Stalker totally envelop you. It is artistic, soulful, weird and haunting stuff.

5. Halloween

It's easy to freak people out when inside a world shrouded in darkness and shadows, and John Carpenter utilizes those factors with brilliance as well, but you know what else he does? He makes walking down the street on a bright, normal afternoon terrifying as well. Halloween is an absolutely incredible horror film that reminds us that pure evil not only exists, it can be roaming nearby under any circumstances.

4. Alien

I had the opportunity to see Alien at the beautiful old fashioned Tivoli theater in Downers Grove last year for the films 35th anniversary, a special midnight screening and it was an experience I will never forget. So many excited fathers ready to show their teenage sons what the phrase "In space, no one can hear you scream." really means, the place packed with eager cinema lovers ready to experience the nostalgic glow of one of their favorites on the big screen. Alien is a science fiction horror masterpiece.

3. The Godfather Part II

Some would safely say The Godfather: Part II is the greatest sequel ever made and it is hard to argue (although I would, as my choice for such an award will be on the 1980's list). This is pretty much a perfect film in every way and yet it only gets as high as #3 of its decade. That's because...

2. The Godfather

The Godfather is essentially perfect cinema as well and I will always have an ever so slight preference for it over its sequel. Something about the story of the original and the flow of it all, it gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. To some this is safely the greatest movie ever made, and for me it is in fact top ten, but it still can't win the 1970's.

1. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

It's hard to beat Star Wars in my book. Not only is the trilogy packed to the brim with warm wonderful nostalgia for me considering how cherished the films were growing up, but they overflow when revisited as an adult and I realized, my goodness these are just great movies regardless. The start of the saga in 1977 is something glorious to behold, a space opera that builds characters and mythology was ease. Later this year I will be revisiting the entire Star Wars journey (yes, even the prequels) to prepare for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Next I will move into a decade I was actually alive during, the 1980's. Above is a picture from a film that will appear on that list.

The Tree of Life Review

Before I really allowed myself to absorb the film The Tree of Life, before I opened my mind up and gave in to the experience, I didn't believe in miracles. I never really considered the big picture of existence or how beautiful the world really is. 

The Tree of Life made me realize how incredible it is to be able to wake up each day and simply exist. I watched my wonderful daughter sleep one night, so peaceful and beautiful, and I realized if I made one decision differently, she wouldn't be a part of my life. She would never have a chance to paint a picture, tell a story, give me a hug or tell me she loved me. She would never have a chance to make friends, ride a bike, or watch a film without a perfect fateful moment back in 2005, when I made a last second decision to go to a friends house on Valentines Day and a girl walked in, a face I never had laid eyes on before and may have never seen again if not for that night.

We could have never met, we could have broken up, we could have not decided marriage was the right decision yet, or we could have decided to wait to have children. If we went down a different path during any one of these moments, she would not exist, but she does. She is the most important, incredible thing I have ever known, and generations of my family and my wife's family had to make exact, perfectly executed choices for her to be a part of my life today. 

It's a miracle. The Tree of Life taught me that they exist.

5/5

Knight of Cups Trailer

First time I have posted a trailer, but my goodness this looks amazing. The new film by Terrence Malick titled Knight of Cups, take a look.

100 Favorite Films - #80 - #71

A continuation of my list counting down my 100 favorite films of all time.


80. Toy Story (1995)

I actually wasn't all that into animation as a child. Sure, I had my films that were special to me like The Lion King and Aladdin, but I was far more into live action work like the original Star Wars trilogy, Aliens and Back to the Future.  Suddenly along came a film called Toy Story, the first release by Pixar Animation Studios, and I was mesmerized watching it in the theater as an eleven year old. Now I am thirty and nothing has changed, I still love the film, possibly even more than I did back then because now I understand just how ingenious the entire thing is.


79. Road to Perdition (2002)

My second (and final) Sam Mendes film on the list, Road to Perdition just has something about it that tickles me in just the right way. The mood of the picture is somber, the imagery gloomy, the entire thing completely beautiful. Both a wonderful addition to the mob sub-genre and also a look at a father - son relationship that really resonated with me. One scene in this film involving Paul Newman in the rain is easily one of my favorite single sequences in cinematic history. The usage of sound, or lack there of during that scene...just thinking about it gives me the chills.

If you have seen the film, you may remember the scene I am referring to. If you haven't, do so.


78. Django Unchained (2012)

My Review of Django Unchained

The work of Quentin Tarantino finds its way back onto my list (and it won't be the last time), this being his most recent film. Not much has changed throughout his career when it comes to brilliantly clever dialogue and a unique style, and that is one of the best things QT has going for him. When you see a film of his, there is no mistaking who is at the helm of that work.

Django Unchained is a blast, featuring another Oscar winning collaboration with Christoph Waltz but it certainly wouldn't be fair to only single out his performance. The casting of this film was on point and the performances across the board prove why, everyone fits into their role like a glove and deliver the genius Tarantino script with perfection.


