Throughout the near-century-long history of the Academy Awards, 92 films have won the industry’s top prize and been immortalized as the “best” films of their year. Some have deserved it, while others…well, not so much. I’ve been on a mission to watch all 92 Best Picture winners over the past five months or so, and I finally finished! Without further ado, here are my rankings of every winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture!
DISCLAIMER: This is my list and mine alone, giving my honest opinions on what I thought of each film. It is not an attempt to create an objective ranking; your list might look far different than mine. Don’t get upset just because a film you loved is ranked low or vice-versa; try to change my mind in the comments as I try to change yours with my analysis!
**EDIT 3/17/24: Added Oppenheimer at #7!!**
Part 1 (96-76) | Part 2 (75-51) | Part 3 (50-26) | Part 4 (25-1)
75. Shakespeare In Love (1998)
Obviously this shouldn’t have beaten Saving Private Ryan, but it isn’t a bad movie. The story is simple but effective, and Gwyneth Paltrow is legitimately great in the lead role (I can’t say the same for Joseph Fiennes, but whatever). I’m not a huge Shakespeare nut, but I’ve read enough of his stuff that I caught some of the fun Easter eggs this film throws at the audience and enjoyed the meta humor to that extent. I also got a good laugh when Ben Affleck appears on screen; had no idea he was in this. I don’t have a ton to say about this because it’s aggressively average – it doesn’t do anything wrong, but I fail to see how it’s Best Picture worthy.
74. The Artist (2011)
It’s a mark of how weak a year 2011 was when I try to think of what better films this beat but couldn’t think of that many. Once again this film is fine, but nothing special. Its reverence for Old Hollywood is a bit of an eye-roll, but who am I to say what the Academy is and isn’t allowed to enjoy? The central performances are excellent and the story works well enough. I just don’t exactly know why this movie needed to be made. Again, I struggle to find things to say about it because while it isn’t a bad film, I took nothing away from it.
73. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
This is the archetypal early-00’s biopic, of which we got far too many last decade. They all have a quality of sameness to them: generic story, sappy-sentimental music and framing, snivelling and obvious villains. Its feels half an hour too long and doesn’t really know how to end its story succinctly. That said, the twist is well-crafted with a strong payoff and it is a loving tribute to a talented and misunderstood man. Crowe is brilliant as always, and the film heavily features one of my favorite character actors of all time, Paul Bettany. If this movie had come out in 2019, I suspect it would have been forgotten as another in a long line of so-so biopics about famous men, a la The Imitation Game.
72. Gone With the Wind (1939)
I already know this will be one of the more controversial placements on this list, so hear me out. This movie looks great: the cinematography, the set designs, the costumes…everything is perfect visually. But I HATED the story and characters! Scarlett O’Hara is an extremely unlikable protagonist – a selfish, opportunistic homewrecker. She undergoes a lot of hardship, sure, but somehow despite getting kicked to the dirt over and over I still despised her and didn’t care if she survived or not. Rhett Butler isn’t much better…he tells her off for her misbehavior, sure, but he’s also abusive and greedy himself. And that’s before we even talk about how badly the film has aged…its grand message at the end espouses the merits of Dixie and the Grand Ol’ South lost to history. Y’know, the South that was built on the backs of slaves and the greed of landowners who refused to sacrifice their wealth to do the right thing? Sorry if I’m not fucking sympathetic. Of course not everyone will share my profound dislike for this story’s themes, and I get why it’s considered a classic. Trust me, it would be much lower on this list if not for the phenomenal direction and acting.
71. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
I never realized quite how influential this film was on the American (and British) public during WWII. It’s like the film equivalent of those coffee mugs that say “Keep Calm and Carry On”…a statement on persevering through tough circumstances. I like how the film explores war from a perspective you don’t often see (a housewife), as our heroine is often powerless and left to wonder if her men are safe fighting overseas. The plot isn’t all that impressive, however; there are random subplots that don’t really go anywhere, and certain scenes just go on and on with no apparent purpose. It’s clearly a propaganda piece designed to sway the public on wartime patriotism, and it no doubt succeeded in this endeavor. I just wish it was a bit more subtle and there was more to the story.
