5. Raging Bull (1980, Martin Scorsese)
Beaten by Ordinary People.
Many claim this to be the biggest oversight in Academy history mainly because of how badly aged Robert Redford‘s familial drama is, while Raging Bull is widely considered to be maestro Scorsese’s finest work (although the film at number 2 takes my cash).
This hard hitting biopic about one very explosive character is a true marvel to behold. It is brutally and savagely honest, the portrait of LaMotta is easily one of the least flattering depictions of a real person in cinema history, made even more surprising by the fact LaMotta was heavily involved in the project.
It looks amazing too. The crisp monochrome photography perfectly matches the period, the performances are incredible, not least of all Robert De Niro, and Scorsese’s direction of both the boxing and the drama is balanced perfectly, almost like ballet. It was the peerless film of that year and it’s just shocking that it didn’t win.
4. The Shawshank Redemption (1994, Frank Darabont)
Beaten by Forrest Gump.
A lot of people love Forrest Gump and I am proud not to be among those people. The fact it beat one of my favourite films to the coveted Best Picture is frankly outrageous. Again, you could easily make a claim for Quentin Tarantino‘s film also taking this prize, it would have been a far worthier winner (but then again, what wouldn’t?), but it is Frank Draabont‘s phenomenal prison drama which edges it for me.
Of course, the reason it didn’t win is because no one went to see it, it flopped massively at the box office and was only a huge hit on home video. By then it was too late. I could go on forever about the merits of this film: amazing script, production design, emotional complexity, truly great performances, but I won’t. All you need to know is this. Gump won. This didn’t. That’s wrong.
3. Apocalypse Now (1979, Francis Ford Coppola)
Beaten by Kramer vs Kramer.
It is true that Coppola had two Best Picture winners under his belt by the end of the 70’s but denying him a third just because he’s already got two seems ludicrous, especially when his masterpiece was beaten by Kramer vs Kramer. Apocalypse Now is a film way ahead of its time in terms of dealing with the Vietnam War in the way it did and that’s probably why it didn’t end up winning.
While The Deer Hunter portrayed its soldier characters as valiant, Coppola showed his soldiers as disillusioned and mad, wantonly taking drugs and participating in outright murder. The mysterious character of Kurtz, an American Colonel, is the film’s embodiment of war madness and murder.
This was not the depiction of America’s soldiers that America wanted to see at the time, it was salt in the wounds. Yet the film has lasted, it remains immensely powerful to this day. The tale of madness was perhaps too explicit for the Academy, but if the Academy really are out of step with popularity, like George Clooney suggested, this would have been the winner. Sadly it wasn’t to be.
2. Goodfellas (1990, Martin Scorsese)
Beaten by Dances With Wolves.
The fact the Academy, after snubbing Taxi Driver and Raging Bull didn’t make up for it by awarding Scorsese the Best Picture and Director Oscar he deserved for Goodfellas, and instead gave it to Kevin Costner‘s sentimental waffle, makes my head spin and my heart sink.
Goodfellas is the perfect film, as in there is literally nothing wrong with it. Nothing. Every frame, every moment of that film is signs of a filmmaker working completely at the top of his game knowing exactly what he is doing and being very confident in every directorial decision.
It works at a level of sheer cinematic artistry and it works on a level of entertainment. It has a watchability which Costner’s worthy drama has none of. I have seen Dances With Wolves once in my life, I have no impetus to watch it again. Once was plenty. I will be watching Goodfellas till the day I die because every time I see something new that gives me something to be excited by with cinema. The oversight of this brings me to question whether the Academy should be taken that seriously.
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