Can you believe the Academy overlooked this gem also?
Posted on 04/27/2008 1:50:30 AM PDT by uncitizen
We can hope our favorite movie will come away with the big prize, but in the long run, some of the best pictures ever made did not receive Best Picture Oscars. A good example would be the AFI’s choice for number one movie of all time, Citizen Kane.
(Excerpt) Read more at filmschoolrejects.com ...
That is because the hollywood elite would rather see an artsy, though provoking, abstract film get the award, than a film which simply entertains time and time again.
I’ve never understood why Citizen Kane is so highly rated. Can anyone explain?
1958.
Two films I have in my collection, both which would easily make it in a list of top 25 films ever.
The Defiant Ones
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Now, Gigi may be a better film (I doubt it) but I will never find out because I’m usually asleep in the first ten minutes or so...
Interesting list.
Some very good picks, though I’d disagree with the author about both Fargo and Philadelphia being amongst the best overlooked films. IMHO, Taxi Driver, Network, and Raging Bull are all better choices.
I have tried to watch Citizen Kane a couple of times. It seemed like a hokey soviet propaganda video.
I have to completely agree with you here.
I don’t agree. It is good, in the classic sense, but very overrated IMO.
Let’s agree to disagree. I think a better discussion would be about the worst movies to WIN best picture at the oscars.
I nominate anything since Forrest Gump in 1994. If you look at the list beforehand, you can make an argument for most of them.
1995 (68th)
Braveheart Ö
1996 (69th)
The English Patient Ö
1997 (70th)
Titanic (1997) Ö
1998 (71st)
Shakespeare in Love Ö
1999 (72nd)
American Beauty Ö
2000 (73rd)
Gladiator Ö
2001 (74th)
A Beautiful Mind Ö
2002 (75th)
Chicago Ö
2003 (76th)
The Lord of The Rings: The Return of The King Ö
2004 (77th)
Million Dollar Baby Ö
2005 (78th)
Crash Ö
2006 (79th)
The Departed Ö
2007 (80th)
No Country for Old Men
Oh I don’t much disagree with you overall, but I do think CK is a good movie, that’s all. You’re right about the worst movies proclaimed the best as a subject of discussion however.
A Bridge Too Far isn’t mentioned on this list anywhere. Great movie, 1977. Bigtime underrated.
The only one on the list I really liked was Shawshank Redemption.
As for "Fargo", it is a great movie because it is so realistic. Like that scene where the customer and his wife come in to yell at that sleazy car salesman is classic because everybody's been there before (bought a car only to find it ends up costing "more" when they come to pick it up). Or that awkward scene at the Radisson where the old classmate of the police officer who had a crush on her in high school makes a total mess of his lunch date with her. Or the one crook who would rather go to "Pancake house" than go to a strip club. And on and on.
My favorite scene is when the pathetic and sleazy car salesman "flees the interview" with the police officer.
Meanwhile, around these ordinary scenes is pure evil as a "simple kidnapping" gets completely out of control.
Singin’ in the Rain was dismissed...and that is one of the greatest and funniest and best films ever made. Plus, it starred the gorgeous Gene Kelly. Nuff said.
Citizen Kane,
Shawshank Redemption,
Dog Day Afternoon,
Wizard of Oz.
I have a mild disagreement with the list regarding these films. All were excellent, but might have just barely "missed the cut". I could be persuaded, I think, to put these in the "should have won" category--but right now, I have doubts.:
Fargo,
Goodfellas,
Bonnie & Clyde.
A bit of a STRONGER disagreement exists regarding these:
2001: A Space Odyssey,
Star Wars
Again, not to put either film down...I enjoyed both, I just think the case is harder to make. The former--let's face it, though visually stunning--takes two or three viewings just to begin to make sense, and the latter is was a definite groundbreaker, but not unlike a B-movie spaghetti western in terms of plot. Isn't that how Lucas wanted it to be, anyway? Stunning visuals from both--and that is why they should be revered.
I VERY MUCH disagree that these three films should be on the list:
Psycho,
Philadelphia,
E.T.: The Extra-terrestrial.
Entertaining perhaps, interesting twists in the first--social commentary in the second, and lovely allegory and life lesson in the last...but Best Picture of the whole YEAR? Not a chance.
I cannot give a good opinion on
Vertigo,
Apocalypse Now,
or Some Like It Hot,
as I haven't seen them or it has been SO long since I watched them I cannot recall.
How THAT for my 2 cents?
I remember that episode. I had no idea that Kevin Spacey was such a talented impersonator. While that scene was great, one that had me rolling on the floor was Spacey impersonating Walter Mathau auditioning for Chewbacca: "What the hell's a Wookie?"
Mark
Interesting tidbit from the article link:
“The model for the Oscar statuette was a naked Mexican named Emilio Fernández, who had a platonic relationship with fellow Mexican and big Hollywood star, Dolores del Río. Her famous husband, Cedric Gibbons, had been assigned by the Academy to design their award. Del Río introduced Fernández to her husband and he agreed that Fernández was the perfect model.”
Oh wow, how could I forget Glory! Fantastic film...except maybe for Matthew Broderick’s accent. :-)
Ultimate Western: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.
We don't really notice these things today, but they were new techniques at the time. I agree that the story is the weaknest part, but it was good enough to win an Oscar.
I sure have to agree with you on the most recent winner, “No Country For Old Men.” I was forced to watch this recently, and thought it had about as much redeeming value as “Saw II” .. i.e., none.
On the other hand, I thought “American Gangster” was one of the best films I’ve seen in years.
