What Each Best Picture Winner Tells Us About Hollywood

[@Lanosrep]

I think it would have been worth noting how the first Oscars didn't have one best picture winner, but two. Of course there was Wings, which won "Outstanding Picture" while Sunrise: A song of two humans won in the "Best Unique and Artistic Picture", with both categories being folded into one in the next year.This showing the push and pull between populist and artistic-orientated films in the awards even from the start

[@alltalkingpictures]

exactly! they later went back and said Wings was the 'official' winner of the year but Sunrise is a fascinating movie too. its a shame the oscars weren't around through the 1910s/20s to get more silent movies in the best picture lineage

[@jasonabbott5546]

@@alltalkingpictures That’s always been a big “what if” and I always regretted that the Academy didn’t start the Oscar’s earlier

[@jasonabbott5546]

Great video, hope to see more from you. And a great point about the Oscar’s and the Silents. People think that The Jazz Singer killed off the Silents at once. There were great Silents made after 1927 but the Academy froze them out

[@youthproblem]

I must disagree about your dismissal of The Last Emperor, but otherwise this was a great video and spot on in terms of analysis

[@nikkilaws01]

I think they should've kept doing that

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

People want a diversity of genres in its Best Picture category instead of a domination of one or two genres, which is why there's a push for more animation films, horror films, and other popcorn flicks for Best Picture instead of being confined to one or two categories that are viewed as less important compared to the bigger nominations.

[@justaregulardude895]

This. Not awarding films of all genres reveals the disdain artists have for "plebs" and that Hollywood itself has against the youth of America. Horror, science fiction, comedy, family, animation, action/adventure, fantasy...all skews towards younger viewers as they drive the box office. But according to the Academy that doesn't matter. Here, instead let's award a historically inaccurate history lesson!

[@liftingskies8970]

Animation isn’t a genre - it’s a medium!

[@highwind6325]

Fuck that lol, a half baked message in a marvel movie is fun as a popcorn flick. Not to win best picture...

[@liftingskies8970]

@@highwind6325 agreed. I think movies like get out and everything everywhere all at once are good examples of popular movies that overlap with good stories. These are the types of films the academy should be pushing for best picture in order to appeal to the masses - not marvel

[@raphaelmarquez9650]

@@highwind6325 Popcorn flicks are an insulting category alongside campy films and B movies, as they are viewed as a death sentence from being treated seriously as good cinema.

[@rickG913]

The thing that struck me watching this is how far behind the Academy is relative to foreign filmmakers and audiences as a whole. It didn’t start awarding new wave/realism (in earnest) until the 70’s even though it had been all the rage in Europe since the 50’s. It didn’t start awarding streaming (in earnest) until literally last year despite the fact it had been a looming spectacle throughout the previous decade. That is what irks filmmakers about the Academy…do the Oscars picks actually reflect what is happening in America, changes in the zeitgeist and consumer habits?…or are they about the industry playing catch-up as it rushes to co-opt progressive narratives/themes for the sake of its own relevance.

[@royce5305]

How can it function any other way though? Awards are, by nature, reactionary. They only have the power to reflect trends, not predict them. And because of the internet, culture is shifting more rapidly than ever before. The reason all these old institutions feel out of touch now is because they literally weren't intended to change this quickly. Just talking about streaming, you're taking a phenomenon that only really took off in the last decade or so and weighing it against a hundred years of the traditional movie theater formula. Of course it's going to take a while to see that reflected in an institution that helped construct that traditional formula to begin with.

[@handsoaphandsoap]

Italian neorealism influenced like every single film movement in the world at the time and the Academy was just like “nah”

[@fairyprincess911]

Americans like junk viewing with their junk food 🥸

[@jasmimbettencourt358]

I think it’s more a reflection of attitudes of Hollywood history than the Academy itself. The shift in the late 1960s to more experimental and realist films reflects the New Hollywood shift that happened in the industry, which only happened much later than everywhere else (including in American independent cinema). I think it has to do with the way that business is inherently a bit conservative and tends to go more for the things it knows will work and bring in money, looking to radical innovation with suspicion, only changing when the radical innovation has proven that it too can work and be successful.

[@hyperballadbradx6486]

I suppose so - especially when we as film fans know how much wealth there is in terms of talent and innovation there is all around the world. But at the same time I understand why it has been a local affair for so long. Not all platforms need to be world ones. Just because something is enjoyed around the world, doesn't mean they automatically are included. And many people, from experience, simply might say they don't watch films 'with subtitles'; many people gravitate towards what they relate to, can understand or have real world connection with. Not saying its right or wrong. Like the author here, its interesting to consider the withertos and the wherefores.

[@jvondd]

You pretty much nailed the reason why I watched the Oscars every year. I'm curious to see where Hollywood is at culturally in a given year and whose stories they're valuing. I'm still waiting for the Academy to recognize the artistry that the horror genre has to offer because they really have balked at some great works.

[@incrediblesnn]

Im also waiting for them to properly respect the medium of animation. There is a really good video by a youtuber I watch named “Schaffrillas Productions” that gives more details. The video is called, “when did the Oscars stop respecting animation”

[@branimirdjurovic8928]

One thing is not mentioned here and I think is important regarding the last decade. Besides expanding the membership Academy also changed the way the best picture is chosen - from the majority of votes to preferential ballot

[@alltalkingpictures]

yes for sure! and there are definitely some movies from the past that wouldnt have won under this new system

[@Wired4Life2]

@@alltalkingpictures Wasn't 5 nominees+weighted ballot the vast middle bulk of AMPAS' history?

[@jenniferariesta6464]

Many wrong films won because of this tbh

[@aviad950]

As someone who likes making Oscar predictions all year long, the preferential ballots forced me to change the way I think about the BP category. It's no longer "which movie would get the most votes", but rather "which movie would get most top 3 or top 4 rankings". This is why, for example, a movie like The Power of the Dog, that got polarizing reactions, lost to the more universally accepted CODA. Both are good movies, but one is always thought of as simply good, while another gets both highly positive and highly negative reactions.

