In honor of the 96th Academy Awards, we’re looking back at the 10 best Oscar-winning movies of all-time.
This weekend, the 96th Academy Awards will name a new winner for Best Picture. And while we suspect that Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer will walk away with the top prize, there’s always room for an upset. The truth is that there are plenty of great movies that didn’t win Best Picture, including Citizen Kane, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made.
We’ve recently shared our list of the worst movies to win Best Picture, so now it’s time to reveal our picks for the 10 best Oscar-winning movies of all time. There may be some disagreement with the order in which we placed these films, but few could convincingly argue that they aren’t among the greatest movies ever made.10. On the Waterfront (1954)
Marlon Brando was already an established actor before On the Waterfront, but this is the movie that turned him into a cinematic legend. Brando plays Terry Malloy, a former boxer who has never gotten over how his career ended in disgrace. While working as a longshoreman for a mobster, Johnny Friendly (Lee J. Cobb), Terry is tricked into being complicit in the murder of Joey Doyle (Ben Wagner), a man who dared to testify against Friendly.
Joey’s sister, Edie Doyle (Eva Marie Saint), seeks justice for her fallen brother, which shames Terry into confessing his role after he emotionally bonds with her. Even then, Terry fears the consequences of crossing Friendly, but he can only be pushed so far before he starts pushing back.
Rent or buy On the Waterfront on Prime Video.9. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
When it comes to epic movies, few films have ever come close to topping director David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, which was based on the real-life exploits of T. E. Lawrence (Peter O’Toole). During the First World War, Lawrence is sent by the British military to assess whether Prince Faisal (Alec Guinness) can successfully lead his rebellion against the Ottoman Empire. Rather than simply staying on the sidelines, Lawrence fights alongside Faisal and wins the respect of the Arab warriors.
As the war drags on, Lawrence feels his loyalty to his country and his newfound comrades tested when their agendas pull away from each other. But eventually, even Lawrence will have to pick a side as the British hide their plans to claim part of Arabia for their own empire.
Rent or buy Lawrence of Arabia on Prime Video.8. Amadeus (1984)
Most of the discussion about the Best Picture winners of the ’80s is about the movies that didn’t win. Raging Bull, Raiders of the Lost Ark, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, The Big Chill, Dead Poets Society, and Field of Dreams were all nominated, and they all came up short at the Academy Awards despite being some of the greatest films of the decade. But in 1984, the Academy got it right when Amadeus was named Best Picture.
This is one of the few films with two nominees for Best Actor, with the prize ultimately going to F. Murray Abraham for his towering performance as composer Antonio Salieri. Despite Salieri’s own musical talents, he feels overwhelming rage and jealousy towards Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Tom Hulce, the other Best Actor nominee in this film), an ungodly genius with an over-the-top personality and enough vices to send him to an early grave … assuming Salieri doesn’t kill him first.
