THREE GREAT FILMS of 1974: THE CONVERSATION, THE GODFATHER PART II AND CHINATOWN

It takes years to really understand which movies of any particular year are truly great and significant in the history of cinema.  The Oscars, the most important platform to tell the public which movies are their (the industry in Hollywood) choices for that greatness after just months from being made, is a bad way to honor the best films as movies need to pass the test of time. We all know that people change their mind often and that goes with movies,  I will take a look at the years of Oscar and who won, who should have won, and where Oscar was totally off base.  Today I look at the great year of 1974 and that my take on the winners and my choices, forty-nine years in the past….the year of the night Oscar presentation in 1975 for the best of 1974.

The five best picture nominations were:  The Godfather Part II (the winner); Chinatown; The Conversation; Lenny; The Towering Inferno

My five best picture picks would have been:  The Godfather Part II; Chinatown; The Conversation; The Taking of Pelham, One, Two, Three; Blazing Saddles.

There were three of the greatest films on the 1970’s in this year and any one of the three would be good for me as best picture.  “The Godfather Part II” and “The Conversation”, both Francis Ford Coppola films are, in my opinion, his two best films he directed.  Most critics have the 2nd Godfather the as one of, if not, the greatest film ever made and not only the best gangster film but the better of the two ranking Godfather films, Part I and Part II.  His “The Conversation” is as good as both Godfathers, and today, 49 years later, might be the better constructed film of that year. So I will lean to “The Conversation” as my best film over  “Part II” and “Chinatown”, which is equally great in it’s own right.  All three are masterpieces and I view each on a regular schedule of about every five years.  The other two films I liked are not in the same class as the three mentioned and Oscar  nominating “Lenny” and “The Towering Inferno” were in fact also not worthy of Oscar either.  I think my two additions were better films that what Oscar put up against the big three and history has been good to both “Blazing Saddles”and “The Taking….” 

MY PICK FOR BEST PICTURE:  THE CONVERSATION 

The five nominated for best director by Oscar were:  Francis Ford Coppola, The Godfather Part II (Oscar winner); Roman Polanski, Chinatown; Francios Trufaut, Day for Night; Bob Fosse, Lenny; John Cassavettes, A Woman Under the Influence

My five were Francis Ford Coppola for The Godfather Part II, Francis Ford Coppola for The Conversation; Roman Polanski, Chinatown; Richard Lester, The Four Musketeers; Louis Malle, Lacombe, Lucien

Again, it is Coppola against Polanski and I like Roman Polanski as the better director here. His look of LA of the time and the final scene in the streets of Chinatown were as good a set piece as filmed in many a year. Polanski is the better director than Coppola but and in this year he did the better work in the directing catagory.  Lester and Malle were outstanding in their films and should have been recognized by a nomination over Truffaut and Fosse and Cassavettes.

BEST DIRECTOR: ROMAN POLANSKI for “CHINATOWN” 

 Oscar nominated for best actor Art Carney, Harry and Tonto (winner); Albert Finney, Murder on the Orient Express; Dustin Hoffman, Lenny; Jack Nicholson, Chinatown; Al Pacino, The Godfather Part II 

My top five actors were Jack Nicholson, Chinatown; Al Pacino, The Godfather Part II; William Finley, Phantom of the Paradise; Gene Hackman, The Conversation; Pierre Blaise, Lacombe, Lucien

Hackman  takes this one for me.  Understated and bland is hard to play and with just enough blankness along with a nervousness that this actor nails.  Finley was my second choice but all the performances I chose were exceptional.  Carney gave the performance of his career but I for one was not impressed as much as those I listed. 

BEST ACTOR:  GENE HACKMAN, THE CONVERSATION 

Oscar had their five best actress nominations which included Ellen Burstyn, (winner), Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; Diahann Carroll, Claudine; Faye Dunaway, Chinatown; Valerie Perrine, Lenny; Gena Rowlands, Woman Under the Influence

My five actresses were Faye Dunaway, Chinatown; Cicely Tyson, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman; Goldie Hawn, Sugarland Express; Gena Rowlands, Woman Under the Influence; Ellen Burstyn, Alice Does’t Live Here Anymore 

Gena Rowlands in a walk and she was robbed I do say in this Oscar year.  It was not even close, though Faye Dunaway gave another fine performance. 

BEST ACTRESS:  GENA ROWLANDS, WOMAN UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Best supporting actors nominated by Oscar were Robert De Niro, The Godfather Part II; Fred Astaire, The Towering Inferno; Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lighfoot; Michael V Gazzo, The Godfather Part II; Lee Strasberg, The Godfather Part II 

My five in the best supporting actor group was Robert De Niro (winner), The Godfather Part II; Jeff Bridges, Thunderbolt and Lighfoot; Peter Boyle, Young Frankenstein; John Huston, Chinatown; John Cazale, The Godfather Part II

Robert De Niro takes it over John Huston. Both performances were worthy. 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:  ROBERT DE NIRO, THE GODFATHER PART II 

The best supporting actress Oscar nominations for the year were:  Ingrid Bergman, (winner), Murder on the Orient Express; Valentina Cortes, Day for Night; Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles; Diane Ladd, Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore; Talia Shire, The Godfather Part II 

My top supporting actress were Madeline Kahn, Blazing Saddles; Paula Prentiss, Parallex View; Madge Sinclair, Conrack; Ingrid Bergman,Murder on the Orient Express; Valentina Cortes, Day for Night

I have chosen Paula Prentess in the Parallex View as she gave a heartbreaking performance of a women that was scared that she was going to be killed.  Even though it was short, it was her best acting in her career in a very significant and outstanding movie.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: PAULA PRENTISS, THE PARALLEX VIEW.

Feature photo:  Paula Prentiss in the Parallex View (1974)