70. Rocky (1976)
This is another one that I’m sure will ruffle some feathers for being too low on my list. I’m sorry, but I just didn’t connect with this one as much as I would’ve liked. Yes, the third act is spectacular and the lead-up to the final fight (and the fight itself) is enthralling. My problem is with the preceding two-thirds of the movie, which mostly consists of Stallone walking around the neighborhood and greeting his neighbors. The romance between Rocky and Adrian also rubbed me the wrong way; gender dynamics have changed quite a bit over the past forty-four years, and a large man physically blocking the door so a timid girl can’t leave the room reads much differently in today’s climate. I was let down by the film, but I understand why it was such a smash hit upon release. It’s just a shame it beat far more deserving films like Taxi Driver and Network.
69. Oliver! (1968)
This movie feels way longer than it is…not a whole lot happens over the course of the runtime. Part of the problem is that none of the songs (or very few of them anyway) drive the plot forward, unlike most successful musicals. All the key moments of plot and character development happen in between the song-and-dance moments, which will then cut to a character expressing their inner thoughts on things through song. Then there are the usual problems of over-sentimentality, on-the-nose messaging, and predictable story beats. The songs are catchy enough, and Oliver is a good character worth rooting for, but the execution left a lot to be desired.
68. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
I didn’t expect this to be quite so progressive in its racial themes and in the way it sheds light on microaggressions against minorities. The premise of a Gentile assuming the identity of a Jew is an interesting one, and it led to some clever moments of tension and revealed subtle bigotry that you don’t often see addressed in media. That said, I wish there was more of a plot because there was little narrative pressure on our protagonist in his everyday life. Everyone is a little too supportive of his endeavors when a bit more pushback might have made for a more compelling experience. It’s also a rather specific subsection of racism being tackled, since it’s not like our protagonist could have passed as a black or gay man quite as easily, so it doesn’t feel as universal as it could have. But it still has some nice messages that are ahead of their time…overly-sentimental or not.
67. My Fair Lady (1964)
This movie is waaaaay too long…musicals are fun and all, but three hours is pushing it even for lighthearted fare. I enjoyed the ways in which the film pokes fun at class warfare and the ridiculousness of the different classes’ mindsets. There is also some good commentary on male-female relations and the way men often accept credit for the accomplishments of women. The humor holds up pretty well, and there are some moments of slapstick that managed to tickle me just right. My main problem is that the main character is SO ANNOYING to listen to…yes, it’s by design, but I grew tired of the over-the-top Cockney accent after a while. The songs are also rather forgettable, and the dance choreography was nothing much to look at. Nonetheless, it’s a clever and mostly-entertaining ride with something to say, so I can’t really complain.
66. From Here to Eternity (1953)
A classic example of a novel adaptation that bites off more than it can chew. The cast of characters is lovable enough and I cared about their fates, but the story and themes are super unfocused due to an inability to focus on just one thing. It’s like the film can’t decide whether it’s a lighthearted romantic drama, or a complex character study, or a factual war biopic. It bounces wildly between characters and ideas with little connective tissue between them, expecting us to understand how it all comes together thematically. And I DID like some of what the film had to say about war and relationships, but there’s too much going on in too little time. The war scenes at the end are well-shot, but that’s the problem: they’re only at the end, feeling totally out of place tonally with the rest of the film. It’s one of the few times I wished the runtime was longer so the themes and character arcs are better fleshed-out.
65. Hamlet (1948)
I’m not a big Shakespeare fan, so I didn’t expect to enjoy this very much. But I was pleasantly surprised by how engaged I found myself during this experience! Laurence Olivier gives a strong performance as the titular character, but it was his direction that wowed me most, with excellent cinematography and pacing to keep me visually and narratively dialed in. Maybe he overdoes it on the smoke machines, but hey, for the time it’s still pretty damn impressive. The dialogue is at times hard to follow, which is one of the reasons I struggle with Shakespeare in the first place, but the story isn’t too difficult to follow. I am not a source material purist so I appreciate the efforts to condense the story down to narrative feature length. I probably won’t ever watch this again, but I enjoyed it all the same.
64. Wings (1927)
It’s hard to judge the first Oscar winner accurately for many reasons, but primarily because the version I watched was the remastered 2012 version with sound effects work by Skywalker Sound. This might be lower on my list if I’d seen the original print, but as is, the technical craft of Wings is very impressive! Not only is the sound top-notch, but the cinematography is excellent as well; the dogfight sequences are gripping and well-edited, immersing me in the fights as though I was watching them unfold in real life. The characters aren’t all that impressive; there’s a vaguely-interesting love triangle and a Mary Sue character who doesn’t have much to do in the story. But frankly I didn’t mind much because the action scenes were so much fun to watch.
