When was the last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar? It is perhaps not possible anymore, not with Twitter and more awards shows than there are people in Hollywood. Voters can’t align around one so they choose never to align around any.
As the DGA prepares their awards show for tomorrow night, and 14,500 of them are voting, it seems very likely it will go Argo’s way, throwing the race into Apollo 13/Color Purple territory. Or not. But the DGA has been around a very long, long time. Many of the Oscar voters have likewise been around a very long, long time. They’ve seen the so-called “snubs” come and go, they’ve seen the wunderkind’s come and go. In looking over history you might be astonished to learn that Alfred Hitchcock was nominated by the DGA for Vertigo but the film only received two Oscar nominations — for Art Direction and Sound.
Scenarios like the one we’re about to live through, and Apollo 13 and The Color Purple just don’t really happen that often and didn’t happen for decade after decade. The DGA changed when films changed. The 1960s and 1970s ushered in some of the most daring, brilliant, outside the box directors film history has ever known — and continues to struggle to get back to. As more auteurs began to win Oscars for directing, the more the Oscar race itself changed: the directors branch continued to “correct” the DGA throughout their history, in interesting ways. As more auteurs flooded the Directors Branch, so too did the landscape of the Oscars change.
But something odd happened in the 1980s and 1990s — perhaps it was the advent of the blockbuster, which might explain the Academy’s notorious rejection of Spielberg and his ilk, or perhaps it was just economics, or perhaps they just got old. Either way, you would never see an occasion like you saw this year, with Benh Zeitlin and Michael Haneke taking the place of the more popular, award winning, consensus getting directors the DGA adhered to this year, namely Ben Affleck and Kathryn Bigelow, but you can throw Tom Hooper in there too.
But rather than celebrate this dramatic change, the kind of thing critics have been complaining about for years — how the choices are always the same on the march to Oscar, they have instead cried foul, choosing to side instead with the directors who got left out. That proves that people really don’t want change. They always want the routine, even if they say they don’t. Though I admire both films, Argo and Zero Dark Thirty, a part of me is astonished that the Academy could be that ballsy. I truly did not think they had it in them anymore.
But you can look over DGA/Oscar history and see how much a part of their DNA the Director + Picture relationship is. The rarity of Apollo 13 and The Color Purple, and perhaps now Argo, is in the kind of thing that makes the Academy look like the parent and the DGA like the child — the Academy guides the DGA, not the other way around, at least if you think of the Oscars as the end result.
Early on in the Oscar race, right before they changed from 10 to five Best Picture nominees, the directors weren’t much of anything. And in fact, when Casablanca won the Oscar that year it was because the majority voting were “extras.” This is how things looked all the way back in 1946, from Inside Oscar (Damien Bona, Mason Wiley):
A few days after the ceremony, the Screen Directors Guild announced that its members were seriously considering quitting the Academy. The guild’s president, Mark Sandrich, fumed: “Our complaint is based on the fact that the directorial Award was relegated to the first part of the evening’s broadcast.” With time, however, bruised egos healed – Mark Sandrich agreed to produce the next year’s show.
It’s funny to think that there was a ever a time when the director wasn’t the most important player in the Best Picture race. But over the years, that is the way they evolved and much of that had to do with the auteur. Even now, there is always a war within the Academy between the forces of the auteurs, the veterans, the epics, and now, the affable crowdpleaser, which is mostly how you win Oscar’s Best Picture.
Here is a long list of DGA/Oscar nominees and wins. You will see that the last time Oscar left three contenders off the DGA’s list was all the way back in 1966.
At any rate, at the end of the day, I’ll always be the person who listens to Bob Dylan even though he never wins Grammys. And as Dylan would say, “stick with me baby, anyhow, things are about to get interesting right about now.”
FEATURE FILM AWARD DGA’S Site
DGA | Oscar
*film nominated/+ won Best Picture at the Oscars
2012
Steven Spielberg, Lincoln | Steven Spielberg, Lincoln |
Ang Lee, Life of Pi | Ang Lee, Life of Pi |
Ben Affleck, Argo | David O. Russell, Silver Linings |
Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty | Michael Haneke Amour |
Tom Hooper, Les Miserables | Benh Zeitlin, Beasts of the Southern Wild |
2011
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist | Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist+ |
Martin Scorsese, Hugo | Martin Scorsese, Hugo* |
Alexander Payne, The Descendants | Alexander Payne, The Descendants* |
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris | Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris* |
David Fincher, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo | Terrence Malick, Tree of Life* |
2010
Tom Hooper The King’s Speech | Tom Hooper the King’s Speech+ |
David Fincher, Social Network | David Fincher, Social Network* |
Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan | Darren Aronofsky, Black Swan* |
David O’Russell, The Fighter | David O’Russell, The Fighter* |
Christopher Nolan, Inception* | The Coens, True Grit* |
2009
Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker | Bigelow, Hurt Locker+ |
Lee Daniels, Precious | Lee Daniels, Precious* |
Jason Reitman, Up in the Air | Jason Reitman, Up in the Air* |
Quentin Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds | Tarantino, Inglourious Basterds* |
Jim Cameron, Avatar | Jim Cameron, Avatar* |
2008
Danny Boyle, Slumdog | Danny Boyle, Slumdog+ |
Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon | Ron Howard, Frost/Nixon* |
Gus Van Sant, Milk | Gus Van Sant, Milk* |
David Fincher, Benjamin Button | David Fincher, Benjamin Button* |
Christopher Nolan, The Dark Knight | Stephen Daldry, The Reader* |
2007
Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country+ |
Sean Penn, Into the Wild | Jason Reitman, Juno* |
Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly | Julian Schnabel, The Diving Bell and the Butterfly |
Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton | Tony Gilroy, Michael Clayton* |
Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood | Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be Blood* |
2006
Stephen Frears, The Queen | Stephen Frears, The Queen* |
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel | Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Babel* |
Bill Condon, Dreamgirls | Clint Eastwood, Letters from Iwo Jima* |
Faris and Dayton, Little Miss Sunshine* | Paul Greengrass, United 93 |
Martin Scorsese, The Departed | Martin Scorsese, The Departed+ |
2005
Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain * |
George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck | George Clooney, Good Night, and Good Luck* |
Paul Haggis, Crash | Paul Haggis, Crash+ |
Bennett Miller, Capote | Bennett Miller, Capote* |