[@Wired4Life2]

@@aviad950 *_On top of_* its initial, non-last place pile of #1 votes.

[@AvatarYoda]

I'm slightly amused that The Last Emperor and a re-release of Bambi made essentially equal amounts of money.

[@brickellrich1]

Why in the world has no one really thought about this before? Thank you so much for this. It's as though this concept has always existed but no one really bothered to look into it and most importantly, done a video essay about it this phenomenal. This a brilliant, introspective and marvelously entertaining video that must be a must-watch for basically anyone in modern American society. Yeah, I said that. It's very easy and even fun to disparage the Oscars and target the usual suspects, but the best picture winners' reflection of the ongoing sociological, political and cultural aspects of a given era are not something that can be easily discarded and dismissed as just Hollywood frivolity. Yeah, go ahead and dismiss it all if you wish, but the depth of these films' Oscar wins and their place in our history is something to be given careful and studied analysis.

[@r.c.c.10]

Many people have thought about this before. There must be a lot of discussions on the internet about this.

[@justaregulardude895]

The people who pay to see movies and watch the awards are not academics, and very few people watch movies for the purpose of criticism unless they are paid to do it or are internet snarks. If the purpose of the Oscars is to reward the most intellectually, emotionally, and morally complex films of the year, then "Best Picture" needs to be replaced with "Most Artificially Important Picture." The audience, the zeitgeist, society as a whole...WE decide what is important, both collectively to culture and to our own individual selves. It doesn't matter what the critics or the Academy thinks about the film because they aren't paying to see it- WE are! Please, tell me, whose opinions are worth more- the professor musing in his chair to a group of chin-stroking killjoys, or the group of teen friends spending their summer job money to see something they are EXCITED for?

[@brickellrich1]

@@r.c.c.10 I wouldn’t want to hear anything about ordinary Joes or Janes analysis of the Oscars and how it’s complex sociopolitical ramifications is so important and fascinating. That’s why we have film lovers and intellects like the gentleman who created this. Those folks you talk about are fine the way they are. The larger point is that this video essay’s content and message is far more important and intriguing than the easy dismissal and sighs that many people enjoy giving it. People can remain as they are. I’m personally grateful and happy that at least one KZbinr came up with this for my entertainment and learning. And oh yeah, I pay a lot for my entertainment, as I’m very sure the content creator does. Not COMPLETELY sure what you’re truly trying to say. This is very enjoyable, educational and engrossing. Have some fun.

[@martinsorenson1055]

No, this isn't new. It's very well done - I don't want to make it sound like it isn't. But back in the 80's, my professors discussed this quite a bit. It opened my eyes to the way Hollywood worked and how the movies reflected what was going on in the world. What we didn't have was the internet and access to so many different interpretations of this idea.

[@brickellrich1]

@@martinsorenson1055 You got it right! It’s all about the internet. Had we been in a different era I suppose I would have had to go around hoping to get lucky and have a class like yours. I really appreciate what the creator did!

[@Megan-bt9pm]

What turned me off from the Oscar's was the animation category. I recall there was a year where they showed the kind of responses from anon Academy voters. Every single one stated they either abstained, didn't bother to watch anything because they're just kids stuff and just chose the Disney offering, or just chose what their kid liked the best since they didn't care themselves. It's a complete dismissal of an entire category that made me doubt the rest of the Oscar's and how voting works. It may have been admirable in the past, but I have lost faith.

[@fabianhebestreit3240]

You're not wrong in general (the Academy is not good with animation), but don't give too much weight to those anonymous Oscar ballots. They are chosen from the news outlets for maximum controversy which drives traffic and engagement, and we get maybe a doyen every year out of thousands of voters.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Into the Spider-verse absolutely should have been nominated for best picture over Black Panther that year.

[@kchishol1970]

There is a book from the 1990s called "Alternative Oscars" where the author would often discuss the top winners that should have been, although he did agree with history a number of times. My favourite is his comments on the 1964 Best Picture winner, in which he complained that "My Fair Lady" had no business winning even as a musical in the same year as the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night," but he put in "Dr. Strangelove" as a brilliant dark comedy satire that truly reflected its time's anxieties and absurdities.

[@nickyoude2694]

I'm of the mindset that it wasn't so much My Fair Lady vs Dr Strangelove. It was more My Fair Lady vs Becket.

[@mooskanate]

@@nickyoude2694 Or Mary Poppins.

[@sasha-stone]

I did not know there was an intimate gay kiss in Wings! But that's exactly what it looks like. That's wild.

[@grahammaio9801]

Your article led me to watching this video. Thanks!

[@prometheusjackson8787]

It's very obviously not gay but whatever

[@zeltzamer4010]

Pretty sure there’s also a lesbian couple sitting at the table during the famous dolly shot.

[@scrubbingdoubles8585]

Jesus loves you and died and rose again for your sins John 3:16 Romans 8:35-39

[@fauxsorcier]

@@scrubbingdoubles8585 girl, read the room

[@matineesonmainstreet2005]

Very Good. Two things II'd like to mention. The first is that theOscars went through much of the same thing in the late 1960s and early 70s. I'm old enough to remember when Marlon Brando rejected his Oscar in 72, and Dustin Hoffman refused care or campaign for any of his nominations until Kramer Vs. Kramer. George C. Scott also wanted to reject his Oscar but seemed to have taken it in protest. All of this started further back. The second thing is that the idea of the Oscars goes back farther than LB Mayer. As far back as 1908, film magazines mentioned talk about "quality movies," and the early feature films were built on that idea. By around 1915 or 1916, you can get a feel that the movies were being divvied up into two camps, one was the quality films, and the other was not. In 1920, Photoplay magazine launched an idea for picking the best film each year and much of what they established became the ground work for the Oscars.

