Best Picture nominees:
All Quiet on the Western Front
The Big House
Disraeli
The Divorcee
The Love Parade
What won: All Quiet on the Western Front
The second war drama to win this award, this set the precedent for many years to come. Many war dramas would go on to win the big one. Also, the Best Picture and Best Director combination is notable. With World War I only a little over a decade in the past, this serious piece was a powerhouse. The direction was superb as was the structure of each scene. The peaceful message of why is there war? is presented in so many ingenious ways throughout the entire movie. It is easy to see why this won.
What should have won: All Quiet on the Western Front
In my last culminating post, I inferred that I might not agree with the Academy often, but I have to agree again. This movie is a true epic in many ways. It is epic in length, in emotion, and in historical significance. The gruesome battle scenes and the portrayal of the sub-par conditions that soldiers had to go through is heavy stuff and has stayed with me days after watching it. Not only that, but this is from the not-so-typical perspective of German soldiers, not from an American point of view. Although my favorite movie from these nominees is The Divorcee (1930), the award went to the right film.
My Best Picture nominee rankings:
1. The Divorcee (7/10)
2. All Quiet on the Western Front (7/10)
3. The Big House (7/10)
4. The Love Parade (6/10)
5. Disraeli (6/10)