Rebecca (1940): 13th Winner for Best Picture

Rebecca (1940)

Date viewed: 22 January 2012

This film was back to black and white, but it was also our first Hitchcock best picture. It's a story of a woman who is from the middle class world who falls in love with a well-known man in Monte Carlo. Although widowed several years beforehand, he marries her and she moves into the life of the upper class, but life isn't always rosey.

This was a really strange film. The music was weird and some of the characters are weird - the twist was completely unexpected - and weird! There was definitely something different about this film. If you like strange love stories with a twist, watch this film.

Why did it win Best Picture? Hitchcock was a great and famous director, but it was also based on a novel by a famous author at the time. Maybe even its weirdness allowed it to win...

Gone With The Wind (1939): 12th Winner for Best Picture

Gone With The Wind (1939)

Date viewed: 14 January 2012

For me, unlike others, this was the first time I had seen this film in my life before. This film was the first of our best pictures to be in colour. It is a story rooted in US history about a woman (Scarlett) who comes from a well-to-do family and lives through the American civil war. It follows her lovers and how she grows through this time of war and beyond.

The first half was very interesting, but after the intermission I felt it was a very drawn out love story. Scarlett's character also drove me crazy towards the end. If you like American history and drawn out love stories, see this movie.

Why did it win Best Picture? Possibly the fact it was in colour, but also it was a story about a significant event in US history.

You Can't Take It With You (1938): 11th Oscar Winner for Best Picture

You Can't Take It With You (1938)

Date viewed: 14 August 2011

This was quite a good and poignant romantic comedy where a rich man falls in love with a lower class woman. The woman lives in a 'nut house' with her extended family and the man has to choose over his wealthy lifestyle, or if he truly loves the woman of his dreams despite the 'embarassing' and crazy lifestyle of her family. Anyone up for a nice romantic comedy should watch this film.

Why did it win Best Picture? I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it was a film that light-heartedly broke the barriers with social class. It was quite a cute storyline, too.

The Life of Emile Zola (1937): 10th Winner for Best Picture

The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

Epic.

This film is by far the best of the Best Pictures so far. I don't know if I'm in the right place  to put this next to films like Gandhi, but it's pretty up there. Once you understand what was going on, it was a great film. It had a very strong storyline, classic and good quality photography and a bio-pic that was of great (and controversial) significance at that time.

Why haven't we heard of Emile Zola?
Good question. First of all he was controversial. Okay, maybe that's no excuse. He was a Frenchman who stood up for justice in the late 1800s against the French government and its army. Not only that, he wrote many books about the oppressed people of France, he was a playwright and used to live with famous artist Paul Cezanne. Go and Google or Wiki him to find out more.

If you like movies that timelessly stand up for justice and truth against wrong and evil, make this film part of your collection, or at least watch it.

Why did it win Best Picture? Where do I start? A bio-pic about a man who stood up for truth and justice - significant to French history. Strong storyline and good photography also add to other reasons I believe it won best picture.

Dates Viewed

Before I carry on, I would just like to point out the dates these films were viewed.

• Wings was probably December 2009
• The Broadway Melody was 10 January 2010
• All Quiet On The Western Front was 28 March 2010
• Cimarron was 4 April 2010
• Grand Hotel was 23 May 2010
• Cavalcade was 6 January 2011
• It Happened One Night was 27 February 2011
• Mutiny On The Bounty was 7 April 2011
• The Great Ziegfeld was 1 May 2011
• The Life of Emile Zola was 26 June 2011