More than any other decade, the 1970s laid the foundations of modern cinema.  The 1960s were no better a decade for film than the 1950s; its experimental excesses could not compensate for a shockingly meager output of quality work.  But something magical happened in the 1970s.  Perhaps it was the arrival on the scene of visionary directors such as Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, George Lucas, and many others.  Perhaps it was a unique moment in the industry when—as in the early 1990s—studios were not so risk-averse, and financing for daring new projects by unknown directors and writers was not so difficult to come by.

It was a time of explosive creativity.  The 1970s saw the birth of brilliant and exciting new genres, such as neo-noir, martial arts, the so-called “blaxploitation” film, and the “summer blockbuster.”  But it was also a dark and cynical time, an era in which the wounds of Vietnam, Watergate, and social unrest had not yet healed.  The great films of the 70s reflected both of these social currents, and much else besides.  There was a rawness, a hard-boiled grittiness, that the movies from this decade possess which has never quite been recaptured.  The glitz and glamour of the 1980s tried to whitewash the dark edginess of the 70s, but never came close to matching the visionary power of 70s film.

The films listed below are my own personal choices for a list of the greatest films of the 1970s.  I have decided to limit myself to American films, with only two exceptions.  Were I to increase my sample size to include international cinema, my list would become far too unwieldy.  I present these movies in alphabetical order, and not in any order of declining precedence or quality.  My use of the word “greatest” in selecting these titles is deliberate. Greatness here combines both cultural influence and innate merit; these titles may not all be your most favorite of the era, but I believe they are the best and most influential of the era. My hope is that the ambitious reader will make an effort to see every movie on this list.  He will find not only satisfying entertainment, but also his contemporary world illuminated.

Alien (1979)

Before Alien, no director had truly succeeded in blending horror and science fiction.  The results of Ridley Scott’s carefully constructed film are nothing less than visionary.  Not only did Alien create a new subgenre of science fiction, it launched a smashingly successful film franchise as well.  The plot:  the hapless crew of a commercial spacecraft accidentally stumble on an alien organism of unspeakable hostility and ferocity.  The H.R. Giger artwork adds to the mounting sense of horror, and Sigourney Weaver’s heroine provides just the right balance between vulnerability and pugnacity. 

American Graffiti (1973)

This early George Lucas effort was almost single-handedly responsible for the 1950s nostalgia craze of the 1970s.  But what makes this film timeless is the director’s effort to paint each character in vivid colors.  The viewer comes away not just with a feeling for the era, but a feeling that he knows each face that appears on screen.  The nearly continuous soundtrack that runs over the entire film makes the viewer feel he has stepped inside a classic radio station. Watch for Bo Hopkins in a small but unforgettable role as the leader of a local gang called the “Pharaohs.” 

Animal House (1978)

This was one of those movies that just “came together” in every sense.  National Lampoon’s Animal House cannot be left off any list of the great movies of the 1970s.  This raunchy comedy came out of nowhere and quickly achieved cult status.  Nearly every scene has memorable lines, and the snickering performances remind us that there really was an era when comedians were unafraid of offending the sensibilities of high-strung audiences.  John Belushi and the rest of the cast turn in genius performances, of course. But the show-stealing scenes of character actor John Vernon as Dean Wormer achieve a beauty that verges on the sublime.    

Apocalypse Now (1979) 

Some films struggle for truth, for grand meanings, and for answers to our most mystifying questions.  This is one of those films.  Francis Ford Coppola came very close to bankrupting himself to produce what he initially feared would be a catastrophic failure.  Somehow, he created one of the strangest and most profound conceptions ever put on film.  It is nominally a “war film,” in the sense that its backdrop is the Vietnam War; but like its inspiration, Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, the setting could be almost any hostile environment.  The plot: a special forces captain is tasked with tracking down and “terminating the command” of a renegade colonel who has apparently gone insane.  What begins as a straightforward assignment soon turns into an exploration into life’s hidden meanings and darkest secrets.  The cinematography has never been matched, John Milius’s take-no-prisoners screenplay is perfectly adapted to the terrain, and the mad Kurtz’s brooding monologues at the end provide exactly the right tone of moral opaqueness.  And it almost feels as if the Doors’ “The End” was made just for this movie.  An unforgettable film experience.

