Everything Everywhere All At Onceis the newest film to be named Best Motion Picture of the Year by the Academy Awardsafter it sweptthe 95thOscarsceremony earlier this month. In addition to its win for Best Picture,Everything Everywhere All At Onceholds the all-time record for most “above the line” wins in the history of awards, as it won Best Director (The Daniels), Best Actress (Michelle Yeoh), Best Supporting Actress (Jamie Lee Curtis), Best Supporting Actor (Ke Huy Quan), Best Original Screenplay (The Daniels), and Best Editing. It’s not far off from the all-time record for wins either; currently, that honor is tied betweenBen-Hur, Titanic,andThe Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, each with 11 wins.
It will be interesting to see howEverything Everywhere All At Onceis judged as a Best Picture winner in the future. The Oscars have sometimes honored future classics with their top prize, includingCasablanca, West Side Story, On the Waterfront,andSilence of the Lambs; there’s also been obviously undeserving films such asAround The World In 80 Days, Cimarron, Crash,andGreen Bookthat have aged even more poorly following their victories.
Sometimes, films are best remembered not only on their own merits, but for what they took the Best Picture prize away from.How Green Was My Valleywill always be the movie that beatCitizen Kane, andThe King’s Speechwas oddlyawarded Best PictureoverThe Social Network. Nonetheless, some films have genuinely deserved their victories and are worth revisiting and celebrating. Here are the greatest Best Picture winners of every decade.
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
While the recent German language adaptation of the same novel was well rewarded by the Academy Awards with four wins, the originalAll Quiet on the Western Frontis still a towering achievement in film history. Its scathing depiction of the perils of trench combat clearly had an impact on later war films such asSaving Private RyanandThe Thin Red Line.
Related:The 20 All-Time Best Picture Oscar Winners, Ranked
The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
The Best Years of Our Livesmay have been released only shortly after the end of World War II, but it was unafraid to deal with the controversies of the era and challenge some of the traditional norms about patriotism that had emerged in American society. The film follows three veterans who reunite their friendshipfollowing the war, only to find that the world has moved on and they may no longer occupy the same roles they once had.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Another war film to take home the top prize,The Bridge on the River Kwaiis another epic production that presented moral dilemmas for its central characters. While David Lean’s epic scope and scale are still impressive to this day, it’s the conflict between Commander Shears (William Holden) and Lieutenant Colonel Nicholson (Sir Alec Guinness) that makes the film so rewatchable.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Few movies deserve to be exclusively shown on the big screen quite likeLawrence of Arabia. It doesn’t matter thatLawrence of Arabiais nearly four hours long, because the story of T.E. Lawrence (Peter O’ Toole) is absolutely riveting from start to finish. Beyond being an amazing war epic, the film shows a respect for the various cultures involved in the pivotal 20th Century conflict.
The Godfather: Part II (1974)
The first sequel to ever win Best Picture certainly deserved its place in history. While some would argue that the firstThe Godfatherfilm, which also won Best Picture, is superior,The Godfather: Part IIis a more dynamic study of the American dream through the parallel storylines featuring Michael Corleon (Al Pacino) and a younger version of his father, Vito (Robert De Niro).
Related:Best Francis Ford Coppola Movies, Ranked
Platoon (1986)
Oliver Stone’sPlatoonwasn’t the first Hollywood film to respond to the Vietnam War, but it certainly didn’t shy away from showing the loss of humanity that occurred on both sides during the conflict. Stone would continue to make anti-war films that took on the American military, and once again won Best Director three years later forBorn on the Fourth Of July.
Schindler’s List (1993)
Cinephiles had been waiting forever to see Steven Spielberg finally win an Academy Award, and he finally took home both Best Picture and Best Director for the moving Holocaust dramaSchindler’s List, a film so heartbreaking it must be seen at least once. 1993 was a great year for Spielberg, as it also saw the release ofJurassic Park, which would become the new highest-grossing film of all-time.Roger Ebertpraised how “Spielberg treats the fact of the Holocaust and the miracle of Schindler’s feat without the easy formulas of fiction.”
The Departed (2006)
While many filmmakers are awarded “overdue Oscars” for films later in their career,The Departedwas a worthy way to honor the legacy of Martin Scorsese. Despite being a remake of theInfernal Affairstrilogy,The Departedwas an equally riveting cat-and-mouse game between cops and criminals that featured outstanding performances from the entire ensemble cast, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Alec Baldwin, Martin Sheen, and Vera Farmiga.
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Tackling a subject as difficult as slavery was an ambitious undertaking for any filmmaker, but Steven McQueen delivered an important and personal story with12 Years a Slave. Instead of trying to recount the experiences of the entire horrific practice, McQueen centered his story on the free musician Solomon Northup (Chiwetel Ejiofer), who was kidnapped and enslaved for over a decade. Although Ejiofer deserved to take home Best Actor, he sadly lost to Matthew McConaughey for his performance inDallas Buyers Club.
Nomadland (2020)
While it’s early in the decade and some great films will likely be released,Nomaldlandstands head and shoulders aboveCodaandEverything Everywhere All At Once, two films with more broad appeal that perhaps won’t age as well. Comparatively, Chloe Zhao’s gorgeous depiction of an offbeat side of American society is poignant, emotional, and cautiously reserved; Frances McDormand delivered a performance so undeniable that she won her third Oscar for Best Actress. Claiming it as the best film of the year,Chicago Sun Timescritic Richard Roeper said “Nomadlandcan be a tough view at times, but as with all great works of modern art, you’ll be grateful for the chance to experience it.”