[@TTM9691]

The Photoplay awards have nothing to do with the Oscars, all they did was pick the best film of the year. The Academy (not the "Oscars") was set up (the idea has been lost to the ether but Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford were two of the probable sources) to literally be an academy, in part so that the studios would pool their resources to develop the "sciences", the technical matters of film-making, made doubly urgent as sound was coming in. And literally be a training ground for film technicians. The dopey awards show was an afterthought and disgusted Douglas Fairbanks (the Academy's first president) so much that he resigned (and retired from the movie business). To that same end, Fairbanks established the first film program at a university at UCLA.

[@matineesonmainstreet2005]

@@TTM9691 What I mostly read was that it was Mayer's attempt to control a labor situation. Actually, the PHotoplay award was popular enough to run into the 1950s. It was established for the magazine's audience, and it did suggest that people could vote on it, unlike the Academy Awards. The awards show may have been dopey, and the agendas of the various people involved in starting it may have varied a lot, but everyone involved in the process at least knew of the Photoplay idea. It wasn't something that was forgotten at the time.

[@TTM9691]

@@matineesonmainstreet2005 No, it was not "Mayer's attempt", as if he was the only mogul in Hollywood. It was the STUDIOS - one of which Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks were owners of (United Artists) - who were worried about the emerging unions. Louis B. Mayer was one of the (many) founders of the Academy. NOBODY knows for sure who came up with the idea, and it probably emerged from multiple people. I've read in multiple books that attributes the idea percolated up at Pickfair....whether it was Pick & Fair themselves, or their dinner guests, that sounds about right.

[@Harringtonml54]

@@TTM9691 you don't know what you're talking about. Matineemainstreet2005 is correct. LB Mayer was afraid the growing labor unrest at his studio--especially by the actors whose grievances, if brought to the public's attention, would turn the public sour on his profit potential--so he gathered some other studio moguls and stars like Pickford and Fairbanks to create an awards mechanism which he believed (with some merit) would assuage the egos of actors and directors alike. The Founding members of the Academy numbered fewer than 50 across all disciplines, but there were more PRODUCERS than any of branch, which is why the Best Picture award still does to a producer/producers and not a director. If you want to know more about the actual history of the A.M.P.A.S., read INSIDE OSCAR by Damien Bona and Mason Wiley or Robert Osborne's official History of the Oscars. If you say you HAVE read them, then you know your interpretation of how and why the Academy came into existence. And Oscar controversy began in the second year of the awards when Pickford decided she WANTED one of them and invited prominent voters to tea at Pickfair, thereby creating the first example of Oscar campaigning. She won Best Actress, also creating the first controversy about how the awards are managed and determined (popularity over artistic merit).

[@JM-ks6ix]

Being a film buff and huge Oscar’s fan, I defintely agree with you that best picture is like a scrapbook of the almost 100 years the award has been around. No matter how much you don’t like the scrapbook picture or feel guilt/shame/naive for both yourself and the way you look in it, lit usually has a strong influence from that year/decade and often reflects emotions/topics the American people were feeling and/or celebrating. Before I go into some of my own fav and/or greatest best picture winners, I’d love to see you do more videos like this. I would love to see one of Oscar best actress winners, as well as Emmy’s for best drama/comedy and best actress in both those categories.

[@MrClarkkerr]

Great video. It’s crazy to think that movies like Kramer vs Kramer, Terms of Endearment and Monstruck were the biggest movies of their year.

[@justaregulardude895]

Moonstruck was one of the few films that year (along with Wall Street, Full Metal Jacket, The Untouchables, and Good Morning Vietnam) to be a hit with BOTH critics and audiences. Most of the other films nominated for big awards that year (and most years) meant nothing to pop culture.

[@kidwithaphonecamera]

One thing I noticed about 2010s: Despite leaning heavily towards themes of social relevance, there is continued experimentation with genres/film form: 2011: The Artist for instance became the first internationally (by France) produced film to win Best Picture, and its sort of an arthouse too 2014: Birdman. Very bizarre, with loads of symbolism, and being in one take adds to the experience 2017: The Shape of Water. Maybe not necessarily experimental, but unique take on fantasy/romance genres Also interesting how hurt locker won 6 oscars, beating Avatar in some technical categories. Maybe academy is also becoming more inclined to award independent films in below the line categories as opposed to studio

[@just_gut]

I'll say this: it's harder to make a movie, especially a very technical movie, without mainstream studio money. I like the idea that degree of difficulty might be getting rewarded on some of these categories. If I have infinity dollars to throw at an effects budget, I'm not so sure I should win over the shoestring budget film that makes their weird shit look real.

[@ZoraTheberge]

The common criticism of “no one actually sees these movies” is more telling of those who hurl it. A few years back, I made it my mission to see every movie nominated for Best Picture. Now, I follow the conversation as it happens. I see buzzy movies as they come out. With streaming, movies are more accessible than ever. You don’t need to know what the Palme D’orr is to take a chance on the “weird” movie next time you open Netflix or go to an AMC. A good movie might challenge you or make you think.

[@elitettelbach4247]

It’s really cool how you looked at the whole history of the Oscars and were able to point out specific trends. Your conclusion that the Oscars doesn’t award the best movie of the year but rather picks a representation of the collective cultural consciousness of the time is really powerful. I’m wondering with some of the outliers to the trends are there any patterns there that might be explored?

[@soleil1953]

This is excellent. I also have to add. “You know, everyone give it up for laurence” had me in stitches 😂

[@ZoraTheberge]

It’s a record of the zeitgeist. I’d argue that most movies win because they hit some kind of nerve in the public psyche. Nomadland really nails it. It’s about a woman self-isolating and struggling financially amidst major cultural shifts. It really speaks to audiences in 2020. It’s set a decade earlier and isn’t about the pandemic, but it might as well be.

