1970s Films

F for Fake (Orson Welles, 1973)

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After the Second World War ended, a man hailing from Ibiza, Spain named Elmyr de Hory arrived in Paris and attempted to make a living as an artist. Through his endeavors, he discovered he had an uncanny ability to copy styles of famous painters. In 1946, he sold a pen-and-ink drawing to a British woman who believed it to be an original work by Picasso. Having little money to his name, he went against his scruples and sold his forgery as the genuine article. Nearly three decades later, the French filmmaker François Reichenbach hired Orson Welles to edit and narrate a documentary about de Hory. However, as the project blossomed, more and more narratives became intertwined. When all was said and done, the result would be the final film of Orson Welles’s released in his lifetime: F for Fake.

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Serpico (Sidney Lumet, 1973)

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Frank Serpico is an idealistic young man who has just become the newest member of the New York City Police Department. He dreams of becoming a detective, hoping to qualify for the prestigious gold shield. He joins the Plainclothes Division, dressing like a hippy as part of the job, which is the source of much derision from his coworkers. As he continues his line of work, he will learn the disturbing reason behind their hostility.

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M*A*S*H (Robert Altman, 1970)

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The year is 1951. Six years have passed since the conclusion of the Second World War, and another conflict has broken out – this time in the Korean Peninsula. North Korea, with the support of China and the Soviet Union, fights against South Korea, whose citizens are backed up by the United States and her allies. Just like in the Second World War, the army has made extensive use of the Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) – a fully functional medical unit deployed in the combat zone. The 4077th of these units is about to shaken up when its two newest surgeons, “Hawkeye” Pierce and “Duke” Forrest arrive in a stolen Army Jeep.

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Dog Day Afternoon (Sidney Lumet, 1975)

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The year is 1972 and a man named Sonny Wortzik stormed into the First Brooklyn Savings Bank along with two accomplices. Sonny is clearly inexperienced in the art of bank robbery, as the plan begins to go awry in a matter of seconds. One of his accomplices, Stevie, loses his nerve after Sonny produces his weapon and asks to be let out of the bank. To make matters worse, they have arrived after the daily cash pickup, leaving a paltry $1,100 in the vault. From there, the plan that should have taken ten minutes snowballs into spectacle entrancing the neighborhood and later, television viewers across the nation.

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The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (Luis Buñuel, 1972)

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A bourgeois couple, the Thévenots, is traveling through France with Rafael Acosta, a diplomat from the country of Miranda, and Mme. Thévenot’s sister, Florence. They arrive at the Sénéchals, who are slated to be the hosts of a dinner party. However, there’s a bit of a problem; according to Alice Sénéchal, the dinner party was scheduled for the following evening. As such, they did not prepare a dinner. Undeterred, the party decides to eat out at a nearby inn. Strangely, they find it locked, though they are invited in after knocking on the door. The waitress seems reluctant and mentions the inn is under new management, but allows them in regardless. Upon discovering that the manager had died a few hours prior and his former employees are holding vigil over his corpse. Realizing the coroner is about to arrive, the party quickly leaves.

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