The 1960s sawthe rise of New Hollywood, with the entertainment industry drifting away from the antiquated studio system, as audiences flocked to films from a variety of genres (sci-fi, horror, Spaghetti Westerns, superspy) while still showing up in droves for more traditional entertainment like epics, musicals, comedy and prestige dramas.
This decade saw the long-established Hollywood censorship code go defunct, increasing the possibilities for risk-taking filmmakers to make groundbreaking, even taboo-pushing classics. Social change and unrest was reflected on screen for sure—and many of the decades' biggest hits sought primarily to entertain.
1’Psycho'(1960)
Already at the height of his popularity,Alfred Hitchcockthrilled and terrified international audiences with his most famous shocker. The director’s penchant for playing with his audience, “like a piano,” as he’d say, is all overPsycho. A big star at the time,Janet Leighis brutally killed off in the final moments of the first act—and dreamy, doe-eyed heartthrobAnthony Perkinsis cast against type, as serial killer Norman Bates.
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If there is a flaw inPsycho, it’s the unnecessary coda where a lawman explains the plot to the audience that’s just seen the film and is fully aware of what happened. It’s a small pock mark upon one of the best-directed of all motion pictures—the most suspenseful movie of all timeaccording to the American Film Institute.
2’The Sound of Music' (1965)
One of twoRobert Wisemusicals of the decade to win the Academy Award for Best Picture (West Side Storywon four years prior),The Sound of MusicfurtheredJulie Andrews' status as Hollywood royalty a year after she won the Best Actress Oscar forMary Poppins. Her other most famous role is here as Maria Von Trapp, a nun who falls for a widowed war hero as World War II looms over Austria.
RELATED:10 Best Robert Wise Movies, RankedNearly 60 years later,The Sound of Music’s replay value is remarkable, and its pop-culture presence is hard to overstate. It’s been restored and remastered over and over, and remains a sentimental audience favorite. Musicals weren’t Wise’s only area of expertise: 1963’sThe Hauntingis one of the most influential supernatural horror films ever.
3'2001: A Space Odyssey' (1968)
Stanley Kubrick’s sci-fi magnum opus remains the auteur’s most acclaimed and influential film. The collaboration and struggle between man and machine transcends space and time in the enigmatic,endlessly interpreted and reinterpretedenigmatic take on anArthur C. Clarkeshort story.
2001won the Academy Award for Visual Effects, and will forever be a touchstone in that field. The best performance in the epic film isDouglas Rainas the voice of HAL 9000, a chilling villain. Along with the likes ofBlade RunnerandMetropolis,2001is one of thehighest achievements of science fiction filmmaking.
4’Lawrence of Arabia' (1962)
If one motion picture embodies epic filmmaking at its finest, perhaps it’s this one.David Lean’s crowning achievement (he also made box-office leviathanDoctor Zhivago,Brief Encounter,The Bridge on the River Kwai, and greatCharles Dickensadaptations) starsPeter O’Tooleas British LieutenantT.E. Lawrence, based on his bookSeven Pillars of Wisdom.
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Stunningly photographed in Super Panavision 70 and co-starringOmar SharifandAlec Guinness,Lawrence of Arabiaruns nearly four hours long in its full cut with theatrical intro, outro and intermission. Just over a minute longer thanGone With the Wind, it’s the lengthiest film ever to win the Academy Award for Best Picture.
5’To Kill a Mockingbird' (1962)
Harper Lee’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning great American novel received a worthy (some would even say superior) motion picture inRobert Mulligan’s understated yet deeply moving black-and-white masterpiece. Best Actor Oscar-winnerGregory Peckgives his best-remembered performance as Southern lawyer Atticus Finch, widowed father appointed to defend a Black man (Brock Peters) accused of rape.
The film debut ofRobert Duvall(in a silent, third-act role),To Kill a Mockingbirdis a timeless look at prejudice and morality—nominated for eight Oscars including Best Picture. The American Film Institute named Atticus Finch the greatest hero in the history of film.
Clint Eastwoodis the Man With No Name in a film whose reputation precedes it, an artistically exquisite Spaghetti Western, about archetypal characters competing in a hunt for Confederate gold amidst the backdrop of the American Civil War.
Sergio Leone’s crown jewel was a financial success, though misunderstood by some critics in its day. These days,The Good, the Bad and the Uglyis considered by many to be the best Spaghetti Western ever made, the best Western ever made, and even the high point of Eastwood’s incomparable filmography.
7’The Graduate' (1967)
A defining work of the decade’s New Hollywood movement (along with the likes ofBonnie & Clyde,Midnight Cowboy,Easy Rider,Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kidand more),Mike Nichols' enormously profitable dramedy starsDustin Hoffmanas a disillusioned college graduate who’s seduced by an older woman (Anne Bancroft), then falls for her daughter (Katharine Ross).
Crystaline filmmaking, sharply funny writing and the timeless music ofSimon & GarfunkelmakeThe Graduatea subtly melancholic classic with lots of replay value. Nominated for seven Oscars including Best Picture, with Nichols taking home the statue for Best Director.
8’Peeping Tom'(1960)
A disturbing psychological thriller so lurid it ruined one of Britain’s most esteemed auteurs,Peeping Tomis an uncomfortable look at voyeurism that’s intrinsic to cinema. If a little indirectly, this is one of the best movies about making movies, from a master whose career was ended unjustly and far too early. This is the first-ever movie to put the audience in a killer’s POV (thus making it arguably the first slasher film). The effect was too much for audiences and critics of the time.
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The Red ShoeshelmerMichael Powelldirected this technically exquisite horror film about a serial killer obsessed with filming his victims' dying moments.Peeping Tomwas released the same yearPsychosaw considerable box-office success.Peeping Tomis notably far more interested in psychology and internal things than giving audiences a thrill. It isn’t fun, but it’s essential viewing for anyone with a passion for the film medium.
9’Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb' (1964)
Also known as justDr. Strangelove, Kubrick’s farcical masterpiece is a contender for the title of best comedy ever made. In a dark satire of fears of a nuclear conflict between the Soviet Union and the U.S.,Peter Sellersgives the performance of his storied career in three roles.
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Uncannily chilly and calculated on the surface (Ken Adams' set design is some of the best ever) yet silly in spirit,Dr. Strangelovewas amongthe inaugural crop of 25 filmsselected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1989.
10’Bonnie and Clyde' (1967)
“We rob banks.” Along with The Graduate, another movie that must be discussed in every conversation about New Hollywood isBonnie and Clyde.Warren BeattyandFaye Dunawaystar inArthur Penn’s highly influential crime film about the infamous robbers and the manhunt around them.
Bonnie and Clydebroke many taboos for studio filmmaking, with graphic violence that still shocks to this day (particularly the unforgettable climax). It took a while for some analysts to catch on, but it’s now widely revered as a watershed masterwork.
