1972 was a very interesting year for film, and not just because it was the release year of Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, starring the late James Caan. It was a year of controversial films like Last Tango in Paris and Pink Flamingos that would have sparked hot debate and outrage back then and could still be considered so fifty years later in 2022.
However, it wasn't just gangster pictures and erotica that soared commercially and critically, as Redditors are quick to point out that some of 1972's smaller films nearly reach the heights of the titans.
Boxcar Bertha
Martin Scorsese's Boxcar Bertha is far from being considered his best film. In fact, in spite of great performances from Barbara Hershey and David Carradine, the movie never lifts off the ground and is frequently cited as the weakest film of the esteemed director's career. However, it was still his first studio project, and being Scorsese's debut film alone makes it one of 1972's most notable.
On a thread looking for Redditors' least-favorite movie from their favorite director, poisonchrome suggested Scorsese's movie, stating that, althought it was "a chore" to watch, "At least we have that film to thank for Mean Streets, though." Boxcar Bertha gained Scorsese enough attention to allow him the ability to make more high-profile films, and he hit the ground running in that regard with the phenomenal Mean Streets (1973).
Cabaret
Cabaret was absolutely massive for the already-famous Liza Minnelli, and it's the closest she ever came (outside of Arrested Development) to starring in a project with the level of quality of her mother's (Judy Garland) best movies. Minnelli is superb in the film, making her Academy Award for Best Actress win more than deserved.
The well-aged musical Cabaret has its fans on Reddit, and they are profuse with their affection. For instance, LostBoy2018 started a thread titled "Cabaret is a f***ing masterpiece" and wrote of its political importance: "It puts the hatred and xenophobia of the Nazi party in harsh, unflinching light and dares it to explain itself...."
The Candidate
One of two excellent Robert Redford FILMS from 1972, Michael Ritchie's The Candidate is every bit an intelligent political drama as Wag the Dog or The Manchurian Candidate. It's also astoundingly ahead of its time, aiming its lens at corruption in a way that doesn't make the film overwhelming, but rather palatable and relatable.
The film is also extremely prescient, arguably brilliant, in its summation of the political landscape. Bananaskywalker brought up the film's silently memorable ending, in particular, stating "It was a true indication of all political revolutions." Truer words have never been spoken, as the world has seen up close within the past decade.
Deliverance
John Boorman's well-aged Deliverance not only stands as the late Burt Reynolds' best film but as one of the best movies of the 1970s as a whole. Part adventure, part horror, party buddy movie, Deliverance is a truly shocking film that hasn't seen its impact diminished even a hair in half a century.
Superheroicguy started a thread titled "Finally sat down and watched Deliverance. My God." There is arguably no better way to put it. Deliverance is an impactful film, not always in pleasant ways, and it almost universally inspires a reaction of 'My God.'"
The Getaway
The Getaway follows Steve McQueen's Don McCoy, a convict who gets in league with a wealthy lawbreaker to rob one last bank. Unfortunately, the wealthy lawbreaker is also a snake, and McCoy's right foot has to put the pedal to the metal.
MondoUnderground started a thread for the film and summarized the original The Getaway's appeal with: "Stone-cold action can't get much better than this. Perfect pacing, constant excitement. Steve McQueen is the KING...." The Getaway, along with Bullitt and The Thomas Crown Affair, are McQueen at his peak, and his gruff energy is a natural fit for both the role and the film.
The Godfather
Coppola's The Godfather stands as one of the best movies of all time, and it easily secured its Academy Award for Best Picture. On top of being the definitive gangster film, The Godfather scored boffo box office returns and found itself beloved by critics and general audiences alike, including Redditors.
The Godfather and The Godfather: Part II are seen as comparably perfect films, two of the very few. However, the original Godfather was met with about three times the box office success of its sequel. Even still, the original film has a slight edge on Reddit, like from wapey, who started a thread titled "I just finished The Godfather for the first time and was absolutely blown away." Coppola's film is timeless, and "blown away" tends to be the reaction from first-time viewers who can stomach the pacing of the first act.
The Heartbreak Kid
The plot of Neil Simon's The Heartbreak Kid isn't too well-aged, essentially viewing women as options for men as opposed to individuals themselves. But the late, great Charles Grodin is Lenny Cantrow as Simon wrote, far more so than the version played by Ben Stiller in the misguided Farrelly brothers remake.
Bestowaldonkey8 explained the film's unconventional appeal well: "I've watched about a fourth of [Elaine] May's version and I don't know if I can watch the rest. Infidelity fiction makes me very uncomfortable. Great film though."
Jeremiah Johnson
Before Robert Robert Redford was a one-man show in All is Lost, he braved the wilderness alone in the underrated Jeremiah Johnson. The film is every bit as memorable a survival film as The Revenant or The Edge and should be considered worthy viewing for any of those films' fans.
Dankey-Kang-Jr started a thread to write about the film, but their lengthy thoughts are best summarised via "Robert Redford is at his best here...he can definitely express so much with only his body language...the performances are excellent...the cinematography is great, and the story is unique to the genre overall." Besides perhaps The Sting or Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, Jeremiah Johnson is the definitive Redford film, and certainly his most committed performance. The pacing of the film rests on his shoulders and he never fails to show why he's one of Hollywood's biggest stars.
The Last House On The Left
Wes Craven's The Last House on the Left is an excellent movie choice for fans of Ti West's X. But, like West's film, Craven's directorial debut is difficult to stomach and far from easy viewing for the faint of heart.
The movie certainly has its detractors on Reddit, but there are those who appreciate its risk-taking, even if it didn't always get a hole in one. Like floydisverycool, who wrote "I love that movie...I thought Craven did a great job." The subject matter is never anything short of distinctly uncomfortable, but Craven was and should be commended for having dived into the deep end for his debut.
Last Tango In Paris
There's never been a mainstream NC-17 film to own the weekend box office. The closest would have to be Last Tango in Paris, starring Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider, an oft-referenced and notorious film that could have delved into smut were it not guided by such capable hands.
Last Tango in Paris is controversial, with the content both slight and overbearing (though it is a good film), but the real issue was behind the scenes. For the most part, this has to do with director Bernardo Bertolucci, who pushed at least one performer to do something with which she was not comfortable, according to FarOut Magazine (reader discretion advised.). Yet it's a legitimate film, well above pornography, with a cohesive narrative and devoted performances from the stars. Or, as InklyBinkly put it "If you're going to see one overtly-sexualized movie about a power-sex fantasy this weekend, see Last Tango in Paris."