Steven Spielberg, Munich | Steven Spielberg, Munich * |
2004
Alexander Payne for Sideways | Alexander Payne for Sideways* |
Martin Scorsese for The Aviator | Martin Scorsese for The Aviator* |
Taylor Hackford for Ray | Taylor Hackford for Ray* |
Marc Forster for Finding Neverland* | Mike Leigh for Vera Drake |
Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby | Clint Eastwood for Million Dollar Baby+ |
2003
Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation | Sofia Coppola, Lost in Translation* |
Clint Eastwood, Mystic River | Clint Eastwood, Mystic River* |
Peter Jackson, ROTK | Peter Jackson, ROTK+ |
Peter Weir, Master and Commander | Peter Weir, Master and Commander* |
Gary Ross, Seabiscuit* | Fernando Merielles, City of God |
2002
Martin Scorsese, Gangs of New York | Martin Scorsese* |
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings* | Pedro Almodovar |
Roman Polanski, The Pianist | Roman Polanski* |
Rob Marshall, Chicago | Rob Marshall+ |
Steven Daldry, The Hours | Steven Daldry* |
2001
Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind+ |
Peter Jackson, Lord of the Rings | Peter Jackson, LOTR* |
Christopher Nolan, Memento | Robert Altman, Gosford Park* |
Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down | Ridley Scott, Black Hawk Down |
Baz Luhrmann, Moulin Rouge* | David Lynch, Mulholland Drive |
2000
Cameron Crowe, Almost Famous | Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot* |
Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon | Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* |
Ridley Scott, Gladiator | Ridley Scott, Gladiator+ |
Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich | Steven Soderbergh, Erin Brockovich * |
Steven Soderbergh, Traffic | Steven Soderbergh, Traffic* |
1999
Frank Darabont, The Green Mile* | Lasse Hallstrom, Cider House Rules* |
Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich | Spike Jonze, Being John Malkovich |
Michael Mann, The Insider | Michael Mann, The Insider* |
Sam Mendes, American Beauty | Sam Mendes, American Beauty+ |
M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense | M. Night Shyamalan, The Sixth Sense* |
1998
Peter Weir, Truman Show | Peter Weir, Truman Show |
Terrence Malick, Thin Red Line | Terrence Malick, Thin Red Line |
John Madden, Shakes in Love | John Madden, Shakes in Love* |
Steven Spielberg, SPR | Steven Spielberg, SPR |
Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful | Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful |
1997
James L. Brooks As Good As It Gets* | Peter Cattaneo, The Full Monty* |
Steven Spielberg Amistad | Atom Egoyan, The Sweet Hereafter |
Gus Van Sant, Good Will Hunting | Gus Van Sant, Good Will Hunting* |
James Cameron, Titanic | James Cameron, Titanic+ |
Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential | Curtis Hanson, L.A. Confidential* |
1996
Cameron Crowe, Jerry Maguire* | Milos Forman for The People vs. Larry Flynt |
Joel Coen, Fargo | Joel Coen, Fargo* |
Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies | Mike Leigh, Secrets & Lies * |
Anthony Minghella, The English Patient | Anthony Minghella, The English Patient+ |
Scott Hicks, Shine | Scott Hicks, Shine* |
1995
Mike Figgis for Leaving Las Vegas | Mike Figgis for Leaving Las Vegas |
Mel Gibson for Braveheart | Mel Gibson for Braveheart+ |
Ron Howard for Apollo 13* | Chris Noonan for Babe* |
Ang Lee for Sense and Sensibility* | Tim Robbins for Dead Man Walking |
Michael Radford for Il Postino | Michael Radford for Il Postino* |
1994
Mike Newell for Four Weddings and a Funeral* | Woody Allen for Bullets Over Broadway |
Frank Darabont for The Shawshank Redemption* | Krzysztof Kieslowski for Red |
Robert Redford for Quiz Show | Robert Redford for Quiz Show* |
Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction | Quentin Tarantino for Pulp Fiction* |
Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump | Robert Zemeckis for Forrest Gump+ |
1993
Andrew Davis for The Fugitive* | Robert Altman for Short Cuts |
Jane Campion for The Piano | Jane Campion for The Piano* |
James Ivory for The Remains Of the Day | James Ivory for The Remains Of the Day* |
Martin Scorsese for The Age Of Innocence | Jim Sheridan for In the Name Of the Father* |
Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List | Steven Spielberg for Schindler’s List+ |
1992
Robert Altman for The Player | Robert Altman for The Player |
Rob Reiner for A Few Good Men* | Martin Brest for Scent Of a Woman* |
Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven | Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven+ |
James Ivory for Howards End | James Ivory for Howards End* |
Neil Jordan for The Crying Game | Neil Jordan for The Crying Game* |
1991
Barbra Streisand for The Prince Of Tides* | John Singleton for Boyz N the Hood |
Oliver Stone for JFK | Oliver Stone for JFK* |
Ridley Scott for Thelma & Louise | Ridley Scott for Thelma & Louise |
Barry Levinson for Bugsy | Barry Levinson for Bugsy* |
Jonathan Demme for The Silence Of the Lambs | Jonathan Demme for The Silence Of the Lambs+ |
1990
Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part III | Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part III* |
Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves | Kevin Costner for Dances With Wolves+ |
Barry Levinson for Avalon | Stephen Frears for The Grifters |
Martin Scorsese for GoodFellas | Martin Scorsese for GoodFellas* |
Giuseppe Tornatore for Cinema Paradiso | Barbet Schroeder for Reversal Of Fortune |
1989
Driving Miss Daisy won Best Picture
Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone | Born on the Fourth of July: Oliver Stone |
Field of Dreams: Phil Alden Robinson | Henry V: Kenneth Branagh |
Crimes and Misdemeanors: Woody Allen | Crimes and Misdemeanors: Woody Allen |
Dead Poets Society: Peter Weir | Dead Poets Society: Peter Weir |
When Harry Met Sally…: Rob Reiner | My Left Foot: Jim Sheridan |
1988
Rain Man: Barry Levinson | Rain Man: Barry Levinson+ |
A Fish Called Wanda: Charles Crichton | A Fish Called Wanda: Charles Crichton |
Working Girl: Mike Nichols | Working Girl: Mike Nichols |
Mississippi Burning: Alan Parker | Mississippi Burning: Alan Parker |
Who Framed Roger Rabbit: Robert Zemeckis | The Last Temptation of Christ: Martin Scorsese |
1987
The Last Emperor: Bernardo Bertolucci | The Last Emperor: Bernardo Bertolucci+ |
Broadcast News: James L. Brooks | Hope and Glory: John Boorman |
My Life as a Dog: Lasse Hallström | My Life as a Dog: Lasse Hallström |
Empire of the Sun: Steven Spielberg | Moonstruck: Norman Jewison |
Fatal Attraction: Adrian Lyne | Fatal Attraction: Adrian Lyne |
1986
Platoon: Oliver Stone | Platoon: Oliver Stone+ |
Hannah and Her Sisters: Woody Allen | Hannah and Her Sisters: Woody Allen |
Children of a Lesser God: Randa Haines | The Mission: Roland Joffé |
A Room with a View: James Ivory | A Room with a View: James Ivory |
Stand by Me: Rob Reiner | Blue Velvet: David Lynch |
1985
Out of Africa: Sydney Pollack | Out of Africa: Sydney Pollack+ |
The Color Purple: Steven Spielberg | Kiss of the Spider Woman: Hector Babenco |
Prizzi’s Honor: John Huston | Prizzi’s Honor: John Huston |
Cocoon: Ron Howard | Ran: Akira Kurosawa |
Witness: Peter Weir | Witness: Peter Weir |
1984
Amadeus: Milos Forman | Amadeus: Milos Forman+ |
Places in the Heart: Robert Benton | Broadway Danny Rose: Woody Allen |
A Soldier’s Story: Norman Jewison | Places in the Heart: Robert Benton |
