Here are the five nominees: (Winner in Bold)
Anthony Harvey (The Lion in Winter)
Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey)
Gillo Pontecorvo (The Battle of Algiers)
Carol Reed (Oliver!)
Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet)
Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet)
Biggest Snub:
Sergio Leone – Once Upon a Time in the West
My Overall Thoughts:
This is a year with 5 great nominees and any of them would have been deserving of winning despite the fact that they are all very diverse when it comes to style and genre.
My Rankings:
Directing
5. Carol Reed
4. Franco Zeffirelli
3. Anthony Harvey
2. Gillo Pontecorvo
1. Stanley Kubrick
4. Franco Zeffirelli
3. Anthony Harvey
2. Gillo Pontecorvo
1. Stanley Kubrick
Movies
5. Oliver! – Not one of the best movies to win Best Picture. The choreography is truly awe-inspiring here even though the story isn’t so strong.
4. Romeo and Juliet – Great adaptation of the Shakespeare classic. They do an amazing job making the story come to life onscreen despite the Shakespearean dialogue. The cast is great and they really make the audience believe the story. Will never be as great as West Side Story (1961), but this still remains one of the best Shakespearean Film adaptations.
3. The Lion in Winter – Great dialogue makes this so much fun to watch. Excellent cast of actors that included ones that were destined for greatness besides those who had already proved it previously. Baffles me that this didn’t beat Oliver! (1968) for Best Picture that year. Hepburn really deserved her Oscar (even if it was a tie).
2. The Battle of Algiers – Great depiction of how things can escalate when both sides of a war try to do all the can to stop the other side from winning. The choice to mostly use non-actors was a great one because it makes the story feel even more realistic since all of the characters look and act like real people instead of actors. The filming of this film is very fluid and it is given a documentary feel in order for the viewer to feel as if they are watching the real events as they take place. It’s very understandable how this film was able to get nominated for Best Foreign language film and Best Director (in different years)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey – Great movie. Slow paced, but if you have patience, you will be rewarded by the end because it done like very few films have ever been made. Kubrick was such a visionary.
4. Romeo and Juliet – Great adaptation of the Shakespeare classic. They do an amazing job making the story come to life onscreen despite the Shakespearean dialogue. The cast is great and they really make the audience believe the story. Will never be as great as West Side Story (1961), but this still remains one of the best Shakespearean Film adaptations.
3. The Lion in Winter – Great dialogue makes this so much fun to watch. Excellent cast of actors that included ones that were destined for greatness besides those who had already proved it previously. Baffles me that this didn’t beat Oliver! (1968) for Best Picture that year. Hepburn really deserved her Oscar (even if it was a tie).
2. The Battle of Algiers – Great depiction of how things can escalate when both sides of a war try to do all the can to stop the other side from winning. The choice to mostly use non-actors was a great one because it makes the story feel even more realistic since all of the characters look and act like real people instead of actors. The filming of this film is very fluid and it is given a documentary feel in order for the viewer to feel as if they are watching the real events as they take place. It’s very understandable how this film was able to get nominated for Best Foreign language film and Best Director (in different years)
1. 2001: A Space Odyssey – Great movie. Slow paced, but if you have patience, you will be rewarded by the end because it done like very few films have ever been made. Kubrick was such a visionary.
Do I agree with the Oscar winner? – Not in the least! This should have been Kubick’s win largely due to his visionary perspective on the future. The whole way that the film is presented is so much better than the rest of the nominees, even if some of the others are also superbly done.
Let me know what you think about these films and my rankings!
MovieRob 
Oliver’s story not strong?
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