The Monthly Five

February's Monthly Five

As it is coming to the end of award season I thought in this monthly five I would look through the past 84 years of Academy Award winners for Best Picture and pick my top five.  Now even just the films nominated in each category are generally worthy of the title of Best Picture so it was no small feat in narrowing down all of the films that actually won down to five.  There are so many films on this list that are fantastic as you would expect so after looking at the list I sat down and thought about the films that I have watched countless times, that never get old and that still impress me or let me discover something new each time I watch them.  So with that in mind I managed to narrow it down to my top five.  These five are films that I probably own in multiple versions; DVD, Blu Ray, Boxset, Special Edition etc...  Films that were worthy winners and ones that have stood the test of time.  So without further ado here are my top five Best Picture Academy Award winners.

5. In The Heat of the Night (1967)

In The Heat of the Night is a 1967 film starring Sidney Poitier as Virgil Tibbs an African American police detective from Philadelphia who finds himself investigating a murder in a racist small town in Mississippi. 

Director: Norman Jewison

Starring: Sidney Poitier, Rod Steiger and Warren Oates.

Running Time: 109 Minutes

In The Heat of the Night is one of my favourite films and it has everything a good film needs; a great cast, compelling story and an important voice with something relevant to say or for the audience to think about.  Sidney Poitier had already proven himself to be a brilliant actor by 1967 but this was the first role that allowed him to be fully human in both the good and the bad.  Poitier had played quite noble characters before this point and here, as Virgil Tibbs, he was still noble but he got angry and frustrated with the ignorance that surrounded him.  I love the character Virgil as he is smart, capable and does not shy away from difficult situations.  Although Poitier did not receive a nomination for his role, Rod Steiger did and in fact won the Academy Award for his performance of the Police Chief Bill Gillespie which was very well deserved.  After Gillespie's first meets Virgil after the murder he arrests him as a suspect for no other reason than he is a black man with money in his wallet.  Even though Gillespie is clearly prejudiced he is sympathetic and over the course of the film grows and learns to respect Virgil as a man regardless of race.  The best thing about the growth of Gillespie's character is that it does not come across as easy, like a flick of a switch and suddenly he is no longer racist.  Rather it just shows him trying to be a better man and as such comes across as more genuine and believable.  The Story is simple enough, a murder that needs to be solved.  While the murder case narrative itself is fairly straightforward it is the events that Tibbs finds himself involved in during his investigation that make the film interesting.  The real strength of the narrative comes from the racial tension between the characters which Norman Jewison uses to create tense scenes and garner powerful performances from the cast led by Poitier and Steiger.  When the film finishes the audience are not left wondering about the murder case but more about the issues of race and prejudice that the film addresses.  The fact that this film was made at a time where the civil rights movement was still in full swing makes it all the more impressive.  It is a great film with some fantastic performances from Poitier and Steiger.  

4. Casablanca (1943)

Set in unoccupied Africa during the early days of World War II an American expatriate, Rick, runs into a former lover, Ilsa and they must choose between their love for each other and the fight against the Nazis.

Director: Michael Curtiz

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and Paul Henreid.

Running Time: 102 Minutes

Casablanca is the definition of a classic.  It is one of those films that no matter how many times I watch it I am still captivated and enthralled.  Maybe it is being in black and white that it has aged so well and the snappy dialogue which still pulls at your heart strings.  The lines from the film have found their way into the mainstream and albeit often misquoted you have such memorable quotes such as; "Here's looking at you kid", "You'll regret it, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life", "It doesn't make much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world", "Play it Sam.  Play 'As Time Goes By'", "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship".  So many memorable lines that just reciting them evokes an emotional response.  For me this is the ultimate love story as two people who love each other deeply but give up each other for a greater good.  It was a happy accident in a lot of ways as the production was just one of many in a long line of Warner Brothers studio system productions.  What this film had though was a fantastic cast, a great script and a flawless craftsmanship.  Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are brilliant as Rick and Ilsa the lovers who sacrifice for the greater good.  The supporting cast are equally great; Claude Rains as Louis, Paul Henreid as Laszlo, Peter Lorre as Ugarte and Dooley Wilson as Sam.  The most interesting thing about the characters in Casablanca is that they are not the usual good or evil of the Hollywood studio system but rather just people with flaws who may or may not do heroic things.  These characters murder, steal and lie but they also sacrifice and try and do what they think to be right.  For me this is the emotional connection that makes the film such a classic as no matter how many times I see Ilsa get on that plane it still provokes an emotional reaction.

3. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)

A young FBI cadet, Clarice Starling, finds herself looking to a manipulative incarcerated killer, Hannibal Lecter, for help with an investigation of a serial killer who skins his victims.  In order to get his help Clarice needs to open up about her past and allow one killer into her mind in order to stop another.

Director: Jonathan Demme

Starring: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn and Anthony Heald.

