The 1950s represent a period of global settling, as the world’s new power dynamics are established politically, the people are met with a period of poverty or prosperity. The post-war attitudes are truly reflected in the art of the countries. American films represent a view of domesticated life and the problems are at home – not overseas fighting wars. However, the war genre became essentially the new western with its obvious consumer appeal. Yet, outside of Sam Fuller’s small scale epic, ‘The Steel Helmet,’ and John Huston’s cowardly portrayal of a soldier in ‘The Red Badge of Courage,’ it’s a bit barren of a landscape for the war genre in 1951. War movies also started representing a different world, one reflecting our heroes, and not the ongoing struggle that mirrors the real world. It’s a clear indication that America is living in peaceful times, where they can look back fondly on the heroism of the war, the victory, and most importantly, the romance and longing of your loved ones now home.
Outside of that, American films started featuring socio-political commentary as normality is established. Issues of race, examining the country’s racist past, and films like Leo C. Hopkins ‘The Well,’ that put the viewer between helping a child and a hate mob developing. Stuart Heisler’s ‘Storm Warning’ examines the KKK and its prevalence and control in small southern towns. Once the terror of wartime fades, social problems, like discrimination, start to weigh down the country more and more. And in the era of the production code (Hays cod, none of these films are allowed to be as daring or as controversial as they are attempting. On one end of the spectrum, filmmakers did try to make social statements, but the other end are preaching conformity, a return to tradition, and reinforcing gender norms. Pushing domestication and ostensibly establishing the white picket fence American dream that has been sold to the country for decades. It reflects a society at ease, happy, prosperous, and content with life.
However, Internationally, filmmakers are dealing with the fallout of war, especially European directors, in a much different way. It’s a reckoning on modern life post-war and the issues involved with the losing side. Similarly to American films, many stories turned inward, but these films examine the concepts of faith, morality, poverty, and family. It’s a post-war landscape, but it’s clear the world has started to move away from the bloodshed. With that, it’s a landscape of poverty and the issue of class front-of-mind. It’s a world of dreamers, but one lacking dreams. The atmosphere is dour, missing direction, but full of good people making the best out of the situation.
Of course, 1951 is the heyday of Italian neorealism, so directors like Luchino Visconti, Vittorio De Sica, Mario Monicelli, and others had film releases. Italy’s viewing the wage disparity, the class divide, and either making light of it or relating it to the audience in a way that mirrors the real world. Artistically minded pictures that elevate the human experience.
234 films watched from 1951. I didn’t watch every film released from the year, but it feels as if I did an adequate enough job getting the highlights. It’s nearly impossible to find international releases online outside a handful of critically acclaimed films. Godspeed to all the film archivists out there. It’s not easy, but many of these films are available for free in the public domain. Pirating has such a negative connotation, but when it comes to archiving, piracy is the saving grace of film history.
Moving forward, my general thoughts on the year, separated from the historical context of the period, is that it’s an enjoyable year of cinema. Unconventional year of cinema. Tennessee Williams gave us an adapted screenplay based on his highly successful stage play. We got a master work and arguably Robert Bresson’s best. The lead performances were loaded with unbelievable turns of acting. It was a fascinating year…
Once you get past the best 90-100 films, the quality drops off hard and fast. Individual thinking and idiosyncrasies get replaced by factory production of the studios. Turning any concept into a highly accessible and conventional piece of storytelling. The amount of cheap genre films produced during this period is insane. Proving that producers have always been profit first thinkers and not in the favor of the artist.
Nonetheless, there’s plenty of value to be found in the 1951 film catalog. Some real hidden gems and some tried-and-true classics. Will it be remembered as one of the best years? Absolutely not, but it beautifully reflected the livelihoods and attitudes of the period.