Bad News Bears (1976)

No one who was a kid in the 1970s and on a little league team can fail to relate to this oddly poignant tale of a group of misfits led by a stumbling alcoholic coach (brilliantly played by Walter Matthau).  Although it was marketed as a comedy, there is a real human depth to this movie, and a message of forgiveness and love that our own era perhaps needs more than ever before.  The decision to score the film with the music from “Carmen” was a stroke of genius, and has elevated the film to cinema legend. 

Barry Lyndon (1975)

Stanley Kubrick’s beautifully shot historical drama set a new standard for attention to detail in period films.  The story is an absorbing one, but the movie was not as appreciated as it should have been when first released.  Time has brought about a more positive evaluation, and few would today argue that the movie is a masterpiece of its genre.   

Chinatown (1974)

Los Angeles has never looked as good, or as corrupt, as it appears in Chinatown.  Below the surface, dark forces maneuver for power and control—and they will stop at nothing to enforce their privilege and power.  It is a dark vision that perfectly aligns with the mood of the 1970s.  Jack Nicholson’s cynical, wisecracking detective Jake Gittes thinks he knows all the angles—but in this case, he has no idea what he’s dealing with.  Roman Polanski’s Chinatown breathed new life into the noir detective tale, but this movie packs a serious punch that transcends its genre.  Distinguished director John Huston agreed to play the part of water utility tycoon Noah Cross, and the result on-screen is nothing less than terrifying. 

Coffy (1973)

Arguably Pam Grier’s best role of the 1970s, this movie cemented her “vigilante with a heart” screen persona.  The plot:  a grieving woman seeks revenge against a heroin dealer who caused her sister’s death.  The movie was a commercial success, returning around $4 million on a $500,000 investment, but its cultural influence remained significant thereafter.  Coffy became representative of a new genre, and helped inspire both directors and actresses for decades.

The Conversation (1974)

Francis Ford Coppola’s 1974 foray into art house cinema has only increased in prestige with every passing decade.  Is it a noir thriller?  A cautionary tale about the dangers of a surveillance society?  Or is it a profile of a psychologically crippled man?  It is all these things, and more.  Filled with symbolism and latent meaning, The Conversation is one of those movies that cries out for discussion and debate. 

Day Of The Jackal (1973)

This masterpiece of suspense hinges on a plot to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle. And all the threads come together for a pulse-pounding finale. 

Deliverance (1972)

A profound tale of calamity and redemption that may be interpreted on various levels, Deliverance remains a classic that bears frequent viewings.  The plot: a group of middle-class friends takes a canoe journey down an isolated river, and find themselves fighting for their lives against unexpected dangers both man-made and natural.    

Dirty Harry (1971)

Dark, unrelenting, and grim are adjectives well-suited to describe this ground-breaking crime thriller.  Coming in the wake of California’s unsolved “Zodiac” killings, and a sense that crime was spinning out of control, Dirty Harry tapped into the zeitgeist of the era like few films have before or since.  The result is a brilliant and unremitting journey into the psychology of crime, justice, and vengeance.  Frank Sinatra was apparently offered the lead role, and either had other commitments or turned it down.  Clint Eastwood accepted, and the result was cinema history.  Detective Harry Callahan’s seething anger and sense of alienation serve him in good stead as he tracks a murderous maniac calling himself Scorpio.  Andy Robinson’s portrayal of Scorpio has earned him the distinction of being without doubt the greatest movie psycho of all time. His character’s influence can be found even today in the Joker of 2008’s The Dark Knight.  And that 70s funk-jazz score by Lalo Schifrin?  Absolutely classic. 

