A Filmmaker's Guide to: 20 Films of the 1970s

The 1970s were an interesting decade for film because we were moving more towards knowing our genres apart. In comparison to the 1960s and before, it was more difficult to tell whether your opinion was that "Rosemary's Baby" (1968) was a horror or a thriller because of its method of suggestiveness. But, by the time we get to the 1970s, I think through the way we get a very full-on approach to horror especially, nobody would even think to suggest that "The Exorcist" (1973) was a thriller film. We are very sure that is horror by the way in which we are now allowed to see exactly what's going on.

Violent death on screen is something that really begins in the 1970s. If you were to watch the film "Alien" (1979), even though it's Sci-Fi explorative nature takes its cut and inspiration from "2001: A Space Odyssey" (1968), Kubrick's film manages to keep violence away from us, even though it is thoroughly suggested in some scenes by the ways in which members of the crew are pushed out of the spacecraft and into the abyss. Yes, we cannot ignore that this is the age of violence on screen in ways we have not seen before. The film that often is cited for this demonstration and definitely the pinnacle of violence on screen is "A Clockwork Orange" (1971). Even today, the level of violence in this film is shocking with its scenes of extreme beatings and sexual misconduct. Made at the beginning of the 1970s, we can only imagine the audience reaction to this movie as being one of shock and terror. It was only a few years before that they were watching "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (1966) which spares us the horrid violence on screen in return for seeing someone go down from a gunshot wound.

The 1970s is also the Golden Decade of Al Pacino. With his films such as: "The Godfather" (1972) and "Dog Day Afternoon" (1975) - Al Pacino was on the rise, and pretty much still is to this day. Known as one of the greatest actors of all time, his character of Michael Corleone would become a timeless portrayal of a personification of the crime world - between wanting to make something of himself, being with Kay Adams and dealing with the death of his father, Michael is one of the most three-dimensional criminal characters in all of cinema history.

Throughout the 1970s, we also see more films starring the actor of "Easy Rider" (1969), Jack Nicholson. We may not quite be at Batman '89 yet, but we do get some of his most memorable performances in this particular decade. From his work on Polanski's "Chinatown" (1974) to the unforgettable "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" (1975). He was certainly on the rise as being able to pretty much play any character the screen had to offer him. And obviously, by 1980, at the beginning of the next decade - we witness his partnership with Stanley Kubrick in "The Shining", which some consider to be his magnum opus.

The Horror Renaissance meant that horror was back and it was stronger than ever. People wanted what Alfred Hitchcock had given to them in the 60s, but with violence appearing more rampantly on screen, it left room for mass expansion within the genre. Films in which death and violence are solidly depicted meant that horror films could be more physical with their approach. Taking the shocking scene from "The Birds" (1963) in which Tippi Hedren enters a home to find a man with his eyes pecked out by birds, the film world wanted to work with this level of violence in horror and so much more. Working with the context of the time in which the Zodiac Killer was so prevalent, films such as "Halloween" (1978) and "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) became part of the new American Horror and 'Slasher' culture.

During this mi-70s phase, a young man named Stephen King had just had his first number one novel adapted into a film as well. "Carrie" (1976) did an amazing job of scaring the shit out of everyone in the audience, it's mass of blood on screen only surpassed by the 80s "The Shining" when the blood is supposed to get off on the second floor.

20 Films of the 1970s

Let's have a look at 20 films from the 1970s. In here you'll find a watch-list with many films that have 'done something' for modern cinema. They've either added to the genre, started something amazing, began a craze or series, won multiple awards and/or are remembered for their brilliant technicality. This is the age of the physical.

1. The Godfather (1972)

2. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (1975)

3. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

4. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977)

5. Barry Lyndon (1975)

6. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

7. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)

8. A Clockwork Orange (1971)

9. Halloween (1978)

10. Carrie (1976)

11. The Deer Hunter (1978)

12. Papillon (1973)

13. A Star is Born (1976)

14. The Exorcist (1973)

15. Taxi Driver (1976)

16. Moonraker (1979)

17. Chinatown (1974)

18. Alien (1979)

19. Annie Hall (1977)

20. Rocky (1976)