On the third hand (if I had one), I do have to disagree with the premise of the article. Note how many times the author says things like: “Fanboys rule!” or “This film was voted #2 by The Oswego Men’s Choir!”.... as if the Academy Awards should be ruled by popular opinion, because (by this guy’s definition) the best films can only be those that people like the most. Well... news at 11... that ain’t true.
As for the rest of the list... I can sure see the downward spiral from ‘94 on.
Here’s my humble opinions...
Braveheart - violent, depressing downer of a film.
The English Patient - Chick flick with a budget. Ick.
Titanic - Chick flick with an even bigger budget, but I love it anyway.
Shakespeare In Love - Would have made a mediocre PBS special.
American Beauty - Walked out of it.
Gladiator - Ooh, another violent, depressing downer of a film.
A Beautiful Mind - Very good film. Not great... but very good.
Chicago - What little I saw of it bored me.
The Return Of The King - I liked LOTR, but thought #1 was a better film.
Million Dollar Baby - Didn’t see, since I know the ending.
Crash - Didn’t see, even though I don’t know the end. Yes, I’m giving up.
The Departed - Overlong. Watch “Infernal Affairs” (the original) instead.
No Country For Old Men - Wow! Depressing... and a downer! What skill!
MOST OFFENSIVE: Star Wars losing to Annie Hall. Are you freakin’ kidding me?
VERY OFFENSIVE: Hitchock never won an Oscar. That’s just wrong! Wrong! Wrong! Fargo losing to that sappy The English Patient. WTH? Ugh! Fargo was original and funny. Too funny for that stuffy "The Academy". “They” scorn funny. “They” also scorn independent films.
PRETTY DAMN OFFENSIVE: Shawshank Redemption losing to Forrest Gump. Am i the only person in the world that HATES Forrest Gump?
SOMEWHAT OFFENSIVE: 2001: A Space Odyssey losing to Oliver…..huh? 1968, “The Academy” musta been on drugs for that ballot. Goodfellas losing to Dances with Wolves.
AMBIVALENT: Apocalypse Now to Kramer vs. Kramer.
FINE WITH ME: Phildelphia losing to Schindlers List. Philadelphia sucked. Schindlers list didn't suck.
FUNNIEST BLURB: “In 1999, Trey Parker and Matt Stone showed up in drag at the Oscars as Jennifer Lopez and Gwyneth Paltrow.”
I have seen Citien Kane a lonnnnngg time ago. I don’t remember it and haven’t had to urge to watch it again, so i couldn’t have liked it that much.
I always thought 2001 was over-rated and I love science fiction. I found it dull, pretentious and the ending incomprehensible. Oliver was pretty good.
I agree. Shawhank Redemption was good once. Fargo is good every time.
I agree. Altho i would change "thought provoking" to "propagandistic".
Bump for later...
All The Presidents Men, Rocky, and Taxi Driver were all up against Network in 1976. If it were me, I would’ve chosen Network in a hot minute. But then again, i’m not a member of “The Academy”.
It's so unfair!
A lot of people say that, and the reason is that we're spoiled by what followed. But it was Citizen Kane that first did many things well: low camera angles; long quiet scenes to build tension; non-chronological story-telling; Welles' on-camera aging; Welles as producer, director and star; did I mention the amazing and inventive camera work?
Many things that we see have seen a thousand times were done well and properly first in Citizen Kane.
Oh, and the writing...some of the script is quite extraordinary: crisp, sardonic, sarcastic, insightful...
"The Academy" looks down it's collective nose at musicals. Unless, of course, it is a propagandistic musical.
Great film. Vastly wildly underrated. One of the great war films ever.
Look at the cast!
I always preferred “A Few Dollars More” over GB&U, but the whole series was excellent.
You think “Star Wars” was a better film than “Annie Hall?”
i would agree with that. And so should Mississippi Burning.
That’s exactly what i loved about Fargo. That it was realistic. Sometimes sheriffs get pregnant. Whaddya gonna do? Yep, Fargo is a great film.
The winners list is a mix bag since 1994. Some are really bad and others a legendary. Chicago?.....I mean really! Come on. I don’t have anything against musicals, but I don’t think I could consider one every to be worthy of the BMP. Gladiator and Braveheart are up there as my most favored.
Hold on there a minute fella. The Wizard of Oz lost because it was up against Gone With the Wind. Oz was a great movie but not quite as great as GWTW. Anyway, Oz took all the music categories that year.
well now, that is interesting isn’t it....
yes.
I’ve never understood why Citizen Kane is so highly rated. Can anyone explain?
So why is it so highly regarded. One reason is historico-technical. Orson Welles broke all sorts of new technical ground in that movie, I can’t recite chapter and verse what all he did, but things like how he set his shots up, to maybe what process he used for the film - I’m not entirely sure. A good musical analogy might well be Sergeant Pepper by the Beatles. To film buffs there are films made before CK and films made after. Just as for rock music SP is a watershed event. They did things in the album both technically as well as artistically that just redefined the musical landscape.
The trouble is that that doesn’t necessarily translate into a film (or an album) that is fun to watch 40 or 50 years later.
I think the second notion is that Welles was revered by the artistic types in Hollywood in perhaps the same way that Brando always was. If you were an actor at the time, you probably thought of Brando as the guy with more raw talent than any six people combined. Same with the young Welles. These guys were the enfant terribles of their time, personally difficult, but loaded with talent that no one in the business could ever deny. So some of the reverence for CK is also, I think, reverence for the guy that made it.
I’m sure there are those that would say it’s a fantastic movie, for this that and the other reason, and I’m not going to say it’s not - I’ll just say it put me to sleep.
The English Patient and Titanic automatically make your opinion invalid. Both were like wathcing paint dry.!!!!!! :-)
I think Star Wars was better than almost all Woody movies.
lol thanks for fixing it!!
LOL! You’re welcome.
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