Once again, picking my five favorites among so many wonderful films was a very painful, heartbreaking challenge! Especially this time, because the 60s just so happen to be my favorite decade when it comes to movies. It was a time of flourishing for the overabundance of revolutionary motion pictures that were trying to surpass the predominant Hollywood conventions. And all my choices seem to reinforce this statement.
As always, make sure to check out the honorable mention section below, which consists of films which I will never forgive myself for having left out; and please rate this post and leave a comment. Don't be afraid to share your thoughts!
Part 4: The 60s
5. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
(Read my review here)
A tale of true friendship, Midnight Cowboy is about finding solace in someone else through times of hardship and loneliness. This warm, heartbreaking film will stick with me for as long as I live. Jon Voight and Dustin Hoffman deliver outstanding performances, together ranking as one of the greatest screen duos of all time. And John Barry's beautiful harmonica score will always be there to remind me of this film's raw emotional power.
4. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966)
Here's a film that really grew on me. It took me two viewings to assess what was actually going on behind all the nonstop quarreling and drinking. The path that takes you to the shocking conclusion is a very wild one, perfectly complete with some of the best acting the big screen has ever known (arguably Elizabeth Taylor's best performance) and one of the most darkly hilarious and quotable screenplays of all time.
3. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
Spaghetti westerns don't get much better than this. As the third film in Sergio Leone's quintessential "The Man with No Name" trilogy, Clint Eastwood stars as the most iconic bad-ass character. This movie is around three hours in length, yet it's so damn amazing that it feels like time flies by while watching it. And let's not forget about Ennio Morricone's genre-defining score, because without it, this film would be missing a bit of its overwhelmingly epic flare.
2. The Graduate (1967)
I don't think I'll ever relate to a film more than this one. It captured what yesterday's youth was thinking and feeling, but somehow it still applies to today's generation, which consists of people who are just as preoccupied with their future as Dustin Hoffman's alienated character, Ben Braddock. Similarly to the precedent film, there's a sort of marriage between this incredible piece of cinema and the very appropriate, inseparable soundtrack by Simon & Garfunkel.
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And now for number one...
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1. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
I love Kubrick. So why should I not be in love with the film that introduced me to his genius craft and unparalleled talents as a film director? This groundbreaking achievement is not only a feast for the eyes, but also-- and even more so-- a feast for the mind. Never in my young life have I experienced anything more thought-provoking than this very film. There's no way of describing how amazing it is. It's just one of those things you must see for yourself.
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Honorable Mention
Psycho
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
Once Upon a Time in the West
Dr. Strangelove
To Kill a Mockingbird
The Apartment
For a Few Dollars More
Cool Hand Luke
8 1/2
Rosemary's Baby
The Sound of Music
Lolita
The Leopard
Bonnie and Clyde
My Fair Lady
A Fistful of Dollars
West Side Story
Doctor Zhivago
A Hard Day's Night
The Birds
In the Heat of the Night
Goldfinger
Hello, Dolly!
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Check out Part 5: The 70s!