[@JordanSullivanadventures]

I'm not at all invested in the Oscars as an institution, but this is absolutely fascinating as a historical of both film and American culture though this lens. Thanks for making this! And for keeping this tight and only hitting the most crucial bits of cultural context. I could easily see someone else just spending 3 hours just listing plot summaries.

[@mas4583]

Your delivery reminds me of „be kind rewind“. Love it.

[@andyawardian1868]

Thank you so very much for this! I am an avid Oscar fan, having watched over 90% of every Best Picture and/or Best Director nominated (!) film and I always get sick of this "The academy gets it wrong every time" chatter. As you said it at the end: It's an opinion of a prestige group, who is quite consistent on one hand and quite experimental/liberal on the other. And to be honest: I really liked the last decade, because the academy had as much bold choices (Parasite, Moonlight) as safe ones (Argo, Green Book). By the way: That article from Washington Post made me chuckle! Because they couldn't even name for every year a different "Best Picture" winner than the actual one! And in some cases, they choose an unpopular movie over a actual popular winner (especially Lost in Translation before Lord of the Rings and Michael Clayton before No County for Old Men).

[@alltalkingpictures]

exactly, i think its a lot more fun if you detach a bit and view it as a real-time cultural barometer rather than thinking it actually dictates quality. and down the road the true great movies will always rise to the top anyway, so everyone wins

[@anonamos2358]

@@alltalkingpictures that's actually really chilling if you consider the corruption of Weinstein and the Golden Globes. If those kinds of prestige awards are a barometer then we are in very deep trouble as a society

[@nileshseban1335]

They mentioned Skyfall also

[@LinkMarioSamus]

I also personally think over the past decade that the Oscars have been more indicative of the year’s best movies than the box office.

[@DavidN369]

Marvelous insight, admirable research, generally spot-on observations.. Be Kind Rewind, there's a new contender on the block. Cannot resist pointing out that "Cavalcade" follows a few decades of BRITISH history, not American, but that's a quibble. Really impressive, can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[@mckeldin1961]

The best 45 minutes I’ve spent on KZbin in a long time. Thank you… and I hope you’re planning on posting more content!

[@alltalkingpictures]

thank you! and yes more is coming (eventually!)

[@saricku42]

The 80’s as a whole did kinda stink when it comes to best picture selection, but what did you think of Amadeus? It wasn’t mentioned in the rundown and imo it’s one of the 20 best films ever made and one of the only 2 80’s best pictures I wouldn’t change.

[@ZiggyPalffyLA]

It didn’t really fit into his narrative so I guess he skipped it. Was waiting for his opinion on that one too. Oh well.

[@StevenMelching]

As an Oscar junkie since 1978, I really enjoyed your video -- even if I have a few disagreements. But I am disappointed that you didn't even mention what IMHO was the best BP winner of the 1980s -- AMADEUS. Epic, vibrant, funny, tragic, and on one level a great satire of Hollywood itself.

[@alltalkingpictures]

thanks! yeah there are a few i didnt mention, and ironically most of those were classics (i didn't mention Rebecca either!). i tried to stick to broader trends and narratives, and didn't particularly see Amadeus fitting into one, but its def an unique winner--i love tom hulce in it

[@StevenMelching]

@@alltalkingpictures I get it. The 80s was a weird time, lol. REBECCA is terrific! Again, nicely done.

[@melenatorr]

@@alltalkingpictures Agree about "Amadeus", and I'd say that Hulce is terrific partly because he gets a partner/antagonist like F. Murray Abraham. I want to take small issue with your view of the 80s: I feel that the big movies of that time were also studies in large and important issues; I also felt bored by "Chariots of Fire" the first time, but became more engaged with the characters and themes on re-watch; "Gandhi" is strong character study and examination of a very ugly time, and a very imperfect hero. There is more substance to the winners of the 80s than I feel was acknowledged here. I would also separate "Ben Hur" from the run of epics of it's time: the screenplay is more centered, concentrated on the character development of its main character, and has an interesting, disturbing look at colonization, empire, and reflections of the roots and consequences of blacklisting. Knowing that "Shakespeare in Love" is a contentious topic, I'll wade in to say that it is an intelligent, clever movie with Tom Stoppard as a co-writer, a man who knows how to combine humor, depth, and the constraints as well as the necessity of artistic expression. It reflects on the importance of community and rivalry; on freedom to create; on how women fit into the creative process; and how, in order to succeed, there must be concessions and loss. I would say the tone has some lightheartedness, but there is very little mechanical calculation in it and that there is more to it than people are willing to concede.

[@blownupfishnchips9071]

It would be nice to watch Amadeus twice in the theatrical cut and DC. Then I learned the director's cut is banned in my country. This movie is a biopic...

[@Amitlu]

Amadeus not even getting a mention made my heart freeze.

[@Wired4Life2]

_Amadeus_ was too masterful a Best Picture winner for the 1980s.

[@a1t3rmusic]

100%

[@kostajovanovic3711]

A true black sheep in an abysmal decade

[@rogerwilliams6058]

💀

[@aviad950]

One of the things that fascinates me about the BP winners, is how The Academy tends to do a course correction every now and then. After a few years of gritty social and war dramas, comes Hamlet, which takes the viewrs to a different time with the classic play. Need a break from epics? Here's The Apratment to focus on the individual's struggles in life. When family dramas are getting old, Amadeus will blow your mind. Getting too dark in the early 90's? Forrest Gump is still kind of dark, but in a less obvious way. Also, I still think that Shakespear In Love's victory wasn't just because of Weinstein's agrrasive campaigning (although it defenitely helped), but also because after picking Braveheart, The English Patient and Titanic in a row, many Academy members needed something lighter.

