For those who have seen all 1984 Best Picture Oscar Nominees - A Passage to India (1985) Discussion

[–] paulos230 16 years ago

As for today:
5. Places in the Heart
4. The Killing Fields
3. A Soldier's Story
2. A Passage to India
1. Amadeus

But I definetely have to see "The Killing Fields" one more time, cause I have a feeling that I've underestimated this picture.

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[–] DirtyGrainius 16 years ago

"The Killing Fields" is awesome, and you might move it up a spot if you watch it again. I loved "A Soldier's Story" when I saw it in the theatres, and still love it, but when I watch it now it doesn't hold up as well as I wish it did. It's not just because I was younger and it was new (The movie blew me away when I saw it, I was @ 11), but it just has this "80's feeling" that in somefilms gives me the heebie-jeebies. Too much "Good Morning Vietnam", not enough "A Few Good Men", I guess you could say.

jaustin035, on Sun Dec 16 2007 18:50:29, wrote something that made me laugh.

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[–] vctpagan-1 16 years ago

1. A Passage to India
The subtlety of Forster meets the grandeur of Lean is for me more felicitous than I would've imageined. Perhaps Lean could've gone one slight decible lower yet this film gets better and better as I see it. Excellent performances by Bannerjee, Davis, Ashcroft and Fox. Lean's screenplay bares Forster's mastery with relations both poliical and sexual brilliantly. Powerful work by cinematographer Freddie Young, composer Maurice Jarre and the usual distinctive production values we came to admire in David Lean productions. A fitting end for the great David Lean.

2. Amadeus
3. The Killing Fields
4. Places in the Heart
5. A Soldier's Story

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[–] film_buff12 16 years ago

I can't put them in any order. i sat here and tried and I can't do it. What a great year for films. and I agree that Fanny and Alexander should also be mentioned.

"Ah, ya's fancy pants, alla ya's"
"Leave the gun. Take the cannoli."

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[–] rascal67 15 years ago

Fanny & Alexander' was from 1983 and wasn't nomintated in the Best Picture catergory, but it was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film and won along with a few other technical catergorys.

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[–] SeisCinemaSeis 15 years ago

I pretty much agree with you. Despite how much I liked "A Passage to India", IMO the best movie that year was "Amadeus".

1. Amadeus
2. A Passage to India
3. The Killing Fields
4. Places in the Heart
5. A Soldier's Story

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[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PrayingMantis 13 years ago

1. Amadeus (I didn't think any other the others were even in the same league as Amadeus).
2. The Killing Fields
3. Places in the Heart
4. A Soldier's Story
5. A Passage to India

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[–] Enrique-8 12 years ago

My rank:

1. Amadeus - a film for all times which shall outlast the rest of the nominees
2. The Killing Fields - an almost heart-breakingly wonderful masterpiece
3. A Passage to India - a personal favorite because of India and Dame Peggy.
4. Places in the Heart - wonderfully heartfelt performance by Sally Field
5. A Soldier's Story - SADLY I have never seen this movie so it falls to the rank of #5 by default.

There you have it. :)

Enrique Sanchez

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[–] jemimakahn 12 years ago

"Amadeus" was more than deserving. For once the Oscars got it right.
I have to say, I preferred "A Soldier's Story" to "Places In The Heart".

"Places In The Heart" and specially "A Passage To India" should have been replaced by "Fanny and Alexander" and "Once Upon A Time In America". It was Oscar tradition to nominate any film made by david Lean, but really, this one was thoroughly undeserving. A very heavy-handed adaptation of a finely observed and articulated novel.

So my list:
Amadeus
The Killing Fields
A Soldier's Story (directed by Norman Jewison, watch out for a young Denzel)

That's it.

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[–] rascal67 12 years ago

............... should have been replaced by "Fanny and Alexander".................
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

You are the second poster on this thread to mention this. 'Fanny and Alexander' was from 1983 and won Best Foreign Language Film for this year along with a few other technical awards.

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[–] tnsprin-2 12 years ago

It was a tough year as all were deserving of a nomination as well as some others that have been mentioned.

My order is
The Killing Fields
Amadaeus
A Passage to India
A Soldier's Story
Places in the Heart

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[–] marbleann 11 years ago

1) A Soldiers Story

2) A Passage To India

3) The Killing Fields

4) Amadeus

5)Places of the Heart

Today I still love watching the first two. The only reason I put A Soldiers Story 1 is because of the performance of Adolph Caeser who should of gotten a Oscar and is one of the best performances on film IMO

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