The Top 10 Films of the 1960s

Storytelling methods and film content both began to shift in the 1960s. The Hays Code of the 1930s, which governed morality in American films, started to fade away. By the late 1960s, the industry abandoned the code entirely.

I believe that this decade shaped modern cinema’s approach to storytelling. For example, Psycho (1960) is one of the first films to which the Hays Code did not apply. The film opens with an unmarried couple getting dressed after an implied romantic rendezvous. The infamous shower scene was also one of the first to nearly show nudity in a mainstream film.

Film noir started falling by the wayside, and spy films spiked in popularity. The James Bond franchise started with Dr. No (1962) – and it’s still going strong today. The Pink Panther (1963) started a smaller franchise, but with a more comedic approach to the spy genre, that remained popular for many years.

Spaghetti Westerns (Westerns produced in Italy and Spain) also started in the sixties. I’m sure when people think of Spaghetti Westerns, they think of Clint Eastwood. The “Man with No Name” trilogy made Eastwood a popular star and it shaped how westerns were made in the years to come.

If you haven’t read them yet, here are my picks for the best films of the 1930s…1940s…and 1950s.

Here are my favorite films of the 1960s:

The Apartment (1960)

Can I call this the greatest love story of all time…even if it was unrequited love? I suppose it’s more of an infatuation story. Jack Lemmon is C.C. Baxter, who works in an insurance agency. He has feelings for Fran Kubelik (Shirley MacLaine), the building elevator operator. However, Fran is in love with Mr. Sheldrake (Fred MacMurray), Baxter’s boss. Things get complicated for the main characters, but that’s just part of what makes this a sweet, funny, and memorable film.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

This film makes war seem funny – obviously a difficult thing to achieve. When a crazed general orders his troops to attack Russia, a group of politicians, generals, and soldiers must stop the invasion. Peter Sellers is at his comedic best playing three characters: a Royal Air Force officer, the U.S. President, and a German scientist (the titular character). Each performance, and the scenes leading up to the attack, are hilarious. Stanley Kubrick directs this gem of a motion picture – my favorite piece of his work. It was hard to pick just one because he was a true genius in cinema.

Psycho (1960)

I mentioned this film earlier in the article, but it deserves a spot of its own on the list. Everyone familiar with this film knows the effect it had on its viewers. Some were speechless after the film’s plot twist, and others were afraid to take showers for a while. Alfred Hitchcock continues his reign as the Master of Suspense with this film and it is his best one.

(You can read more about this film and great horror movies here)

Hud (1963)

Paul Newman is one of the best actors to grace the silver screen, and a handsome one at that (my family insists I look like a young Paul Newman)! He made so many great pictures. His performance in Hud is one of his most memorable, and probably his most unlikeable character. Newman plays Hud, a self-centered farm boy who works on his father’s ranch. Hud vies for control of the ranch, much to his father’s dismay. This film is full of powerful performances – some of the best I’ve seen. In addition to Newman’s, Melvyn Douglas is excellent as Hud’s father, and Patricia Neal is unforgettable as Alma, the family’s housekeeper. Hud is a film that still echoes in my mind, long after I first watched it.

Blow-Up (1966)

A photographer thinks he may have photographed an attempted murder after he blows up one of his snapshots. He then tries to unravel the mystery behind the strange scenario. This film has several immensely enjoyable moments. For one thing, I love mysteries, and this film is among the best of them. I also can’t complain about the inclusion of a performance by The Yardbirds, featuring Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page (before he shot to superstardom with Led Zeppelin). Blow-Up left me mesmerized and in awe of its ending.

Through a Glass Darkly (1961)

Ingmar Bergman is one of my favorite directors and, in my opinion, one of cinema’s best. I love how he takes simple subjects and makes them into something unique. Here, he tells a story about a family spending time on a remote island. One member of the family is a woman recently released from a psychiatric hospital after treatment for schizophrenia, and fears that it may be returning. This plotline, not to mention the rest of this beautiful film is extremely well told and filmed. The cinematography is one of my favorite examples.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Frank Sinatra leads the cast in a film about a small group of American soldiers in the Korean War, abducted and brainwashed by the enemy. This well-written thriller keeps my heart pounding every time I watch it. The film has many twists and turns, which lead to a breathtaking climax. If you’re into thrillers or even politics, then The Manchurian Candidate is a must-watch!

Knife in the Water (1962)

This is another example of a film that is very simple, but unique. You would think a movie about three people on a boat would be boring, but you couldn’t be more wrong! In Knife in the Water, a married couple is heading off for a little getaway on their boat. On the way, they pick up a hitchhiker. It becomes obvious that the wife has developed an attraction to the hitchhiker, so he and her husband begin to vie for her affections. Roman Polanski’s debut, this film is well-made and well thought out. It’s clear Polanski took a small budget and made it into something spectacular.

A Man for All Seasons (1966)

I can’t begin to choose what I love most about this movie. The acting, directing, cinematography, costume design, and writing (among other things) are all excellent. The film won Oscars in all of those categories, including Best Picture. The filmmakers did an excellent job telling the story of Thomas More and his notable act of standing up to King Henry VIII. This film will please both movie lovers and history buffs.

The Graduate (1967)

“Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to seduce me.” This is easily the most memorable line of dialogue in this funny and heartfelt movie. Dustin Hoffman is very convincing as Benjamin Braddock, a young man who feels rudderless after his college graduation. He begins an affair with his neighbor, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft), and then falls in love with her daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). This complicated, yet very likable movie is filled with great dialogue, memorable scenes, and unforgettable Simon & Garfunkel songs.

Happy watching!