[@chuckpoore]

One of the things that always frustrates me about Oscar awards (acting as well as Best Pic or Best Director) is how much timing matters. There are so many years when more than one film or performance truly deserves "Best", but just because of bad timing a great or even phenomenal work gets overlooked. The one that comes to mind is the year LOTR won everything. But that year, the other big film that everyone thought would win was Master and Commander. I loved both movies and rooted for LOTR, but any other year, Master would probably have won. I'm sure there are other examples of that. Not to mention times when the votes are split and a "second-best" wins, because there are no run-offs in this vote (why James Stewart did not win for "Mr. Smith" is always a mystery to me), or Bette Davis not winning for "All About Eve."

[@just_gut]

I always look at 1994 as a prime year for the "Every one of these nominees would win in another year" theory. Gump was almost certainly always going to win that award, despite my *deeply* abiding disdain for it, but if you look at any of the other four nominees (Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Quiz Show, and Four Weddings and a Funeral), I could find quite a few years (especially over the next several years afterwards) where that movie could win over the Best Picture winner of that year. Maybe not Four Weddings, as Rom-Coms, even good ones, tend to get overlooked in the way other niche genres (horror and action are great examples) seem to often get overlooked.

[@Prodbyjah464]

Yeah that’s kinda like in 2008 when no country for old men won best picture over there will be blood which was just bad timing cause either one of them could’ve won and would’ve won if they weren’t released in the same year.

[@lottaandgus]

Just think how all the movies that weren't Gone With the Wind felt in 1939! 😀

[@handsoaphandsoap]

Yeah but that’s kind of the point of the award, to award the singular best film that year., not the top 2. It’s the same as any other competition, of course the second best runner will win if Usain Bolt decides to skip the tournament and run next year instead.

[@CSXIV]

@@lottaandgus One of those films is "The Wizard of Oz." Any other year, "The Wizard of Oz" cleans up. But that year? Nope.

[@bridiekmusic6351]

I’m getting be kind rewind vibes and I’m loving it!

[@krich5906]

I watch a lot of video essays, and this was absolutely fantastic. I especially liked how you set up your video: you had plenty of examples to choose from, when it comes to people complaining about the Oscars, but you picked the best, showcased them at the start, and then got on with making your point. And it's clear you really care about this topic - I would absolutely listen to you make more video essays about movies, or the Oscars, or whatever, really. Thanks for this.

[@007Julie]

Incredibly well researched and constructed essay, when I was a teenager in the 90's I used to love the spectacle of the Oscars but since then every year they've gotten less and less important until we got to the dreadful and horrific telecast that was the 2021 Oscars, then we got to 2022's Oscars and we got the slap that was heard around the world and the awards were relevant again but the wrong reasons. I'm so sad that there aren't any great movies that capture the nation's (or the world's) imagination, you might've not liked Rain Man but to me it's one of the best movies ever, I remember being 10 years old and walking out of the movie theater mesmerized, and I saw it again a week later. That's when my true obsession with movies began, then my mom took me to see Gone with the Wind at a movie theater and we saw it twice on the same day! Great movies can change your life for the better but today's movies are so forgettable, there's so much content out there but out of those just a handful are worth the watch. Today's movies are as forgettable as a tik-tok video, I hope hollywood can come back around and make smart movies but I doubt it, maybe in 5 or 10 years.

[@piersyfy4148]

Thank you so much for making this video! It's exactly what I was looking for and I found it really fascinating. I've heard the same common complaints about movies and the awards these days but people always assume for some reason that the present is special and where all the lessons of history stop being applicable. I've recently thought about following the Oscars more, but I knew I was missing a lot of the context I needed to start connecting with why they play out the way they do. This was a great starting point for me!

[@storydevice]

It was an interesting pattern to see how the Best Picture winners follow the American mood - the frank, sober 1940s, the bright, grand 50s and 90s, the gritty, cynical 70s and 00s. Basically, the more optimistic the country is feeling, the higher the budget of the Best Picture winners! (That was my big epiphany watching this) At the time of me writing this comment, Spielberg's The Fabelmans is considered a frontrunner, but it really doesn't reflect the current socially aware mood, nor does it embrace the advent of streaming services, so it might just lose.

[@RicardoRodriguez-mw7be]

Amazing video. And I totally understand the 2010's argument. I always talk about it with my brother. That there are only 2 kind of movies nowadays: Blockbusters or Oscar Movies.

[@RariettyC]

I'd add a third "disposable" category where the romcoms and R-rated comedies that would have once gotten mid-sized budgets and theatrical releases a decade ago go. Now, many of them just look like Hallmark Christmas films, and they are thrown onto streaming services with little fanfare I miss when standalone romance and comedy films made enough money to be treated like blockbusters in their own right

[@papasquatofficial9282]

It’s interesting rewatching this video 2 Academy Awards later. We are already seeing another change with Oscar voting, the last 2 winners (EEAAO and Oppenheimer) being big box office successes. I hope that this trend continues and we get more 70s or 90s style movies.

[@timgold577]

Thank you for such an insightful and well thought out summary of the snapshot of time each group of films captures. I'm really impressed at the quality of this video considering it's your first one. It covers so much in so little time, (I was surprised when it wasn't just a quick 30 second blurb on each film, but instead used the films to showcase the general feel of each decade.) I look forward to seeing more of your videos about the Oscars, and film in general, which is a subject I genuinely enjoy. It sounds like we have a lot in common regarding our mindset of the Academy Awards. While I can't disagree with the criticisms the Oscars receives, I also unapologetically love them. I'm fascinated with the history, and look forward to watching them every year. Good luck with your channel! I wish you the best!

[@alltalkingpictures]

thank you!!

[@pacielsadboycinefilo]

Wait,, what about Amadeus winning best picture in 1984?

[@oraw1234W]

9:25 and that one silent movie is now considered lost media the only best picture nominee to be lost media.