Duel (1971)

A strange and inventive early Steven Spielberg effort that delivers in every way.  An innocent, mild-mannered salesman accidentally crosses paths with a greasy oil tanker.  Soon the driver of the tanker (whom we never see) begins to pursue him with murderous intent.  The very irrationality of the premise is one of the sources of the movie’s strength.  It is a nightmare that could be played out on any American highway today, and in that sense it is prophetic.  If you have never seen Duel, you don’t know what you’re missing.          

Enter The Dragon (1973)

This is the movie that made Bruce Lee a truly international superstar.  It also helped popularize martial arts in the United States, and proved that a martial arts movie could be commercially successful.  Bruce Lee’s extraordinary charisma has to be seen to be believed.  We do not expect the technical brilliance of his camerawork (Lee played a big part in the movie’s direction and choreography), nor his mischievous sense of humor.  Every martial arts movie today owes a debt of gratitude to Enter The Dragon.      

The Exorcist (1973)

At this point, can anything more be said about one of the most terrifying and revolutionary horror films ever made?  William Friedkin’s classic tale of demonic possession has been imitated—or ripped off—so many times for so many years, that it is difficult to appreciate just how shocking the movie was when it was released in the early 1970s.  But there is a true depth here that we find lacking in almost all other horror films.  The extended prologue, so much a feature of Friedkin’s movies, establishes a kind of cosmic showdown between the forces of good and evil.  The director then seamlessly launches us into a brutal tale of a young girl’s suffering that ends only when the spiritual battle is fully joined.  A masterpiece in every sense of the word. 

The French Connection (1971)

William Friedkin worked very, very hard to produce this incomparable gem.  But what really holds the movie together are Gene Hackman’s explosive personality and the strong partner relationship he enjoys with fellow detective Roy Scheider.  The pacing and editing are perfect, the performances are spot-on, and the story is utterly absorbing.  Not only can you not take your eyes off the screen, but you feel like you are stalking heroin dealers on the streets and subways of 1970s New York City.  And, of course, there is that extended chase scene…

Get Carter (1971)

This British gangster film starring Michael Caine has gained a devoted following in recent decades, and for good reason.  Its uncompromising realism and gritty individualistic ethic remain welcome antidotes to the defeatist, nihilist mood of the modern era.  Maybe one man with a shotgun really can make a difference, after all.      

Gimme Shelter (1970)

A dark and underappreciated documentary film about the Rolling Stones’ infamous concert at the Altamont Speedway in 1969.  The movie can be seen as a sort of “anti-Woodstock.”  It pulled away the hypocritical mask of the 1960s to reveal that, behind the talk of “peace and love,” human nature remains unchanging, and often animalistic.  Not to be missed. 

The Godfather (Part I and Part II) (1972 and 1974)

Rarely do we find sequels that are as good, or even better, than their predecessors.  Yet this is just what Francis Ford Coppola pulled off in his immortal gangster saga.  The influence of these two movies on popular culture cannot be overstated, so I will end my comments here. 

The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad (1973)

This movie is a personal favorite of mine. A superbly entertaining story that features the animation of Ray Harryhausen, The Golden Voyage of Sinbad is an old-fashioned adventure packed with moral lessons and aphoristic wisdom. Tom Baker is unforgettable as the evil sorcerer Koura.  

Halloween (1978)

The granddaddy of the entire “slasher” genre, Halloween is surprisingly restrained in its depiction of gore and blood.  It relies on a much older and more effective technique to generate fear:  dread, gradually raised in intensity through the use of mood and suggestion.  It is not an easy skill for directors to master, which is why there are so few great horror movies.

Jaws (1975)

Steven Spielberg struck cinematic gold with this incomparable piece of maritime suspense.  It was perhaps the first great summer blockbuster.  As was the case in Apocalypse Now, the director feared at first that he might have a disaster on his hands, but somehow it all came together with true magic.  Spielberg was careful to photograph his mechanical shark for only brief periods, and then only from select angles, as Ridley Scott did in Alien.  The result is an increase in audience terror. A suspense film and a thrilling sea yarn rolled into one, Jaws is mandatory viewing. 

