Seventies Pick From Someone Who Only Lived Through Half The Decade
Aug 04 '01
The Bottom Line Best seventies movies picked by someone who only lived through half that decade (and I'm not going to tell you which half).
Please, I beg you, leave me some comments. I hope people either love or hate these movies so much they'll let me know about it. Actually, comments from people who hate my taste in movies are usually the most interesting. So, here it is:
THE 10 BEST MOVIES OF THE SEVENTIES . . .
10. The Long Goodbye (1973)
This adaptation of a Raymond Chandler novel, written by veteran screenwriter Leigh Brackett and directed by noted iconoclast Robert Altman, incensed Chandler purists by playing fast and loose with the story and its treatment of Chandler's best-known character, private detective Philip Marlowe (portrayed by "Mr. 70s" himself, Elliot Gould). I couldn't care less. This movie's appeal is not the mystery, but the unique style of director Altman. My rating: A
9. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
The release of this picture stirred up some controversy, which was not surprising for a story about a young punk who's preferred form of entertainment is known in this futuristic dystopian world's fascinating youth slang as "ultraviolence". Soon after, the director, Stanley Kubrick, received death threats and, fearing for the safety of his family, got the film's distributer, Warner Brothers, to voluntarily ban the picture in the U.K., where Kubrick lived. Decades later, Warner Brothers was still rapaciously suing any theater in Britain that dared screen the movie. None the less, over the years a handful of Brits have not only been lucky enough to see the picture, but also enjoyed the added thrill of doing something naughty. My rating: A
8. Cet obscur objet du désir (That Obscure Object of Desire) (1977)
The novel La Femme et le pantin (The Woman and The Puppet), written by Pierre Louÿs, has been adapted for film or television seven times since 1920. Of the seven, the most notable is this one, That Obscure Object of Desire, the last picture directed by the old master Luis Buñuel, who was seventy-seven at the time of the picture's release. This French-Spanish co-production casts two different actresses, French actress Carole Bouquet and Spanish actress Ángela Molina, as the main character, Conchita. In one shot, Conchita is Bouquet, in the next, she's Molina. This unique approach alone makes this movie a must see. My rating: A+
7. Le Fantôme de la liberté (The Phantom Of Liberty) (1974)
In an interview, the writer of this movie, Jean Claude Carrière, explained that he and the director, Luis Buñuel, had developed a foolproof technique for coming up with spontaneous and original stories called the "three second rule". One of them would suggest an idea to the other, and the person listening would have only three seconds to decide whether the idea was good or bad. If it was good, it went into the movie. To get an idea of their humorous, surreal results, see the Phantom of Liberty. My rating: A+
6. Taxi Driver (1976)
Despite being praised by many people I find obnoxious (people who use too many superlatives and give too few specifics), I still have to admit this movie about the days and nights of an alienated cab driver has something to it. I'll even admit it's a movie I can relate to (except I'm not a homicidal sociopath). The movie also benefits from being a who's who of young talent from the seventies -- Robert De Niro, Jodie Foster, Albert Brooks, Harvey Keitel, and Cybil Shepard. Mr rating: A++
5. L'Argent de Poche (Pocket Money) (1976)
Known as Small Change in America, this movie was directed by François Truffaut. If you're familiar with the director's much earlier picture, Les Quatre cents coups (The 400 Blows, 1959), then you have some idea of what to expect from this movie about the lives of pre-adolescent schoolboys. However, in my opinion, this movie is far superior to the 400 Blows. Here are some reasons why -- subtle color photography; unpredictable story of the intertwined lives of a host of characters; nuanced and realistic performances from the juvenile cast that are a far cry from the stiff, learned-by-rote droning of many so-called "child actors"; and Truffaut's reliably indefatigable editing. Mr rating: A++
4. Dersu Uzala (1974)
Set in the early 1900s, this is the true story of a Russian army captain, Vladimir Arseniev (as portrayed by Yuri Solomin), who is stranded in Siberia and befriended by a wild, rugged hermit, Dersu Uzala (as portrayed by Maksim Munzuk). This Russian-Japanese co-production, shot almost entirely in a harsh, beautiful wilderness, was the first picture Akira Kurosawa directed after a failed suicide attempt. I have seen no other movie that can be compared to this one. My rating: A++
3. Barry Lyndon (1975)
Popular opinion is split on this movie. Some people, perhaps most people, think this movie is a three-hour bore. Some people even hate it. Then there's what I believe to be a small minority, which includes myself, that thinks this movie's one of the best ever. Let me put it this way, I've recommend this movie to many people and not one of them has thanked me. It's the story of the rise and fall of a duplicitous Irish social climber played adequately by Ryan O'Neal. It's set in the 18th century around the time of the American Revolution, and was adapted by Stanley Kubrick from an 19th century novel by William Makepeace Thackeray. My rating: A++
2. Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie (The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie) (1972)
The seventies were a good decade for Luis Buñuel. It was in these final years of his career that he directed some of his best movies (see above -- That Obscure Object Of Desire & The Phantom of Liberty). The Spaniard with a peculiar wit began his career as a director in 1929 with Un chien andalou (An Andalusian Dog), which Buñuel co-wrote with painter Salvador Dali. Over the course of the next forty years, his surrealistic style became eminantly more refined and elegant. For me, The Discreet Charm Of The Bourgeoisie, was his crowning achievement. My rating: A++
1. Frenzy (1972)
Hitchcock was of the same generation as Buñuel, but sadly, his failing health in the seventies curtailed his cinematic output to only two movies, Frenzy and Family Plot. Both of these movies have been criticized since their release for their somewhat old-fashioned style and substance. Many claimed that Hitchcock had become an anachronism, that he had outlived his talent. I couldn't disagree more. Frenzy deserves its place in the cinematic pantheon. Set in London, it's deceptively simple story concerns a serial killer known as the "Necktie Murderer" (because he strangles women to death with neckties), and the innocent man falsely accused of the murders. This movie is also notable for being the only Hitchcock movie with an "R" rating in America, mainly because most of the pictures he directed came out before the rating system existed. My rating: A++
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Epinions.com ID:
bradywahl
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Member: Brady Wahl
Location: Cardington, Ohio, USA
Reviews written: 10
Trusted by: 21 members
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