63. Titanic (1997)
James Cameron is very much in the George Lucas camp of filmmakers for me…he’s a technical wizard who knows how to command a large set, but his character work can be lacking. The dialogue is all over the place and the pacing of the first half is pretty glacial. I’d forgotten the whole dive expedition subplot that takes up the first 20 minutes of the film, and I kinda wish they’d just cut all of that stuff out and focused only on the ship. All that being said, the chemistry between Leo and Kate is infectious, bailing out Cameron’s screenwriting and proving the importance of strong actors in the lead roles. The final hour is a thrill ride for the ages as well, with great disaster set pieces and that tear-jerker of a water ending. I’m sure the conversation surrounding Titanic will continue for decades to come, and for now I’ll step back and say this movie is solid, but not great.
62. Grand Hotel (1932)
I knew nothing about this movie going on, but it ended up working a lot better than I expected it to. This is an early example of a multi-perspective film that switches between characters off and on, and it surprised me with how well put-together the narrative is. I ended up caring about each of the primary characters and wishing them success. There are the usual elements that haven’t aged well like the craftsmanship and some of the male-female relations, but if you’re willing to overlook that this is a great time. The ending wrapped up perfectly, giving me a satisfying conclusion to each of the main characters’ arcs. Outdated, sure, but still fundamentally effective!
61. The Shape of Water (2017)
I was never quite enraptured by Guillermo Del Toro’s big Oscar winner, vastly preferring his earlier Pan’s Labyrinth. It’s not a bad film in the slightest; the technical craft is gorgeous and the acting is phenomenal. The story is fairly predictable and doesn’t always make perfect sense. I still have trouble overlooking the fact that a human woman has sex with a fish monster…sorry Guillermo, but most of us don’t love monsters as much as you clearly do. I like the film’s messages of giving voice to the voiceless, even if it’s a bit hammy. There’s also plenty of random Hollywood worship that doesn’t serve the narrative whatsoever – don’t pander to me, just tell your story! It’s a fine film, but imperfect and still just a bit too weird for my tastes.
60. Cimarron (1931)
This is one that will probably be higher on my list than most people’s. I had heard that this film was problematic and has aged terribly, but I didn’t necessarily find that to be the case. There are questionable elements for sure, but for the most part the film is self-aware of the problems with the white man’s colonization of native lands. Accurately depicting the conditions of the era isn’t problematic in and of itself…it’s how the primary characters behave within this world that informs the film’s message. And our hero, Yancey, has a good heart and recognizes the atrocities of white settlement for what they are. He’s an honest-to-God Christian man: humble, patient, non-judgmental, a champion of the meek and oppressed. His quarrels are not with the natives as one might expect from a Western of this era, but with his fellow white man taking advantage of his privilege in the lawless frontier – over natives, blacks and women alike. Although the audio quality is quite poor and the camera work isn’t the sharpest, there are some legitimately impressive shots that depict the scope of the story in all its grandeur. It manages to cram 40 years worth of history into just two hours with excellent pacing, with some clever visual cues to convey the passage of time. I’m honestly kinda shocked at this film’s poor reputation as of late, because I quite enjoyed myself.
59. A Man for All Seasons (1966)
The best parts of this film by far are the antics of King Richard VIII, and his outlandish presence always perfectly lightened the mood. I wish he was more present in the narrative, because the rest of the film is so self-serious and moody. I would have loved a more comedic undertone to highlight the patent absurdity of the whole situation. I also took some issue with the characterization of Thomas More; like the hero of
A Hidden Life, I found myself rooting against his obstinance at times and wasn’t sure if I agreed with his principled stands. That said, the story is well-crafted and the filmmakers do a good job of emphasizing the high stakes of the affair at every step. Great acting and production values (for a relatively low budget)…I just wish the tone more properly matched the subject matter!
58. Rebecca (1940)
My exposure to Alfred Hitchcock is limited, but from what I’ve seen this is far from his best work. It stinks of studio interference (#ReleaseTheHitchcockCut) and is nearly soiled by over-sentimentality and on-the-nose imagery. Still, it’s an effective thriller that succeeds (as Hitchcock always does) at building tension and sustaining it throughout the runtime. Our nameless protagonist is the perfect conduit for the audience to view this world through: naive, inexperienced, inherently trusting of people with dark secrets. Films like this make me really resent the Hays’ Code imposing restrictions on filmmakers’ ability to comment on complex topics like repressed homosexuality and crimes of passion. Imagine if this film came out in the 70’s and was able to fully immerse itself in these moral ambiguities that make the story so intriguing! But there’s no use in crying over spilled milk; we can only judge the film for what it is, and that’s a solidly-entertaining mystery that serves as a fun precursor to a legendary filmmaker’s later classics.