The Man Who Would Be King (1975)

One of John Huston’s last great projects, this movie feels like a throwback to a much earlier era. In a way, it is: based on a short story by Rudyard Kipling, The Man Who Would Be King features Michael Caine and Sean Connery at their very best. It’s an adventure for the hell of it, and in many ways, that’s the purest and most honest kind. 

Night Moves (1975)

A neo-noir classic.  Gene Hackman plays a hardboiled private eye who gets far more than he bargained for on what seems to be a routine case.  The ending is grim, even by the standards of the era, but has an inescapable logic to it. 

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

Perhaps it is depressing, and a bit exaggerated in its efforts to play the “fight the system” card.  But what can’t be denied are the great performances by Jack Nicholson and the other cast members.  For better or for worse, the movie distilled the mood of the times, and for that reason it remains a valuable cultural marker. 

Rocky (1976)

One of the greatest underdog tales ever told.  And it works every time.  Why?  Because Sylvester Stallone’s screenplay and portrayal are so honest, so real, and so raw that we can’t help but overlook the obvious implausibility of the plot.  Rocky has scenes of such unfiltered emotion that they stay with us forever.  Among a great many, my favorite is when Mick pays Rocky a visit at his shabby apartment and nearly begs him to be his manager.  After some release of pent-up resentments, the two men reconcile in an inexpressibly poignant moment. 

Sorcerer (1977)

William Friedkin’s initially underappreciated masterpiece has in recent years been seen as the brilliant work that it is.  It had the misfortune of being released on the heels of Star Wars, which of course eclipsed everything else.  Audiences were also confused by the title, thinking it might be another of Friedkin’s supernatural horror stories.  The movie stands alone as an uncompromising tale of redemption sought but only partially found.  The plot:  a group of international renegades come together to deliver a cargo of unstable dynamite intended to put out an oil derrick fire.  But their pasts cannot be expunged away so easily.

Stalker (1979)

The greatest Soviet film ever made.  Audiences are sharply divided on this movie.  Some have seen Adrei Tarkovsky’s movie as a boring exercise in futility, while others see it as a haunting, surreal tale of alienation and thwarted desire.  Maybe it is both, but few can deny the power of the movie’s imagery and its brooding philosophical reflections.  Loosely based on the science fiction novel Roadside Picnic, the movie’s premise is that a guide (a “stalker”) is hired to escort visitors into a “zone” littered with alien artifacts.  See it, and decide for yourself.  

Star Wars (1977)

George Lucas’s science fiction triumph gave audiences in the late 70s things they had never scene before:  colossal space ships, laser gun battles, a soap opera plot, and a memorable cast of rogues and miscreants.  You can love it or hate it, but you can’t deny its tremendous cultural influence.    

Taxi Driver (1976)

Martin Scorsese’s grim masterpiece has lost none of its power since it first unsettled audiences in the late 1970s.  In fact, its intimate—perhaps too intimate—portrait of a disturbed man cast adrift in an urban setting is perhaps more relevant than ever before.  The most personal of all noir films, Taxi Driver follows the life and ruminations of a young man whose grip on reality becomes ever more tenuous after a series of unconnected events. New York City has never looked so run-down, desolate, and despairing. The jazz score may seem incongruous and distracting, but after a few viewings, we come to appreciate its eminent suitability.   

Three Days Of The Condor (1975)

To call Sydney Pollack’s Three Days Of The Condor a paranoid film would be an understatement.  This movie took post-Watergate cynicism to a whole new level, but the story is so engrossing, so well-paced, that we can’t help but be swept along with its current.  And yet it all seems so relevant to our current political landscape.  Pollack’s vision of a hidden “CIA within the CIA” seems chillingly plausible, even if the headlines today are different than they were in 1975.    

Honorable Mentions

The Taking Of Pelham One Two Three (1974)

The Warriors (1979)

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