No More Rules

1971 was an interesting time in American film.  Content restrictions had recently been removed and a new generation of filmmakers, inspired by world cinema, were trying new things as never before.  This led, by the early 70s, to what were essentially experimental films coming out of studios, alongside the more conventional fare.  Alas, this didn't lead to big grosses.  But it led to a lot of quirky films, some amazing, all too many overrated.

Jesse Walker picks his top ten from 1971:

1. The Last Picture Show
2. A Clockwork Orange
3. Mon Oncle Antoine
4. McCabe & Mrs. Miller
5. Bananas
6. They Might Be Giants
7. Walkabout
8. Trafic
9. The Hospital
10. Dirty Harry

An interesting mix of the great and the overrated. (That was pretty much unavoidable, since I believe so many big titles of the era have inflated reputations). For instance, I've always found The Last Picture Show rather dull.  I want to like it more, but it just sits there.

Then there's A Clockwork Orange. A striking film, but good? Not really.  It's hard to feel much of anything about the movie since none of the characters are human. (Though to give Kubrick credit, his films, good or bad, are almost always memorable, which may be more important.)

The Hospital suffers from Chayefskyitis--the pain that comes from being hit over the head repeatedly.  And Dirty Harry may represent a new era of toughness, and struck a nerve at the time, but as a thriller or detective film it's not great (though better than the sequels).

On the other hand, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, a moody work that was a major flop, is one of Altman's best, and unlike anything else made that decade.  Bananas announced (for a second time) we've got one of the top comic minds working in film since the 30s.

I also like Mon Oncle Antoine and Walkabout and They Might Be Giants (three very different films).  It's hard to justify Trafic, however.  Over the previous two decades or so Tati had made four features, every one of which would probably make my top ten for the year, but everyone admits Trafic--his last true film, an attempt at a comeback after the financially disastrous Playtime--is a significant dropping off.

Jesse's honorable mentions:

11. The Hired Hand
12. Duck, You Sucker
13. W.R.—Mysteries of the Organism
14. Two-Lane Blacktop
15. Klute
16. A New Leaf
17. Jabberwocky
18. Basic Training
19. Play Misty for Me
20. 10 Rillington Place

Haven't seent 11, 18 or 20.  Duck, You Sucker is kind of fun, but far from great.  W.R. is one of those weird artifiacts of the time that's worth looking at.  Two-Lane Blacktop is one of the weird artifacts of the time that should be avoided.  Klute was never much. A New Leaf is an underrated comedy classic (even if Elaine May walked off the project, unhappy with the re-editing).  Jabberwocky (a short) is good, and Play Misty For Me is one of Clint Eastwood's better films of the era, though I don't like it that much.

Here are some films thought highly of at the time that didn't make Jesse's top twenty:

Carnal Knowledge, The Emigrants, Fiddler On The Roof, The French Connection, Nicholas and Alexandra, Summer of '42.

Here are a couple of titles that would have made my list:

And Now For Something Completely Different (Monty Python trying and failing to capitalize on their TV show by filming their best sketches--even though these versions are inferior to the originals, it's still fun), Murmur Of The Heart

Other films of interest (some of which would probably have made my top twenty):

$, 200 Motels, The Abominable Dr. Phibes, The Anderson Tapes, The Andromeda Strain, The Barefoot Executive, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Billy Jack, Bless the Beasts and Children, Blue Movie, The Boy Friend, Cold Turkey, The Crunch Bird (speaking of shorts), Dad's Army, Death In Venice, The Decameron, The Devils, Diamonds Are Forever, Drive, He Said, Escape from the Planet of the Apes, Evel Knievel, The Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, Gas-s-s-s, Get Carter, Happy Birthday, Wanda June, Harold and Maude, The Hellstrom Chronicle, The Hunting Party (Jesse mentions one speech), Johnny Got His Gun, Kotch, The Last Movie, Two English Girls, Little Murders, Macbeth, Made for Each Other, Man and Boy, Le Mans, The Mephisto Waltz, The Million Dollar Duck, Minnie and Moskowitz, The Omega Man, The Panic in Needle Park, Plaza Suite, Rape, Shaft, Star Spangled Girl, Straw Dogs, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Support Your Local Gunfighter, Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song, Taking Off, THX 1138, The Trojan Women, Up Pompeii, Vanishing Point, Who Is Harry Kellerman and Why Is He Saying Those Terrible Things About Me?, Whoever Slew Auntie Roo?, Willard, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, Zatoichi and the One-Armed Swordsman