The 1970s were a period of transformation and innovation in world cinema. Audacious directors and innovative scripts brought to life stories that challenged the limits of imagination and cinematographic technique.
This golden age was marked by films that not only captured the essence of their times, but also defined an era. The productions influenced future generations of filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts.
From intense dramas to psychological thrillers and works of science fiction, each film on the following list is a window into the complex and fascinating world of the 1970s. The stories managed to reflect the hopes, fears and dreams of that time.
Let’s get to know these masterpieces that continue to resonate with their originality and expressive power.
1. The Empire of the Senses (1976)
A Japanese erotic drama directed by Nagisa Oshima that explores sexual obsession and self-destruction. The film is provocative, sensual and disturbing, challenging social and moral conventions.
Former prostitute becomes involved in an obsessive love affair with the landlord of an estate where she works as a servant. What starts as inconsequential fun turns into a passion that goes beyond limits.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video and Telecine
2. Alien, The Eighth Passenger (1979)
Directed by Ridley Scott, this sci-fi space horror film features a crew aboard the spaceship Nostromo facing a deadly alien. The monster’s claustrophobic atmosphere and innovative design make it a classic.
A spacecraft, upon returning to Earth, receives strange signals from an asteroid. While the team investigates the location, one of the crew is attacked by a mysterious being. What seemed to be an isolated attack turns into constant terror, as the attacked crew member took the embryo of an alien into the ship, which continues to grow and aims to kill the entire crew.
Where to watch: Star+
3. Winter of Blood in Venice (1973)
A mystery thriller directed by Nicolas Roeg, based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier. The film is set in Venice, where a couple deals with the recent death of their daughter. The city and the soundtrack contribute to the feeling of melancholy and suspense.
Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie play a husband and wife who have just lost their daughter in a fatal accident. While traveling to Venice for work, they casually meet two sensitive sisters and the husband starts having inexplicable visions.
Where to watch: Google Play Movies & TV
4. Stalker (1979)
A Soviet science fiction film directed by Andrei Tarkovsky. In the future, a guide named Stalker takes two men to a mysterious Zone where their deepest desires may come true. The film is contemplative and philosophical.
Where to watch: Google Play Movies & TV
5. Taxi Driver: Taxi Driver (1976)
Directed by Martin Scorsese, this psychological drama stars Robert De Niro as Travis Bickle, a disturbed war veteran who becomes a taxi driver in New York. The film addresses themes of loneliness, violence and alienation.
New York taxi driver Travis Bickle, a Vietnam War veteran, constantly reflects on the corruption of life around him and feels increasingly disturbed by his own loneliness and alienation.
Despite being unable to make emotional contact with anyone and living a questionable life in search of fun, he becomes obsessed with helping a 12-year-old prostitute who gets into his taxi to escape a pimp.
Where to watch: Max
6. Jaws (1975)
A suspense thriller directed by Steven Spielberg, based on the book by Peter Benchley. The film follows police chief Martin Brody as he tries to protect his city from a great white shark. John Williams’ iconic soundtrack heightens the tension.
A horrific attack on swimmers is a sign that the beach in the small town of Amity, New England, has become a feeding ground for a gigantic great white shark. Police Chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but Mayor Larry Vaughn won’t let him, out of fear that tourist revenue will leave the city destitute.
Where to watch: Telecine
Also read | The Vibrant Era of the 80s: A Decade of Transformations and Contrasts
7. The Godfather (1972)
Directed by Francis Ford Coppola, this mafia epic is based on the novel by Mario Puzo. The Corleone family saga is full of intrigue, betrayal and power. Marlon Brando as Don Vito Corleone and Al Pacino as Michael Corleone are unforgettable.
A mafia family struggles to establish its supremacy in the United States after World War II. An assassination attempt leaves boss Vito Corleone incapacitated and forces sons Michael and Sonny to take over the business.
Where to watch: Netflix
