My Top 20 by Year - 1969
by miran_kor | created - 07 Mar 2014 | updated - 23 Jun 2016 | PublicUnder construction and always in progress.
The Best films from this year (according to IMDb) I've seen (so far).
Out of 191 films 'seen' (ie rated at IMDb).
(Jun 2016)
Notes:
- Features, shorts, docs and TV movies eligible ("A film is a film is a film.").
- TV mini-series are NOT (unless stated otherwise).
- My humble rates added (for films with the same rate just once or twice though).
- Films with the same rate are ordered arbitrarily. Feel free to re-order them at your will.
- When I saw more than 20 excellent films (9/10 or above in my book) from a certain year I'll try and list them ALL. That would make some lists much longer but all the excellentia deserves to be mentioned.
Cinema = cinema (big screen) viewing TV = TV viewing PC = download OL = online viewing VHS = VHS viewing
Yet to see (among many):
Le chagrin et la pitié (The Sorrow and the Pity, Mar. Ophüls, 1968, doc) L'amour fou (Mad Love, Rivette, 1969) Kyôsô jôshi-kô (Running in Madness, Dying in Love; Wakamatsu, 1969) Eika Katappa (Schroeter, 1969) Vsichni dobrí rodáci (All My Good Countrymen, Jasný, 1969) L'Inde fantôme (Phantom India, Malle, 1969, doc, TV mini) Don't Drink the Water (H. Morris, 1969) Goodbye, Columbus (Peerce, 1969) Hello, Dolly! (Kelly, 1969) The Sterile Cuckoo (Pakula, 1969) Age of Consent (M. Powell, 1969) Pirosmani (Shengelaya, 1969) Erosu purasu Gyakusatsu (Eros Plus Massacre, Yoshida, 1969) Al-ard (The Land, Chahine, 1969) Argila (Schroeter, 1969) Goto, l'île d'amour (Goto, Island of Love; Borowczyk, 1969) El chacal de Nahueltoro (Jackal of Nahueltoro, Littin, 1969) If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (Stuart, 1969) Law and Order (Wiseman, 1969, doc) Xia nu (A Touch of Zen, Hu, 1969) Yuke yuke nidome no shojo (Go, Go Second Time Virgin; Wakamatsu, 1969)
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1. The Color of Pomegranates (1969)
Not Rated | 79 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the Armenian poet Sayat-Nova, from childhood to death: his spiritual journey, artistic endeavors, and inner conflicts within the cultural and historical context of Armenia. Hailed as revolutionary by Mikhail Vartanov.
Director: Sergei Parajanov | Stars: Sofiko Chiaureli, Melkon Alekyan, Vilen Galstyan, Gogi Gegechkori
Votes: 13,538
OL. 10/10.
2. The Milky Way (1969)
M/PG | 105 min | Comedy, Drama
Two drifters go on a pilgrimage from France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Along the way, they hitchhike, beg for food, and face the Christian dogmas and heresies from different Ages.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Paul Frankeur, Laurent Terzieff, Alain Cuny, Edith Scob
Votes: 8,093
Cinema.
3. The Passion of Anna (1969)
R | 101 min | Drama
A recently divorced man meets an emotionally devastated widow and they begin a love affair.
Director: Ingmar Bergman | Stars: Liv Ullmann, Bibi Andersson, Max von Sydow, Erland Josephson
Votes: 10,439
Cinema.
4. The Damned (1969)
R | 157 min | Drama, War
The dramatic collapse of a wealthy, industrialist/Junker family during the reign of the Third Reich.
Director: Luchino Visconti | Stars: Dirk Bogarde, Ingrid Thulin, Helmut Griem, Helmut Berger
Votes: 9,923 | Gross: $0.63M
Cinema.
5. The Wild Bunch (1969)
R | 135 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An aging group of outlaws look for one last big score as the "traditional" American West is disappearing around them.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: William Holden, Ernest Borgnine, Robert Ryan, Edmond O'Brien
Votes: 90,341 | Gross: $12.06M
TV.
6. Women in Love (1969)
R | 131 min | Drama, Romance
Two best friends fall in love with a pair of women, but the relationships soon go in very different directions.
Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Alan Bates, Oliver Reed, Glenda Jackson, Jennie Linden
Votes: 8,550 | Gross: $1.03M
Cinema.
7. Z (1969)
M/PG | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The public murder of a prominent politician and doctor amid a violent demonstration is covered up by military and government officials. A tenacious magistrate is determined not to let them get away with it.
Director: Costa-Gavras | Stars: Yves Montand, Irene Papas, Jean-Louis Trintignant, François Périer
Votes: 31,343 | Gross: $0.08M
Cinema.
8. The Witness (1969)
105 min | Drama, Comedy
Banned for over a decade for its outspoken criticism of the post-WWII communist regime in Hungary, Péter Bacsó's 'The Witness' has since then achieved unparalleled cult status in its native... See full summary »
Director: Péter Bacsó | Stars: Ferenc Kállai, Lajos Öze, Zoltán Fábri, Béla Both
Votes: 7,764
Cinema.
