10 films that won an Oscar before the Joker did
Cinema / / December 30, 2020
1. Gone With the Wind
Gone with the Wind
- USA, 1939.
- Melodrama, historical.
- Duration: 223 minutes
- IMDb rating: 8.1
- Winning nominations: "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Actress", "Best Actress in a Second plan "," The best adapted script "," The best work of the operator "," The best work of the artist "," The best mounting".
The life of a young American woman, Scarlett O'Hara, filled with balls and flirting, portrayed by Vivien Leigh, is drastically changed by the Civil War. The girl faces severe trials and losses, an uncompromising struggle for life and family, a painful revaluation of values and a difficult path to her real self. And love, of course, is not at all the kind that occupied almost all of her thoughts for a good half of the film.
The picture, released on screens just three years after the publication of the literary fundamental principle, is not for nothing called ahead of its time. While the world cinema existed only in black and white, the film adaptation of Mitchell's novel was risked to be made in color. "Gone With the Wind" is the world's first full-length color film, shot using the three-film technology "technicolor".
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2. Casablanca
Casablanca
- USA, 1942.
- Drama.
- Duration: 98 minutes.
- IMDb Rating: 8.5
- Winning nominations: Best Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay.
Rick Blaine, a native of America living in Casablanca, played by Humphrey Bogart, unexpectedly meets his ex-lover Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), who many years ago left him without explanation. The woman and her husband, an anti-fascist resistance fighter, are persecuted by the Nazis and the couple must flee to the United States. But for this they need important documents that Rick has. Blaine faces a moral dilemma: to fight for the still beloved woman, taking advantage of the vulnerable position of her husband, or to help her - and lose forever.
Director Michael Curtis and the entire team did not plan to shoot the masterpiece and therefore did not exert much effort. By the beginning of filming, the script was not even completed, on which more than a dozen people worked. Nevertheless - three "Oscars" and the title the best US melodrama of all time from the American Film Institute. Curtis has a truly immortal film of eternal values, with a stunning cast and excellent dialogue. Quotes from "Casablanca" are familiar even to those who have never watched this film. “We will always have Paris!”, “I think this is the beginning of a wonderful friendship” - it's all from there.
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3. Ben-Hur
Ben-Hur
- USA, 1959.
- Drama, historical.
- Duration: 213 minutes
- IMDb rating: 8.1
- Winning nominations: "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Actor", "Best Actor in a Supporting Role", "Best Cinematography", "Best Artist "," Best Costume Designers "," Best Sound "," Best Special Effects "," Best Editing "," Best Soundtrack for Drama / Comedy pictures ".
This movie is a kind of parable about Christian virtues: love and forgiveness. And the corresponding chronotope is Palestine, 1st century AD. Wealthy citizen Ben-Hur meets his former friend and now enemy Messala. Once, through the fault of this man, the hero was exiled to the galleys, and his mother and sister were sent to prison. Wanting to avenge his suffering, Ben-Hur tries to take revenge.
The filmmakers took a big risk: Ben-Hur was supposed to save the MGM film studio from bankruptcy or bury it, and was filmed with almost the last money. And the shooting was carried out on a truly grand scale: 50,000 people took part in the crowd scenes!
The risk was justified: the film brought not only nice sums at the box office, but well-deserved awards. Ben-Hur is the first Oscar-winning painting ever to receive the most awards to date: 11 statuettes. Only the next two films from our list were able to repeat his success.
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4. Titanic
Titanic
- USA, 1997.
- Melodrama, disaster film.
- Duration: 187 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 7.8
- Winning nominations: "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Cinematography", "Best Work of a Production Designer", "Best Design Costumes "," Best Sound "," Best Editing "," Best Editing Sound Effects "," Best Visual Effects "," Best Song "," Best music".
Atlantic Ocean, 1912. The luxury liner "Titanic" sets off on her first and, alas, her last voyage. For three hours, the viewer is waiting for a touching love story of a girl from high society Rose and poor artist Jack, who met aboard the Titanic, the intrigues of those who want to stop them, and the scenes of the death of the mighty liner that seemed unsinkable. And all this accompanied by the incredibly beautiful music of James Horner. And it's not only about the imperishable My Heart Will Go On (the complete soundtrack to the epic film by James Cameron is a separate work of art).
Titanic became the first film in history to gross over a billion dollars at the box office for 287 days. And all this became possible thanks to Russian science. The film begins with the filming of Cameron's real dive to the wrecked ship, which the director makes from the board of the research vessel "Akademik Mstislav Keldysh", which belongs to our country.
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5. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- USA, New Zealand, 2003.
- Adventure, fantasy.
- Duration: 192 minutes
- IMDb rating: 8.9
- Winning nominations: Best Film, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Song, Best Music, Best Editing, Best Production Designer, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best makeup".
