Shubhabrata Dutta
We cannot ignore that there is no future without the present, and there would have been no present without the past. Thus, as we progress toward the future, it is normal to turn back to see how far we have come. As technology advances and society develops, movies develop too, serving as a means to reflect society and its norms of the time, as well as pioneering new ways of filmmaking. In this list, we bring you the 20 best movies from the 1970s on Netflix. Each of these will take you back in time and give you a taste of how things were back then.
14. Bandie (1978)
Directed by Alo Sarkar, ‘Bandie’ is an Indian Bengali movie. A concoction of complexities, it tells the story of Bhola, a thief, who finds himself rather politely arrested by Bharatpur’s Senapati Raghuvir Singh. Raghuvir wants to use him as the impersonator of the dead King Brajbhan Singh’s missing son, Uday Singh, until the latter is found. Uday’s disappearance seems to be a part of Brajbhan’s brother Vikram’s plan to usurp the throne.
Meanwhile, Bhola, too, comes across a cabin that is seemingly connected to the murder of his mother when he was a kid and starts looking into it. How these two are connected and why Raghuvir chose Bhola to impersonate Uday are what the movie answers most dramatically. The film stars Uttam Kumar, Amjad Khan, Amrish Puri, Sulakshana Pandit, Madan Puri, Utpal Dutt and Iftekhar. You can watch it here.
13. Khoon Khoon (1973)
A Hindi remake of ‘Dirty Harry’ starring Clint Eastwood, with the usual Bollywood spices incorporated, ‘Khoon Khoon’ sends a hardened cop, Anand, on a chase after a ruthless psychotic killer, Raghav, who has been killing people randomly across the city. Unless he is paid the ransom he demands, the dead bodies will keep on piling up. How the police, led by Officer Anand, manage to apprehend Raghav is what we find out. The movie’s cast includes Mahendra Sandhu as Anand, Danny Denzongpa as Raghav, Jagdeep, Padma Khanna, Murad, Rekha, and Helen. You may watch the film here.
12. Salaakhen (1975)
In what can only be called a play of fate, two inseparable childhood friends, Raju (boy) and Guddi (girl), get separated due to a tragedy, only to reunite years later and become lovers, thanks to different names, Seema (the girl) and Chander (the boy), without realizing that they were once the best of friends. Seema is a singer, while Chander is a thief. As they head to their respective homelands, which, unbeknownst to them, are one and the same, a shocking truth awaits them. Directed by A. Salaam, the cast of ‘Salaakhen’ (translates to ‘Prison Bars’ in English) includes Shashi Kapoor, Sulakshana Pandit, Mehmood, Sudhir, Anjana Mumtaz, Mac Mohan, and Amrish Puri. Feel free to check out the movie here.
11. Elaan (1971)
‘Elaan’ is an entertaining Hindi sci-fi thriller directed by K. Ramanlal. Freelance photographer/journalist Naresh Saxena is given a dangerous assignment by his ladylove Mala’s father, Mr. Mehta, who is the editor of the newspaper agency for which he works. Naresh has to go to a remote island and bring to light the illegal activities going on over there. However, things take a drastic turn when he is captured and put in a prison that they share with a scientist and a troublemaker. The scientist gives him a ring that makes the person invisible when placed inside the mouth. What follows is how Naresh uses the ring to escape and then bring the criminals to justice. The cast includes Vinod Mehra, Vinod Khanna, Rekha, Madan Puri, Helen, Rajendra Nath and Iftekhar. You can check out the film here.
10. Richard Pryor: Live in Concert (1979)
‘Richard Pryor: Live in Concert’ is a stand-up comedy film directed by Jeff Margolis. It was recorded on December 10, 1978, at the Terrace Theatre in Long Beach, California. Considered one of the greatest recorded performance films ever, the film showcases legendary stand-up comedian Richard Pryor as he talks about race, culture, the police, sex, and more; and all of these are underscored by humor and satire as well as propelled by sharp comic timing. If you want to be a part of something historic, you can stream this film right here.
9. Manoranjan (1974)
Directed by Shammi Kapoor, ‘Manoranjan,’ which translates to “entertainment” in English, is a Hindi movie that revolves around a guy named Ratan. He is a now-suspended rookie police officer who takes up the guise of a “Nawab” to spend time with a female prostitute named Nisha, whom he had befriended while patrolling Manoranjan Street, an infamous red-light district, and doesn’t want her to use her body to earn money.
But when he decides to stop using his disguise, he finds himself in trouble because the police think that he has killed the Nawab and is now coming after him. What follows is a hilarious string of events that have Ratan and Nisha going berserk. The stellar ensemble includes Sanjeev Kumar as Ratan, Zeenat Aman as Nisha, Shammi Kapoor, Dev Kumar, Asit Kumar Sen, Madan Puri, and Murad. You can stream the film here.
8. Hitler: A Career (1977)
A documentary movie by Christian Herrendoerfer and Joachim Fest, ‘Hitler: A Career’ shows Adolf Hitler’s rise to power from a German POV. Using primarily archival footage, the film explores the different traits of Adolf Hitler that made him who he was and how he is still known as. It explores fascism and throws light on how Hitler, using his talents of persuasion and politics, led the German folk to believe in his ideologies. A controversial yet compelling take on the personality of a dictator and his empire, ‘Hitler: A Career’ is a must-watch. You can stream it here.
7. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
A comedy film that can easily be termed as a satire of the highest order, ‘Monty Python and the Holy Grail’ is directed by Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones of the Monty Python comedy group, the rest of whose members include Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin. The film brings together Arthurian legends with a present-day murder investigation and tells the story of King Arthur and his knights whom God commands to find the Holy Grail and how, in the endeavor, they encounter many dangerous but silly obstacles, but one of these obstacles means serious business, i.e., the police. Alongside the ones mentioned above, the rest of the cast of the film includes Carol Cleveland, Neil Innes, and Connie Booth. You can check out the film here.
6. Life of Brian (1979)
Another project by the Monty Python group, ‘Life of Brian,’ shows what happens when The Three Magi mistake baby boy Brian for Jesus Christ and set off a chain of events that make the movie a laughter riot and a satire that is expected of a Monty Python production. Brian is born on the same day as Jesus, and he joins a faction that is against the Romans taking over Judea or Judaea. He falls in love with a woman named Judith and is even declared the Messiah, AKA Brian of Nazareth, something he doesn’t want or care about. In this way, the film is set from the POV of those who weren’t interested in what Jesus had to say. The cast includes Graham Chapman as Brian of Nazareth, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, and Terence Bayler. You may watch the film here.
5. Lal Patthar (1971)
‘Lal Patthar’ is an Indian Hindi movie directed by Sushil Majumdar and is a remake of an Indian Bengali movie named ‘Lal Pathar’ that was released in 1964. Set against the backdrop of the historical red sandstone city of Fatehpur Sikri in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India, the movie centers on Gyan Shankar Rai, AKA Raja Kumar Bahadur, who breaks his vow of abstinence after bringing Saudamani, a young woman, home, and even renames her as Madhuri.
While he treats her as his wife, he doesn’t marry her. Then, years later, he marries Sumita, a woman half his age, and brings her home. However, upon finding out that Sumita has a lover named Shekhar, Kumar Bahadur plots an end for the lovebirds, assisted by Madhuri, who is secretly jealous of Sumita. The stellar cast includes Raaj Kumar as Raja Kumar Bahadur, Hema Malini as Saudamani aka Madhuri, Rakhee Gulzar as Sumita, Vinod Mehra as Shekhar, Ajit, D. K. Sapru, and Asit Sen. You can watch the movie here.
4. American Graffiti (1973)
This coming-of-age drama, directed by George Lucas, showcases the 1960s American culture through the POV of four high school students, Curt Henderson, Steve Bolander, Terry Fields, and John Milner. The film takes place over the course of a single night in California, wherein the boys enjoy the last evening of their summer holidays as high schoolers. Pop culture, rock-n-roll, counterculture movement, hot rods, and radio, ‘American Graffiti’ explores all these themes and more while giving us a timeless coming-of-age comedy classic that was inspired by Lucas’s own teenage years. The cast includes Ron Howard, Harrison Ford, Paul Le Mat, Richard Dreyfuss, Charles Martin Smith, Cindy Williams, and Candy Clark. You can watch ‘American Graffiti’ here.
3. Slap Shot (1977)
The cult classic sports comedy is directed by George Roy Hill and won the Hochi Film Award (given by the Hochi Shimbun (AKA Sports Hochi) Japanese sports newspaper) for Best International Film. Set in the fictional English town of Charlestown, the film deals with minor league ice hockey and centers on Charlestown’s team, the Charlestown Chiefs. With their impending premature dissolution, Coach Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman), in the team’s apparently last season, recruits three violent players, the Hanson Brothers trio. These three players, played by real-life hockey players Jeff Carlson, Steve Carlson, and David Hanson, add a violent quotient to the matches, turning them into brawls and giving the spectators something out of the ordinary, much to their entertainment and ours. Counted among the greatest cult classics of all time, ‘Slap Shot’ is a 1970s gem that you can watch right here.
2. Airport (1970)
Based on Arthur Hailey’s 1968 novel, ‘Airport’ is set at the fictional Lincoln International Airport near Chicago and showcases its functioning in the middle of a snowstorm and suicide bomb scenario. The film authentically explores airport operations, seamlessly blending the personal stories of the airport staff, crew, and passengers, underscored by the bomber plot and how airport manager Mel Bakersfeld tries to handle the situation. Directed by George Seaton, ‘Airport’ was nominated for nine Oscars and four Golden Globes. The film stars Burt Lancaster, Van Heflin, Dean Martin, Jean Seberg, Jacqueline Bisset, and George Kennedy. You can watch it here.
1. Smokey and the Bandit (1977)
Directed by Hal Needham, this cult classic action comedy pins two bootleggers transferring Coors beer from Texarkana to Atlanta against Portague County Sheriff Buford T. Justice. Bandit and Showman are pros at their job; Snowman is in charge of driving the truck with the beer, accompanied by his dog Fred, and Bandit drives a black 1977 Pontiac Trans Am and acts as a diversion for the cops to keep them away from the truck and its illegal consignment. They soon appear on Sheriff Justice’s radar after her soon-to-be daughter-in-law Carrie dumps his son Junior and ends up beside Bandit in his car. Whether Smokey and Bandit are caught is what we find out in this drama, which Alfred Hitchcock stated was one of his favorite films. Starring Burt Reynolds, Jerry Reed, Jackie Gleason, Sally Field, and Mike Henry, ‘Smokey and the Bandit’ can be streamed here.
Read More: Best 1980s Movies on Netflix