Running Time: 118 Minutes.


The Silence of the Lambs is an example movie of where things just click; great performances, engrossing narrative and interesting gender representations.  Anthony Hopkins is evil incarnate as Dr Hannibal 'the cannibal' Lecter who is an incarcerated serial killer who ate his victims.  Jodie Foster is brilliant as Clarice Starling a young FBI cadet who seeks Lecter's help in finding Buffallo Bill, a serial killer who skins his victims.  The supporting cast made up of Scott Glenn (Jack Crawford), Anthony Heald (Dr. Frederick Chilton) and Ted Levine (Buffalo Bill) and all bring a level of believability to their characters.  Levine in particular is great as a confused man trying to deal with issues of his gender identity.  One thing that makes this film so good is the casting and each actor is perfect for their roles.  Originally Gene Hackman and Michelle Pfeiffer were supposed to play Lecter and Starling which while I am sure they would have been good after seeing Foster and Hopkins in the role I could not imagine that.  One of the most iconic scenes of the films in the film is where you first meet Hannibal Lecter and that moment as the camera pans around to reveal Lecter standing in the centre of the room.  It is a simple scene but one in which so much is conveyed and the sinister Lecter is born.  Hopkins is only in the film for around 16 minutes but yet his character is so much of what makes The Silence of the Lambs a horror masterpiece.  Jodie Foster brings a much needed innocence to Clarice's character which when up against the horrors of her work gives her an outlook that passes over the male dominated world in which her chosen profession lies.  There are several scenes in which the gender dichotomy of her profession are highlighted; in the autopsy and in the lift at the beginning of the film pictured below where the use of colour and height are shown to highlight Clarice's domination in a male world.

Clarice stands out in a male dominated profession

It is moments such as this where Jonathan Demme demonstrates his skill as a director as he uses mise en scene and cinematography to communicate ideas in such a subtle way that you don't even realise it which any good director should do.  Demme took Harris' novel and stayed true to the themes and tone which he translates perfectly on screen.  The penultimate scene in which Clarice searches in the darkness for Bill is so tense and many directors would have shortened the scene but as it goes on the tension builds and creates an ominous feeling and true fear.  Whenever a book is made into a movie the book is generally better and while the case is still true here the film is definitely a close second.  It is not surprising that the film won the top five Oscars; Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, Best Actress for Jodie Foster, Best Director for Jonathan Demme, Best Writing for Ted Tally and Best Picture.

2. The Godfather (1972)

The ageing patriarch of an organised crime family passes control onto his reluctant son.

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Starring: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino and James Caan.

Running Time: 175 Minutes.


There is often a debate when discussing The Godfather trilogy whether the first or the second instalment of the franchise is the superior film.  While most people seem to vote more for the second personally I am more partial to the first.  Sometimes the reason I love a film is for a single scene and this is the very reason for me that the first Godfather is a better movie.  Two scenes standout for me in the film the first being the famous christening sequence which is juxtaposed with the hits and Michael starting to transition into the Godfather.  The second is the final scene in which Michael lies to his wife Kay and as she walks down the hallway he is greeted as Don Corleone and as the door closes it is Michael shutting Kay out of his life.

There are many ingredients that come together to make The Godfather a great movie.  Firstly, brilliant casting choices for a vast array of characters.  Marlon Brando as Vito Corelone the patriarch of the Corelone family, Al Pacino as Michael Corelone the youngest son who takes the reigns, James Caan as Sonny Corelone the hot-headed eldest son, John Cazale as Fredo Corelone the weak middle son and Robert Duvall as Tom Hagen the family lawyer and consigliere.  There are many more characters in the film and the casting was perfect for each character.  Secondly, Francis Ford Coppola took Mario Puzo's novel and did something very unusual and made a film which was just as good as the novel.  He set the tone and style of the film to reflect that set out in the book and managed to fit in the large number of iconic scenes.  The Godfather is a very long film and one in which a lot of people die, people wake up to find horses' heads in their beds and where you can make an offer that cannot be refused.  Coppola also fought for the film to maintain the period the narrative is set in, the 1940s and 1950s, rather than update the story to the present to save money.  Coppola takes a story that is foreign in concept, as I would imagine that 99.9% of the audience like me are not a member of an organised crime family and makes it a familiar narrative of a family business.  He also manages to take a familiar genre and completely reinvents it, changing the gangster genre forever.  This film has had a lasting affect on filmmaking and cemented Francis Ford Coppola as one of the great directors of our time.

1. All About Eve (1950)

An ageing stage actress, Margo Channing, finds herself befriended by a young fan, Eve Harrington, who insinuates herself into her life and that of her circle of friends.  Soon Margo feels that Eve is trying to take her place and tries to hold on to what she feels is most important to her, although she is not too sure on what that is.

Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz

Starring: Bette Davis, Anne Baxter and George Sanders.

