Best Film 1956

1927/28 through 1997
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Best Film 1956

Around The World In 80 Days
1
3%
Friendly Persuasion
2
7%
Giant
17
59%
The King And I
3
10%
The Ten Commandments
6
21%
 
Total votes: 29
criddic3
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Post by criddic3 »

Around the World in 80 Days is a large, star-filled entertainment, and it remains enjoyable but probably should not have won best picture.

Friendly Persuasion is thoughtful and well-acted. Compared with all the other nominees, it is the least epic-feeling. Also gave Anthony Perkins a chance to shine in his only Oscar-nominated performance.

Giant is sometimes quite impressive, but somehow I don't see it as a Best Picture winner (maybe because it didn't win, hehe).

The King and I is a joyous musical and Yul Brynner is memorable in the role of the King. They made the right decision to give it to him rather than to the Picture, I think, though.

The Ten Commandments is a wonderfully entertaining, large-scale epic with some superb performances from Heston and Brynner, along with some colorful ones from Baxter and Edward G. Robinson. I would pick this one out of this line-up, which I don't think was really horrible. I didn't hate any of them. In addition to the great spectacle (one of the last truly fine ones), the music by Elmer Bernstein is terrific (why didn't they nominate the score?).
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rudeboy
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Post by rudeboy »

Reza wrote:Anne Baxter, drooling at Heston's Moses, is an absolute delight. Campy but sexy!
Not to mention deranged on her part, but yeah.
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Reza
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Post by Reza »

rudeboy wrote:but The Ten Commandments edges it for me - solid, ridiculous, campy fun.

Anne Baxter, drooling at Heston's Moses, is an absolute delight. Campy but sexy!
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rudeboy
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Post by rudeboy »

Surely one of the most depressing line-ups in oscar history... not an outstanding film there. The overlong and uneven Giant has it's moments, but The Ten Commandments edges it for me - solid, ridiculous, campy fun.
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flipp525
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Post by flipp525 »

I agree with Penelope on Giant. And, really though, how gay is that freakin' movie? I mean, with Rock Hudson in tight jeans "feuding" with James Dean who's all slicked up in that lubricating black oil and the uber-butch "she's-probably-a-dyke" Luz played by Mercedes McCambridge. Please.



Edited By flipp525 on 1174325316
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Penelope
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Post by Penelope »

None of these are particularly masterful films, though Giant comes closest and thus earns my vote.
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Snick's Guy
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Post by Snick's Guy »

Vote your 1956 best film pick
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