The 10 Greatest Oscar Best Picture Winning Movies, According To Ranker
With CODA being the latest movie added to the long list of Oscar's Best Picture winners, many fans are looking back at the list of honored movies to see how it compares. Everyone has their own opinions on each of the past winners with not all of them agreeing with critics or the Oscar voters.
Ranker has its own ranking of the Best Picture winners over the years which is an interesting glimpse at the kinds of movies that have impressed and stayed with fans. From hard-hitting dramas to sweeping epics, the list is a great example of the wonderful movies that have been crowned Best Picture at the Oscars.
10 The Bridge On The River Kwai (1957)
While there have been several war movies that have been honored with the Best Picture trophy, such as Platoon and The Hurt Locker, The Bridge on the River Kwai tops them according to Ranker. The adventure movie follows a group of prisoners of war asked by their Japanese captors with building a bridge.
In the hands of masterful filmmaker David Lean, the movie is a grand spectacle and an effective story of heroism. Alec Guinness also gives a legendary performance as the dedicated officer who becomes blinded by the pride in his work.
9 Rocky (1976)
King Richard became the latest sports movie to be nominated for Best Picture, but few are as iconic as Rocky. Sylvester Stallone played his most famous role for the first time as Rocky Balboa, an overlooked Philadelphia boxer who is given the opportunity to face off with the world champion.
Rocky has been revered as the greatest underdog story of all time by many fans and it is not hard to see the appeal. From Stallone's endearing performance to the soaring score to the touching love story, there is a lot to love about Rocky even before the climactic fight.
8 The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (2003)
By the time Peter Jackson's massive Lord of the Rings trilogy was coming to an end, there were a lot of expectations for the final movie. But The Return of the King managed to stick the landing in a big way as Frodo and the heroes sought to finally destroy the One Ring.
The movie manages to be a huge fantasy blockbuster with an extended battle sequence that thrilled audiences while also giving the beloved characters a fitting goodbye after their long journey.
7 Casablanca (1942)
Few movies have as many iconic lines as Casablanca and that is only part of the reason it is such a timeless masterpiece. The movie follows a cynical American bar owner in the titular Moroccan town who is unexpectedly reunited with an old lover as the Nazi army begins to take control.
The movie operates on so many layers with all of them being quite effectively pulled off. It is as enjoyable as a romantic story as it is as a wartime thriller. It also features one of the most famous movie endings of all time.
6 The Silence Of The Lambs (1991)
Horror movies have famously been overlooked in the past by the Oscars, but there was no way they could have ignored The Silence of the Lambs. Jodie Foster stars as a young FBI agent who seeks the expertise of imprisoned serial killer Hannibal Lecter to catch a sadistic murderer.
Anthony Hopkins helped create one of the greatest movie villains of all time with his performance as Lecter and Foster makes for the perfect hero opposite him. Jonathan Demme is also in top form, creating an intense and brilliant thriller from beginning to end.
5 One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975)
Jack Nicholson led the terrific ensemble of the wild drama One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Nicholson plays a criminal who has himself assigned to a psychiatric institution to avoid prison time. There, he becomes the leader of the patients while battling the controlling head nurse.
Nicholson's performance is a terrific anchor for the movie and this is the ideal character for his edgy leading man persona. And despite the small scale of the movie, it is a funny, shocking, and bold story.
4 Gone With The Wind (1939)
Despite the fact that some feel Gone with the Wind has not aged terribly well in terms of its story, the epic romance remains a favorite among Ranker users. It tells the story of the daughter of a wealthy plantation owner and her romance against the backdrop of the American Civil War.
The characters within Gone with the Wind are hard to root for now, but as a piece of filmmaking, it is a stunning achievement of its era. It is easy to get swept up in the grand feel of it all.
3 The Godfather: Part II (1974)
While sequels were certainly not seen as prestige movies at the time, The Godfather: Part II proved they can be very worthwhile continuations of certain stories. The movie picks up with Michael Corleone as the head of the crime family his father owned. It also flashes back to his father's earlier years and his rise to power.
Al Pacino once again turns in a complex and gripping performance as Michael while Robert De Niro became a star with his Oscar-winning performance as Vito Corleone. It is another remarkable piece of work from Francis Ford Coppola and a sequel that many feel surpasses the original.
2 Schindler's List (1993)
Steven Spielberg continued to show why he is one of the greatest filmmakers of all time with his Best Picture nominated West Side Story. However, many feel as though Schindler's List is still his greatest movie.
The harrowing drama tells the true story of Oskar Schindler who used his influence as a factory owner in Poland to save thousands of Jewish citizens from the concentration camps. Led by Liam Neeson in a stoic performance, Spielberg creates an unforgettable, emotional, and powerful experience.
1 Forrest Gump (1994)
Tom Hanks has a career filled with beloved roles but Forrest Gump is the movie that springs to mind first for most fans. Hanks plays the titular character, a simple-minded yet kind-hearted man who inadvertently makes his mark throughout American history.
The character and his story could have easily been a cartoonish ride. However, Hanks gives an endearing performance and the movie provides a hugely crowd-pleasing adventure that mixes heart and humor wonderfully.