The Killing Fields: Roland Joffé | The Killing Fields: Roland Joffé |
A Passage to India: David Lean | A Passage to India: David Lean |
1983
Terms of Endearment: James L. Brooks | Terms of Endearment: James L. Brooks+ |
Tender Mercies: Bruce Beresford | Tender Mercies: Bruce Beresford |
Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman | Fanny and Alexander: Ingmar Bergman |
The Big Chill: Lawrence Kasdan | Silkwood: Mike Nichols |
The Right Stuff: Philip Kaufman | The Dresser: Peter Yates |
1982
Gandhi: Richard Attenborough | Gandhi: Richard Attenborough+ |
An Officer and a Gentleman: Taylor Hackford | The Verdict: Sidney Lumet |
Das Boot: Wolfgang Petersen | Das Boot: Wolfgang Petersen |
Tootsie: Sydney Pollack | Tootsie: Sydney Pollack |
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Steven Spielberg | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial: Steven Spielberg |
1981
Reds: Warren Beatty | Reds: Warren Beatty |
Chariots of Fire: Hugh Hudson | Chariots of Fire: Hugh Hudson+ |
Atlantic City: Louis Malle | Atlantic City: Louis Malle |
On Golden Pond: Mark Rydell | On Golden Pond: Mark Rydell |
Raiders of the Lost Ark: Steven Spielberg | Raiders of the Lost Ark: Steven Spielberg |
1980
Ordinary People: Robert Redford | Ordinary People: Robert Redford+ |
The Elephant Man: David Lynch | The Elephant Man: David Lynch |
Coal Miner’s Daughter: Michael Apted | Tess: Roman Polanski |
The Stunt Man: Richard Rush | The Stunt Man: Richard Rush |
Raging Bull: Martin Scorsese | Raging Bull: Martin Scorsese |
1979
Kramer vs. Kramer: Robert Benton | Kramer vs. Kramer: Robert Benton+ |
Manhattan: Woody Allen | La cage aux folles: Edouard Molinaro |
The China Syndrome: James Bridges | All That Jazz: Bob Fosse |
Apocalypse Now: Francis Ford Coppola | Apocalypse Now: Francis Ford Coppola |
Breaking Away: Peter Yates | Breaking Away: Peter Yates |
1978
The Deer Hunter: Michael Cimino | The Deer Hunter: Michael Cimino+ |
An Unmarried Woman: Paul Mazursky | Interiors: Woody Allen |
Coming Home: Hal Ashby | Coming Home: Hal Ashby |
Heaven Can Wait: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry | Heaven Can Wait: Warren Beatty, Buck Henry |
Midnight Express: Alan Parker | Midnight Express: Alan Parker |
1977
Annie Hall: Woody Allen | Annie Hall: Woody Allen+ |
Star Wars: George Lucas | Star Wars: George Lucas |
The Turning Point: Herbert Ross | The Turning Point: Herbert Ross |
Julia: Fred Zinnemann | Julia: Fred Zinnemann |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Steven Spielberg | Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Steven Spielberg |
1976
Rocky: John G. Avildsen | Rocky: John G. Avildsen+ |
Taxi Driver: Martin Scorsese | Face to Face: Ingmar Bergman |
Network: Sidney Lumet | Network: Sidney Lumet |
All the President’s Men: Alan J. Pakula | All the President’s Men: Alan J. Pakula |
Seven Beauties: Lina Wertmüller | Seven Beauties: Lina Wertmüller |
1975
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Milos Forman | One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest: Milos Forman+ |
Nashville: Robert Altman |
Nashville: Robert Altman |
Jaws: Steven Spielberg | Amarcord: Federico Fellini |
Barry Lyndon: Stanley Kubrick | Barry Lyndon: Stanley Kubrick |
Dog Day Afternoon: Sidney Lumet | Dog Day Afternoon: Sidney Lumet |
1974
The Godfather: Part II: Francis Ford Coppola | The Godfather: Part II: Francis Ford Coppola+ |
The Conversation: Francis Ford Coppola | A Woman Under the Influence: John Cassavetes |
Lenny: Bob Fosse | Lenny: Bob Fosse |
Chinatown: Roman Polanski | Chinatown: Roman Polanski |
Murder on the Orient Express: Sidney Lumet | Day for Night: François Truffaut |
1973
The Sting: George Roy Hill | The Sting: George Roy Hill+ |
Last Tango in Paris: Bernardo Bertolucci | Last Tango in Paris: Bernardo Bertolucci |
The Exorcist: William Friedkin | The Exorcist: William Friedkin |
American Graffiti: George Lucas | American Graffiti: George Lucas |
Serpico: Sidney Lumet | Cries & Whispers: Ingmar Bergman |
1972
Cabaret: Bob Fosse | Cabaret: Bob Fosse |
Deliverance: John Boorman | Deliverance: John Boorman |
The Godfather: Francis Ford Coppola | The Godfather: Francis Ford Coppola+ |
Sounder: Martin Ritt | Sleuth: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Slaughterhouse-Five: George Roy Hill | The Emigrants: Jan Troell |
1971
The French Connection: William Friedkin | The French Connection: William Friedkin+ |
The Last Picture Show: Peter Bogdanovich | The Last Picture Show: Peter Bogdanovich |
Summer of ’42: Robert Mulligan | Fiddler on the Roof: Norman Jewison |
A Clockwork Orange: Stanley Kubrick | A Clockwork Orange: Stanley Kubrick |
Sunday Bloody Sunday: John Schlesinger | Sunday Bloody Sunday: John Schlesinger |
1970
Patton: Franklin J. Schaffner | Patton: Franklin J. Schaffner |
MASH: Robert Altman | MASH: Robert Altman |
Love Story: Arthur Hiller | Love Story: Arthur Hiller |
Ryan’s Daughter: David Lean | Fellini Satyricon: Federico Fellini |
Five Easy Pieces: Bob Rafelson | Women in Love: Ken Russell |
1969
Midnight Cowboy: John Schlesinger | Midnight Cowboy: John Schlesinger |
Z: Costa-Gavras | Z: Costa-Gavras |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: George Roy Hill | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid: George Roy Hill |
Easy Rider: Dennis Hopper | Arthur Penn, Alice’s Restaurant |
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?: Sydney Pollack | They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?: Sydney Pollack |
Oh! What a Lovely War: Richard Attenborough | |
Hello, Dolly!: Gene Kelly | |
The Wild Bunch: Sam Peckinpah | |
Goodbye, Columbus: Larry Peerce | |
Medium Cool: Haskell Wexler |
1968
Oliver!: Carol Reed | Oliver!: Carol Reed |
2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick | 2001: A Space Odyssey: Stanley Kubrick |
Rachel, Rachel: Paul Newman | The Lion in Winter: Anthony Harvey |
Funny Girl: William Wyler | The Battle of Algiers: Gillo Pontecorvo |
Isabel: Paul Almond | |
Closely Watched Trains: Jirí Menzel | |
Hello, Dolly!: Gene Kelly | |
Rosemary’s Baby: Roman Polanski | |
The Odd Couple: Gene Saks | |
Romeo and Juliet: Franco Zeffirelli | Romeo and Juliet: Franco Zeffirelli |
1967
The Graduate: Mike Nichols | The Graduate: Mike Nichols |
In Cold Blood: Richard Brooks | In Cold Blood: Richard Brooks |
In the Heat of the Night: Norman Jewison | In the Heat of the Night: Norman Jewison+ |
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Stanley Kramer | Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner: Stanley Kramer |
Bonnie and Clyde: Arthur Penn | Bonnie and Clyde: Arthur Penn |
The Dirty Dozen: Robert Aldrich | |
To Sir, with Love: James Clavell | |
Two for the Road: Stanley Donen | |
Cool Hand Luke: Stuart Rosenberg | |
Ulysses: Joseph Strick |
1966
A Man for All Seasons: Fred Zinnemann | A Man for All Seasons: Fred Zinnemann+ |
Grand Prix: John Frankenheimer | Blow-Up: Michelangelo Antonioni |
The Professionals: Richard Brooks | The Professionals: Richard Brooks |
Alfie: Lewis Gilbert* | |
Born Free: James Hill | |
The Russians Are Coming the Russians Are Coming: Norman Jewison* | |
A Man and a Woman: Claude Lelouch | A Man and a Woman: Claude Lelouch |
Georgy Girl: Silvio Narizzano | |
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Mike Nichols | Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?: Mike Nichols* |
The Sand Pebbles: Robert Wise* |
1965
