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1970-79
As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we look back at the movies that defined the seventies, from One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest to Jaws.
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The Godfather (1972)
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola | Paramount Pictures
Based on the novel of the same name, The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starred Marlon Brando as the patriarch of the Corleone family. The organised crime caper also starred huge names such as Al Pacino, James Caan, Robert Duvall and Diane Keaton. Released during the golden phase of Coppola's career, the American crime film was the highest-grossing film of 1972 and helped to spawn two sequels. With three Golden Globe Awards and three Academy Awards®, along with a Grammy for the score, it is widely regarded as one of the greatest films in world cinema, as well as being highly influential in the gangster genre.
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The Exorcist (1974)
Dir: William Friedkin | Warner Bros. Pictures
A culturally significant film, William Peter Blatty’s The Exorcist redefined the horror genre. After being possessed by an evil entity, two priests are called to rescue 12-year-old Regan. Directed by William Friedkin, the supernatural horror, starring Linda Blair, Max von Sydow, Ellen Burstyn and Jason Miller was initially a slow burner, due to restrictions on where the film could be seen, down to its graphic nature and rating. However, once opened up to a larger audience, the film thrived, going on to win four Golden Globe Awards and two Academy Awards®. The Exorcist has been preserved in the National Film Registry, influencing modern horror scores and spawning multiple sequels.
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
Dir: Miloš Forman | United Artists
Based on the 1962 novel of the same name, psychological comedy drama One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is considered by many to be of the greatest film ever made. Directed by Miloš Forman and produced by Michael Douglas, the film addressed the important themes of maltreatment and mental illness. Filmed in a real-life functioning mental hospital, Jack Nicholson starred in the main role, alongside a huge supporting cast, such as Louise Fletcher, Christopher Lloyd and Danny DeVito. The film attracted audiences worldwide, as it was nominated for six Golden Globe Awards, winning all six, before going on to to win the "Big Five" Academy Awards® and was later preserved in the National Film Registry.
Jaws (1975)
Dir: Steven Spielberg | Universal Pictures
In 1975, the two-note theme music from Jaws made everyone re-consider going for a quick dip in the ocean, as the thriller, from director Steven Spielberg, made its way to the big screen. Based on the novel of the same name, the film, starring Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, followed a man-eating great white shark, terrorising a small town. With a screen time of just over two hours, the shark is only on screen for around four minutes, but despite this, the film was a huge critical success, breaking box office records worldwide, helping it to spawn three sequels. John Williams suspenseful score won a deserved Grammy Award, alongside the films three Academy Awards®, allowing Spielberg to go on and change the landscape of film forever.
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Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)
Dir: George Lucas | 20th Century Fox
In 1977, director George Lucas altered the course of filmmaking with Star Wars: A New Hope. Also written by Lucas, this science-fiction icon would turn out to be the focal point for multiple film and televisions sequels and prequels over the following 50 years. A New Hope starred and launched the careers of Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher, as they embarked on a journey across a galaxy on the brink of civil war. The film quickly became a blockbuster hit, with its sound design and aesthetic proving to be a major influence across cinema. Although taking home six Academy Awards® was an incredible achievement in itself, its merchandise would cement Star Wars as a pop-cultural phenomenon.
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Close Encounters Of The Third Kind (1978)
Dir: Steven Spielberg | Columbia Pictures
Spielberg proved that the success of Jaws was not a fluke, as he wrote and directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind, breaking further box office records, eventually grossing over $300 million worldwide. The science fiction epic, starring Richard Dreyfuss, tells the complex story of a UFO encounter, and one mans obsession with the experience and the manic episodes that follow. The film’s underlying message is one of unity and optimism and it turned out to be a monumentally important screenplay, which went on to win two Academy Awards® and be selected for preservation in the National Film Registry.
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Halloween (1979)
Dir: John Carpenter | Compass International Pictures
It’s incredible to think that writer and director John Carpenter’s first foray into cinema was Halloween, possibly the best slasher film since Psycho. The film centres around a mental patient, Michael Myers, who escapes and wreaks havoc on the fictional town of Haddonfield. With its unnerving theme music, Myers expressionless mask and Jamie Lee Curtis’ wonderful portrayal of high school student Laurie Strode, Halloween is quintessential viewing for anyone interested in horror. The original is considered one of the greatest and most influential horror films ever made and the franchise has generated multiple sequels and prequels. There really is only one film to get you in the Halloween spirit.
The Deer Hunter (1979)
Dir: Michael Cimino | Universal Pictures
With its heavy subject matter and tone, this three hour war drama from Michael Cimino was both captivating and ambitious, but despite acclaim from critics, it split opinion. However, it remains one of the most important films of the 20th century. After fighting in the Vietnam War, three soldiers and their families lives change forever. Starring Robert De Niro, Christopher Walken, John Cazale and Meryl Streep, the film takes place across Pennsylvania and Vietnam. The story deals with the buildup of being deployed, to the aftermath of their imprisonment, during which the men are forced to engage in violent acts. Cimino delicately depicts the sanity of each of the soldiers and alongside its erratic scenes, limited dialogue and breathtaking cinematography, its possibly the most emotionally demanding film you’re likely to witness. The film has been preserved in the National Film Registry and was awarded five Academy Awards®.
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Dir: Francis Ford Coppola | United Artists
Francis Ford Coppola directs this psychological drama, set during the Vietnam War. Coppola illustrates the atrocities and brutal destruction the Vietnam War caused to human life and with no discernible purpose, it’s truly haunting. Starring Marlon Brando, Robert Duvall and Martin Sheen, the film follows a US warfare task force Captain, who is summoned to find and assassinate a renegade Colonel. Him and his team seek him out on a river patrol boat on the Nùng River, towards Cambodia. Despite being well received, it was called out for looking at American perspectives of the war rather than Vietnamese experiences. In order to execute his vision, Coppola invested his own money to the project, determined to shock and awe the audience. Apocalypse Now is not only an historically significant film, it’s a masterpiece of storytelling.
Alien (1979)
Dir: Ridley Scott | 20th Century Fox
Director Ridley Scott took the helm for this intergalactic science fiction horror, set in the year 2122. Aboard an interstellar cruiser called the Nostromo, the crew fight to survive against a deadly extraterrestrial loose on their ship, hunting them down one by one. The film launched the career of Sigourney Weaver, who was cast in the lead role, alongside a fantastic supporting cast of John Hurt, Ian Holm and Tom Skerritt. As one of the most iconic movie monsters in film history, Alien was an immediate box-office success, generating further sequels and a crossover with the well-received Predator franchise. Ridley did not have to rely on special effects and CGI to create some of the memorable scenes in cinema history and to this day, its still the most gripping sci-fi horror ever made.
Music that defined the 70's
