Top 10 Academy Award Best Picture Winning Films: Part 1

With the Oscars on Sunday, there is no better time than the present to rank the Top 10 Best Picture winning films. Even though the Academy have gone with safe picks for most of the last ten years, they did actually give the award to quite a few films that deserved it in the past, and this list will rank my ten favorite. Of course, I have not seen ever Best Picture winning film, and these are my personal favorites, so please let me know what yours are in the comments.

10: Braveheart

While it not the most well liked film, Braveheart is a personal favorite of mine. Some of the appeal is that my ancestors fought on both sides of the real war that the film portrays, and even though the movie itself is grossly historically inaccurate, what matters in the end is that it is a great film. Mel Gibson both stars in and directs the film, and his performance as William Wallace is top notch. He manages to balance the stoic nature of the character, while still providing the human aspect. Plus, no one else could deliver such an epic speech other than Gibson! Braveheart might not be for everyone. However, Mel Gibson's historical (or rather fictional) epic is an inspiring tale of standing up against tyranny.

9: The Departed

Martin Scorsese's crime drama about undercover cops and corruption in Boston is a riveting tale. Despite the two and a half hour long run time, Scorsese's direction is crisp, briskly edited, and well paced with enough twists and turns to keep the audience engaged from beginning to end. Thanks to the exceptional performances by the insane all-star cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, and Martin Sheen, just to name a few, The Departed is a perfect example of excellent talent both in front and behind the camera.

8: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

Jack Nicholson's character, "Mac" McMurphy, enters a mental institution for evaluation. In the institution, the free-spirited Mac teaches the others in the institution to live a little and fight back against the institution's oppressive rules. However, the crux of the story are the relationships Mac builds with his fellow patients. There is humor, tragedy, and cheer worthy moments through the film, and Nicholson's performance pulls everything great about the movie together in brilliant fashion.

7: Lawrence of Arabia

Over three hours in length and featuring some of, if not, the best cinematography of the era, Lawrence of Arabia is the definition of a film epic. As the name implies, the film follows T. E. Lawrence, played brilliantly by Peter O'Toole, during World War I. The film captures the personal struggles of Lawrence and his fall into madness. 

6: The Godfather

Despite my expectations that The Godfather would be an overly hyped mess, it actually turned out to be one of the best crime films of all-time. While the film is not flawless, Marlon Brando's iconic performance and Francis Ford Coppola's direction more than makes The Godfather a classic of the medium. Considering that The Godfather is so highly regarded by critics, I recommend the movie to anyone old enough that considers themselves a film enthusiast.

What are some of your favorites? Please comment below and let me know!

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