77. Night of the Living Dead (1968)

My Review of Night of the Living Dead

Speaking of Quentin Tarantino, the film Night of the Living Dead and the man who created it, George A. Romero, were things he admired tremendously, even going as far as once saying the middle initial A stood for "A fucking genius". It is hard to disagree, as Romero is to credit (or blame, depending on your opinion) for the amazing popularity of the concept of the zombie. Sure, The Walking Dead may be the reason many currently love the sub-genre, but such shows wouldn't exist without the influential brilliance of Romero paving the way.


76. Unforgiven (1992)

You won't find a ton of westerns on my list of favorite films, as I have had a lot of trouble warming to the genre over the years, but Unforgiven left its mark on me at a young age and I loved it instantly. The fluidity of the pacing, the sweeping feeling of the imagery, and the story itself, everything about this picture works. A Best Picture winner I can agree with.


75. Before Midnight (2013)

My Review of Before Midnight

At this point, you probably assumed when I included the first two films from the Richard Linklater Before trilogy, I would finish off the whole darn thing at some point during this list. You would be correct. Before Midnight is actually my favorite of the three despite ironically being the hardest to watch, because the process of watching people fall in love during the first two installments has turned into the story of a couple that has now been together for nine years, trying to make their relationship work while dealing with the struggles of not only raising their own children but the pain that comes with Jesse not being able to see his son from a previous marriage. The chemistry here between Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy has never been stronger, because ironically when things nearly hit rock bottom is when we get to see them at their very best.


74. The Thin Red Line (1998)

A week or so ago I did a "Genius Directors" post regarding Terrence Malick and here he makes his debut on my favorite films list. One of the finest war films ever made, The Thin Red Line is both brutal and beautiful as the horrific nature of war is shown with both gruesome detail and the artistry that comes from a Malick film. What an amazing cast as well, it is an unforgettable picture.


73. 12 Angry Men (1957)

A master work in simplicity, Sidney Lumet's 12 Angry Men tells the story of 12 members of a jury immediately after the closing arguments have concluded and deliberation must begin. The verdict must be agreed upon unanimously and 11 of the men inside that room all agree on guilty, but one man refuses to succumb to prejudices or pressure from the others who are more worried about their plans later that day than the fact that the life of an 18 year old man hangs in the balance.

Carried by fantastic performances, nearly the entire film takes place on only one set, the jury room. Literally only 3 of the 96 minutes show other locations, and yet despite only experiencing this one set piece the film never drags. Watching the case being discussed and tensions boiling over is fascinating stuff.


72. Stalker (1979)

Director Andrei Tarkovsky was once questioned on whether his film Stalker would be too slow and dull for a theater going audience. His reply? "I am only interested in the views of two people: one is called Bresson and one called Bergman." This of course refers to the incredible auteurs Robert Bresson and Ingmar Bergman, and if you have screened a Tarkovsky film you would know that the man believed in his art and didn't mold his films to try to score at the box office.

I find nothing slow nor dull about Stalker, a confounding science fiction film that feels so dense and meaningful that I could probably watch it ten more times and still not fully comprehend the artistry that went into it. Two men known as "the Writer" and "the Professor" are looking to enter an area referred to as "the Zone", which is a location where for unknown reasons the laws of physics no longer apply. The goal of entering "the Zone"? To find "the Room", which is believed to have the power to grant any wish of those who enter it.


71. Jaws (1975)

I doubt I am putting an unknown film on your radar with this one, which is an iconic and beloved work.  Jaws single-handedly made it terrifying to go swimming in the ocean, a landmark in its ability to build tension through great filmmaking and a brilliant piece of music.

Next will be #70 through #61. The numbers may be getting smaller but my passion for the films listed will get bigger and bigger. Above is an image from a film that will be a part of the next list.

Any thoughts? Thanks!

Genius Directors - Terrence Malick

In 2011, the first time I saw The Tree of Life by Terrence Malick, if you would have asked me what word I would use to describe the man as a filmmaker I doubt "genius" would have come to mind. Surprisingly it was only the second Malick work I had seen at that point, the other being a single viewing of The Thin Red Line a decade earlier, and nothing about The Tree of Life worked for me on any level. Well, maybe I shouldn't say nothing, I recognized that the cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki was stunning, which is impossible to ignore no matter how much someone hates the film, but on a narrative level I was left cold and feeling empty. Nothing about the film made sense and I'm not sure I even tried to make sense of it, I literally swore at my television and turned it off before it was over.

It was nearly a year later when a friend of mine, who notably also loathed The Tree of Life the first time he saw it, told me to give it another chance. His revisit had been an awakening to the depth and meaning of the seemingly ponderous narrative and amazing imagery, and I decided to keep an open mind and try it again. That is when the curse words that came after the name Terrence Malick transitioned to genius instead.

Let's go back and start from the beginning, as I can get back to the gushing praise of what is now my favorite film later on. In 1973 at the age of 30, Terrence Malick made his feature length directorial debut with the film Badlands which tells the story of a fifteen year old girl named Holly (Sissy Spacek) and the love she shares with a man in his twenties named Kit (Martin Sheen), a character that certainly shares some recognizable characteristics with the great James Dean. When Holly's father attempts to keep the two apart, tragedy strikes and Kit and Holly go on the run from the law across the South Dakota badlands.