[@AvatarYoda]

I rewatched Grand Hotel early this year. A few times. It was comforting. I liked the characters and their interconnected lives. Agree on Ziegfeld: the two-shot set piece was the only memorable thing about the movie. I've found several modern reviews of Emile Zola that show how deeply affected they were by it; one guy said it made him wish he'd done something better with his life after seeing how Zola stood up for a wrongly accused man.

[@latissimusdomsi]

Uploader with no other videos really just stood up and made one of the best Oscars video essays and think we wouldn't notice

[@theboringkaren]

Wow, this is wonderful, especially what you said at the end about what the Best Picture winners really represent. This also put into perspective the complaints people have about Marvel movies ruining Hollywood. Now I can see they're just like the epics that were made to bring audiences to the theatre. Trends really are cyclical!

[@anotherbookreview9903]

Thanks for the video. I said, "Dune!" and then "Dune" was there, right in the middle of the venn diagram. I think that you're spot on re: political films dominating this decade - I think the chances of Shape of Water getting best picture without Trump are essentially 0.00%.

[@naomistarlight6178]

What interests me is the Oscars reflect the opinions of the elites, but they're also trying to cater to the masses because they want people watching and getting emotionally invested. (Also competing with alternative forms of media was always a problem, before TV it was radio and stage theater.) So it's this intersection of what Hollywood elites like and what they think the movie-going public likes.

[@EpizodesHorizons]

Thanks for this overview of the past 100 hundred years in Hollywood. Just one thing you missed... there's a great interview with Francis Ford Coppola who said something like "the failure of 1980s Heven's Gate killed the auteur in Hollywood." The most expensive flop by director Michael Cimino, led to the replacement of the director-auteur with the money-men in Hollywood.

[@alltalkingpictures]

yep definitely, the collapse of new hollywood definitely brought in the studio-driven blockbuster vibe of the 80s, and probably led to the more safe, saccharin era at the oscars. also the fact that many of those auteurs who were on fire in the 70s had sort of burnt out by the 80s (at least based on perceptions at the time)

[@Jetway]

I really enjoyed this. I used to look at the winners of the last twenty years and wish the Oscars would return to what they used to be (in the 90s). But with your video, I now see that the 90s were just one phase in a long history of changes. Your assessment of the award as a snapshot of the time -- that it's not a record of the best film but a record of what our collective conscience felt in any given year -- blew my mind a bit. Thank you for this video. I'd love to see more.

[@sherila4834]

This is a very ambitious and worthy project. The amount of research you've done is really impressive. And your editing & choice of clips is very effective. But you omitted some very important cultural/political/social events especially in your discussion of the 70s & 80s, as well as the decade-ending cusps between 70s-80s & 90s-00s. And 2010s. 1) Watergate & its after-effects dominated much of the 70s & the double-blow of economic downturns & the decline of major cities (notably NYC which went bankrupt mid-70s) were a huge part of the decade & fuelled the embrace of gritty neo-realism & focus on the working-class underdog, & violent crime in several of the Best Picture winners in that era. 2) The Reagan era popularized style over substance (as did our 1st Hollywood President), privileged glitz & gloss, refocused movies & TV on upper-middle class & upper-class worlds, & elevated nostalgia for & sentimentality toward prior eras into the cultural stratosphere. This definitely informed the shifts in the Best Picture winners of the 80s & early 90s too. 3) You left a very important element out of your discussion of post 70s musicals (& esp. Chicago, 1st musical to win B.P. since Cabaret 30 years before). And that is: MTV & VH1 music videos, which for most of the 80s & 90s were the only new "musicals" young people watched onscreen. The ironic/meta elements you mentioned were absolutely influenced by Metal, Rock & Hip-Hop vids & attitudes. 4) A lot of film artists both behind & in front of the camera have reacted against the over-emphasis on & dominance of technical, digitally achieved effects in box office hits of the past decade-plus. And that reaction is a doubling-down on hand-made, small-scale or old school close-up human stories, as most of the more recent winners have been. 5) Our first Black President & Me-Too have, alongside 2 huge economic crashes that bookended the 2010s, & unprecedented democratizing of the small screen thanks to social media & easily accessible video-making apps had everything to do with what stories are being made & celebrated now, & who gets to make them. Again, this is reflected in our most recent B.P. winners. But, again, very good, strong work here, especially in your discussion of the "Golden era" of the 20s through the 50s. I hope to see more from you, esp. this kind of cultural analysis of the acting & directing awards.

[@comrade_rea7242]

This is exactly my favorite part of cinema to study ♥️ Thank you for this video!! One of my favorite “zoom-out” ways of looking at decades of cinema is through the horror genre. What are people afraid of the most in each decade? How does it come through in the movies? It’s interesting to observe those patterns if nothing else!

[@SpamEggSausage]

I have this theory that zombie movies are a metaphor for fear of disease

[@scipioafricanus5871]

@@SpamEggSausage When it's clearly a fear of the undead.

[@sherlockkrankcase3578]

Fantastic job with this video. The approach to examining the Oscars is so original and I totally agreed with it from the beginning but still learned so much. The other thing I like about it is that you clearly hold love for the films even if they aren't your favorite. You clearly have passion. Thank you for making this!

[@UnseenJapan]

Excited to be here on the ground floor for this video essay! What a great start to your channel, focusing very rightly on what actually makes the Oscars interesting. I imagine quite a few people are going to be inspired to start their own watch-throughs.

[@sybee]

A very good breakdown of Hollywood through the years.

[@Red3Tube]

I consider(ed) myself a bit of Oscars buff but this video opened some wonderfully unexpected & eye opening doors (+ Some rather entertaining text notes). Thanks for creating this video / film.

[@Belbecat]

The amount of effort that has gone in to this video.... thank you

[@jasonvaughn4886]

"Art and business" The funny thing is that the MGM logo states the exact opposite: "Ars Gratia Artis"- "Art for the sake of Art".

