The 10 most shocking Oscars snubs of the 1970s
This article from Far Out Magazine looks back at the 1970s Oscars, arguing it was a decade when the Academy generally got its major calls right, with all ten Best Picture winners still regarded as classics and commercial hits like The Godfather and Rocky also proving critical successes. Despite this strong overall record, the piece argues several notable figures and films were unfairly overlooked, and it runs through some of the most glaring omissions from the era.
Among the snubs highlighted are Steven Spielberg failing to receive a Best Director nomination for Jaws despite the film's technical achievements and huge commercial success, and William Friedkin being ignored in the same category for Sorcerer, a film now praised by directors such as Quentin Tarantino. The article also singles out Gena Rowlands' lack of a Best Actress nomination for Opening Night, and Martin Scorsese's failure to be nominated for Best Director for Taxi Driver, both cited as among the Academy's more baffling oversights of the decade.
- Article lists notable Oscar snubs from the 1970s
- Spielberg missed a Best Director nod for Jaws
- Friedkin, Rowlands and Scorsese also cited as overlooked
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The Oscars are the annual film awards presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, an organisation made up of film industry professionals. Its members vote on nominations and winners in categories such as best picture, acting and directing.
The 1970s brought acclaimed films including The Godfather, Rocky and Jaws, as well as work by directors such as Steven Spielberg, William Friedkin and Martin Scorsese. An Oscar nomination can raise a film-maker’s or performer’s profile, but it is one measure of recognition among many.
Looking back at nominations from the decade raises questions about what the Academy valued and which performances or films were overlooked. Those judgements can change over time as audiences and critics revisit the work.