My Favorites of the Decade - the 1960's

The 1960's were a very important and historic decade for films. Some of my favorite directors - including Martin Scorsese, Roman Polanski, and Robert Altman - were just getting their start and many, many classic films were released. It was somewhat difficult to pare down my list to just ten entries, but in the end, these films represent what I love most of about motion pictures: excitement, thrills, humor, and emotional drama. 

Don't forget to check out Kyle's lists at his blog, Enter the Movies.  

My Top 10 Favorite Films of the 1960's, in alphabetical order: 

Year: 1968 
Director: Stanley Kubrick

Another decade, another Kubrick film making my list. Spoiler alert - it won't be the last one, either. 2001: A Space Odyssey is such a well known, revered, and influential classic that I can't really add anything to the discussion. I don't think it's a perfect film - the "Stargate" sequence goes on far, far too long for my tastes and the performances aren't very impressive - but it's pure cinematic genius in a lot of areas. HAL, the on-board computer system which eventually attempts to take control of the ship in the second half of the film, is one of the greatest villains of all-time. The haunting red "eye" is used very effectively throughout to convey an all watching menace and the voice acting from Douglas Rain is tremendous. I love Kubrick's use of music, long takes, and how he doesn't spell everything out for the audience and each time I watch 2001, I find something new to appreciate.

Year: 1967

Director: Stuart Rosenberg 

Paul Newman was simply one of the coolest Hollywood stars of the 1960's (or any decade) and he may have been at the pinnacle of his coolness here as the titular character in Cool Hand Luke. Luke is a brash, brazen, and cocky guy and Newman is perfect in the role. The supporting cast - especially George Kennedy and Strother Martin - excellent, as well, and the script provides them all with meaningful characters to play. The movie is full of iconic scenes, but my favorite is definitely the egg eating challenge when Luke bets that he can eat 50 hard boiled eggs in one hour. It's a surprisingly tense, funny, and nauseating scene. Cool Hand Luke fits a lot of different stuff into its two-hour running time. At different moments it's suspenseful, funny, sad, sexy, and even has a pretty thrilling chase scene. It's got a little something for everyone! 

Year: 1964
Director: Stanley Kubrick

See, I told you there would be more Kubrick films featured in this series. I've written about Dr. Strangelove so many times on this blog - in My Favorite Supporting Actor Performances (George C. Scott), My Favorite Comedy Films, My Favorite Films (Top 50 series), My Favorite Lead Actor Performances (Peter Sellers), and Kubrick himself was featured in My Favorite Directors - that I'm not sure I need to add much here. I will note that I saw Dr. Strangelove in the cinema for the first time last fall and had a blast. The big screen and adoring audience, who laughed heartily at every joke, made the experience even better. The movie has steadily risen up the ranks of my favorites and now sits comfortably in my Top 10 and the Top 5 isn't out of the question. It's just a masterful film in every way.

Year: 1961

Director: Robert Rossen

Can you tell that I love Paul Newman? I'm not sure what his most famous movie or character is - he was in so many classics and played so many iconic characters, it's hard to narrow it down - but The Hustler and Fast Eddie Felson are probably close to the top for most people. I used to love playing pool and I think watching this movie when I was a teen helped push me in that direction. It just made the whole game seem exciting, albeit dangerous if played with the wrong people. I could never have hustled anybody - I probably lost two-thirds of my games - but it was great to imagine that I had Newman or Gleason's skills. All four main actors (Newman, Gleason, Piper Laurie and George C. Scott) were all Oscar nominated, and for good reason. Besides the captivating pool playing scenes, the film offers a vivid romance story and a lot of heart - it's much more than a "sports" movie. 

Year: 1962

Director: David Lean

One of the newest-to-me movies to join my list of favorite films, Lawrence of Arabia is an achievement in practically every regard. Superb direction, cinematography, score, and editing add to the terrific writing and performances from the main cast. You can read my full-length review for more of my thoughts, but one thing is clear - if you haven't seen it, get to it quickly!  

