tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post5113213622070188721..comments2024-03-27T21:42:56.131-05:00Comments on 1001plus: Oscar Got It Wrong!: Best Director 1973SJHoneywellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-15474437031346489712021-08-21T20:35:50.359-05:002021-08-21T20:35:50.359-05:00You and I agree on Amarcord. I'd have loved to...You and I agree on <i>Amarcord</i>. I'd have loved to see Schaffner here for <i>Papillon</i>, but I'm still going with Friedkin.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-15182303495833841122021-08-07T15:48:56.940-05:002021-08-07T15:48:56.940-05:00The miss for me here is Spirit of the Beehive. The...The miss for me here is Spirit of the Beehive. The direction here is extraordinary. Fellini also deserves some love for Amarcord, in my opinion his best movie.TSorensenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12208153011927807857noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-58694202122971275272014-02-10T20:09:30.503-06:002014-02-10T20:09:30.503-06:00@Nicolas--I do like Day for Night but it might be ...@Nicolas--I do like <i>Day for Night</i> but it might be too self-referential even for the Academy. I'll disagree and say that for its time, <i>The Exorcist</i> was pretty damn extraordinary. Maybe not today, but back then, it was something special.<br /><br />@Chris--I haven't gotten to 1971 yet, but I suspect I may agree.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-72165416448901198402014-02-10T09:59:08.335-06:002014-02-10T09:59:08.335-06:00I would have gone with Friedkin as well in a very ...I would have gone with Friedkin as well in a very tough field. But I would take away his previous French Connection Oscar and give it to Bogdanavich for The Last Picture Show...If it were up to me.Chris, a librarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14417028033965524687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-58184806380876323122014-02-10T08:49:24.309-06:002014-02-10T08:49:24.309-06:00I agree with your – sort of – collective conclusio...I agree with your – sort of – collective conclusion that 1973 was a great year for the movies, but had no obvious oscar winner. Last Tango in Paris is definitely overrated. The Exorcist, The Sting, and American Graffiti are all solid but not extraordinary enough. Cries and whispers is heavy but not Bergman's best in my book. Neither Badlands, Paper Moon, Amarcord, High plains drifter nor Sleeper are strong enough, and Wicker Man only works partially. Which leaves me with the fine little gem Day for night. But isn't it too unspecatacular?<br /><br />Bah! I can't decide! Let's put the chainsaw to the statuette, and give everyone mentioned a slice – except for Last Tango and Wicker Man that is! nicolas krizanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05431891515197497487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-61204354378066667832014-02-08T16:26:22.955-06:002014-02-08T16:26:22.955-06:00I tend to look at the difference between Picture a...I tend to look at the difference between Picture and Director as the difference between the story being told and the way in which it is told. The story exists as its own thing, but the director (and again, this is my view) is the one who shapes the story and presents it to us. I look at something like <i>Life of Pi</i> as an example of a dull story beautifully told. I'd have never nominated it for Best Picture, but I understand the nomination of Ang Lee for Best Director.<br /><br /><i>The Exorcist</i> didn't particularly scare me, either, which is exactly what I said about it in my review of it. In fact, your quote about lack of belief in demonic possession is almost exactly what I wrote. I don't believe in the supernatural, so supernatural films have a long way to go to scare me outside of the context of the films themselves. I can be scared in the moment, but when the movie is done and I return to reality, well, I'm back in reality.<br /><br />That said, I like the way the story was told. I like what Friedkin did with that film from start to finish and I like the way he presented information throughout. Again, though, I'd have been happy with a lot of these winning.<br /><br />But yeah, 1973 is kind of a down year between <i>Godfathers</i>, evidently.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-781466577789588002014-02-08T15:32:51.183-06:002014-02-08T15:32:51.183-06:00I've never really been able to truly separate ...I've never really been able to truly separate the director from the film. To me, if the film is good then the director did a good job; if the film is bad the director did a bad job. I never understand those occasions where a Best Picture nominee does not also get a Best Director nominee.<br /><br />I mention this because I would just end up going with the best one of those films for picking the director. I wasn't bothered by Last Tango; I was simply bored by it. Similarly, I was bored by The Exorcist. I'm not a believer so demonic possession isn't something that I'm ever worried about happened to me or someone I know. The Sting is an okay movie, but I've never really felt it's Best Picture material. Cries and Whispers is one of the Bergman films I liked, but it's also not one I would personally pick as a Best PIcture. By process of elimination that leaves American Graffiti. I don't disagree with your description of the film as never confusing or difficult, but I would actually consider that a positive, considering how many different people and storylines there were in it. I honestly don't really see American Graffiti as Best Picture worthy, either.<br /><br />Looking outside those five A Touch of Class was the Best Picture nominee that didn't get a Best Director nom. It's a fun movie and funny in places, but yet another "not Best Picture worthy" film. Looking further afield I just went through a list of 1973 films. I didn't count, but I've probably seen at least 20 of them and not one jumped out at me as an "oh, you've got to see that!" kind of movie. Day for Night might be the highest rated one for me, but that's still only a four star movie. Even as stingy as I am I still usually have 1 or 2 movies each year I'd give 5 stars to, but I guess 1973 isn't one of them.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-46978715119369312862014-02-07T14:09:47.747-06:002014-02-07T14:09:47.747-06:00I completely missed Day for Night, which is a film...I completely missed <i>Day for Night</i>, which is a film I love and I should've mentioned. Good catch on that one. I'd nominate <i>Badlands</i> for cinematography, but I'm not sure I would for director. <i>Paper Moon</i> is one I don't know.<br /><br />I'm totally cool with you choosing Bergman, by the way. This one was really difficult, and I could argue any of the top for winning.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-22336535036708741032014-02-07T12:47:17.158-06:002014-02-07T12:47:17.158-06:00I would have gone for Bergman. I HATED the Exorci...I would have gone for Bergman. I HATED the Exorcist but I don't blame Friedkin, I blame the story line. Gee, two foreign film directors nominated in one year and Fellini definitely should have got a nod as well! <br /><br />1973 was a fantastic year for film. I would have given Terrence Malik a shout out for Badlands and maybe to Bogdonavich for Paper Moon. Day for Night is good Truffaut but probably not the equal of the two foreign films that were actually nominated. I like Last Tango more than you but for Brando's performance not necessarily the direction.marie_dresslerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06334550550983418668noreply@blogger.com