Here’s a look at the most recent winner: The Zone of Interest (2023) and latest retrospective winner, The Handmaiden (2016)
Worst Film
Honorable Mention: Let’s Make it Legal
5. Superman and the Mole-Men
4. Laurel and Hardy: Utopia
3. Mask of the Dragon
2. Call Me Mister
- Bride of the Gorilla
Best Ending
Honorable Mention: Miss Julie
5. Strangers on a Train
4. La Poison
3. Cops and Robbers
2. Death of a Salesman
- Early Summer
Best Scene
Honorable Mention: Magdalena apoplectic after daughter isn’t selected at audition, Bellissima
5. The exhausting chase sequence that ends with then catching their breath, Cops and Robbers
4. Mother burning down fathers house, Miss Julie
3. Meeting Bruno Antony (Robert Walker) on the train, Strangers on a Train
2. The light shining on the Shanty Town, Miracle in Milan
- Priest of Ambricourt (Claude Laydou) meeting with Chantal’s mother and expounding on the topic of faith, ostracizing himself in the community, Diary of a Country Priest
Best Comedy
Honorable Mention: Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man
5. The Lavender Hill Mob
4. La Poison
3. Miracle in Milan
2. Ace in the Hole
- Cops and Robbers
Best Adventure/Action/Sports
Honorable Mention: Submarine Command
5. The Frogmen
4. Jim Thorpe – All American
3. High Treason
2. Bullfighter and the Lady
- The Steel Helmet
Best Western
- Across the Wide Missouri
- Along the Great Divide
- A Man in the Saddle
1. Cattle Drive
Best Noir
Honorable Mention: The Enforcer
5. Baazi
4. The Prowler
3. Cry Danger
2. His Kind of Woman
1. Strangers on a Train
Best Horror
- The Thing From Another World
- the son of dr. jekyll
- The Day the Earth Stood Still
1. It came from Outer Space
Weirdest Film
Honorable Mention: The Red Badge of Courage
5. You Can Never Tell
4. Miracle in Milan
3. Miss Julie
2. Alice in Wonderland
- Traité de bave d’ėternité
Best Sound Design
Sound Mixing
Honorable Mention: American in Paris
5. Miss Julie
4. The Tales of Hoffmann
3. Baazi
2. Stranger on a Train
- Awaara
Sound Editing
Honorable Mention: Sirocco
5. The Frogmen
4. The Day The Earth Stood Still
3. The Steel Helmet
2. Halls of Montezuma
- Submarine Command
Best Visual Effects
Honorable Mention: Submarine Command
5. The Day the Earth Stood Still
4. You Can Never Tell
3. Miracle in Milan
2. Two Lost Worlds
- The Man in the White Suit
Best Production Design
Honorable Mention: The Day the Earth Stood Still
5. Early Summer
4. The Tales of Hoffman
3. Miss Julie
2. Ace in the Hole
- Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
Animated Feature
3. Goofy – Home Made Home
2. Gerald McBoing-Boing
- Alice in Wonderland
Best Costuming
Honorable Mention: An American in Paris
5. The African Queen
4. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
3. Miss Julie
2. The Tales of Hoffman
- Miracle in Milan
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Honorable Mention: Bellissima
5. A Place in the Sun
4. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
3. The Tales of Hoffman
2. The African Queen
- A Streetcar Named Desire
Best Editing
Honorable Mention: Ben Lewis, The Red Badge of Courage
5. G. G. Mayekar, Awaara
4. Alessandro Cicognini, Cops and Robbers
3. Eraldo da Roma, Miralce in Milan
2. William Ziegler, Strangers on a Train
- Yoshiyasu Hamamura, Early Summer
Best Cinematography
Honorable Mention: William C. Mellor, A Place in the Sun
5. Jack Cardiff, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
4. Gunnar Fischer, Summer Interlude
3. yûharu Atsuta, Early Summer
2. Charles Lang, Ace in the Hole
- G.R Aldo, Miracle in Milan
Best Director
Honorable Mention: Alf Sjöberg, Miss Julie
5. Raj Kapoor, Awaara
4. Robert Bresson, Diary of a Country Priest
3. Alfred Hitchcock, Strangers on a Train
2. Vittorio De Sica, Miracle in Milan
- Yasujirō Ozu, Early Summer
Best Adapted Screenplay
Honorable Mention: John Huston, Albert Band, The Red Badge of Courage
5. Alf Sjöberg, August Strindberg, Miss Julie
4. Czenzi Ormonde, Raymond Chandler, Strangers on a Train
3. Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
2. Stanley Roberts, Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman
- Robert Bresson, Diary of a Country Priest
Best Original Screenplay
Honorable Mention: La Poison, Sacha Guitry
5. Awaara, Khwaja Ahmad Abbas
4. Ace in the Hole, Billy Wilder, Lesser Samuels, Walter Newman, Victor Desny
3. Cops and Robbers, Aldo Fabrizi, Stefano Vanzina, Mario Monicelli, Piero Tellini, Ruggero Maccari, Ennio Flaiano, Vitaliano Brancati
