From ‘Against the drug empire’ to ‘The Godfather’: The winners of the Oscar for Best Picture of the 70s, from worst to best

To this day, ‘Kramer vs. Kramer’ continues to be one of the driest, most arid and forceful reflections on divorce ever seen in the history of cinema. A proposal of an evident and inevitable emotional intensity that, boosted to infinity by the lofty performances of Dustin Hoffman and, above all, Meryl Streep, managed to convey a torrent of sensations without resorting at any time to melodramatic excess. Sobriety as an admirable flagespecially in this area.

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The very favorite of that edition was, neither more nor less, than ‘The Exorcist’, the capital work in the history of horror movies, but finally it was ‘The Blow’ that swept the big time on an Oscar night that he preferred to bet for the elegance and charisma of sophisticated heist comedy rather than the horrified scream and shiver. A respectable decision, obviously, that served to elevate a film that had in its delicious script and in Robert Redford and Paul Newman a series of incomparable aces to win the game. A remarkable entertainment that works like a real clock.

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Absolute classic in the history of sports cinema, ‘Rocky’ not only has not aged a little more than four decades after its premiere but, seen today, maintains the type with an enviable firmness. Directed by the almost always efficient John G. Avildsen and written and starring a Sylvester Stallone in top form, this first installment of the saga supports its indisputable cinematographic strength on the shoulders of a script full of dialogues as simple as they are inspired, memorable scenes and, above all, an absolutely unforgettable final stretch.

In those last bars, each and every one of the virtues that led the saga to absolute success come together, perfectly combining the stark epic on canvas and the love and humility of a character destined to become a legend. A small proposal that, from simplicity and honesty, manages to reach infinity. With the elements it plays with, ‘Rocky’ is quite simply the best movie it could be.

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‘The huntsman’ is one of those Oscar winners that do not allow too much (or any) discussion. From its opening bars, Michael Cimino’s masterpiece is great, immense cinema, which unfolds with the fluidity, inspiration, strength and emotion of miracles. His staging, his memorable soundtrack and an extraordinary cast led by that dreamy trident made up of Robert De Niro, Meryl Streep and Christopher Walken, finish rounding off An absolute classic in the history of cinema. As essential as it is unanswerable.

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‘One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest’, Milos Forman’s best film, and we are talking about a filmmaker whose career is full of masterpieces, continues to maintain intact his ability to move, surprise, amuse and move to tears. With an extraordinary cast led by two amazing performances by Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher, both winners of the statuette, this adaptation of Ken Kesey’s novel is one of the greatest cinematographic triumphs of the 70s. And of the history of cinema. And of the Oscars. A must watch.

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And Annie came. Throughout the seventies, Woody Allen had managed to introduce his model of crazy comedy and always stuck to the absurd in Hollywood. A path of success that completely exploded with the premiere of ‘Annie Hall’, for some people, the definitive masterpiece of his career. For all, the definitive turning point in a dazzling career.

The box office, always pleasant with Allen’s films but rarely enthusiastic, turned upside down completely with this romance full of sense of humor and melancholy that, in substance and form, hides much more than the classic story of boy meets girl, assuming a spectacular leap of maturity for the filmmaker, also in his capacity as a screenwriter with a privileged mind. Even the Academy, historically averse to comedy, gave in to it, awarding it five nominations and four Oscars, corresponding to Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Actress for Diane Keaton. An indisputable triumph that rounded off the legend of a film destined to be one of the great classics in the history of cinema. Met expectations.

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‘The Godfather’ presented a family of gangsters in which each character mattered and had a marked narrative meaning and objective, which, despite perfectly representing all the stereotypes that we usually associate with the genre, was accompanied by an unexpected psychological and dramatic depth.

An extra value that an extremely inspired Francis Ford Coppola knew how to treat and tell with exemplary forcefulness, signing some of the most wonderful scenes in the history of cinema, with a special mention for an absolutely masterful final climax. You know you must see it. And if you’ve seen her, you already know you love her. Impossible not to. A shot-by-shot history of cinema that seemed clearly insurmountable…until its sequel arrived.

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Standing. At this point in the film, we all know that the exceptional ‘The Godfather’ is not understood without its sequel, a sequel that was a whole step forward from a starting point that was, or seemed, the same infinity.

However, Francis Ford Coppola shattered that stereotype that second parts were never good with an absolute and inexhaustible masterpiece, essential and stainless, essential and eternal. He always trembles his pulse when writing about the best movies in cinema history, but, even in that, ‘The Godfather: Part II’ makes it seem simple. We’re not just talking about one of the best winners in the history of the Oscars, with a wide difference from the rest, but from one of the summits of the seventh art.

The Godfather: Part II at eCartelera