The Sound of Music: Robert Wise+ | The Sound of Music: Robert Wise+ |
The Ipcress File: Sidney J. Furie | Doctor Zhivago: David Lean |
The Pawnbroker: Sidney Lumet | Woman in the Dunes: Hiroshi Teshigahara |
Darling: John Schlesinger | Darling: John Schlesinger |
Cat Ballou: Elliot Silverstein | The Collector: William Wyler |
1964
My Fair Lady: George Cukor | My Fair Lady: George Cukor+ |
The Night of the Iguana: John Huston | Zorba the Greek: Mihalis Kakogiannis |
Becket: Peter Glenville | Becket: Peter Glenville |
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Stanley Kubrick | Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb: Stanley Kubrick |
Mary Poppins: Robert Stevenson | Mary Poppins: Robert Stevenson |
1963
Tom Jones: Tony Richardson | Tom Jones: Tony Richardson |
8½: Federico Fellini | 8½: Federico Fellini |
America, America: Elia Kazan | America, America: Elia Kazan |
Lilies of the Field: Ralph Nelsonk | The Cardinal: Otto Preminger |
Hud: Martin Ritt | Hud: Martin Ritt |
1962
Lawrence of Arabia: David Lean | Lawrence of Arabia: David Lean+ |
Divorce Italian Style: Pietro Germi | Divorce Italian Style: Pietro Germi |
To Kill a Mockingbird: Robert Mulligan | To Kill a Mockingbird: Robert Mulligan |
The Miracle Worker: Arthur Penn | The Miracle Worker: Arthur Penn |
Birdman of Alcatraz: John Frankenheimer | David and Lisa: Frank Perry |
The Manchurian Candidate: John Frankenheimer | |
The Longest Day: Ken Annakin, Andrew Marton, Bernhard Wicki | |
Freud: John Huston | |
Lolita: Stanley Kubrick | |
Long Day’s Journey Into Night: Sidney Lumet | |
Billy Budd: Peter Ustinov | |
What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?: Robert Aldrich | |
The Music Man: Morton DaCosta | |
Mutiny on the Bounty: Lewis Milestone | |
Requiem for a Heavyweight: Ralph Nelson | |
A Taste of Honey: Tony Richardson |
1961
West Side Story: Robert Wise | West Side Story: Robert Wise, Jerome Robbins+ |
La Dolce Vita: Federico Fellini | |
Judgment at Nuremberg: Stanley Kramer | Judgment at Nuremberg: Stanley Kramer* |
The Hustler: Robert Rossen | The Hustler: Robert Rossen* |
The Guns of Navarone: J. Lee Thompson | The Guns of Navarone: J. Lee Thompson* |
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: Blake Edwards | |
One-Eyed Jacks: Marlon Brando | |
Pocketful of Miracles: Frank Capra | |
The Innocents: Jack Clayton | |
Summer and Smoke: Peter Glenville | |
The Misfits: John Huston | |
Splendor in the Grass: Elia Kazan | |
Flower Drum Song: Henry Koster | |
A Majority of One: Mervyn LeRoy | |
Hand in Hand: Philip Leacock | |
Fanny: Joshua Logan | |
El Cid: Anthony Mann | |
The Great Impostor: Robert Mulligan | |
A Raisin in the Sun: Daniel Petrie | |
The AbsentMinded Professor: Robert Stevenson | |
Romanoff and Juliet: Peter Ustinov | |
The Children’s Hour: William Wyler |
1960
The Apartment: Billy Wilder | The Apartment: Billy Wilder |
Sons and Lovers: Jack Cardiff | Sons and Lovers: Jack Cardiff |
Bells Are Ringing: Vincente Minnelli |
Never on Sunday: Jules Dassin |
Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock | Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock |
The Sundowners: Fred Zinnemann | The Sundowners: Fred Zinnemann |
Elmer Gantry: Richard Brooks | |
Sunrise at Campobello: Vincent J. Donehue | |
Sink the Bismarck!: Lewis Gilbert | |
Can-Can: Walter Lang | |
The Dark at the Top of the Stairs: Delbert Mann | |
Home from the Hill: Vincente Minnelli | |
Our Man in Havana: Carol Reed | |
Hiroshima, mon amour: Alain Resnais | |
Please Don’t Eat the Daisies: Charles Walters |
1959
Ben-Hur: William Wyler | Ben-Hur: William Wyler |
Anatomy of a Murder: Otto Preminger | Room at the Top: Jack Clayton |
The Diary of Anne Frank: George Stevens | The Diary of Anne Frank: George Stevens |
Some Like It Hot: Billy Wilder | Some Like It Hot: Billy Wilder |
The Nun’s Story: Fred Zinnemann | The Nun’s Story: Fred Zinnemann |
The Shaggy Dog: Charles Barton | |
A Hole in the Head: Frank Capra | |
Compulsion: Richard Fleischer | |
The Horse Soldiers: John Ford | |
Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks | |
North by Northwest: Alfred Hitchcock | |
Rally ‘Round the Flag, Boys!: Leo McCarey | |
Imitation of Life: Douglas Sirk |
1958
Gigi: Vincente Minnelli | Gigi: Vincente Minnelli |
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof | Cat on a Hot Tin Roof: Richard Brooks |
The Defiant Ones: Stanley Kramer | The Defiant Ones: Stanley Kramer |
The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: Mark Robson | The Inn of the Sixth Happiness: Mark Robson |
I Want to Live!: Robert Wise | I Want to Live!: Robert Wise |
Damn Yankees!: George Abbott, Stanley Donen | |
The Brothers Karamazov: Richard Brooks | |
Cowboy: Delmer Daves | |
The Young Lions: Edward Dmytryk | |
The Vikings: Richard Fleischer | |
Vertigo: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Long, Hot Summer: Martin Ritt | |
Teacher’s Pet: George Seaton | |
The Big Country: William Wyler |
1957
The Bridge on the River Kwai: David Lean | The Bridge on the River Kwai: David Lean |
Les Girls: George Cukor | Sayonara: Joshua Logan |
12 Angry Men: Sidney Lumet | 12 Angry Men: Sidney Lumet |
Peyton Place: Mark Robson | Peyton Place: Mark Robson |
Witness for the Prosecution: Billy Wilder | Witness for the Prosecution: Billy Wilder |
Funny Face: Stanley Donen | |
The Great Man: José Ferrer | |
Heaven Knows, Mr. Allison: John Huston | |
A Face in the Crowd: Elia Kazan | |
The Pride and the Passion: Stanley Kramer | |
Men in War: Anthony Mann | |
An Affair to Remember: Leo McCarey | |
Fear Strikes Out: Robert Mulligan | |
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral: John Sturges | |
Love in the Afternoon: Billy Wilder | |
A Hatful of Rain: Fred Zinnemann |
1956
Giant: George Stevens | Giant: George Stevens |
Around the World in Eighty Days: Michael Anderson | Around the World in Eighty Days: Michael Anderson |
The King and I: Walter Lang | The King and I: Walter Lang |
War and Peace: King Vidor | War and Peace: King Vidor |
Friendly Persuasion: William Wyler | Friendly Persuasion: William Wyler |
The Teahouse of the August Moon: Daniel Mann | |
The Searchers: John Ford | |
The Trouble with Harry: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Man Who Knew Too Much: Alfred Hitchcock | |
The Man in the Gray Flannel Suit: Nunnally Johnson | |
Carousel: Henry King | |
Trapeze: Carol Reed | |
Alexander the Great: Robert Rossen | |
Meet Me in Las Vegas: Roy Rowland | |
The Eddy Duchin Story: George Sidney | |
Moby Dick: John Huston | |
Bus Stop: Joshua Logan | |
Somebody Up There Likes Me: Robert Wise |
1955
Marty: Delbert Mann | Marty: Delbert Mann |
East of Eden: Elia Kazan | East of Eden: Elia Kazan |
Mister Roberts: John Ford, Mervyn LeRoy | Summertime: David Lean |
Picnic: Joshua Logan | Picnic: Joshua Logan |
Bad Day at Black Rock: John Sturges | Bad Day at Black Rock: John Sturges |
The Rose Tattoo: Daniel Mann | |
Blackboard Jungle: Richard Brooks | |
The Long Gray Line: John Ford | |
A Man Called Peter: Henry Koster | |
The Bridges at Toko-Ri: Mark Robson | |
Love Me or Leave Me: Charles Vidor | |
The Seven Year Itch: Billy Wilder |
1954
On the Waterfront: Elia Kazan | On the Waterfront: Elia Kazan |
Rear Window: Alfred Hitchcock | Rear Window: Alfred Hitchcock |
The Country Girl: George Seaton | The Country Girl: George Seaton |
The High and the Mighty: William A. Wellman | The High and the Mighty: William A. Wellman |
Sabrina: Billy Wilder | Sabrina: Billy Wilder |
