The year is 1975. A year widely considered to be the best year of cinema in history. Why? Well, take a look at the 1975 Oscar Best Pictue nominees. A year where the Academy selected five instant classics. Five killers. Certified classics with Milos Forman One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest taking the honor of Best Picture.
The Oscars, regardless of the anti sentiment in society that has been brewing for years, have a relevance to the world as a time-stamp. People will claim they’re meaningless in the grand scheme of things (aren’t we all?), but 1975 shows that when they get it right, people will remember those films. It carries a cultural cache that travels the test of time.
With that in mind, I do believe people conflate 1975 as the best year in cinema because of the stacked Oscar lineup. It’s a great year of cinema, rich with innovative work at the top of the heap, but quickly loses quality as you dive deeper into the catalogue. However, the top 20 is loaded with unbelievably good cinema and 1975 theater patrons were spoiled.
The year began with The Stepford Wives and Ashby’s Shampoo in the first quarter, followed by an avant-garde Tarkovsky release with Mirror and ending with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest in November, Barry Lyndon in December. And of course, Jaws in the Summer making a huge splash with audiences, noted as the first real Summer blockbuster.
Audiences got treated to prime Stanley Kubrick, prime Rainer Werner Fassbinder prime Milos Forman, and young Steven Spielberg. Masters of the medium making some of their most profound work. Pier Paolo Pasollini making a film that would later get him murdered (urban legend). Frederick Wiseman telling his richest and most grounded work in his career with Welfare.
In terms of performance, there’s a bevy of male lead performances that are truly remarkable pieces. It’s not only Jack Nicholson’s magnetism on screen in two incredible roles (The Passenger and One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest), but Giancarlo Giannini’s desperate struggle in Seven Beauties that showcases the depth. Al Pacino in Dog’s Day Afternoon, I mean, c’mon! Many might come after me for Louise Fletcher (spoiler), but know it’s based out of passionate love for the other performances in the category. Put down the pitchforks.
In conclusion, 1975 fucking ruled. The Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon and Dario Argento was making movies with Goblin. Life is good. The music is good. The pot? Porbably terrible but they didn’t know any better.
After watching 160 films from 1975, I can’t say i’ll miss the latter half of the year – featuring, somehow, plenty of porn that sneakily made its way into my watchlist – but, will remember fondly the brazen attitude and enigereed approach to filmmaking that changed the industry forever.
So, let’s get into the winners. First, want to mention the previous retrospective winner from 1951:
Diary of a Country Priest and the 2024 winner: Hundreds of Beavers
What film will join them from 1975…
Worst Film
Honorable Mention: The Candy Tangerine Man
5: French Connection II
4: Xala
3: The Prisoner of Second Avenue
2: Trilogy of Terror
1: Funny Lady
Best Ending
Honorable Mention: Shampoo
5: My Friends
4: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
3: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
2: The Stepford Wives
1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Best Scene
Honorable Mention: Confronting Herr Bauer (Kurt Raab) in the streets, Fear of Fear
5: World series call from Jack, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
4: Quint’s “black eye, lifeless eyes” monologue, Jaws
3: Shock treatment, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
2: The first duel, Barry Lyndon
1: The Picnic and disappearance, Picnic at Hanging Rock
Best Comedy
Honorable Mention: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
5: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
4: Death Race 2000
3: Black Magic
2: Shampoo
1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Best Action, Adventure or Spots Film
Honorable Mention: Death Race 2000
5: The Flying Guillotine
4: Graveyard of Honor
3: Terror of Mechagodzilla
2: Rollerball
1: The Super Inframan
Best Horror
Honorable Mention: Deep Red
5: The Devil’s Rain
4: The Stepford Wives
3: Jaws
2: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
1: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Weirdest Film
Honorable Mention: Rollerball
5: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
4: Black Magic
3: Fear of Fear
2: Mirror
1: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
Best Sound Mixing
Honorable Mention: Manila in the Claws of Life
5: Nashville
4: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
3: Jaws
2: Deep Red
1: Barry Lyndon
Best Sound Editing
Honorable Mention: Deewaar
5: The Super Inframan
4: The Eiger Sanction
3: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
2: Terror of Mechagodzilla
1: Jaws
Best Visual Effects
Honorable Mention: The Flying Guillotine
5: The Super Inframan
4: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
3: Night of the Seagulls
2: The Devil’s Rain
1: Jaws
Best Production Design
Honorable Mention: Nashville
5: Manila in the Claws of Life
4: The Super Inframan
3: Mirror
2: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
1: Barry Lyndon
Best Animated Feature
Honorable Mention: The Little Mermaid
5: The Hoober-Bloob Highway
4: Rikki-Tikki-Tavi
3: Coonskin
2: Hedgehog in the Fog
1: Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
Best Costumes
Honorable Mention: Seven Beauties
5: The Super Inframan
4: Deewaar
3: Nashville
2: Barry Lyndon
1: Shampoo
Best Makeup & Hairstyling
Honorable Mention: Nashville
5: The Rocky Horror Picture Show
4: Shampoo
3: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
2: Seven Beauties
1: Barry Lyndon
Best Documentary
Honorable Mention: The Man Who Skied Down Everest
3: Give ‘em Hell Harry
2: Grey Gardens
1: Welfare
Best Editing
Honorable Mention: Frederick Wiseman, Welfare
5: Ike Jarlego Jr , Edgardo Jarlego, Manila in the Claws of Life
