Since the very first Academy Awards held in 1929, 581 films have been nominated for the coveted Oscar for Best Picture.
Just 94 films have actually received the award, however, resulting in an elite group of movies representing the height of (mostly) American cinema.
Many expected Jane Campion’s “Power of the Dog” to take the night’s biggest prize, given that Campion was nominated for Best Picture in 1993 for the beautiful and melancholy “The Piano.” However, the prize ultimately went to “CODA,” which in hindsight was an obvious candidate for its universal appeal.
While the news will doubtlessly remain obsessed with “The Slap Heard ‘Round The World” for at least several more weeks, I’m more interested in talking about movies. So today we’ll be looking back at some particularly worthy best-picture winners of the last 95 years
Parasite
Bong Joon-Ho had already established himself as a brilliant new director when he decided to make “Parasite.” As a writer-director, he had already made many stellar films across many genres, like the monster flick “The Host,” the dystopian train thriller “Snowpiercer,” and “Okja,” a magical film aimed at young adults.
But with “Parasite,” he made the first foreign film ever to win Best Picture, and the first South Korean film to receive any Oscar at all. While the movie won the award just a few years ago, in 2019, it’s likely to become an absolute classic.
Those who recommend it often say, “just watch it,” rather than give a description because the movie is so original and different from anything else. The first hour is hilarious, making the film feel like a comedy. That’s before the story shifts in tone, and the reality of what’s happening to the two Korean families at the center of the film becomes both terrifying and fascinating to watch.
It’s a powerful story about class and power that will resonate for decades to come. If you haven’t seen “Parasite” and love original, experimental films, then this should be first on your list.
The Apartment
Billy Wilder is rightfully considered one of the greatest Hollywood directors of all time. But he’s mostly remembered for the classic comedy “Some Like It Hot,” which despite its age remains hilarious and timeless, with many career-best performances from Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon.
Well, not Lemmon, whose career-best performance has to be “The Apartment,” which won Best Picture in 1960.
It’s mostly a somber film trying to tackle the reality of love and loneliness. In the film, Lemmon’s character, C.C. Baxter, has allowed his apartment to become a kind of brothel, where the wealthier men at his work bring their mistresses and Baxter gets money for looking the other way.
Then Baxter’s boss shows up one day with Shirley MacLaine – who Baxter secretly loves. While the movie is essentially a love story, the relationship between MacLaine and Lemmon is both complex and relatable, romantic and yet real. It might just be one of the most authentic romances ever seen on screen, and remains relevant even in 2022.
Casablanca
Perhaps because it has widely been considered one of the greatest films ever made almost instantly upon its release in 1942, “Casablanca” is a difficult movie to see for the first time.
Like the most-famous lines from “Hamlet” or the music of “West Side Story,” it’s easy to feel like you’ve seen “Casablanca” without ever actually sitting down for its 1-hour-and-42-minute runtime.
So many of this movie’s lines have become part of our cultural lexicon — probably more than any other film in history. Even if you’ve never heard of “Casablanca,” you have almost certainly heard the line “We’ll always have Paris,” or “Here’s looking at you, kid,” or “This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Yet for all that burden of history and culture, “Casablanca” remains a gorgeous and powerful film all these years later. If you haven’t actually seen it, take a night to turn off the lights and immerse yourself in this classic — you won’t regret it.