A Star Is Born: George Cukor | |
The Caine Mutiny: Edward Dmytryk | |
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers: Stanley Donen | |
Knock on Wood: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama | |
Hell and High Water: Samuel Fuller | |
Dial M for Murder: Alfred Hitchcock | |
King of the Khyber Rifles: Henry King | |
The Glenn Miller Story: Anthony Mann | |
Three Coins in the Fountain: Jean Negulesco | |
Riot in Cell Block 11: Don Siegel | |
Executive Suite: Robert Wise |
1953
From Here to Eternity: Fred Zinnemann | From Here to Eternity: Fred Zinnemann |
Shane: George Stevens | Shane: George Stevens |
Lili: Charles Walters | Lili: Charles Walters |
Stalag 17: Billy Wilder | Stalag 17: Billy Wilder |
Roman Holiday: William Wyler | Roman Holiday: William Wyler |
Come Back Little Sheba: Daniel Mann | |
Above and Beyond: Melvin Frank, Norman Panama | |
The Robe: Henry Koster | |
Call Me Madam: Walter Lang | |
Julius Caesar: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | |
Titanic: Jean Negulesco | |
Young Bess: George Sidney |
1953
The Quiet Man: John Ford | The Quiet Man: John Ford |
The Greatest Show on Earth: Cecil B. DeMille | The Greatest Show on Earth: Cecil B. DeMille+ |
Pat and Mike: George Cukor | Moulin Rouge: John Huston |
5 Fingers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | 5 Fingers: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
High Noon: Fred Zinnemann | High Noon: Fred Zinnemann |
I’ll See You in My Dreams: Michael Curtiz | |
Singin’ in the Rain: Stanley Donen, Gene Kelly | |
My Six Convicts: Hugo Fregonese | |
The Big Sky: Howard Hawks | |
Viva Zapata!: Elia Kazan | |
The Snows of Kilimanjaro: Henry King | |
Rashomon: Akira Kurosawa | |
Pandora and the Flying Dutchman: Albert Lewin | |
The Bad and the Beautiful: Vincente Minnelli | |
Scaramouche: George Sidney | |
Ivanhoe: Richard Thorpe | |
Hans Christian Andersen: Charles Vidor |
1952
A Place in the Sun: George Stevens | A Place in the Sun: George Stevens |
Strangers on a Train: Alfred Hitchcock | The African Queen: John Huston |
A Streetcar Named Desire: Elia Kazan | A Streetcar Named Desire: Elia Kazan |
An American in Paris: Vincente Minnelli | An American in Paris: Vincente Minnelli+ |
Detective Story: William Wyler | Detective Story: William Wyler |
Death of a Salesman: Laslo Benedek | |
Cyrano de Bergerac: Michael Gordon | |
David and Bathsheba: Henry King | |
Quo Vadis: Mervyn LeRoy | |
Decision Before Dawn: Anatole Litvak | |
Show Boat: George Sidney | |
The Great Caruso: Richard Thorpe |
1951
All About Eve: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | All About Eve: Joseph L. Mankiewicz+ |
The Asphalt Jungle: John Huston | Born Yesterday: George Cukor |
Father’s Little Dividend: Vincente Minnelli | The Asphalt Jungle: John Huston |
The Third Man: Carol Reed | |
Sunset Blvd.: Billy Wilder | Sunset Blvd.: Billy Wilder |
1950
All the King’s Men: Robert Rossen | All the King’s Men: Robert Rossen+ |
The Third Man: Carol Reed | A Letter to Three Wives: Joseph L. Mankiewicz |
Champion: Mark Robson | The Fallen Idol: Carol Reed |
Lost Boundaries: Alfred L. Werker | Battleground: William A. Wellman |
SuThe Heiress: William Wyler |
1949
A Letter to Three Wives: Joseph L. Mankiewicz | Hamlet: Laurence Olivier+ |
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre: John Huston | |
Red River: Howard Hawks | The Search: Fred Zinnemann |
The Snake Pit: Anatole Litvak | The Snake Pit: Anatole Litvak |
The Search: Fred Zinnemann | Johnny Belinda: Jean Negulesco |
+also won Best Picture
(best picture that didn’t match director)
2012 | ||
2011 | Michel Hazanavicious, The Artist | Michel Hazanavicious, The Artist+ |
2010 | Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech | Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech+ |
2009 | Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker | Kathryn Bigelow, The Hurt Locker+ |
2008 | Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire | Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire+ |
2007 | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country | Joel and Ethan Coen, No Country+ |
2006 | Martin Scorsese, The Departed | Martin Scorsese, The Departed+ |
2005 | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain | Ang Lee, Brokeback Mountain* (Crash+) |
2004 | Clint Eastwood, Million Dollar Baby | Clint Eastwood, MDB+ |
2003 | Peter Jackson, Return of the King | Peter Jackson, Return of the King+ |
2002 | Rob Marshall, Chicago | Roman Polanski, The Pianist (Chicago) |
2001 | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind | Ron Howard, A Beautiful Mind+ |
2000 | Ang Lee, Crouching Tiger | Steven Soderbergh, Traffic (Gladiator) |
1999 | Sam Mendes, American Beauty | Sam Mendes, American Beauty+ |
1998 | Steven Spielberg, Saving Private Ryan | Steven Spielberg (Shakespeare in Love) |
1997 | Jim Cameron, Titanic | Jim Cameron, Titanic+ |
1996 | Anthony Minghella, English Patient | Anthony Minghella, English Patient+ |
1995 | Ron Howard, Apollo 13 | Mel Gibson, Braveheart+ |
1994 | Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump | Robert Zemeckis, Forrest Gump+ |
1993 | Seven Spielberg, Schindler’s List | Steven Spielberg, Schindler’s List+ |
1992 | Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven | Clint Eastwood, Unforgiven+ |
1991 | Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs | Jonathan Demme, Silence of the Lambs + |
1990 | Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves | Kevin Costner, Dances with Wolves+ |
1989 | Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July | Oliver Stone, Born on the Fourth of July (Driving Miss Daisy – director Beresford not nommed for Oscar or DGA) |
1988 | Barry Levinson, Rain Man | Barry Levinson, Rain Man+ |
1987 | Bernardo Bertolucci, Last Emperor | Bernardo Bertolucci, Last Emperor+ |
1986 | Oliver Stone, Platoon | Oliver Stone, Platoon+ |
1985 | Steven Spielberg, Color Purple | Sidney Pollack, Out of Africa+ |
1984: | Milos Forman, Amadeus | Milos Forman, Amadeus+ |
1983: | James Brooks, Terms of Endearment | James Brooks, Terms of Endearment+ |
1982: | Richard Attenborough, Gandhi | Richard Attenborough, Gandhi+ |
1981: | Warren Beatty, Reds | Warren Beatty, Reds (Chariots of Fire) |
1980: | Robert Redford, Ordinary People | Robert Redford, Ordinary People+ |
1979: | Robert Benton, Kramer Vs. Kramer | Robert Benton, Kramer Vs. Kramer+ |
1978: | Michael Cimino, Deer Hunter | Michael Cimino, Deer Hunter+ |
1977: | Woody Allen, Annie Hall | Woody Allen, Annie Hall+ |
1976: | John Avildson, Rocky | John Avildson, Rocky+ |
1975: | Milos Foreman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Milos Foreman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest+ |
1974: | Frances Coppola, Godfather II | Frances Coppola, Godfather II+ |
1973: | George Roy Hill, The Sting | George Roy Hill+ |
1972: | Frances Coppola, The Godfather | Bob Fosse, Cabaret (Godfather) |
1971: | William Friedkin, The French Connection | William Friedkin, The French Connection+ |
1970: | Franklin J. Schaffner, Patton | Franklin J. Schaffner , Patton+ |
1969: | John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy | John Schlesinger, Midnight Cowboy+ |
1968: | Anthony Harvey, Lion in Winter | Carol Reed, Oliver+ |
1967: | Mike Nichols, The Graduate | Mike Nichols, The Graduate (In Heat of the Night) |
1966: | Fred Zinneman, A Man for all Seasons | Fred Zinneman, A Man for all Seasons+ |