9. The Cremator (1969)
Not Rated | 95 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Set in Central Europe during World War II, a demented cremator believes cremation relieves earthly suffering and sets out to save the world.
Director: Juraj Herz | Stars: Rudolf Hrusínský, Vlasta Chramostová, Jana Stehnová, Milos Vognic
Votes: 10,770
OL.
10. The Gladiators (1969)
Not Rated | 102 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
Some time in the future, East and West have stopped maintaining standing armies and nuclear weapons. Instead, to settle their differences they pit different teams of crack combat specialists against each other.
Director: Peter Watkins | Stars: Arthur Pentelow, Frederick Danner, Hans Bendrik, Daniel Harle
Votes: 550
PC.
11. Early Works (1969)
87 min | Comedy, Drama
A group of young persons are going to make a revolution, but in real life everything is not the same as in smart books.
Director: Zelimir Zilnik | Stars: Milja Vujanovic, Bogdan Tirnanic, Cedomir Radovic, Marko Nikolic
Votes: 483
Cinema.
12. Menq (1969)
27 min | Documentary, Short
Monumental picture exploring the identity and fate of the Armenian nation.
Director: Artavazd Peleshian
Votes: 460
OL.
13. The Ambush (1969)
80 min | Drama, Romance, War
Idealistic young man supports the party and the new Yugoslavia's communist regime, but soon gets involved in various political and criminal machinations becoming more and more confused about what's right and what's wrong.
Director: Zivojin Pavlovic | Stars: Milena Dravic, Ivica Vidovic, Severin Bijelic, Slobodan Aligrudic
Votes: 390
Cinema.
15. Funeral Parade of Roses (1969)
Not Rated | 105 min | Drama
The trials and tribulations of Eddie and other transvestites in Japan.
Director: Toshio Matsumoto | Stars: Pîtâ, Osamu Ogasawara, Yoshimi Jô, Koichi Nakamura
Votes: 7,277
OL. 9.5/10.
16. Easy Rider (1969)
R | 95 min | Adventure, Drama
Two bikers head from L.A. to New Orleans through the open country and desert lands, and along the way they meet a man who bridges a counter-culture gap of which they had been unaware.
Director: Dennis Hopper | Stars: Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, Antonio Mendoza
Votes: 116,919 | Gross: $41.73M
Cinema. 9/10.
17. They Shoot Horses, Don't They? (1969)
M | 129 min | Drama
The lives of a disparate group of contestants intertwine in an inhumanely grueling dance marathon.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Jane Fonda, Michael Sarrazin, Susannah York, Gig Young
Votes: 20,844 | Gross: $12.60M
Cinema.
18. Kes (1969)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Family
A working-class English boy spends his free time caring for and training his pet kestrel.
Director: Ken Loach | Stars: David Bradley, Brian Glover, Freddie Fletcher, Lynne Perrie
Votes: 22,927
Cinema.
19. Midnight Cowboy (1969)
R | 113 min | Drama
A naive hustler travels from Texas to New York City to seek personal fortune, finding a new friend in the process.
Director: John Schlesinger | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Jon Voight, Sylvia Miles, John McGiver
Votes: 120,710 | Gross: $44.79M
Cinema.
20. Adalen 31 (1969)
X | 115 min | Drama, History, Romance
During a strike strike-breakers are being transported to Lunde, where they are assaulted by the strikers. The military are sent in. On the 14th May 1931 there is a confrontation between ... See full summary »
Director: Bo Widerberg | Stars: Peter Schildt, Kerstin Tidelius, Roland Hedlund, Stefan Feierbach
Votes: 1,746
Cinema.
21. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
PG | 110 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.
Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Paul Newman, Robert Redford, Katharine Ross, Strother Martin
Votes: 226,677 | Gross: $102.31M
Cinema.
22. Birds, Orphans and Fools (1969)
78 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Three adolescent war orphans seclude themselves in an anarchic and playful existence of denial and juvenile joy.
Director: Juraj Jakubisko | Stars: Philippe Avron, Jirí Sýkora, Magda Vásáryová, Francoise Goldité
Votes: 985
PC.
23. The Cow (1969)
Not Rated | 104 min | Drama
An old villager deeply in love with his cow goes to the capital for a while. While he's there, the cow dies and now the villagers are afraid of his possible reaction to it when he returns.
Director: Dariush Mehrjui | Stars: Ezzatolah Entezami, Mahin Shahabi, Ali Nasirian, Jamshid Mashayekhi
Votes: 7,988
PC.
24. Dillinger Is Dead (1969)
Not Rated | 95 min | Crime, Drama
A man decides to cook for himself, but finds the revolver of John Dillinger hidden in his kitchen instead.
Director: Marco Ferreri | Stars: Michel Piccoli, Anita Pallenberg, Gino Lavagetto, Mario Jannilli
Votes: 2,788
Cinema.
