Courtesy of Emily Zavada
In this tenth part of my retrospective Oscar Outlook, I’ll be eliminating some of the most somber films to win Best Picture, including efforts from modern auteurs Bigelow, McQueen, and Scorsese.
44. “The Hurt Locker” (2009)
Though it made very little money by Best Picture standards, “The Hurt Locker” is a really good film. So, you’re saying that commerce and art don’t always connect? Good to remember. It’s the first – and so far only – Best Picture winner to tackle the Iraq War, and the psychological effects of the conflict. Like many films that preceded it, “The Hurt Locker” explores the suspense and the horror of wartime action. Unlike other films of its kind, the central character, while sympathetic, is portrayed as someone who gets a rush from the action. Rarely are these types of characters seen as anything but monsters. In a film about such a complicated war, the nuance is both bold and appropriate.
43. “All the King’s Men” (1949)
“All the King’s Men” shows the rise of a strongman who preys on the bumpkin population of his state to seize power and control those around him. He’s based on former Louisiana Governor Huey Long, but I can think of an oaf in more current history who seems like the appropriate parallel. Eerie political connections aside, I think the bland supporting performances in “All the King’s Men” – aside from the one delivered by Mercedes McCambridge – bring the film down a notch. Otherwise, it’d be elite.
42. “The Best Years of Our Lives” (1946)
Here’s what a war film looks like when it largely avoids the specifics of the largest-scale war in world history. The resonating factor for the public, who drove the enormous success of “The Best Years of Our Lives,” was the shared experience that was World War II. It’s a nearly unspoken trauma in the film, but the visual evidence of horror is plain. Harold Russell is the film’s heartbeat, offering a genuine look into the suffering of the veterans who needed to readjust to civilian life.
41. “The Departed” (2006)
“The Departed” brought Martin Scorsese his Oscar moment, even though it’s probably just barely a top ten film in his filmography. But average Marty is brilliant by most other standards, so “The Departed” is more than just a legacy win. The lead cast members include a number of the biggest stars of the past few decades, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson. Each of them delivers an excellent performance and, combined with Scorsese’s direction and William Monahan’s sharp script, “The Departed” stands as a very solid Best Picture winner.
40. “12 Years a Slave” (2013)
When I first became interested in movies, “12 Years a Slave” was the corresponding Best Picture winner. At the time, I don’t know if I was truly prepared to soak in the intense drama it was portraying. Not many films paint as realistic and devastating a portrait of slavery, and it tracks that a British director (Steve McQueen) was the one to do it. American creatives seem to have a harder time coming to terms with the realities of the antebellum South. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Michael Fassbender deliver career-best work, but it’s Lupita Nyong’o who dominates every second she’s on-screen.
39. “Ordinary People” (1980)
“Ordinary People” should act as a reminder that all great acting does not come from actors playing real people. Sometimes, and probably a majority of the time, ordinary people are far more relatable film subjects. Timothy Hutton won an Oscar for playing the core family’s living son, but an against type Mary Tyler Moore and Donald Sutherland are the standouts for me. Their suburban stubbornness is not well-suited for healthy grief, and Moore’s maternal character, especially, is frustratingly removed. Not the most exciting of Best Picture victors, this is still a really strong effort.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead up to this year’s ceremony on March 2. Participate in the Times Leader Readers’ Ballot for the 97th Oscars by filling out the form at https://bit.ly/4hd8n6F. The Readers’ Ballot will close on Friday, Feb. 27, at 8 p.m. and will be revealed in the Saturday, March 1, edition of the Times Leader.
Sam Zavada is counting down his ranking of every Best Picture winner in the history of the Academy Awards in the lead up to this year’s ceremony on March 2.
