The final eight films in the Academy Awards Best Picture tournament have arrived. Plus, a look at some other Best Picture nominees from the years of the final eight.
Judging by the results of this tournament so far, and the films represented in the final eight, the 1970s were the best decade of films.
It's hard to argue against this heyday and run of excellent and quality films beginning in the mid-1960s and stretching into the late '70s as part of a Hollywood film revolution. (And summed up perfectly in the book Five Movies and the Birth of a New Hollywood by Mark Harris.)
Five of the final eight films in this tournament were made in that era, including the Best Picture winners from 1973-1976.
Admittedly, many of these films are among my all-time favorites from that era, even it was slightly before my time. Many are universally loved and appreciated, and it's not too often I've witnessed much debate that 'X' film should not have won Best Picture from the Academy Awards in that year.
The same cannot be said from the late 1980s into the present-day. It's not like that every year, of course, but it certainly seems more prevalent beginning in that time. Perhaps it could just be my own bias, since I really began to get into films in the '90s but I haven't heard too much argument from the those in the '70s and prior.
This had me taking a look at what other films were nominated for Best Picture in the year(s) the final eight films of this tournament represent. Take a look below, and also see the matchups in each region.
Red Carpet region
Silence of the Lambs, winner over No Country for Old Men in the round of 16 with 69 percent, faced some stiff competition back in 1992 in the race for Best Picture. JFK, Bugsy, The Princes of Tides, and the animated version of Beauty and the Beast were the competition for Hannibal Lecter and company.
While some of these films are known and discussed to this day, it's not-too-often one hears about how they recently re-watched Bugsy or settled in for a night watching The Prince of Tides. That is to take nothing from either of these films but when Silence of the Lambs (and the books it was based on) provide material to this day, that's going to be hard to beat.
In 1966, Ship of Fools, Doctor Zhivago, Darling, and A Thousand Clowns were all up against The Sound of Music for Best Picture. I can't speak a whole lot on these, as I've only seen one of the other four nominees aside from the winner (though I plan to).
The Sound of Music defeated Dances with Wolves in the round of 16 with 60 percent of the vote.
- (5) The Silence of the Lambs (1992)
- (3) The Sound of Music (1966)
Glamour region
One would imagine it was a safe bet that One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was going to win the Oscar for Best Picture in 1976. Except the competition, as seen now, was likely very stiff, considering Jaws and Dog Day Afternoon were among the other contenders.
Of course, Nashville and Barry Lyndon were no slouches, either. Collectively, these five films are some of the best and if you haven't seen them all, definitely check them out.
With 66 percent, Cuckoo's Nest defeated 1-seed Gladiator.
The Bridge on the River Kwai had an easy victory to get here, defeating Chicago with a 79 percent to 21 percent margin.
In 1958, Sayonara, Witness for the Prosecution, Peyton Place, and 12 Angry Men were up for Best Picture. This was another year in which I've only seen two of the five nominees, so it's definitely something to remedy on my behalf.
(5) One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1976)
(3) The Bridge on the River Kwai (1958)
Gold Statue region
The Godfather II knocked off top-seed Lord of the Rings: Return of the King by a score of 73 percent to 27.
The film had some opponents in the Best Picture race back in 1975 that are considered classics to this day. Those other four nominees were: The Towering Inferno, Lenny, The Conversation, and Chinatown.
The Godfather II faces in the final eight an opponent that won Best Picture the year prior, The Sting, which defeated Rain Man with 62 percent to advance. In 1974, The Sting outlasted The Exorcist, A Touch of Class, American Graffiti, and Cries and Whispers to pick up the Oscar for Best Picture.
(12) The Godfather II (1975)
(3) The Sting (1974)
Glitz region
In 1973, The Godfather won Best Picture against the likes of Deliverance, The Emigrants, Sounder, and Cabaret. The first and last of these four still are mentioned among the greats (or at least remembered in the pantheon of pop culture), though it's hard to speak about The Emigrants and Sounder because I have not seen them.
The Godfather again took care of business with ease, winning with 76.3 percent of the vote to advance, where it will face Schindler's List with a spot in the final four on the line.
Schindler's List finally put an end to the run of 11-seed Amadeus by winning 76 to 24 percent.
In 1994, Best Picture nominees the film was up against were: The Piano (whose director Jane Campion is back this year in the race with The Power of the Dog), The Fugitive, In the Name of the Father, and The Remains of the Day.
(4) The Godfather (1973)
(7) Schindler's List (1994)
Voting will finish up on Twitter (@jasonrh_78) this week, with the final eight (3/21), final four (3/23), and final (3/25). This year's Academy Awards ceremony takes place on March 27.
Come hang out on Letterboxd and thanks for following along in this tournament!
*Updated: Final Four - Silence of the Lambs, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, The Godfather II, The Godfather. FINAL: The Godfather defeats The Silence of the Lambs, with 75 percent of the vote.
Academy Awards Best Picture tournament full bracket
Best Picture tourney: Rise of the 11-seeds
Best Picture tourney: The final 16
photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
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