1965: | Robert Wise, The Sound of Music | Robert Wise, the Sound of Music+ |
1964: | George Cukor, My Fair Lady | George Cukor, My Fair Lady+ |
1963: | Tony Richardson, Tom Jones | Tony Richardson, Tom Jones+ |
1962: | David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia | David Lean, Lawrence of Arabia+ |
1961: | Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, West Side Story | Jerome Robbins, Robert Wise, West Side Story+ |
1960: | Billy Wilder, The Apartment | Billy Wilder, The Apartment+ |
1959: | William Wyler, Ben Hur | William Wyler, Ben Hur+ |
1958: | Vincent Minnelli, Gigi | Vincent Minnelli, Gigi+ |
1957: | David Lean, Bridge on the River Kwai | David Lean, Bridge on the River Kwai+ |
1956: | George Stevens, Giant | George Stevens, Giant (Around/World in 80 Days) |
1955: | Delbert Mann, Marty | Delbert Mann, Marty+ |
1954: | Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront | Elia Kazan, On the Waterfront+ |
1953: | Fred Zinnemann, From here to Eternity | Fred Zinnemann, From here to Eternity+ |
1952: | John Ford, The Quiet Man | John Ford, The Quiet Man (Greatest Show on Earth) |
1951: | George Stevens, A Place in the Sun | George Stevens, A Place in the Sun (An American in Paris) |
1950: | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve | Joseph L. Mankiewicz, All About Eve+ |
1949: | Robert Rossen, All the King’s Men | Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter To Three Wives (All the King’s Men) |
1948: | Joseph L. Mankiewicz for A Letter To Three Wives | John Huston, Treasure of the Sierra Madre (Hamlet) |
1947 | Elia Kaza for Gentleman’s Agreement | |
1946 | William Wyler for The Best Years of Our Lives | |
1945 | Billy Wilder for The Lost Weekend | |
1944 | Leo McCary for Going My Way | |
1943 | Michael Curtiz for Casablanca | |
1942 | William Wyler for Mrs. Miniver | |
1941 | John Ford for How Green Was My Valley | |
1940 | John Ford for The Grapes of Wrath (Rebecca) | |
1939 | Victor Flemming, Gone with the Wind | |
1938 | Frank Capra, You Can’t Take it With You | |
1937 | Leo McCary, The Awful Truth (The Life of Emile Zola) | |
1936 | Frank Capra, Mr. Deed Goes to Town (The Great Ziegfeld) | |
1935 | John Ford, The Informer (Mutiny on the Bounty) | |
1934 | Frank Capra, It Happened One Night | |
1933 | Frank Lloyd, Calvalcade |
I’ve said it before & I’ll say it again – the Oscars’ Best Director picks were a surprise, but a brilliant one. That’s a great list of directors. Replace O’Russell with Bigelow and it’s as near perfect as five nominees can get.
They certainly shouldn’t be criticised for thinking for ignoring the status quo when they did pretty darn well thinking for themselves.
“When was the last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar?”
Easy enough. 2011 The Artist, 1997 Titanic, 1994 Forrest Gump (but against Pulp Fiction!), 1991 The Silence of the Lambs, 1986 Platoon, 1978 The Deer Hunter, 1977 Annie Hall, 1976 Rocky (but against Network, All the President’s Men and Taxi Driver!), 1975 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 1974 The Godfather Part II, 1972 The Godfather, 1971 The French Connection, …
This year only Amour, Silver Linings Playbook and Life of Pi would fall into that category, and it is very unlikely that Oscar voters would suddenly fall for masterpieces. But who knows. Since mediocre, flawed films like Argo, Lincoln and Zero Dark Thirty dominate the race this year it looks very unlikely, that voters will vote independently.
I’ll never understand why all these so-called intellectuals(!) think Chariots of Fire is not deserving. I love Chariots of Fire! And it would be my answer to the last masterpiece to win Best Pic.
Now of course I haven’t seen No Country and I think Silence and Unforgiven are just wonderful, but I haven’t seen Unforgiven since it’s release (I know, how embarrassing!) but Silence doesn’t have enough emotional resonance for me, even though it is flawlessly put together.
But then I knew I am cuckoo in the head and out of the mainstream with the films I love. But I love the portrayal of the two central figures in Chariots, I think they are spot on special and I love how they approach life differently. Every time I see the film, I’m totally enraptured and think it’s just smashing.
There really is no “correct answer” to this question, only the posturings of a person’s singular taste.
I am know I am in the minority at this site when I say that THE ARTIST is a better film than NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. I could watch the artist endlessly, but NO COUNTRY, as well made as is it is not the kind of film I would care to revisit.
If we bring in the year’s critics’ awards into play here, we will find that THE ARTIST won even more citations than NO COUNTRY, though admittedly the latter film had to contend with THERE WILL BE BLOOD that same year.
THE ARTIST for me is a better film than NO COUNTRY any day of the week, but as I say it is a matter of taste and appreciation.
There is no right answer to this question, just an expression of taste. The critical zeitgeist seems to believe both are masterpieces. Fair enough.
Was THE ARTIST the best film of last year all things considered, taking in great work like TREE OF LIFE and other superlative foreign-language films?
My answer is……….YES. But it’s all about taste.
The Exorcist is a masterpiece. It should have beat the bland The Sting for best picture.
The classic horror film won adapted script and probably one of the most deserving best wins for Sound in movie history. It still overpowers any computer special effects horror films made today.
80’s: Amadeus (Terms od Endearment & Platoon very close)
90’s: Schindler’s List, The Silence of the Lambs
2000’s: No Country for Old Men, The Lord of the Rings
The last time a masterpiece won Best Picture? Been a while. Had they wanted to honor a masterpiece for Best Picture they certainly could have done it with There Will Be Blood (2007), the extraordinary film from the great Paul Thomas Anderson, Brokeback Mountain (2005), Sideways (2004), the finest American comedy since Tootsie (1982), Far from Heaven (2002), Magnolia (1999), Saving Private Ryan (1998), LA Confidential (1997) or The Sweet Hereafter (1997), APollo 13 (1995), Pulp Fiction (1994), Goodfellas (1990), Empire of the Sun (1987), E.T. : The Extraterrestrial (1982), Reds (1981), Raging bull (1980), Apocalypse Now (1979), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), All the President’s Men (1976), A Clockwork Orange (1971), 2001 (1968), Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Dr. Strangelove… (1964), The Searchers (1956),
THe Quiet Man (1952) or Singin’ in the Rain (1952), A Streetcar Named Desire (1951), Sundet Boulevard (1950), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), Citizen Kane (1941), The Grapes of Wrath (1940), The Wizard of Oz (1939), Modern Times (1936), King Kong (1933) and City Lights (1931). Have they gotten it right a few times? Sure, when they honored films such as The Godfather (1972), The Godfather Part II (1974), ONe Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975), Terms of Endearment (1983), Amadeus (1984), Platoon (1986), Unforgiven (1992), Schindler’s List (1993), The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), and The Departed (2006)…sometimes they get it right — let’s hope they honor Lincoln (2012) this year and get it right.
Just done with my DGA prediction on AD, now.
Thanks.
