10 best foreign films of the 1970s that are still worth watching today

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

In the 1970s, truly great films appeared that went down in the history of world cinema. New items were released on screens with enviable regularity, and the box office surpassed even the wildest expectations. The stories of Star Wars were interspersed with pictures about the wars of the mafia, the audience froze in horror, looking at the reviving monsters and admired the amazing and new special effects. This was the era of the first blockbusters and the best works of the classics of cinema.

A Clockwork Orange, 1971

Stanley Kubrick's painting was initially not entirely unambiguous, because the author of the novel of the same name, Anthony Burgess, was categorically against changing the ending, which distorted the whole meaning of the work. Nevertheless, the director decided to leave the teenager who attacked people alive and give him a chance to heal. However, it was thanks to Stanley Kubrick that the cautionary novel A Clockwork Orange became a real bestseller.

The Godfather, 1972

Francis Coppola's film has not lost its relevance today. The director was later reproached for popularizing false mafia romance. Nevertheless, both the first film and the two subsequent ones continue to top the lists of the best films in the history of cinema today. The skill of the director and the mesmerizing performance of talented actors made The Godfather a real hit.

Madness (Frenzy), 1972

Viewers are still arguing whether Hitchcock's penultimate creation is worthy of its creator, or whether it is inferior to his best paintings of the first half of the twentieth century. But the director's skill has not weakened at all. He just made a film not about a maniac, but about the power of insanity. Hitchcock keeps the tension almost until the last frame, and the viewer, who knows the truth from the very first frame, still cannot tear himself away from the screen for a minute.

Chinatown, 1974

The film by Roman Polanski is distinguished by a strong script, thoughtfulness and elaboration of the most insignificant, seemingly, details. Despite the rather ambiguous assessments of the audience, who either remained completely delighted with the picture or accused the director of being too protracted, "Chinatown" firmly took place in the top twenty best films of all time, and its name became a symbol of the impossibility of finding the truth in a series of confusing events …

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, 1975

A lively and realistic painting by Milos Forman is distinguished by the deepest meaning, consistency and incredible drama. The action taking place in a psychiatric hospital is undoubtedly symbolic, and the characters and heroes drawn are typical of society. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest has not lost its relevance for the fifth decade already, and everyone who has watched it at least once cannot but admit that it is a real masterpiece.

Jaws, 1975

Surely, only such a genius of cinema as Steven Spielberg can take a fairly simple plot and make it the world's first blockbuster, which viewers around the world will watch with heart sinking in horror. Everything is perfect in it: stunning views of a charming resort town, an incredibly scary shark closing its jaws on the body of another victim, disturbing music and, of course, absolutely amazing acting.

"Taxi Driver", 1976

Martin Scorsese's painting is literally imbued with an atmosphere of hopeless and hopeless loneliness and attempts to change at least something in this city, where at night all the vices that exist in the world seem to emerge from the darkness. After watching the picture, a heavy, even oppressive aftertaste remains, and the viewer continues to empathize and sympathize with the heroes for a long time. And to think over and over again not only about their destinies, but also about their own lives.

Star Wars: Episode 4 - A New Hope 1977

The fourth episode of George Lucas's "Star Wars" did not yet have its serial number at the time of its release, and its special effects were so impressive that other directors revisited the film many times, trying to comprehend the secret of the spectacularity of this episode. Today, computer graphics come to the aid of filmmakers, and at that time virtually everything was done by hand. The fourth episode of Star Wars ushered in a new era of fiction in cinema.

Annie Hall, 1977

Woody Allen's painting is kind, funny and touching at the same time. It is about real feelings and sincere feelings, about the director himself and his attitude to life, love and cinema. Tragedy spiced with humor that hides fear and helps to find a way out of the impasse.

Alien, 1979

Ridley Scott has managed to create a film that has not become obsolete for over four decades. The classic fantasy with a horror bias seems quite modern even today. A dynamic plot, high-quality scenery, amazing acting and an indescribable atmosphere made the picture unique and interesting. The first film in the franchise is undoubtedly the most impressive.

Over the past few years, hundreds of films have been nominated for Academy Awards. Some of them won one or two, while others managed to "take" more than three with them. But to date, only about fifty films have received five or more Oscars. Many of them are still considered some of the best films of all time.