There are people who have written their own stories, only to become famous all over the world when their lives are on the big screen. Of course, there are biopics about famous people that don’t need the screen, but still appeal to a wide audience and often defy expectations.
Especially in recent decades, biopics are particularly popular and mostly on the side of Hollywood, because they are a safe choice, because they arouse the interest of the audience, but also because they are an easy solution, given the problem seen in original scripts. In the last year alone, we’ve made films about Oppenheimer, Napoleon, Bernstein, Ferrari, and a few weeks ago, Freud.
Often, biopics are based on the life and work of personalities or real events and, of course, the performances of the characters who play them. Mostly they are disinterested, academically spun, rounded, Wikipedia summaries, with the approval of relatives and corporations who own the rights to artists, without looking for the truth behind the facts. On the other hand, there are films that really deserve to be remembered forever, works of art that renew interest in the people mentioned.
Here are the ten most important works that defined an era in cinema and wrote its own history – a film biography.
Motorcycle Diaries (“Motorcycle Diaries”)
Award-winning Brazilian director Walter Sales’ 2004 Argentine-international co-production about Che Guevara. A particularly well-made film that preserves dimensions and avoids hymns, it tells the story of the long journey of the young Ernesto Guevara. with his friend Alberto, on an old motorcycle that they crossed South America with. The story covers not the exploits of Latin America’s greatest revolutionary, but his most profound observations about the continent’s problems. The two heroes Gael García Bernal (Guevara) and Gael García Bernal (Albero) are excellent.
Truman Capote (Truman Capote)
The film was made in 2006 by the famous American director, specialist in biographies (“Moneyball”) about the famous eccentric writer Truman Capote. A brilliant direction, a careful form of mystery and social awakening, a creative narrative that emphasizes the writer’s concern to capture reality and convey it to his readers. In 1959, Capote begins a journalistic investigation into the quadruple murder of a Kansas farm family, contacts one of the killers, and waits five years for his execution to complete his famous book, In the Cold. The great Philip Seymour Hoffman would win a Golden Globe for the role of his life, and the film was nominated for five Oscars.
The Last Emperor (“The Last Emperor”)
The 1987 Oscar-winning epic from the genius Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, which won nine golden statuettes. Although Bertolucci is far from great cinema (“The Conformist”, “1900”), he will present a visual wonder that majestically reflects the relationship between the individual and the collective, as well as the corrosive attraction of absolute power. It will center on Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, who did not understand the rapid historical changes and was imprisoned by the Red Army. The story and production are exemplary, but not the dominant force in the director’s other films. Starring John Lohn.
Amadeus
Director Milos Forman’s 1984 film won eight of the eleven Oscars it was nominated for, including best picture, best director, and best actor. The film about Mozart is based on Alexander Pushkin’s play “Mozart and Salieri” and the rivalry between the two composers. With beautiful music, admirable sets and costumes, the film is full of inaccuracies, but it is enjoyable and shows the composer’s genius and his immature character. Starring the brilliant Tom Hales as Mozart and Murray Abraham as Salieri.
Brave Heart
The best film directed by star Mel Gibson, who might have had more opportunities to show off his talent behind the camera if he hadn’t left Hollywood. The epic and high-adventure film, which won him an Oscar for directing, tells the story of William Wallace, a Scottish warrior who leads the First War of Independence against Edward I against the English. Great fight scenes, great stories, well thought out script, Mel in his element and a great supporting cast.
Gandhi (Gandhi)
Richard Attenborough’s famous epic blockbuster about the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi, who almost bloodlessly defeated the British colonialists without betraying his personal philosophy and austere lifestyle. The heartwarming film, which won eight Oscars including all the best, will be recognized for its masterful production and handling of 300,000 extras, art direction, magnificent sets, music by Ravi Shankar and, of course, Attenborough’s inspired direction. Starring the mesmerizing Ben Kingsley.
Lawrence of Arabia (“Lawrence of Arabia”)
David Lean’s classic epic that won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and made Peter O’Toole a huge star. The story follows Thomas Edward Lawrence, an English archaeologist, soldier, and writer who undertakes to spy on a disorganized army of Arab tribes during World War I and manages to unite them against the Ottoman Empire. A river of images flowing with the power and mystery of the desert, a visual monument, an indelible work for centuries. Peter O’Toole, Alec Guinness, Omar Sharif, Anthony Quinn, Jack Hawkins also starred.
List of shingles (“Schindler’s List”)
The famous story of the adventurer Oskar Schindler, who will save about 1,200 Jews from the brutality of the Nazis, will be transferred to the big screen by the hand of Steven Spielberg and will become one of the best films of all time. As a photographer directed by the great master Janus Kaminski, he will make intelligent films in black and white with a realistic look that illuminates the darkness of history, absolute brutality and the end of reason. Its shots, sets and spectacular sequences, combined with impeccable decoupage and an iconic score by John Williams, emotionally charged, will make even its naysayers bow before its greatness. In the interpretation of his life, Liam Neeson, the incredible Ralph Fiennes in the role of a psychopathic German officer, and Ben Kingsley, who plays the accountant and brains of the operation “to save people”, retain the dimension and emotional charge.
My dear Clementine (“My Beloved Clementine”)
Of course, the pioneer and teacher John Ford would not be missing from the company, as he made a famous western in 1946 based on the legend of the folk hero of the American West, Wyatt Earp, and the famous story of the duel at the “Oak Corral”. It has been transferred to the big screen many times (among the best are “The Duel in the Green Swamp” with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas). Although Ford’s films are “masculine”, women have always played a crucial role in shaping the character of his heroes. With “My Dear Clementine,” he goes a step further as he turns Wyatt Earp into a lovelorn schoolboy. Because he knows weapons, he is not afraid of anything, he can be aggressive and a leader, but he is ready to surrender unconditionally in front of love. Again, great stories, stunning black and white footage and the incomparable Henry Fonda as Earp.
Angry Idol (“Raging Bull”)
Martin Scorsese’s heart-pounding adaptation of Jake LaMotta’s biography of former world champion Jake LaMotta, whose long and eventful career ended in bar pranks. Making the most of Italian-American director Michael Chapman’s black-and-white cinematography, he finds himself in familiar surroundings and works wonders, while the soundtrack, which perfectly matches the editing, is justifiably considered an achievement. Scorsese rips the “American Dream” to shreds, and Robert De Niro, gaining 120 kg for the needs of the role, getting into the skin and soul of the character, will deservedly win the Oscar for the best actor. The film was clearly wronged at the Oscars, as it won one more of the eight nominations, namely for editing.