The 1970s marked a daring evolution in the history of film. While the 1950s and 1960s are often hailed as the “golden age”, the 70s brought some of the greatest hits of auteur-driven cinema. It was, in many ways, the absolute peak of art films and the beginning of that decade was proof.
Leaving behind the toned down sensibilities of the past, filmmakers dove deep into themes of death, war, and labor, as well as an increasing sense of dread at a society changing for better and worse. These films kickstarted a decade of progress for the film industry and their lasting impressions 50 years later stand as a testament to the validity of their creation. Here are ten great films that turn 50 this year.
Joe
Before Taxi Driver, Death Wish, and Hardcore, there was one film that kicked off the wave of angry, white, working-class men. Joe stars the late Peter Boyle (most famous for playing Frank in Everybody Loves Raymond) as a factory worker with a disdain for hippies and drug dealers.
The film devolves into a violent storm old of pure rage, something that would be a common motif throughout the 1970s. What it lacks in subtlety or even any political coherence it makes up for in pure adrenaline. Its total lack of trying to appease anyone makes it one of the most daring films of the '70s, even if it’s message isn’t exactly clear.
The Aristocats
The 1970s and 1980s were a dark time for Disney’s animation department. Films like The Black Cauldron and Oliver & Company were not doing as well as previous and future hits. In 1970, the company released the jazz-influenced musical, The Aristocats, which holds the distinction of being the last film approved by Walt Disney before his death in 1966.
While not the most popular film in the House of Mouse’s storied history (including some that have not aged well), The Aristocats can still be a good time for families. Featuring a cast made up of jazz musicians and a soundtrack that’s still pretty catchy, The Aristocats is a loving tribute to the big-budget musicals of the 1940s.
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
Scandalous and controversial upon release, this X-rated melodrama was a revelation of the counterculture. Written by the late film critic Roger Ebert, Beyond the Valley of the Dolls is an odyssey of sex, drugs and so much violence.
Originally intended as a sequel to the 1967 drama Valley of the Dolls, this film took an entirely new and campy direction as a parody. Director Russ Meyer and co-writer Ebert delivered one of the most absurd films of the '70s, with storylines that would make even the most salacious Penthouse writers blush. The film was also notable for being Pam Grier’s acting debut.
Gimme Shelter
The Rolling Stones are one of the biggest bands of all time. Most of their singles from the '60s are undeniable hits, cementing them as one of the most important acts in modern rock history. Unfortunately, they have also marred in controversy thanks to the infamous Altamont Free Concert.
Ending in the death of four people, this concert is a dark time for rock music. This documentary focuses on the Stones’ perspective on their final weeks of the 1969 US tour, which concluded in Altamont. It’s an exciting and artful documentary, creating tension and discomfort by allowing the events to unfold naturally. Both a cautionary tale of rock and roll excess and a captivating look at a band that was on top of the world, Gimme Shelter is one concert nobody will forget.
Love Story
“Love means never having to say you're sorry” is probably not the best mentality to have when in a relationship. The now-famous line from Arthur Hiller’s romantic drama Love Story has not aged well, but the film itself is an interesting look at upper-class romance.
Set among the backdrop of two prestigious East Coast colleges, Love Story stars Ryan O'Neal and Ali MacGraw as two students who fall for each other despite their own differences. It’s schmaltzy beyond belief but still entertaining. For fans of pure melodrama, Love Story provides it in spades. Sometimes, a little melodrama is all anyone ever needs to feel something.
Fans who want to see this movie on the big screen will get a chance to this February. Fathom Events will be making Love Story will be available for viewing at a theatre near you.
Patton
The big winner at the 43rd Academy Awards in 1971, Patton is one of the most iconic American biopics ever. George C. Scott commands the screen as the titular World War II general in a performance that won him an Academy Award for Best Actor (an award he famously refused).
Despite romanticizing a lot of elements of Patton’s tenure, it is still an exhilarating war film that feels like a goodbye to the epics of the '60s. The image of Patton reciting his monologue in front of an American flag is one of the most iconic in film history, and Patton won Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars that year.
M*A*S*H
Robert Altman’s Palme d'Or winning comedy might not be as popular as the sitcom it spawned, but it still deserves praise. The hijinks of the Mobile army surgical hospital is an endearing one, full of pitch-perfect performances by an excellent ensemble cast of greats like Donald Sutherland, Elliot Gould, and Sally Kellerman.
Taking place during the Korean War, MASH was a perfect allegory for the social and political turmoil the country was experiencing during the Vietnam War. It’s a great comedy that also has one of the most beautifully sardonic theme song, “Suicide Is Painless,” which eventually became the theme to the spin-off show.
Le Cercle Rouge
Fans of Quentin Tarantino, John Woo, and Jim Jarmusch should know the name, Jean-Pierre Melville. A pioneer of the French New Wave cinema, Melville’s films were these artistic statements hidden under the guise of simplistic crime stories. His penultimate film, Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle in English), is the culmination of what made his films so revered.
Oozing with style, tension, and charisma from the main cast, Le Cercle Rouge is a classic of European cinema, one that deserves to be celebrated the same way so many crime films of the era are. It also features a thirty-minute heist sequence with no dialogue, something most modern films would never dare attempt.
Woodstock
This is less a documentary as it is an event. Michael Wadleigh’s three-hour long look at the most popular counterculture concert is a masterclass in filming concerts. It was less of a straight replay of performances but rather a look into a country that was experiencing a shift in socio-political attitudes.
It also included some camera and editing work from the likes of Martin Scorsese and his longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker. It was a period of war that brought with it a desire for peace. Woodstock brought with it a love of music that was not seen before. It was a large scale look at how people came together to see acts like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Crosby, Stills and Nash, and Joan Baez, and eventually made history.
Five Easy Pieces
Jack Nicholson gave the performance of his career in this 1970 film about isolation, labor, and familial frustration. Nicholson plays Bobby Dupea, a former piano prodigy who now works in an oil field. While it may seem like a simple film about the troubles of blue-collar life, it delves deep into themes of heartbreak, loss, and the lack of motivation. It’s a genuine film about real people.
Nicholson’s performance seems almost out of place in his massive filmography where he plays weirdos and creeps. As Dupea, Nicholson inhabits all that represented the new decade, this undeniable urge to rebel. Five Easy Pieces is a film about humanity and one that still hits hard to this very day.