[@BroadwayGuy]

This is going to sound strange. I do love movies, although I do not like the movie industry. I don't agree with everything you said in this video, but your presentation is excellent. This video is very thoughtful, and well thought out. You manage to stay fairly objective. VERY WELL DONE.

[@terenzo50]

The Oscars matter. The Oscars telecast doesn't. First Oscars 1929. First telecast 1953. Would it kill us to return to the sense of mystery the Oscars once had?

[@GlennDavey]

24:11 Love hearing the mouse-clicks, like you're literally making the video slideshow happen in real time

[@punkrocker1817]

Did he really skip over Amadeus?! One of my favorite movies of all time!

[@jasonmcgarvey3012]

He really did skip Amadeus. And I agree. That is one of the few movies ever made someone could conceivably classify as perfect…and this guy completely omitted it.

[@jefcaine]

Just want to say I really appreciate the huge amount of work you've clearly put into this video.

[@williamsnyder5616]

Yes, he put a lot of work into this.

[@jayswift9945]

Great video! Regarding the 2010s-to-present, I know that the most obvious trend is winners that center topically important stories, often about underrepresented groups, but there is actually another extremely notable pattern emerging in the category: the industry's obsession with the “auteur” writer-director. From 2000 through 2013, we have two winners written by their director (The Artist, No Country For Old Men) and two films co-written by their director (Crash, The Return of the King). Then Birdman hits, and every winner since has had a writer-director. This is especially pointed in the nominees for the 95th Oscars, where everyone nominated for Best Director is also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, and 9 out of 10 Best Picture nominees come from writer-directors. All hail the multi-hyphenate, I guess.

[@alltalkingpictures]

thanks! and yeah thats definitely true--and goes along with the fact that the movies winning tend to be smaller, intimate projects, so the picture-director-actor or picture-screenplay-actor oscar hauls are really common nowadays

[@raywheeler607]

I keep watching and rewatching your two videos over and over again. Very well made stuff. Already a Stan.

[@Uiostar]

This is one of the best and most fascinating videos about Oscars history on this entire website, and I feel so lucky to have discovered it (and your channel) on the day it was uploaded. I LOVE looking at the history of the Oscars as a whole, and I’m on the exact same page as you where I feel it’s important to contextualize each ceremony and it’s winners as a moment in history rather than the be-all-end-all of what that year was for film. I’m so excited to see what you do next!

[@alltalkingpictures]

thanks so much!!

[@tim..indeed]

The 2023 nominees are out and it's a really good mix. The 2 biggest blockbusters of the year are there as well! The winner will probably be a low box office foreign indie movie with no general audience appeal tho. (Banshees of Inisherin)

[@tbrown5836]

Just to say you didn’t bring up Amadeus when talking about the 80s, a boring decade of winners but that film is excellent

[@andya8960]

Thank you for your amazing content! I'm obsessed with your videos! Awesome work and I'm really enjoying watching all of them. Can't wait for the next one :)

[@BLBArchives]

I've been reviewing every best picture winner but in random order. It's so much fun to try and figure out how all of these films relate to each other but I am not often able to see the longer trends you describe. As you point out however, there are films to be loved from each and every decade-- and at least on my ranking it's very spread out. I do wonder how the list would change if I watched them in a different order. You are so right about how the films are more about the current culture and zeitgeist of America than quality. But I believe that humanist element you talked about links them all together, almost into a best-picture-core genre.

[@a1t3rmusic]

literally subbed before i even watched cause i knew this was gonna be a banger i was right. thanks for making such a great video!

[@just_gut]

I could have watched another who knows how many hours delving into this even deeper. This was awesome. I would be incredibly interested in watching videos delving into some of the more controversial winners (the absolute cluster at the top of 1994, Crash over Brokeback, etc.) Your writing and presentation style were excellent and I look forward to more (hopefully.)

[@jonhinson5701]

Great video. I liked the point you made at the end.

[@alialmuhanna4938]

Those ending thoughts are interesting. Thank you.

[@smpractice2955]

Nothing to add. Loved the video. comment for algorithms. Neat way to think about oscars. I think a cool follow up would be reading into this year's nominees when they come out and what it could mean for the future

[@alltalkingpictures]

ur so real for this lol...and im considering talking about this years crop of nominees eventually! (even though i plan to primarily make videos about older years)--maybe when it gets closer to the actual ceremony and we see the narratives taking hold i'll think of something

[@chelmrtz]

This is a wonderful video and I’m looking forward to what comes next!

[@Sharpe1502]

The day the Oscars gets rid of international film category and just starts nominating the best pictures of the year will make me really happy. I have been a huge fan of foreign films since I was a kid (I thought Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was real). Americans seem to be really annoyed with what Hollywood is putting out, and the rise of K-Pop and Parasite winning best picture introduced most casual movie watchers to Korean cinema, and the success of Squid Games proves that most people will watch subtitled projects. Honestly, if Netflix picks up distribution rights to foreign films and then give them a wide release for longer than a week while also advertising them on the Netflix app, I think they could probably fix their income problem.

[@christianmichelsen2521]

You deserve a lot more views and subscribers! Great editing and commentary.

[@racheldare.]

re: Gladiator, I’m not sure I’d agree that it’s a borderline remake of Ben-Hur but it absolutely is a borderline remake of the 1964 movie The Fall of the Roman Empire which is funny because that movie helped to kind of kill the historical epic genre for almost forty years until Gladiator brought it back with basically the same story

[@CocoHutzpah]

I should watch Wings, it looks pretty good.

[@alltalkingpictures]

highly recommend!

[@princetore3640]

something i noticed watching this is that up until the sixties, the most i've really heard about the big majority of those movies (if at all) is more through the lense of cinema history than as movies that really are iconic in the sense of still being watched and known by the general public to this day, with the exception of maybe sound of music (obviously this must be different in dedicated film circles) but when the 70s rolls around, almost all are movies i've heard of in the sense of them being recommended to me for its own sake, or just being considered huge must-watch movies like the godfather, and that switch from completely unknown 'old' movies to ones more broadly considered timeless classics (with actors i recognise) happens in a flash with the turn of the decade. whats that about

[@quickdragon777]

Great video for it being your first upload. Can’t wait to see what you do next.

