John H. Foote
10. Martin Scorsese – The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
Scorsese would be here for sheer courage and patience in getting this film made, but being Scorsese, he is here because he created a sublime work of art. For the first time in film history, Christ is flesh, just a man, portrayed beautifully by Willem Dafoe, initially terrified by the voice he hears and what it is telling him, he gives himself over to it and becomes a leader of men, though he knows he is doomed. There is a sadness about this Jesus we have not seen before, and grounds him, makes him more accessible in some way. One of the best scenes comes with Pilate (David Bowie) who matter-of-factly condemns him to death.
The crucifixion scene became infamous because Christ, tempted by the Devil, comes down off the cross to live his life as a man. He marries, fathers children, grows old and on his deathbed returns to fulfill his destiny on the cross. Shot on an impossibly low budget for such a film, Scorsese managed to make a stunning, deeply felt religious film that brought to me true catharsis. Scorsese was nominated for an Oscar, the only one the film received.
9. Brian De Palma – Blow Out (1981)
Released in the summer of 1981, earned rave reviews, but no one went and watched it, preferring ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ (1981), ‘Arthur’ (1981) or ‘Superman II’ (1981). ‘Blow Out’ (1981) was rediscovered on home video and later Blu Ray. The beautiful Criterion edition has brought this superb thriller to an entirely new generation. John Travolta is astounding as a sound designer for B movies who accidentally records the assassination of a presidential candidate. His life, and that of the young girl in the car are placed in peril by the assassin, played with icy brutality by John Lithgow. Nancy Allen takes some getting used to as the sleepy voiced sex kitten who knows more than she is saying. In a race to save her, Travolta records what is happening, and ends up with sound effects that will haunt his nightmares. De Palma keeps the film moving at breathtaking speed with split screens, fast, smart editing, but never loses sight of the superb Travolta performance, his first real adult role. I love this movie.
8. James L. Brooks – Terms of Endearment (1983)
An astonishing debut that won Brooks, a veteran of TV three Oscars and countless critics awards for Best Film. It remains the finest film about mother – daughter relationship ever made, acted with beauty and fury by the great Shirley MacLaine, never better, Debra Winger, her equal, and Jack Nicholson as the rascal next door. The turbulent relationship between the mother and daughter goes from infancy to death, surprising you and never going where you think it is going. As the imperious Aurora, MacLaine is astounding, giving one of the screen’s greatest performances, while Winger, an earth mother matches her every step of the way. How sad they did not tie for Best Actress because each feeds off the other’s performance, one cannot be without the other. Nicholson is superb as the guy who turns out to be precisely what the doctor ordered in his devotion to Aurora. The film won five
The film won five Academy Awards – Film, Director, Actress (MacLaine), Supporting Actor (Nicholson) and Adapted Screenplay. The actors swept all the critical awards that year, and Brooks made one of the best directorial debuts in film history. He has had films nominated for Best Film since, but he has never again been a Best Director nominee. He beautifully balances humor with tragedy here, creating a film that replicates life. You never see the bad coming in life, but neither do we see the good.
7. Oliver Stone – Platoon (1986)
When Oliver Stone, a decorated veteran of the Vietnam war and an Academy Award winning screenwriter made ‘Platoon’ (1986), that war had become a comic book for film, with films such as ‘Rambo: First Blood Part II’ (1985) and ‘Missing in Action (1984) trivializing the war. Stone’s grimly realistic film brought back the startling realism of being a grunt soldier on the front, hacking your way through the jungle in unbearable heat, being eaten by insects, and never seeing the enemy till they attacked. It was an alarming work, intense, electrifying and powerful, whip smart in its dark brilliance.
Tom Berenger is frightening as the fearless marine who loves war, while Willem Dafoe his equal as a man seeking peace. They go to war, it seems, over the soul of Chris (Charlie Sheen), each tugging him into their world. Stone shot the film for six million dollars and it became a sensation late in the year, bringing in more than one hundred and eighty million dollars. Death comes suddenly and without mercy, bodies are torn apart by bullets and booby traps. The realism gives us an idea of what these young men endured, the abject terror they must have felt each and every day in the jungle. The film won the Academy Awards for Best Film and Best Director.
6. Sydney Pollack – Tootsie (1982)
What can go wrong directing farce? Only everything. When you are blessed with gifted actors with opinions, it can be even worse. That was what Pollack faced when he directed ‘Tootsie’ (1982), which emerged as the finest comedy ever made and the greatest, most insightful film made about acting. Workiwhip-smartscript, the director plunges us into the world of New York actors, constant auditions, classes, supporting one another, and often, waiting tables. When a difficult actor, Michael Dorsey (Dustin Hoffman) cannot get work, he disguises himself as a woman, Dorothy Michaels and lands a network soap, quickly becoming a huge star and spokesperson for feminism. Discovery means the end of his career, and when he falls in love with his co-star, Julie (Jessica Lange) he finds himself becoming a better man as a woman than he ever was as a man.
There is a breathtaking moment in the film where we lose Hoffman and Michael and have accepted Dorothy as a person. And when she is gone, like Julie, we miss her. Hoffman is a revelation in the film, the finest performance of his career and Pollack balances the farcical aspects with the truths within the film. There is no better film on the art of acting, there is not a greater comedy ever made. How did Hoffman lose the Academy Award? The scene between him and his agent, George, played perfectly by Pollack, is legendary.