Year: 1962

Director: John Ford 

John Wayne and James Stewart being directed by John Ford. What more could you want in a western? Of the dozen or so Wayne films I've seen, I think he gives his best performance here, as Tom Doniphon. Tom's a rough and rugged man (no surprise there) but he's also charming, funny, and a bit reserved. Wayne plays the role very well. Stewart is excellent (also no surprise) as Ransom Stoddard, a role he seems born to play. The rest of the main cast - Vera Miles, Andy Devine, John Carradine, Edmond O'Brien, and Lee Marvin (a tremendous villain) - are all up to the task of supporting these two giants of cinema. Like all the Ford films I've seen, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance is wonderfully made and features some beautiful cinematography. I really enjoyed the bookends nature of the story, as well, with the bulk of the film being a story told by Ransom later in life. I'll close with a little bit of trivia: this is the film where John Wayne repeated calls a character "Pilgrim" in that famous drawl of his. The affectation would be present in most Wayne impersonations from here on out.

Year: 1968
Director: George Romero

The film that really kicked off the zombie sub-genre (you're welcome, The Walking Dead!), George Romero's classic, low-budget independent film combines legitimate horror with an undercurrent of political satire. There are a lot of reasons to love Night of the Living Dead, among them the impressive acting (mostly from amateurs making their film debuts) and the claustrophobic atmosphere, but the main reason I love the film is how it shows that anyone can make a great film, as long as they're dedicated and love what they're doing. George Romero took his passion, translated it to the screen and created a career for himself, an entire sub-genre of horror films, and a film that has entertained millions of people for almost 50 years. Very impressive, indeed.

Year: 1968

Director: Gene Saks

The Odd Couple is a hilarious and, at times, surprisingly dark comedy that really caught me off guard when I first saw it last year. While I've been a fan of Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau for years (I have fond memories of my family going to see Grumpy Old Men and my dad and grandmother loving it even more than I did), I was never in a rush to see The Odd Couple. I wish I would have seen it much earlier, as I was laughing throughout. The premise, which has been done to death at this stage and wasn't even new back then, works fantastically well here because Lemmon and Matthau are just so damn good together. There are a ton of quotable lines and exchanges, but one of my favorites is a brilliant piece of broad and physical comedy while Felix (Lemmon) sits in a restaurant and continually tries to clear his sinuses, much to the chagrin of Oscar (Matthau) and the rest of the establishment's patrons. As the scene goes on, it gets funnier and funnier. I've watched this particular scene several times on its own and it never fails to make me laugh out loud. 

Year: 1960

Director: Alfred Hitchcock

Since it's arguably Alfred Hitchcock's most famous film, Psycho doesn't really need an introduction. It's stood the test of time, spawned the slasher sub-genre, and still entertains people to this day, almost 60 years later. Not even a God awful remake (the Gus Van Sant disaster from 1998) could tarnish its reputation, and that's saying a lot!

Year: 1968

Director: Roman Polanski

I guess since this is the fourth film from 1968 on this list, it's safe to say that's my favorite year of the decade. Rosemary's Baby is my favorite film of my favorite year in the 60's and one of My Favorite Horror Films. Paranoia and fear are at the heart of the film and those feelings have the ability to leap from the screen and infect the viewer. Even though I've seen it several times, every time I watch Rosemary's Baby, I feel an immense sense of tension and despair. There's no logical reason for it - I know what happens to poor Rosemary - but I can't help it. That's a sign of an effective horror film, it can circumvent your logical brain and still make you feel what the protagonist is going through. Mia Farrow gives the performance of her lifetime, but Ruth Gordon - who came in at #10 in the list of My Favorite Supporting Actress Performances - almost steals the show from her. Polanski's direction and the set/production design are first rate, as well. Just a fabulous film all around. 

Well, there you have it! Do you love any of these movies? Hate any? Did I miss any of your favorites from the 60's? Let me know in the comments!

Up next, my list of Favorite Movie Heroes!