Nominees: Mephisto, Road Warrior, Diva, Lola, Deprisa Desprisa, In Search of Famine, Man of Iron, The Aviator's Wife
Oscars pick: Chariots of Fire
Nominees: Atlantic City, On Golden Pond, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Reds
Not much from Oscar thrilled me. I thought Chariots was Masterpiece Theater dry, and even the supposedly emotional running scenes left me yawning. I didn't care for Warren Beatty's poorly edited Reds, which is populated with clumsily acted (Keaton & Beatty), broad comic strip-like characters. And I remember looking forward to Raiders after hearing everyone gush over it, and afterward thinking, "That’s it, that silly nonsense was an Oscar contender?"
And besides, if you're going to nominate silly nonsense, at least nominate something with real blood and guts and brain and brawn and some true cool, like the Road Warrior. For me, Mad Max kicks Indy’s sorry ass!
I thought Atlantic City was great, but it played in France and Canada (among other places) in 1980 and that's the year I nominated it. On Golden Pond was enjoyable for the actors alone.
Ultimately the motion picture that bubbled to the top was the epic, yet intimate, Das Boot. Though shown in an extended version on TV, it originally played in theaters and therefore is eligible.
When describing Das Boot critics throw out words like "authentic" and "gripping". They speak of the execution and the craftsmanship. They write of how riveting, intense and claustrophobic it all is... and it is indeed all of those things. The temptations and struggles I have in writing about the movie are that I could sit here tossing out superlatives till the cows come home. It's the kind of film that inspires that type of gushing.
It is one of the greatest anti-war movies ever made. Set in a German U-Boat manned by a young and inexperienced crew, we follow along on their mission, which is documented by a photojournalist. There's not much of a story: We get acquainted with life in these cramped quarters, which are grimy and uncomfortable. While viewing I could almost feel the dirty sweat on my own brow and would gulp for the freshness of clean air whenever the crew was above the sea. Most of the time -we discover- a submarine is a boring place to be... but when it's not, it is absolutely terrifying. The creaks and groans of the U-boat as it dives ever deeper, the explosions of depth charges that rattle you to your bones. Having your eyesight practically stolen from you, you have to rely on your ears to be your guide. Das Boot isn't simply a movie you watch, it's a full-blooded experience.
The acting is strong, in particular, Jürgen Prochnow as the Captain, he is no Nazi spokesman, in fact, he's a bitter critic. And he exudes a quite commanding presence that anchors the entire production. The ending is a heartbreaker, which left me shaken and sad.
UPDATE! Years after posting this I was able to find and view the odd and entertaining thriller Diva, the third in Fassbinder's BRD trilogy Lola, Saura's Deprisa Desprisa, Rohmer's The Aviator's Wife, and Sen's In Search of Famine. I've added each to my list of nominees.
The Long Good Friday played in exhibitions, Out of the Blue at Cannes in 1980 but they didn't get a general theatrical until '81
Honorable Mentions:
Bob Hoskins. The Long Good Friday * Henry Fonda, On Golden Pond * Philippe Noiret, Coup de Torchon * Jürgen Prochnow, Das Boot * Mel Gibson, Gallipoli * Armin Mueller-Stahl, Lola * Slavko Štimac, Do You Remember Dolly Bell? * Lino Ventura & Michel Serrault, Garde à Vue * Michel Piccoli, Une étrange affaire
Honorable Mentions:
Fanny Ardant, The Woman Next Door * Katharine Hepburn, On Golden Pond * Kathleen Turner, Body Heat * Sissy Spacek, Raggedy Man * Jutta Lampe, Marianne and Juliane * Isabelle Huppert, Coup de Torchon * Catherine Deneuve, Hotel America * Linda Manz, Out of the Blue
