"Best" best picture winner of the 1970's

[abe55]

What movie would you consider the "best" best picture winner of the 1970's?

The results thus far as voted by the members:

Best of 2000's: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Worst of 2000's: Crash

Best of 1990's: The Silence of the Lambs
Worst of 1990's: Shakespeare in Love

Best of 1980's: Platoon
Worst of 1980's: Driving Miss Daisy

[NoirFan]

Godfather Part II. I never understood why viewers would prefer the first film.

[Rockmjd23]

The Godfather. That list of movies is so much better than the 80's it isn't funny.

[fumanstan]

The Godfather.

[abe55]

LOL@this being an all-out battle between The Godfathers.

[Arpeggi]

The Godfather Part II is my favorite movie of all time. Annie Hall and The Godfather are in my top 20.

In order:
1. The Godfather Part II
2. Annie Hall
3. The Godfather
4. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
5. Patton
6. The Deer Hunter
7. The French Connection
8. The Sting
9. Kramer vs Kramer
10. Rocky

[JumpCutz]

I voted for Godfather II as the best, but The French Connection is my favorite.

[NoirFan]

That list of movies is so much better than the 80's it isn't funny.

Agreed. The 1970s were Hollywood's second golden age. One could even make the argument that it was the greatest decade for English-language films ever.

[PopcornTreeCt]

Godfather Part II. I never understood why viewers would prefer the first film.

:up:

[hasslein]

Godfather Part II. I never understood why viewers would prefer the first film.

It's been a while since I've seen them, but isn't there more "action" in the first film?

[FRwL]

Godfather II. Glad Coppola finally had total creative control and gave a more unconventional structure with this mythic voyage of two worlds.

[nightmaster]

Certainly the best decade for movies in my lifetime.

1. The Godfather
2. The Godfather Part II
3. Patton
4. Rocky
5. The French Connection
6. One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest
7. Kramer Vs. Kramer
8. The Deer Hunter
9. The Sting
10. Annie Hall

[DeputyDave]

The 70's are my favorite decade. Out of the list I had to pick Godfather (although depending on my mood G2 could bump it).

I could come up with 10 I like better than any of those that won BP.

[gmanca]

It's been a while since I've seen them, but isn't there more "action" in the first film?

I'd say the first had more gun action, where as the second had more of the sophisticated, ruthless style of hits.

I always loved the juxtaposition of Vito's hits vs. Michael's

[lamphorn]

Annie Hall.

While the first two Godfathers are excellent films, I find them personally to be a bit self-important and bloated. I also just can't care about gangsters and never understood what makes them "cool" in popular culture. I spend the whole film thinking about what murderous cocksuckers they are.

[wendersfan]

That list of movies is so much better than the 80's it isn't funny.You're right - it isn't funny. It's very sad.

Here's the list of the <i>nominated</i> films from that decade:

Patton
Airport
Five Easy Pieces
Love Story
MASH
The French Connection
A Clockwork Orange
Fiddler on the Roof
The Last Picture Show
Nicholas and Alexandra
The Godfather
Cabaret
Deliverance
The Emigrants
Sounder
The Sting
American Graffiti
Cries and Whispers
The Exorcist
A Touch of Class
The Godfather: Part II
Chinatown (film)
The Conversation
Lenny
The Towering Inferno
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Barry Lyndon
Dog Day Afternoon
Jaws
Nashville
Rocky
All the President's Men
Bound for Glory
Network
Taxi Driver
Annie Hall
The Goodbye Girl
Julia
Star Wars
The Turning Point
The Deer Hunter
Coming Home
Heaven Can Wait
Midnight Express
An Unmarried Woman
Kramer vs. Kramer
All That Jazz
Apocalypse Now
Breaking Away
Norma Rae

So while not all of them stand up, there are many, many great films from that list.

[wm lopez]

I didn't think ANNIE HALL would even get one vote.

[Mondo Kane]

It's been a while since I've seen them, but isn't there more "action" in the first film?

It's better paced (IMO)
The first time I saw Part II, I honestly thought it was directed by somebody else....Like Michael Cimino.

[NoirFan]

It's been a while since I've seen them, but isn't there more "action" in the first film?

Yes, but the second film carries far greater emotional weight, and Gordon Willis' cinematography is even more stunning in Part II.

[emachine]

Cuckoo's Nest. I never liked The Godfather.

[Dean Kousoulas]

Godfather II...blows away the 1st one in my opinion.

[Norm de Plume]

1. The Deer Hunter
2. Kramer vs. Kramer
3. The Godfather II
4. The Godfather

I don't particularly care for the others.

[superdeluxe]

Godfather II,

suggestion, can you link to the threads of the previous decades?

Thanks

[inri222]

The one with the two guys in Righteous Kill

[GoldenJCJ]

It's better paced (IMO)
The first time I saw Part II, I honestly thought it was directed by somebody else....Like Michael Cimino.

It's funny you should mention that because I consider The Godfather pt. II to be amazingly paced and IMO, the most perfectly edited film I've ever seen.

I keep hearing about this "Godfather Saga" that plays chronologically, but I can't for the life of me understand why anyone would want to watch it. It would completely ruin pt. II.

[GoldenJCJ]

I voted for Godfather pt. 2 although I absolutely love pt. 1


The only film on that list that I didn't care for was The Sting. I was severely underwhelmed with a "that's it!?" feeling when I watched it.

[Doughboy]

The Godfather. Not only the best film of the 1970's, but arguably the finest film ever made.

The last 45 minutes of Part II might be the best 45 minutes ever committed to celluloid, but the part in Havana always bores the piss out of me and the flashbacks with Vito feel superfluous.

[coli]

Wow! What a list of great movies from the 70's that were nominated. As much as I love Star Wars, Jaws, and Raiders, the success of these movies created the Blockbuster, and essentially killed these type of movies.

Back in the 70's, nobody was tracking boxoffice results like they do now, and directors and studios just made movies for quality first, and profit second. Now of course they wanted to turn a profit, but the movies today are no where the quality of the 70's movies, which are much grittier, more realistic, and actually take a chance, where the movies today are safe and mostly made for franchise reasons.

My vote for best movie of 70's goes to Godfather I, and someone asked the question why I would pick 1 over 2? Two actors: Marlon Brando and James Caan. I love the flashbacks from Godfather II as I could watch a 3 hour movie of just Deniro, but I feel the Pacino parts do drag a bit. Everytime I watch Godfather I, I just get sucked into the story, as Coppola could have made it 5 hours, and there wouldn't be a dull moment. Come on who doesn't love watching Sonny beat the shit out of Connie's husband!

[Palaver]

Gotta go with the Godfather

[Shannon Nutt]

Godfather Part II. I never understood why viewers would prefer the first film.

Because of Brando, primarily. I voted Godfather I, but it's always been a close call for me which is the better film.