25. You're Lying! (1969)
107 min | Drama
About an alcohol-damaged young man, his life in and out of prison, his friend the art teacher and his difficulties reintegrating into society.
Director: Vilgot Sjöman | Stars: Börje Ahlstedt, Stig Engström, Sif Ruud, Anita Ekström
Votes: 74
Cinema.
26. Castle Keep (1969)
R | 107 min | Action, Comedy, Drama
During the Battle of the Bulge, an anachronistic count shelters a ragtag squad of Americans in his remote 10th Century castle hoping a battle there against the advancing Germans will not lead to its destruction and all the heritage within.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Patrick O'Neal, Jean-Pierre Aumont, Peter Falk
Votes: 3,484
Cinema.
27. An Event (1969)
88 min | Drama
A grandfather and his grandson go to a fair to sell a horse. A ranger and his vicious partner, Matijevic, follow them as they return home in order to rob them. The confrontation takes place in the forest.
Director: Vatroslav Mimica | Stars: Pavle Vuisic, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Boris Dvornik, Fabijan Sovagovic
Votes: 205
TV.
28. A Quiet Week in the House (1969)
20 min | Animation, Short
A man, apparently on the run, takes shelter in a dilapidated house. Every day, he drills a hole through a wall and looks into one of the rooms, each time seeing a different surreal vision...
Director: Jan Svankmajer | Star: Václav Borovicka
Votes: 822
PC.
29. 79 primaveras (1969)
Not Rated | 25 min | Short, Documentary
An agit-prop documentary marking the death of Vietnamese nationalist leader Ho Chí Minh, using found footage to link his work to worldwide political movements including the Cuban revolution and resistance within the USA to the Vietnam war.
Director: Santiago Álvarez
Votes: 489
OL.
31. Palindrome (1969)
22 min | Short
A series of psychedelic, otherworldly visuals of all different colors and designs.
Director: Hollis Frampton
Votes: 87
OL.
32. Opening Speech (1960)
7 min | Animation, Short, Comedy
Norman McLaren attempts to give the opening speech for the first Montreal International Film Festival, but his microphone won't cooperate.
Director: Norman McLaren | Star: Norman McLaren
Votes: 209
OL.
33. Passing Days (1969)
10 min | Animation, Short
Animated film about a man prevented from leading his own life. People impose social dogmas on him, and rob him of his rights.
Director: Nedeljko Dragic
Votes: 106
OL.
34. Artificial Light (1969)
24 min | Short
A series of variations on a single minute-long sequence, including a negative reproduction, double-exposures, etc.
Director: Hollis Frampton | Star: Lee Lozano
Votes: 81
OL.
35. It's Tough to Be a Bird (1969)
G | 21 min | Comedy, Family, Documentary
Part cartoon and part documentary, this film offers a humorous look at birds and the ways people perceive them.
Director: Ward Kimball | Stars: Ruth Buzzi, Richard Bakalyan, John Emerson, Jim Swain
Votes: 478
PC.
36. Mask of the Red Death (1969)
10 min | Animation, Short, Horror
An animated adaptation of Poe's famous short story: "Mask of the Red Death"
Directors: Branko Ranitovic, Pavao Stalter
Votes: 135
OL.
37. Tsuburekakatta migime no tame ni (1968)
13 min | Short
Two series of images, chaotically showcasing Japan in the '60s, showing images of student riots, ads and pop culture.
Director: Toshio Matsumoto
Votes: 191
OL.
39. A Day with the Boys (1969)
18 min | Short, Drama
A group of boys spend their day outdoors exploring, wreaking havoc and letting their imaginations run wild.
Director: Clu Gulager | Stars: Mike Hertel, Jack Grindle, John McCaffrey, William Elliott
Votes: 458
OL.
40. Me, Natalie (1969)
M/PG | 111 min | Comedy, Drama
A young woman struggles for independence.
Director: Fred Coe | Stars: Patty Duke, James Farentino, Martin Balsam, Elsa Lanchester
Votes: 1,161 | Gross: $1.07M
TV.
41. Cactus Flower (1969)
M | 104 min | Comedy, Romance
A dentist pretends to be married to avoid commitment, but when he falls for his girlfriend and proposes, he must recruit his lovelorn nurse to pose as his wife.
Director: Gene Saks | Stars: Walter Matthau, Ingrid Bergman, Goldie Hawn, Jack Weston
Votes: 11,886 | Gross: $25.89M
Cinema. 9/10.
42. The Boys of Paul Street (1968)
G | 110 min | Drama
In Budapest, two rival gangs of young boys lay claim to a vacant lot. The hostilities escalate yet never quite boil over into actual violence. The film poignantly portrays the struggles and... See full summary »
Director: Zoltán Fábri | Stars: Mari Törőcsik, Sándor Pécsi, László Kozák, Anthony Kemp
Votes: 3,291
PC. 8.5/10.
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