In the final part of the film trilogy, based on the legendary novel by Tolkien "The Lord of the Rings", the hobbits have to endure an unequal battle with the army of Mordor, try to defeat Sauron and rid the world of the Ring Omnipotence. Everything is like a fairy tale: good, with incredible efforts and losses, still triumphs over evil.
This picture was nominated for an Oscar in 11 nominations and won in all! Moreover, it opened a new page in the history of this award. For the first time, science fiction was recognized as the best film. Of course, the success of the film was not limited to 11 figurines: the third part of the saga, based on the work of Tolkien, received a total of more than 100 awards from various film festivals around the world.
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6. Godfather
The godfather
- USA, 1972.
- Drama.
- Duration: 169 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 9.2
- Winning nominations: "Best Film", "Best Actor", "Best Adapted Screenplay".
For a long time, the Corleone mafia clan has been holding New York in fear and brutally cracking down on those who disagree, until other criminal groups finally exclaim: “How long?! Enough tolerating this!" The godfather of the mafia is losing his position, but his worthy heirs do not intend to give up. There are plenty of chases and spectacular shootings in the film, but there was also screen time for the love line.
This picture can be considered practically the best film of all time and peoples: of all Oscar-winning films, it has the highest rating on IMDB (9.1). It is only surpassed by The Shawshank Redemption, which, however, has no Oscars. It is noteworthy that the costs of the film were very modest, and it's not just about the budget, but also about the time: Francis Ford Coppola shot The Godfather in just four months.
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7. flying over Cuckoo's Nest
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
- USA, 1975.
- Drama.
- Duration: 128 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 8.7
- Winning nominations: "Best Film", "Best Director", "Best Actress", "Best Actor", "Best Adapted Screenplay".
One of the few truly iconic films about a lone hero who dares to fight against the system. Criminal Patrick McMurphy tries to escape jail and, depicting insanity, ends up in a psychiatric clinic. Here, as expected, he does not like the order, much less the inhabitants of the clinic, who do not in the least object to cruel treatment. McMurphy decides to rebel.
This film received five of the most important awards at once, two prestigious film awards: "Oscar" and "Golden Globe". At the same time, Ken Kesey, the author of the novel on which the film was filmed, was very unhappy with the way Milos Forman filmed his work. American film academics adhered to the opposite point of view and awarded the film an Oscar, including for work with the script.
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8. Avatar
Avatar
- USA.
- Science fiction, adventure, drama.
- Duration: 155 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 7.8
- Winning nominations: "Best Production Designer", "Best Cinematography", "Best Visual Effects".
The perfect movie for connoisseurs of fictional universes and amazing special effects. The action takes place in the middle of the next century. Therefore, it is not surprising that a wheelchair-bound former military man Jake Sully is sent on an expedition to Pandora, a celestial body in the Alpha Centauri system. Here he secretly collects intelligence needed by scientists, falls in love with Neytiri - a local resident, an intelligent humanoid, and also creates a family with her. But those who sent Jake here have more mundane and even cynical plans for Pandora.
James Cameron wrote the script for this movie before Titanic came out and was ready to shoot right after it. But the idea had to be postponed for 10 years due to its high cost. Patience was rewarded and all the costs paid off many times over. Of all the Oscar-winning films, this turned out to be the most successful financially: fees amounted to almost $ 3 billion.
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9. Artist
The artist
- France, Belgium, 2011.
- Melodrama.
- Duration: 96 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 7.9
- Winning nominations: Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Music, Best Costume Design.
Actor George Valentine, who was glorified by silent cinema, cannot believe that such films have gone into oblivion and the future belongs to sound cinematography. He even tries to make his own silent film, but the premiere goes unnoticed. Valentine is in despair, and only the love of selflessly devoted actress Pippi Miller can save him.
The Artist is the only silent film to be awarded an Oscar and was shot in the 21st century. Critics took the picture so enthusiastically that even... a dog received a prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The four-legged friend of the protagonist, a Jack Russell Terrier named Uggi, was awarded the Palm of a Dog. This award is given to the best actor-dogs, both real and animated.
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10. Hotel "Grand Budapest"
The Grand Budapest Hotel
- Germany, USA, 2014.
- Adventure, detective.
- Duration: 96 minutes.
- IMDb rating: 8.1
- Winning nominations: "Best Production Designer", "Best Costume Design", "Best Makeup", "Best Music".
The concierge of a luxury hotel in the fictional country of Zubrovka, Gustav, inherits a priceless painting from a wealthy guest who suddenly died. The woman's son, outraged by her last will, accuses the concierge of killing his mother. From this moment, cunning intrigues, exciting pursuits and exciting adventures of the main characters begin. And all this against the background of the decorations, which are perfectly adjusted in color, size and shape.
The film is a godsend for aesthetes. Three of the four statuettes were awarded to him precisely for the visual component. Those who love symbolism, allusions and hints will surely like the Grand Budapest Hotel, too: there is plenty of that.
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