10. WEST SIDE STORY
With its ten Oscar wins – just one shy of the record set just two years earlier by Ben-Hur – there’s no denying that West Side Story became an instant classic in early 1960s by converting the story of Romeo and Juliet to the mean streets of New York City. Much of the film does work very well, especially the musical numbers and the performances from Natalie Wood and Rita Moreno. Yet, with that said, there remains better musicals, including the Steven Spielberg remake this past year.
9. PEEPING TOM
Perhaps there’s no better example of how film criticism can change over time than Michael Powell’s horrifying story of a psychopathic camera man named Mark who films his victims being murdered. At the time of its release, the film was torn apart by critics and audience members both as being obscene trash. It went so far that Powell was blackballed in Hollywood. But as year’s went on and films got more violent, the shock of Peeping Tom was lessened and its greatness shone through like a diamond in the rough. That’s not to say that Peeping Tom doesn’t remain disturbing today – it certainly is – but like Mark’s victims, we too cannot turn away.
8. THE HUSTLER
Paul Newman was always meant to be a movie star, but until The Hustler was released in 1961, few people knew it. That changed quickly, thanks to his masterful performance as pool shark “Fast Eddie” who challenges Minnesota Fats, played wonderfully by Jackie Gleason, in a game of high-stakes pool. The Hustler isn’t just the greatest movie ever made about billiards, it’s one of the great gambling movies if all time.
7. TWO WOMEN
There are war films that focus on the battles, and then there are films that remind us who pays the price for them. Vittorio De Sica’s Two Women is firmly in the latter category, telling the story of a mother and daughter trying to survive the chaos of World War II. What begins as an attempt to escape the dangers of Rome becomes a devastating journey through the cruelty of war and the loss of innocence.
6. LA DOLCE VITA
Not only did Roger Ebert proclaim La Dolce Vita his favorite film, he wrote how much his perspective of the film changed at different eras of his life. Since I’ve only seen it once, I’ll have to take his word on, but I can tell you that it’s certainly great at my age. Arguably Federico Fellini’s best film, La Dolce Vita tells the story of a successful but rather sad paparazzo journalist as he wanders through the streets of Rome through an entire week. At nearly 3 hours long, La Dolce Vita is a bit of a commitment, but one that is well worth the journey.
5. ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS
Admirers of Rocco and His Brothers include Francis Ford Coppola and Martin Scorsese, and it’s obvious that it influenced some of the greatest gangster movies of all time, including The Godfather and Goodfellas. I, too, greatly admire the brave and unnerving story telling of Rocco and His Brothers, an Italian film that tells the story of the path that five brothers take after moving to Milan. The most interesting characters are Rocco, the title characters, who often sacrifices his own happiness for his brothers, and Simone, an angry boxer who struggles to control his anger and deal with humility. Rocco and His Brothers may not be at the same level as The Godfather or Goodfellas, but it may just have had as much impact on the world of cinema as those two masterpieces. And for that, Rocco is a masterpiece itself.
4. JUDGMENT AT NUREMBERG
Stanley Kramer must have been inspired by 12 Angry Men. Shortly after the release of Sidney Lumet’s classic courtroom drama, Kramer took us into the courthouse for each of his next two films. First, with Inherit the Wind, which tells the story of a scientist teacher who is accused of teaching evolution to his students, and then with Judgment at Nuremberg, an even better film that tells the story of four Nazis are put on trial for war crimes. Filled with gruesome images of Nazi concentration camps, Judgment at Nuremberg was the first mainstream film to show the gruesomeness of the Holocaust. Even today, it remains one of the most emotional and heartbreaking courtroom dramas ever released.
3. BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S
There’s a song by Deep Blue Something that tells the story of a couple who finds that the only thing they have in common is their love for Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Well, what’s not to like?! Audrey Hepburn, in what may be her most famous role, is so perfect as the insecure socialite that it’s impossible to imagine the role being filled by anyone else – even if Marilyn Monroe was Truman Capote’s first choice to play Holly Golightly. Hepburn gives a wonderful performance that is sweet, tender and beautiful; it’s because of her that Breakfast at Tiffany’s is one of the great romances of all time.
2. SPLENDOR IN THE GRASS
Though not as popular as her other 1961 film – West Side Story – Splendor in the Grass remains the best Natalie Wood film of 1961, in my own personal opinion. And it’s certainly the film that she gives the better performance. She plays a Kansas teenager named Deanie who is torn apart when her boyfriend – played by a very young Warren Beatty – breaks up with her. What follows is complete melodrama, but with great performances from both Wood and Beatty, it’s certainly the best kind of melodrama. And, it was one of the first films to put mental health in the forefront – nearly sixty years before society would begin to change its tune.
1. A RAISIN IN THE SUN
A Raisin in the Sun, for my money, remains one of the most underrated masterpieces in the history of cinema and one of the true trailblazers of black cinema. Adapted from a successful Broadway play with much of the same cast, A Raisin in the Sun tells the story of a poor black family who finds sudden wealth in the form of a $10,000 life insurance check. It’s easily the best written script that was turned into a film in 1961 – but it’s also the best acted film of the year. Sydney Poitier, who may just be the Jackie Robinson of film, gives a brilliant performance as the son who wants to invest in a liquor store; it should have earned him his first Oscar. The same could be said for Claudia McNeil and Ruby Dee who were both far superior to Rita Moreno who won for her performance in the much more popular film, West Side Story. As a Broadway play, A Raisin in the Sun is often considered amongst the best the medium has ever offered. And in my opinion, the film should be too.
