Films of the 1970s, No. 35

 


Throughout 2023 I'm looking at my favorite films from the decade of the 1970s. I'll be counting down from 50 to 1 throughout the year, posting a new installment each Friday. Agree? Disagree? Want to share a story? Post it in the comments below!

Hammond Commission Spokesman: Ladies and gentlemen, you've been invited here today for the official announcement of the inquiry into the death of George Hammond. A complete transcript of the investigation is in preparation. This committee has spent nearly six months of investigation, followed by eleven weeks of hearings. After careful deliberation, it is concluded that George Hammond was assassinated by Joseph Frady. An overwhelming body of evidence has revealed that Frady was obsessed with the Carroll assassination, and in his confused and distorted state of mind seems to have imagined that Hammond was responsible for the senator's death. He was equally convinced that Hammond was somehow plotting to kill him. And it is for those reasons that Frady assassinated him. Although I'm certain that this will do nothing to discourage the conspiracy peddlers: there is no evidence of a conspiracy in the assassination of George Hammond. Those are our findings. The evidence will be available as soon as possible. Thank you. This is an announcement, gentlemen. There will be no questions.

The Parallax View (1974)
Starring: Warren Beatty, William Daniels, and Hume Cronyn
Director: Alan J. Pakula
About: Pakula had quite the decade, delivering a number of films that made an impact in the 1970s. This is also another film that fits into the conspiracy theory vein, the second such type of story in a row. Beatty does a nice job in the lead role and there is a lot about the way the film is put together that I enjoyed. I liked the overall story as well. This one is based on the novel from Loren Singer and focuses on a reporter who is investigating a conspiracy. What fascinated me about this film in particular is that investigation doesn't turn out as we'd expect. This doesn't have much of a happy ending, as the opening quote I selected bears out. It's not my favorite of Pakula's films in the decade but it was engaging enough to wind up on this list.

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