No Country for Old Men is the correct answer. It stands as the best film of 2007, at least the best American film of that year in my view. There Will Be Blood is going up among critical groups and many international lists and whatnot, but every time I revisit that film I find myself just a touch less engaged, a touch less enthusiastic about it in general. The last time I watched it, some months back, I realized that several of Sasha’s complaints and comments about it were quite correct. I still admire it quite a bit and it’s by far my favorite Paul Thomas Anderson film, by a country mile, but it is also flawed and ham-handed, with a meandering midsection (which I think you have to come to expect with PTA at this point), and a thoroughly rushed third act.
No Country is just a fine work of precision with some of the most brilliant, haunting themes to be committed to American cinema in decades. Not to mention, it’s fundamentally a summation of the Coens’ entire artistic canon, dating all the way back to their opening salvo, Blood Simple. I’m still in awe of the fact that so many awards groups, but especially Oscar, got it right that year.
I’d say, of the films since No Country, The Hurt Locker is the closest of the bunch. It’s a near-masterpiece, the best American “war film” since Saving Private Ryan and in my view practically wipes the floor with Bigelow’s subsequent Zero Dark Thirty. I understand Sasha’s frustration with Hollywood’s ostensible inability to make films about real women, so in that way I guess Zero Dark Thirty was doubly-disappointing to me, because the female protagonist is so strangely vacuous. After years of bringing many male protagonists to full life, somehow Bigelow couldn’t quite pull it off for “Maya” in my view, though I know many others differ strongly.
The Academy was on its hottest streak, post-’70s, in the early 1990s. The Silence of the Lambs, Unforgiven and Schindler’s List are three truly great films, instant American classics.
DGA: Ang Lee Vs Ben Affleck (Winner Ben Affleck)
Oscars: Ang Lee vs Steven Spielberg (Winner Ang Lee)
The last masterpiece to win?
Cant go past The Silence of the Lambs. It still holds up today, it was progressive with it’s gender themes, and is an adaptation of a thriller, with a somewhat horror reputation. It was a relatively weak year, I cant help but feel that with some stiffer competition, Lambs might have been snubbed.
Before Lambs, you have to go back to Amadeus for another timeless masterpiece. No country for old Men is almost a masterpiece, and definitly looks it compared to the winners since (Slumdog, Hurt Locker, Kings Speech & The Artist).
It’s a shame films like The Aviator, Brokeback Mountain & The Social Network couldnt win the oscar, as they would be in the same category as No Country. But still, looking back through the last 2 decades, the oscars beat the DGA practically every year.
“When was the last time a
masterpiece won the Best
Picture Oscar?”
Humm, The English Patient.
Whit a certain resistence, I ca think about TLOTR: TROTK.
And I feel so much love for Almost Famous too. 🙂
One clear pattern when you note the differences in the line ups of the DGA and the Oscar is that the the former chooses a more popular and/or more populist film and the latter more art house and/or cerebral films as a rule.
Also: “When was the last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar?”
No Country For Old Men. Although I prefer TWBB, it’s easily one of the greatest Oscar winners of all time, and good enough to appear in any list of the greatest movies ever made.
For me, director as auteur usually leads to films that I can appreciate, but not necessarily love. I am a huge fan of great actors paired with a great script, which is probably why many of my favorites are adaptations of plays a la “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf.” These rarely win, because they’re not “epic” or “cinematic” enough.
Yes, THE ARTIST. A great movie and a masterpiece.
The last time a “masterpiece” won Best Picture?
One need not go any further beyond last year to answer that the question.
The answer is THE ARTIST.
“When was the last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar?”
No Country for Old Men. No doubt.
Most recent BP masterpieces: No Country for Old Men (TWBB also would have qualified), Return of the King (when taking into account the entire trilogy), Schindler’s List, The Silence of the Lambs. Gosh, there really haven’t been very many in the last 30-ish years.
I love how everyone is qualifying Silence of the Lambs as one! It truly is great.
When was the last masterpiece to win BP? No Country for Old Men. After that it’s Unforgiven, but Schlinder’s List and The Silence of the Lambs come close. The Departed is a great film, but not entirely perfect regarding the 3rd act. American Beauty is close to perfect aside from one or two quibbles and Slumdog Millionaire and The Hurt Locker are more than worthy winners. Those are some of the best winners of the last 20 years.
I think THE CRYING GAME is also an excellent movie, next to UNFORGIVEN. I remember Harvey telling a story about how Neil Jordan thought he had enough support to win the Oscar that night in 1993, that the luck of the Irish was on his side. That is, until Clint Eastwood entered the Shrine Auditorium and received a standing ovation. I think this year is very close–butt 1992, Silence of the Lambs was the clear winner against the competition, the clear best that year, and a clear masterpiece.
I agree with pretty much everything Bette said…
Unforgiven was the last masterpiece they awarded.
And Haneke isn’t a ballsy move. What are they risking? Nominating the best direction of the year? It’s just common sense I didn’t think they had.
For Spielberg it’s better if Affleck wins this because if Ang Lee takes it, ARGO can still win picture, but Lee will take director at the Oscars.
I am so happy someone else (Bette [et al?]) also loved Almost Famous.
I love virtually all kinds of music, including rock-n-roll; so, while I consider myself too young for traditional, classic rock, I, however, adored Almost Famous because among other reasons I totally felt connected with the protagonist, as well as the feeling of happiness when listening to one’s fav music. Crowe’s screenplay, as well as his directing approach, rocks, too! Just loved virtually everything about Almost Famous. [Kudostorm to Kate Hudson.]
And yes, Unforgiven is (also) a masterpiece.
—
But I am still torn between Lee and Speilberg re my (AD) DGA BD prediction. : ) I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up predicting Affleck for the win instead in the end. . . . lol
*signed out*
The last masterpiece that won Best Picture? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King back in 2003. Depressing, huh?
More depressing still if you look at things from my perspective. The last film which I would consider to be a masterpiece that won Best Picture is The Silence of the Lambs. Schindler’s List comes very close, though. It’s mostly a masterpiece.
I admire your continued defense of “Lincoln,” but the film is certainly not widely thought to be a “masterpiece.” How many critic’s awards did it win? It doesn’t have “masterpiece” written all over it for me, although I admit it’s a good movie. Maybe Argo is not a “masterpiece,” but it’s a great Hollywood movie. And it’s much more cinematic than “Lincoln.” It’s not something that might have been an above average episode of “Masterpiece Theater” like “Lincoln.”
I don’t like Dr Zhivago so much, but I never thought about it not being universally acclaimed in its era. Certainly more than Darling, which must have been a topical thing because it does not hold up. Pawnbroker is Holocaust so I’m surprised the Acad didn’t go for it. The last movie I loved that won was Slumdog, but the last 8 years have been weak overall.
The last masterpiece that won Best Picture? The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King back in 2003. Depressing, huh?
In the 90s there were a lot of great great films winning BP. Silence of the Lambs, Schindler’s List & Forrest Gump are masterpieces, IMO (oh, yes I did).
Titanic was a great choice and so was American Beauty (though PTA’s Magnolia should sooooo have won that year).
But I always find that the Academy tends to NOMINATE many great movies but never actually five them the oscar. About half of 2010’s line-up was comprised of 5 star movies (this year is about half as well). Inglorious Basterds, Michael Clayton, Munich, The Aviator, Moulin Rouge, all great choices.
The Academy and me rarely agree on the Best Picture of the year, but I think sometimes people get carried away when saying “this is the worst BP winner ever” when in fact the movies are good/great, they just weren’t as amazing as the best movie of the year.