[@thesamuraihobbit]

The fact that Chicago beat out LOTR, especially in art direction, disgusts me to this day.

[@Goldaction0]

😂 SMH THUMBS DOWN! I love how you just casually skipped over the jazz singers black face issue and what that means for African American and POC when it comes to cinema. This video title is very misleading.

[@marya5925]

What an incredible video! I can not wait for more, subscribing. I hope next ones comes soon. ❤️

[@janetgray8638]

Very interesting and enjoyable. Also a long walk down memory lane for me, as I have seen so many of the films here depicted. Love the movies, loved the Oscars.

[@Tumbleweed1919]

Are you kidding me? This was the first video…it’s only ⬆️ 🆙 from here. Brilliant work!

[@fionasangster8433]

loved the video, so impressive that it’s your first one - i didn’t realise til i read the comments! a question - at the beginning you mentioned the Oscars being corrupt, with people lobbying and schmoozing to get their films nominated/awarded. how does this fit into the greater narrative of the video? how can it be a time capsule for that year if it’s based on nothing more than someone’s bribery? or is it the case that these are all rumours and there is no evidence of it? obviously you’re not google but that was one point i felt was left unresolved. not to detract from the video. keep up the good work 😊

[@devincowan892]

Would also love a retrospective of the past 10-20 years!

[@shermantank7216]

The last 10 years? Garbage. Sorry. Back in the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 00s the movies were generally great. "Take the cannoli's, leave the gun." "I ate his liver with fava beans and a nice chianti." Post "The King's Speech" the movies are general junk.

[@devincowan892]

​@@shermantank7216 lmao @ u

[@Guercinator]

This was a fantastic video. I'm fascinated by movies and film history but still very, very behind on all of the essentials so this was a perfect, basically spoiler-free guide to those two things. Easy subscribe

[@johnpelosi4117]

I just love this critique, it hits me right in the real, I couldn't agree more! Thank you!

[@osofilms1319]

Very well researched and entertaining! It’s honestly hard to find a video these days that does both so kudos!

[@donofon1014]

This closes with " Thank you for watching". I sure earned it.

[@HoustonRoderick]

This is so well done and I appreciate seeing clips from the older ones that I haven’t seen. Now I actually want to watch Wings.

[@gordonlouis5362]

Would love to see more content from you

[@toads13]

great essay about something i didn't even know i was curious about!! deserves more views

[@toads13]

oh my god, wait-this is your first video ever?? wow! strong start, can't see what you release next

[@alltalkingpictures]

thank you! and more is coming soon!

[@mckayla1609]

this was so fascinating and such a great video!! you can really see the general winners of the decade and guess what people were complaining about. the oscars is far from perfect, but then again, it can never be perfect -- people will always criticise whatever choice it makes. i'm sure when blockbusters were sweeping people complained about independent films being snubbed by the academy! like you mention, the best picture is more of a statement than anything else. whether the general audience watched it or enjoyed it, i guess it's what a certain group of people believed summarised the year. again, brilliant video -- cannot imagine all the work put into it. would love to see more oscar videos :)

[@alltalkingpictures]

thank you!! and more is coming!

[@mckenziewilkes]

Such an amazing video!! Absolutely love it, subscribed instantly :)

[@margot-gordon]

great video! i absolutely adore CODA, saw it premiere at sundance, and will defend its best picture win because of exactly what you said about it being a trendsetter and setting the stage for more streaming movies to win. very well articulated thoughts, excited to see more from you!

[@cardboardbelt]

I love that I can actually recommend the Best Picture winner to my (fictional) Aunt Sally. The people I know who are casual movie fans loved that movie when they saw it.

[@beautifulmidnight]

I loved it. I was genuinely happy and surprised that it won.

[@melvinsoo1110]

Lmao CODA is hallmark movie at best.

[@lovettuduebor1902]

Congrats on the viewership on your first video. Here’s hoping your numbers continue to rise.

[@renzo6490]

Amazing how genres and film styles fit so nicely by the decade...

[@natesutton13]

Excellent video! I’ve always been a fan of the Oscars regardless of whether I enjoy the winners or not and am tired of defending myself against those who simply don’t appreciate how fascinating the historical context of these awards are in relation to the cultural history of America. Fantastic work, can’t wait to watch your next video, keep it up!

[@actualnotanewbie]

As a TV fan, I'd love to see a similar video about Emmy winners across the years

[@alltalkingpictures]

i definitely don't know enough about TV to do that but i'd also be first in line to watch that video if someone made it lol

[@Edo88Italy]

Really interesting and well done, thanks! It made me realize that I still have to see a lot of Best Pictures. I'm in no hurry to watch those from the 30s though... Fun (personal) fact: as a kid who was falling in love with cinema, I thought that the Academy was made up of a small group of super-critics who locked themselves in a room to watch films & performances, discuss and deliberate what the GREATEST one was. The house of cards collapsed when I decided to watch, one after the other, It Happened One Night and Driving Miss Daisy. Dang was I disappointed! Next topic? Anything related to foreign movies/directors', actresses' and animated movies' history at the Oscars would make me click in no time :D

[@Edo88Italy]

Ps: most of the glamor that the Oscars brought with them is all but gone, which is a shame. It's an award that has several issues and seems to really want to commit itself to keeping the viewers, the public, away. Social networks and streaming platforms have not helped (indeed, they have damaged cinema in the first place), but I don't think the Academy will ever fully recover (and cinema either). Brb crying

[@Me-vl7fc]

An absolutely strong start to a channel. Can’t wait for more!