Running Time: 138 Minutes.

I can tell you why I love this film in two words; Bette Davis.  Now if I left it there it would certainly be short and sweet but where would the fun be in that without my ramblings.  Bette Davis is an extraordinary actress and this is probably her best role although that is difficult to narrow down too.  Here Davis plays Margo Channing the ageing stage actress who meets a huge fan, Eve Harrington played by Anne Baxter.  While Bette Davis was great as a young ingenue as she got older she reached a whole new level and really found her time.  Davis became edgier and is fabulous as Margo the bitchy actress who in some ways mirrors Davis, both ageing actresses with attitude.  Perhaps the role being as close to autobiographically as Davis ever got explains why she is so good as Margo as she is playing a version of herself.  In the film after Margo meets Eve she takes her under her wing and along with her circle of friends befriends Eve.  The theme of a younger woman taking the place of their older counterpart has been told through narrative time and time again but in All About Eve it is done with such skill and precision.  Anne Baxter is good as Eve Harrington but ultimately outshone by Davis.  Margo is in a relationship with a younger man, Bill, played by her real life husband at the time Gary Merrill who Eve does her best to steal.  Celeste Holm plays Margo's best friend Karen and Hugh Marlowe plays her husband Lloyd who Eve also tries to seduce for the progression of her own career as he is a playwright.  For me though the two standout supporting cast performances are Thelma Ritter as Margo's maid Birdie and George Sanders as Addison DeWitt the theatre critic who introduces us to all of the players in the film with his sarcastic narration in the opening sequence.  Ritter is great as Birdie who is the only character who sees Eve for who she is right off the bat.  Sanders is similarly brilliant as Addison DeWitt, the arrogant, manipulative and conniving critic who twists the situation for his own end.  

There is a homosexual undertone in the narrative but as it was 1950 and still under the Hays code it is very subtle in the case of both DeWitt and Eve.  It also is a product of its time as in 1950 many women were dealing with the aftermath of their position in post-war America.  During the war women were pushed in to the work place, inspired by Rosie the Riveter to work in the bomb-building factories and other previously male dominated arenas.  Suddenly the war ends and women are supposed to go back to the kitchen and be happy as housewives taking care of their families.  Similar themes are explored here with Margo struggling from going from a theatre star to a woman content in being married and having a family.  

The director and writer, Joseph L. Mankiewicz, is another reason why this film deserved the best picture Oscar as he was one of the best directors of the Golden era of Hollywood.  Mankiewicz's filmography includes such great films as The Ghost and Mrs Muir (1947), Guys and Dolls (1955), The Quiet American (1958) and Cleopatra (1963).  Here he takes big personalities and manages to contain them at the same time as embracing them in order to get the best performances possible.  It was no accident that the film was nominated for fourteen Academy Awards and winning six of them; Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor for George Sanders, Best Sound Recording and both Best Director and Best Writing for Joseph L. Makiewicz.

Honourable Mentions

Pretty much every film on the list deserves an honourable mention but these are the films that I struggled to not include as I widdled it down to just five:  Gone With the Wind (1939), Rebbecca (1940), Gentleman's Agreement (1947), On the Waterfront (1954), My Fair lady (1964), Midnight Cowboy (1969), The French Connection (1971), The Godfather Part II (1974), One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975), Rocky (1976), Annie Hall (1977), The Deer Hunter (1978), Dances With Wolves (1990), Schindler's List (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), American Beauty (1999).

Archive

January's Monthly Five

So it's the first monthly five of the new year and it's the time where we look back on the previous year and on to the next.  Part of this for me always involves films and it got me thinking of how many awful films there were last year.  I did my top ten of the year but did not do a worst ten list and so because of that this month's Monthly Five is me ranting about the worst five movies of last year which was pretty hard to whittle it down as there was a lot of them to cut it down too.  Click here to see my worst five movies of last year.

December's Monthly Five

Unsurprisingly for December's Monthly Five here are my top 5 Christmas films.  I know it could not be more predictable right.  Anyway, Christmas has always been my favourite holiday and with the passing of my grandfather on Christmas day last year I am trying to hold on to the Christmas spirit in a year that will not be easy to celebrate.  That said, for me Christmas has always been about family, finding the perfect gifts for loved ones and having one blow out day full of Turkey (or Quorn Roast if you're vegi like me), alcohol and holiday cheer.  So click here to see my top 5 Christmas classics.

November's Monthly Five

As a Brit I have always been inrigued by Thanksgiving as it is obviously not something I have ever celebrated which is why I have to rely on the medium of film to find out what it's all about.  So to celebrate Thanksgiving  click here to see my top five Thanksgiving films.

October's Monthly Five

This month's monthly five is in honour of the new season of television shows on the air and the many great shows from the past that have had their runs cut short way too soon.  So without further ado here is my list of the top five TV series cancelled after only one season.  Click here to read more.