Unbelievably, it is that time again–30 movies under our Best Picture-watching belts, and time to share my personal rankings of the films. Definitely seeing some trends now that we’re a few decades into this project. War films do well at the Academy Awards, as do movies that attempt to address current social issues like racism, addiction, and corruption of those in power. Stories based on real-life events and historical figures also are not absent from this list, and adaptations of classic and/or popular works of literature frequent the awards categories as well. Without further ado, then, here are my current rankings of the first 30 winners of the Academy Award for Best Picture:

1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
2. You Can’t Take It with You (1938)
3. All Quiet on the Western Front (1929/30)
4. All About Eve (1950)
5. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
6. Casablanca (1943)
7. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
8. It Happened One Night (1934)
9. Rebecca (1940)
10. On the Waterfront (1954)
11. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
12. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)
13. All the King’s Men (1949)
14. Hamlet (1948)
15. Mrs. Miniver (1942)
16. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)
17. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)
18. How Green Was My Valley (1941)
19. The Lost Weekend (1945)
20. Going My Way (1944)
21. Marty (1955)
22. An American in Paris (1951)
23. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)
24. Cavalcade (1932/33)
25. Wings (1927/28)
26. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)
27. Cimarron (1930/31)
28. The Broadway Melody (1928/29)
29. Grand Hotel (1931/32)
30. From Here to Eternity (1953)

A few words of explanation for my top and bottom choices. By the next time that I update my rankings, I will have viewed several films that are capable of rivaling Gone with the Wind for the top spot; but right now I just haven’t seen anything that can come near the scope of its cinematography and the brilliance of its casting and acting, not to mention Max Steiner’s glorious score. Plus, the story is compelling–even if I spend the entire four-plus hours wanting to slap some sense into Scarlett. As for From Here to Eternity, my lowest rated movie and a film I don’t really ever need to see again, I felt the story was dull (as it was perhaps meant to be in order to convey the shock of the Pearl Harbor attack), the characters unlikeable, and the end unsatisfactory (again, this was probably intended, but I still don’t like it). One thing I will grant that film is that it has a lovely title, very creatively based on a line from a Kipling poem–and being an English person, any nod to literature is always appreciated!

So, debate as you will. Feedback is welcome! The Weekday Warm-up for this week’s film, The Bridge on the River Kwai, will be up within the next couple of days. Thanks for reading!