The Top Five Best Pictures at the Oscars
With the 97th Academy Awards having just passed, now is as good a time as ever to look back at some of the most celebrated Oscar moments.
I went on Reddit’s Movie Suggestions sub-reddit and asked them for their opinion of the greatest best picture Oscar wins. I got 29 responses, and I gathered up all the comments and put together a list of the top responses and up votes to create the Top 5 Greatest Best Picture Wins (according to Reddit).
5 - Silence of the Lambs
This 1991 psychological thriller starring Sir Anothony Hopkins and Jodie Foster would dominate the Academy Awards a year after release with the film winning six awards. With it being the third movie to win the top five Oscars: Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Director, Best Screenplay and of course Best Picture. Hopkins is forever known for his excellent performance as the psychotic Hannibal Lector and would help create a new top standard for any future thrillers. This film is still recognised as one of the highest rated movies, so it’s no surprise that it would make this list.
4 - The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
One of the most beloved fantasy franchises, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King is the third and final film of the trilogy. This film holds the record for most Oscar wins with 11 alongside Titanic and Ben-Hur. Peter Jackson won Best Director, and the film went on to win Best Adapted Screenplay and was highly awarded for its special effects. The Return of the King was seen as a massive win for fantasy fans as the genre would not win Best Picture again until 2017 with The Shape of Water.
3 - No Country for Old Men
Now to a totally different style of movie, The Coen Brother’s No Country for Old Men is a brutally realistic film, and like Anthony Hopkins before him, Javier Bardem has a brilliant performance as serial killer Anton Chigurh. This film was nominated for eight Academy Awards of which it won four of, including of course Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor and Best Adapted Screenplay.
2 - The Apartment
1960 comedy-drama The Apartment is the oldest film on this list. Starring legendary comedy actor Jack Lemmon, known for classic comedies like Some Like It Hot and The Odd Couple. The film also stars Shirley MacLaine who has had an incredible career spanning 70 years. This movie had 10 nominations of which it won five, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Editing, Best Screenplay and Best Art Direction.
1 - The Godfather Part I and Part II
Yes, this is technically two films but it’s hard to mention one without the other, as the 1972 crime drama The Godfather and its 1974 sequel are perhaps two of the most iconic films of the 20th century. These films have a combined 22 nominations, with the first film winning three awards, including Marlon Brando winning Best Actor for one of the most iconic roles in film history as the Don Vito Corleone. The Godfather Part II would win six awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro playing a younger Vito Corleone. Al Pacino was nominated for both films. It may be a boring choice but it’s hard to deny the success of these two films.