At roughly only 90 minutes, Badlands is the perfect way to introduce yourself to the work of Terrence Malick if you haven't already done so. The film follows a far more traditional method of storytelling than his more recent work, although you quickly learn that Malick's love of the voice over narration started from the very beginning and continues to this day. Badlands is wonderfully made and a pretty brilliant debut from a young filmmaker, and had it been my introduction to Malick I would have understood that the sky was the limit for his career going forward.

Five years later in 1978, his second feature titled Days of Heaven was released and the similarities to his debut were obvious. Much like with Badlands, somehow the imagery in a Malick film doesn't have to necessarily appear aesthetically pleasing at first glance to end up being utterly gorgeous in the frame as the film sweeps you away. The bleak colors of a farm in Panhandle, Texas perfectly suit the texture and vibe of the entire experience, proving that even drab and lifeless can appear vivid in the right context.

The story of the film revolves around a couple named Bill (Richard Gere) and Abby (Brooke Adams) who are working intense labor jobs in Chicago and they decide to go south in search of a better life. After gaining employment on a farm in Texas, the wealthy owner of the farm (Sam Shepard) falls in love with Abby and thus invites them to stick around even after the harvest has ended and their seasonal employment period has completed. After discovering that the farmer is ill, Bill and Abby pretend to be brother and sister rather than lovers and Bill convinces her to accept the wedding proposal of the farmer in hopes of inheriting his wealth after he is gone.

Days of Heaven is another masterful effort by Terrence Malick that follows similar beats as Badlands and runs at roughly the exact same length. I would assume if you introduced yourself to his work through Badlands and loved the experience, no disappointment would come from this film, as he yet again takes simple characters located at a rural location and makes the story feeling oddly epic despite its rather minimalist nature. The strange power of Days of Heaven is that the film invokes a sort of nostalgic feeling inside me despite having no real connection the story on display. I have never lived such a life, I have never known such people, yet it all feels familiar, like he is filming something one may have witnessed in a past life.

After Days of Heaven things got real interesting for those following the career of Terrence Malick because, ironically, of the silence that followed. For 20 years, Malick would release no films and not be heard from, and rumors of why ranged from his death to the idea that he was living in Paris working as a hairdresser. The man had become a filmmaking legend by doing nothing, because his only two works had become so highly regarded and yet he seemed destined to never add to his filmography. Until, of course, The Thin Red Line was released in 1998.

The Thin Red Line is an adaptation of the James Jones autobiographical novel from 1962, telling the story of the battle at Guadalcanal during the second World War, and to put it lightly it is an astonishing cinematic achievement. It was now after the 20 year hiatus that we start to see Malick's transition from using standard, easy to follow storytelling devices to more abstract work, as the depth and philosophical nature of the film is oozing with subtext to dive into rather than just a battle heavy, mayhem filled look at the horrific nature of war. This was my introduction to Malick back in the late 90's, and I don't recall how I really felt about it then, but I can safely tell you that I didn't truly appreciate it and determine it was worthy of the word masterpiece until I revisited after falling in love with The Tree of Life.

Oh, did I mention The Tree of Life again? Well I will address it once more, but briefly. It is the greatest film I have ever seen. It makes me feel like a small part of a huge world, which might sound like a bad thing but it really isn't. It is a film that helped me gain perspective on what it means to exist, on the beauty of being a husband and a father and having the chance to drive home every day and see those I love waiting for me on the other side of the door. The Tree of Life may be "just a movie" to many, and I am sure plenty of people hate it and I don't blame them. Hell, I did initially. For me though, it is a recognition that life itself is a miracle and I refuse to take it for granted.

The most recent Malick release came in 2013 in the form of To the Wonder, and it is yet another piece of abstract art that feels very similar to The Tree of Life although less grandiose and lacking that importance that can shake my core. I appreciated so much of the beauty of To the Wonder, which focuses on life, love and the nature of human relationships, but I didn't really feel a connection to it by the time it ended, which was disappointing considering the intense feelings I had garnered for the rest of his work by the time I got a chance to see this one.

Now at the age of 71, Terrence Malick is busier than ever before with multiple projects in the works, and I can't wait to see all of them. I am sure they will be divisive and abstract and bizarre, and that is why I appreciate the man so much. At a time when most cinematic experiences play it very safe and simplistic, Malick doesn't make films that will be universally loved and I doubt he is in search of such praise. What he crafts are films that are memorable, that promote discussion and debate, and will stick somewhere in your mind long after the screening is done, even if you hated it.

We need more minds like the one fueling Terrence Malick, although something tells me such a thing is rare, which is what makes him that much more special.

My ranking of the films of Terrence Malick:

1. The Tree of Life
2. The Thin Red Line
3. Badlands
4. Days of Heaven
5. To the Wonder

Not listed is The New World, the only film by Malick I have still not seen.