2. Bellissima, Luchino Visconti, Cesare Zavattini, Suso Cecchi d’Amico, Francesco Rosi
- Early Summer, Yasujirō Ozu, Kogo Noda
Best Overall Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Bellissima
5. Strangers on a Train
4. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Death of a Salesman
2. Early Summer
- Diary of a Country Priest
Most Original Film
Honorable Mention: Bellissima
5. Traité de bave d’éternité
4. Cops and Robbers
3. La Poison
2. Miracle in Milan
- Alice in Wonderland
Best Original Score/Soundtrack
Honorable Mention: George Gerswhin, An American in Paris
5. Benjamin Frankel, The Man in the White Suit
4. Hugo Friedhofer, Ace in the Hole
3. Alex North, Death of a Salesman
2. Alex North, A Streetcar Named Desire
- Bernard Hermann, The Day The Earth Stood Still
Best Ensemble
Honorable Mention: I Want You
5. A Place in the Sun
4. His Kind of Woman
3. A Streetcar Named Desire
2. Diary of a Country Priest
- Early Summer
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mention: Gilbert Roland, Bullfighter and the Lady
5. Claude Rains, Sealed Cargo
4. Farley Granger, I Want You
3. Chishu Ryu, Early Summer
2. Prithviraj Kapoor, Awaara
- Robert Walker, Strangers on a Train
Best Performance from a Male Lead
Honorable Mention: Robert Mitchum, His Kind of Woman
5. Aldo Fabrizi, Cops and Robbers
4. Marlon Brando, A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Kirk Douglas, Ace in the Hole
2. Claude Laydu, Diary of a Country Priest
- Frederic March, Death of a Salesman
Best Supporting Actress
Honorable Mention: Simone Simon, Olivia
5. Shelley Winters, A Place in the Sun
4. Nargis Dutt, Awaara
3. Chieko Higashiyama, Early Summer
2. Kuniko Miyake, Early Summer
1. Nicole Ladmiral, Diary of a Country Priest
Best Performance from a Female Lead
Honorable Mention: Ginger Rogers, Storm Warning
5. Anita Björk, Miss Julie
4. Anna Magnani, Bellissima
3. Ava Gardner, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
2. Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire
- Setsuko Hara, Early Summer
Best Overall Performance
Honorable Mention: Claude Laydu, Diary of a Country Priest
5. Ava Gardner, Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
4. Vivien Leigh, A Streetcar Named Desire
3. Setsuko Hara, Early Summer
2. Robert Walker, Strangers on a Train
- Frederic March, Death of a Salesman
Best International Film
Honorable Mention: Cops and Robbers (Italy)
5. Awaara (India)
4. Miracle in Milan (Italy)
3. Miss Julie (Sweden)
2. Early Summer (Japan)
- Diary of a Country Priest (France)
Best Picture
15. A Place in the Sun
14. Traité de bave d’éternité
13. Pandora and the Flying Dutchman
12. A Streetcar named Desire
11. Bellissima
10. The Red Badge of Courage
9. Cops and Robbers
8. Ace in the Hole
7. Awaara
6. Death of a Salesman
5. Miracle in Milan
4. Miss Julie
3. Strangers on a Train
2. Early Summer
- Diary of a Country Priest
Closing
The ascetic French director earns the win for Best Picture. Six wins for ‘Diary of a Country Priest,’ which has a long history of being your favorite directors favorite film. The screenplay achievement is unmatched. Bresson’s script is one of the greatest of all-time and a phenomenal adaptation of the source material. The film also earned wins for best scene, best supporting actress, and international film. It becomes the fourth film in the history of the Weird Cinema awards to win six awards. It’s a timeless film and the greatest film ever made about faith. It joins an exceptional and growing group of future winners:
The Zone of Interest (2023), Banshees of Inisherin (2022), Memoria (2021), Babyteeth (2020), Parasite (2019), Shoplifters (2018), Call Me By Your Name (2017), The Handmaiden (2016)
It was a long journey and it took tons of man hours to make this list as thorough as possible. I wanted this to be more of a guide than simply rewarding films, so if you’re interested in the period, use this as a map. The next year I’ll be doing for the retrospective is one of the best years of film ever: 1975. The process won’t be concluded for an entire year, but it will be fun considering the wealth of great cinema 1975 has to offer.
In closing, thanks to everyone who takes time to read the site. It means a lot. Feel free to follow on twitter and reach out to me with your top 15 of 1951 or any year for that matter. Staty weird!
Weird Cinema 