I have now seen 63 films that were released in 1948. The complete list is here. A few shorts, documentaries, and other movies were reviewed here. The total also includes a few I’ve seen before that were not easily available this time around. This was a great year for movies. I cut it a bit short so that I can start fresh on 1949 when I return from vacation.
I usually make my list from films I have rated 10/10 or 9/10 on IMDb. This time there are too many 9/10 movies to include all of them in the top 10. Also rans were: Rope; Raw Deal; Red River; Force of Evil; It Happened in Europe; Pitfall; and He Walked by Night.
These basically could have been placed in any order, though Treasure of the Sierra Madre would always come out as my favorite of the year.
10. All My Sons (directed by Irving Reis)
9. Hamlet (directed by Laurence Olivier)
8. The Snake Pit (directed by Anatole Litvak)
7. Fort Apache (directed by John Ford)
6. The Red Shoes (directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger)
5. Oliver Twist (directed by David Lean)
4. Drunken Angel (directed by Akira Kurosawa)
3. Bicycle Thieves (1948, directed by Vittorio de Sica)
2. The Fallen Idol (directed by Carol Reed)
1. Treasure of the Sierra Madre (directed by John Huston)
I absolutely agree with your top pick. I’d have some other films in there. Johnny Belinda would likely make my list, as would Rope.
But Treasure of the Sierra Madre absolutely belongs on top–and it’s a movie that’s just as good today as it was nearly 70 years ago.
This was such a strong year that many films were left off that might otherwise have been included. I more or less decide on the basis of if I had the choice which would I want to see sooner rather than later.
You are already done? You are so fast, Bea!
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre cannot be discussed. Best of the year, at least to 5 of the decade. I do not know Fallen Idol but Reed made some good movies so maybe I should see it. If you put it ahead of Bicycle Thieves and The Red Shoes it must be good.
I don’t know if Fallen Idol is “better” than Bicycle Thieves or Red Shoes but I certainly am fond of it! I hope you let me know how you like it if you see it.
Excellent list!