4: Beate Fischer-Weiskirch, Fear of Fear
3: Lyudmila Feiginova, Mirror
2: Franco Fraticelli, Seven Beauties
1: Max Lemon, Margaret Cardin, Picnic at Hanging Rock
Best Cinematography
Honorable Mention: Bill Butler, Jaws
5: Georgy Rerberg, Mirror
4: Tatsuo Suzuki, Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
3: Russell Boyd, Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: Luciano Tovoli, The Passenger
1: John Alcott, Barry Lyndon
Best Director
Honorable Mention: Lina Wertmüller, Seven Beauties
5: Rainer Werner Fassbender, Fear of Fear
4: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
3: Peter Weir, Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: Miloš Forman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1: Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon
Adapted Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Pier Paolo Pasolini, Sergio Citti, 1 Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
5: Fear of Fear, Rainer Werner Faasbinder
4: Akira Kurosawa, Yuri Naglibin Dersu Uzala
3: Cliff Green, Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: Stanley Kubrick, Barry Lyndon
1: Miloš Forman, Lawrence Hauben, Bo Goldman, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Original Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Chantal Akerman, Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
5: Masahiro Shinoda, Taeko Tomioka, Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
4: Pietro Germi, Piero De Bernardi, Leonardo Benvenuti, My Friends
3: Andrei Tarkovsky, Aleksander Misharin, Mirror
2: Robert Towne, Warren Beatty, Shampoo
1: Lina Wertmüller, Seven Beauties
Best Overall Screenplay
Honorable Mention: Dersu Uzala
5: Shampoo
4: Seven Beauties
3: Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: Barry Lyndon
1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Most Original Film
Honorable Mention: Nashville
5: Black Magic
4: Jaws
3: Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: Rollerball
1: Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
Best Original Score or OST
Honorable Mention: Jerry Goldsmith, Breakheart Pass
5: Ennio Morricone, Salo; Or the 120 Days of Sodom
4: John Williams, The Eiger Sanction
3: Luciano Michelini, Suspicious Death of a Minor
2: Bent Fabricious Bjorre, The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
Best Ensemble
Honorable Mention: Jaws
5: Dog Day Afternoon
4: My Friends
3: Shampoo
2: Barry Lyndon
1: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Best Supporting Actor
Honorable Mention: Murray Melvin, Barry Lyndon
5: Kurt Raab, Fear of Fear
4: Robert Shaw, Jaws
3: Sydney Lassick, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
2: Will Sampson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1: Patrick Magee, Barry Lyndon
Best Performance from a Male Lead
Honorable Mention: Maxim Munzuk. Dersu Uzala
5: John Hurt, The Naked Civil Servant
4: Ryan O’Neal, Barry Lyndon
3: Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
2: Giancarlo Giannini, Seven Beauties
1: Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Best Supporting Actress
Honorable Mention: Neetu Kapoor, Deewaar
5: Shirley Stoler, Seven Beauties
4: Louise Fletcher, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
3: Lee Grant, Shampoo
2: Julie Christie, Shampoo
1: Marisa Berenson, Barry Lyndon
Best Performance from a Female Lead
Honorable Mention: Liza Minnelli, Lucky Lady
5: Romy Schneider, The Most Important Thing: Love
4: Katharine Ross, The Stepford Wives
3: Larisa Tarkovskaya, Mirror
2: Delphine Seyrig, jeanne dielman, 23 commerce quay, 1080 brussels
1: Margit Carstensen, Fear of Fear
Best Overall Performance
Honorable Mention: Margit Carstensen, Fear of Fear
5: Will Sampson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
4: Patrick Magee, Barry Lyndon
3: Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon
2: Giancarlo Giannini, Seven Beauties
1: Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Best International Film
Honorable Mention: The Super Inframan
5: Mirror
4: Seven Beauties
3: Fear of Fear
2: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
1: Picnic at Hanging Rock
Best Picture
15: Jaws
14: My Friends
13: Under the Blossoming Cherry Trees
12: The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix
11: The Super Inframan
10: Dog Day Afternoon
9: Mirror
8: Welfare
7: Seven Beauties
6: Shampoo
5: Fear of Fear
4: Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom
3: Picnic at Hanging Rock
2: One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
1: Barry Lyndon
Closing
The year of groundbreaking cinema is cemented with the achievements at the top. Barry Lyndon, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Picnic at Hanging Rock, and yes, even Salo; or the 120 Days of Sodom gave fans of the medium breathaking, soul-crushing, earth shattering cinema that has lasted now for over 50 years. 2025 is the 50th anniversary of these films and many are still as celebrated now than almost ever before. Think of Jaws and it’s impact on domestic markets in theaters and the now opened viability of the Summer blockbuster.
Now, Barry Lyndon walks away with the top prize after Stanley Kubrick etched his name into the record books with his first of, what I suspect will be many, director wins. Milos Forman and company had an impressive show too, winning the coveted Best Overall Performance when Jack Nicholson graved us with a monumental bit of acting in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Peter Weir’s mysterious Picnic at Hanging Rock walked away with multiple wins as well.
Barry Lyndon joins past Best Picture winners:
Hundreds of Beavers (2024) ,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), Diary of a Country Priest (1951)
To close, thanks for reading. 1975 undoubtedly earns its reputation as one of the best years in cinema history. Great films from all over the globe and films that lasted the test of time. A great year for the medium.
Feel free to reach out on twitter and let me know what you think of these picks. What is your favorite film of 1975?
Weird Cinema 