57. Spotlight (2015)
Spotlight is comprehensive to a fault. There’s no doubt the filmmakers went to great lengths to ensure accuracy and consistency, but this is an example of a film that suffers because they didn’t take enough creative liberties. For one thing, the stakes don’t feel high enough…I get that the implied stakes are there, but there should have been far more pressure on the Spotlight team from the editors and the Church itself. I never felt like they were rushed for time or short on resources to complete their task. There are also far too many characters to keep track of; they probably should have condensed a few into composites to give us the crucial information but make the plot easier to follow. This is still a good movie, but it could have been so much better. I am not a purist for realism, and this is a story that could have flourished under more liberal risk-taking hands.
56. An American in Paris (1951)
My first introduction to Gene Kelly, and I was quite impressed by his work in this film! Not only is he a total charmer who is easy to fall in love with, and not only is his dancing incredible, but he choreographed the entire film himself! Give this man an honorary Oscar already! (Oh wait, they already did…give him another one!) I love the song-and-dance numbers, even if everything else was kinda so-so. The story isn’t much to speak of and the dialogue isn’t the most scintillating. But as a showcase for one of Hollywood’s greatest physical performers, this is well worth watching.
55. Green Book (2018)
Why is Green Book this high up my list while a very similar film like Driving Miss Daisy is nearly at the bottom? Simple: Green Book is a much more well-constructed film. While it definitely has problematic elements, the script is very well-written and plays with audience expectation in some clever ways. The dynamic between the two lead characters is pretty fun to watch as well, and even the quieter scenes with just the two of them in the car is consistently entertaining. Does this film challenge the medium of film or break new ground in the genre? No. Did it deserve to win Best Picture? Probably not. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t a good time at the movies, and I suspect decades from now some blogger like me will do a similar Best Picture retrospective and scratch their head at why this movie was so maligned in its time.
54. The French Connection (1971)
The 70’s were by far my favorite decade for Best Picture winners, and while The French Connection is on the lower end of that batch of films, it’s still an excellent case study in what was to come. This kind of kinetic, gritty, high-energy filmmaking must have been such a jolt to the industry at the time, and I would kill to have been able to see it in theaters at the time. It’s easy to see the influences this film would have on the legends like Scorsese, Coppola and many more. The plot and characters could have been spun a bit tighter, and the visual style looks kinda poor by today’s standards, but this is undeniably one of the most important films ever made.
53. West Side Story (1962)
Speaking of visuals that haven’t aged well, next up is this musical classic. I commend the filmmakers for their efforts to innovate and fully utilize the language of film, but some of the effects just don’t hold up. There’s a god-awful blur focus effect that they use on more than one occasion, and the lighting during some of the night scenes isn’t the best. The music is excellent of course, and the story (while derivative of Shakespeare) is effective. I felt the runtime pretty severely; two and a half hours was a pretty long time to spend in this world when a solid 20-30 minutes could’ve been trimmed easily. A fine film, but it’s starting to show its age and the recent Spielberg reboot is an improvement in many significant ways.
52. Gandhi (1982)
I don’t think I have ever seen a film that showcases the sheer humanity of a country like this one does. It holds the world record for number of extras used on-set, and all those bodies really serve the tale of this man who appealed so strongly to the masses. The sheer scope of this story is essential to really explain why Gandhi was so important and influential in India. The runtime is pretty long and the plot isn’t always the most exciting, but I enjoyed this way more than I expected to. Gandhi’s life is one of the most interesting stories that most people are unaware of (or only vaguely so), and this is a fitting tribute to his life and legacy.
51. Gladiator (2000)
It’s “only” twenty years old, but Gladiator already feels like a relic of a time gone by. Studios used to crank these historical epics out like clockwork, but now they are a dying breed. It may be a while before we ever see another film of this scope. The spectacle is definitely a lot of fun, and this fun is consistently entertaining throughout. The story of Maximus is a compelling one, though it was a little disappointing for me to discover how derivative this is of Ben-Hur (which appears much higher on my list). This might have appeared higher on the list if its story was a bit more original. In general this doesn’t break any new ground or advance the medium, but it does what it does very well.
Conclusion
Check out Part 3 and 4 of my list below, culminating in my favorite winner of all time! Hope to see you soon.
-Austin Daniel
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