In my eyes, the last masterpiece that won Best Picture was Unforgiven. No Country, Schindler, Silence Lambs, all close, but not quite. Here are a few masterpieces that could have and should have won during those years:
2011: Tree of Life
2010: none (Social Network and Black Swan and Incendies come closest)
2009: A Prophet (but the Academy thinks Extremely Loud is a better film…)
2008: Wall-e
2007: There Will Be Blood and 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days
2006: The Lives of Others, Syndromes and a Century, Pany’s Labyrinth, the underappreciated Water
2005: Brokeback Mountain
2004: Eternal Sunshine, Spring Summer Fall Winter Spring and Cache
2003: City of God [Return of the King is the weakest link in the trilogy; if you nominated the whole thing together, then yeah, maybe it qualifies]
2002: The Pianist
2001: Mulholland Dr.
2000: In the Mood for Love, Yi Yi and The Werckmeister Harmonies. I think Crouching Tiger is close [loved Almost Famous, still can’t believe Chocolat was nominated instead]
So, the Academy had plenty to choose from. The just chose wrong, as usual. Foreign language films, Amour notwithstanding, are typically ignored because they are xenophobic, as well as homophobic, racist, mysogynistic, etc. That old guard may well be dying off a la Tony Curtis and Ernest Borgnine, its very encouraging to see Beasts of the Southern Wild so deservingly nominated, but only time will tell.
P.S. Michael Haneke’s nomination was not a surprise. The directors, more than any other branch, look overseas (beyond England) from time to time. When a director is famous or overdue, or a film is just amazing, they will sometimes come thru. Love how they nominated City of God back in 2003. The screenwriters, cinematographers and even the (usually awful) editors nominated that year’s best film. But somehow the Academy as a whole missed the boat and didn’t nominate it for Best Picture, chosing the likes of Seabiscuit instead. The Oscars are an unfunny joke.
I don’t get how a certain voting system or having too many different awards would prevent so-called masterpieces from winning.
If it is clearly the best and pretty much everyone agrees, it will win.
It’s not about being the best, though, with the preferential voting system, unless your film is so obviously the best that it slaughters the competition early in the counting process. It’s about being better than the film in second place. You simply need to avoid last place with each round. Masterpieces tend to be divisive (it’s a subjective term) and often under-appreciated upon initial release.
@Zach I didn’t know the DGA snubbed David Lean either. However, despite huge box office it got very, very mixed reviews when it came out–it was seen as a big letdown after Lawrence of Arabia (although not excoriated like Ryan’s Daughter)– and it really is lesser David Lean. But compared to The Pawnbroker and Cat Ballou, it’s a masterpiece so yes it’s an odd snub.
Auteurs and actors don’t always get along. Some auteurs go out of their way to build relationships with their actors – and not surprisingly, those guys have won – Coppola, Forman, even Spielberg and Eastwood in a sense. But others seem to follow Hitchcock’s description of actors as “cattle” (or Kubrick’s masterial indifference) – and guess what, the DGA likes these people better than the actor-dominated Academy. Sometimes the Academy just falls for a film, like No Country, because they do. But where we see auteurs winning the guilds and losing the Oscars, look to the actor’s branch for the reason.
“perhaps The Artist will be considered an awesome choice 30 years from now”
Thank god I’ll be past Amour Part Deux by the time that happens. If I’m not already dead by then, that would kill me.
The last time a masterpiece won Best Picture? For me, there were three in the 1990s: Unforgiven, Schindler’s List and The English Patient. I had forgotten what a great decade for film the 90s were. I agree steve50–looking at the chart, the films awarded in the 80s seem much less artistically successful and daring compared to the 70s and the 90s.
I agree that Ben Affleck is likely to win the DGA but I still think the directing Oscar will go to Spielberg. And he deserves it.
Wtf happened to Doctor Zhivago? Never thought about the DGA snub.
I don’t get how a certain voting system or having too many different awards would prevent so-called masterpieces from winning.
If it is clearly the best and pretty much everyone agrees, it will win. If it has trouble standing out, then perhaps it isn’t that much better than the rest to begin with.
And masterpieces become masterpieces over time. There are enough examples of movies who were “ignored” at the time but are considered classics now and there are enough examples of movies that did the opposite and didn’t really survive.
Who knows, perhaps The Artist will be considered an awesome choice 30 years from now and perhaps Lincoln will be seen as a weird choice when there were a lot of better Spielbergs that didn’t win. It’s already struggling to make Spielberg’s top 10 and it’s not gonna go up in that list.
Examining every chart, I much prefer the Academy’s choices to the DGA’s, on the whole. The directors branch does have quite good taste. They choose some duds, but so do all major film awarding bodies. This year’s lineup is a perfect illustration – four inspired choices (two safe, two wildcards) and one dud.
Perhaps Benh Zeitlin will become one auteur whose work was immediately appreciated by the Academy. He may evolve into one of the most prominent directors of his generation. Beasts sure is a great debut, and it’s so rare for such an idiosyncratic debut to receive so much Oscar love. Normally, it’s something formulaic from a director with experience in other fields (Sam Mendes, Rob Marshall etc.).
Two things really stood out for me when I scanned the charts:
1. Compared to the 70s and 90s, what a bland decade the 80s were, at least as far as awarding directors went.
2. If you take the 10 year period from 1948 to 1957, there was a 50/50 chance that director and picture would not match, a real anomaly in the entire history of Oscar, although 1935 – 1940 (the supposed “golden age”), it happened 4 times. Both of these periods had higher than standard quality of films, not unlike this year. It would be great if we were entering another period of filmmaking like either of those.
Of course, the true auteurs are seldom recognized when they appear on the scene – the Coens, Bertolucci, Polanski – even Spielberg – had to wait while others never were appreciated.
No rational with this but I think Ben Affleck will win the DGA although Ang Lee may pull a surprise upset to shake things up even more.
Lee wins Oscar Best Director and Lincoln wins Best Picture. If ever there is a split, this year is it. I think, then again who knows really what’s in this exciting race.
Great picture to accompany this article!
Does anyone know what PST the DGA awards will be tomorrow?
I think it’s Affleck vs Ang Lee. I think if Lee wins, this will be in Argo’s favor for a BP win (and not in Pi or Lincoln’s!)
I’m not sure I would say the Director’s Branch necessarily “corrected” the DGA this year, though. Some years, yes, that word is appropriate–last year perhaps? Kathryn Bigelow, the Governor of that Branch (!!!), not getting in may speak to something completely different than auteur-driven work. She gave one of, if not THE best-directed film of the year….her exclusion was more likely the result of internal politics to put it “nicely,” and not so much the quality of her work.
The last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar?? GREAT QUESTION. Hmm…. I can list a few pretty damn good picks on the Academy’s part in the last 20 years. Return of the King winning was a great moment, as it acknowledged the accomplishment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy as a whole, the fantasy genre, innovation, a towering cinematic achievement. The Hurt Locker was a great choice in 2009–though I don’t think such a film would normally win the preferential ballot; Avatar/James Cameron backlash helped this film tremendously. No Country for Old Men, perhaps—though some may argue There Will Be Blood is a stronger film. In some years like 1999, 2000, and 2001–very very strong years overall–some very highly regarded films weren’t even nominated. I think Schindler’s List was a great pick, an undeniable win, but The Piano’s reputation may precede it in film academic circles. Unforgiven, also very good, was up against the wildly ambitious and thought-provoking The Crying Game. I’d probably definitively say The Silence of the Lambs is the last time a masterpiece won, where I can’t see an opposing argument for another film that year.
ALSO, I think the preferential ballot may prevent a masterpiece-caliber film from ever winning the Best Picture Oscar. Good thing it didn’t exist for some of those films–not sure Silence of the Lambs could have won with it.
Aah. . . . No Country for Old Men. . . . [Great film. And I am a proud owner of the film on DVD format.]
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“When was the last time a masterpiece won the Best Picture Oscar?”
I love Schindler’s List. I love The Silence of the Lambs, as well. Etc.
Just to name two films I love, masterpiece or not.