Oscar projects (continued)

41-60 in my 2005 Oscar history project.

41. Night of the Iguana (1964)

Edgy, but not really satisfying. Acting struck me as over the top.

42. Longest Day (1962)

Perhaps the greatest WWII film ever made. I love how the various forces speak their own languages. Even the slightly misguided comic relief with Sean Connery can’t ruin the film.

43. Mutiny on the Bounty (1962)

At first, Brando’s pansy accent grated on me. But eventually it became worth it, and I felt that unlike many films, the gradual transformation of Fletcher’s character from dedicated officer to mutineer was timed quite nicely.

44. Judgement at Nuremberg (1961)

This film had to have been quite moving only 16 years after the war had ended. Even today, it raises important questions about the motivations of decent men who side with monsters.

45. Apartment (1960)

I loved this film. Billy Wilder was a genius. I couldn’t believe how appealing Shirley MacLaine was in her younger days. Jack Lemmon plays a decent man, who’s not a sap. I felt like watching it again as soon as it was over.

46. Sons and Lovers (1960)

Um, I need to check my notes, as I can’t remember a thing about this one. Oops.

47. Inherit the Wind (1960)

It was 45 years ago, and here we had a film that looked back in amazement that backwards-thinking people would insist on throwing out science. How times have changed! That sort of debate would never happen today…

48. Imitation of Life (1959)

Reviewed earlier.

49. Brothers Karamazov, The (1958)

I kinda hated the book, seemed to go on forever. And the film was true to the book…

50. Raintree County (1957)

Had never heard of this until it showed up on my list. Liz Taylor shows her star quality, and the production values were quite impressive, but it really seemed to drag. A forgotten film, for good reason.

51. Giant (1956)

So what is giant? Perhaps they meant the enormous palettes of film used by the filmmakers. Might have been a great film, if it were cut down by a few hours.

52. Baby Doll (1956)

I can see why this was so controversial back in the 50’s. Made me a bit squeamish in 2005.

53. War and Peace (1956)

I must confess, I was doing other stuff on my laptop while the film ran. Just couldn’t get into it. Can I still count this one?

54. On the Waterfront (1954)

Magnificent. The audio problems were very distracting, especially on the rooftop, but the performances alone make the movie a classic. Add the great cinematography, an intelligent script, and nice use of locations, and you have the best film of the 50s.

55. Magnificent Obsession (1954)

Good Lord but this was sappy. From the opening shots where the gas jockeys comment on the roguish behaviour of Bob Merrick, to the ridiculous plotline of Helen’s injury, the film would be greatly improved by the boys at MST3K.

56. Executive Suite (1954)

Business politics in the 50s. I liked it.

57. Rear Window (1954)

Why does Hitchcock’s world look slightly different? Is it because he has the patience to let his camera linger over a shot for so long? His work is locked in time, however; there’s really no way to capture some of his magic today. For instance, notice how he pokes fun at the morals of the 50s, without violating the codes of the 50s. It’s almost like he shot these films for us, 50 years later.

58. Julius Ceaser (1953)

I’m sorry, the only Shakespeare-on-film that’s really worked for me have been the late 60’s version of Romeo and Juliet, and a made-for-tv version of Taming of the Shrew. The rest just die for me.

59. Mogambo (1953)

Seemed like a poor man’s version of African Queen.

60. Lavender Hill Mob (1952)

Charming, hilarious, silly and fun. Such unlikely robbers. Before there was Ocean’s 11, there were Henry and Alfred. I recently saw in the Hollywood Reporter that a remake is in process for 2006. Should be fun.