10 Great 1970s American Movie Classics You Probably Haven’t Seen

The 1970s is widely accepted as a peak decade for cinema. Hollywood’s Golden Age, with its stars like Humphrey Bogart, came to a symbolic end after Dennis Hopper’s Easy Rider (1969). The filmmaking mantle had now passed to the next generation.

The 1970s saw the established careers of the New Hollywood auteurs: Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg et al. Meanwhile, the era was enriched by its blacksploitation, horror, counterculture and art films. This list will recommend ten 1970s movie classics that are certain to delight cinephiles.

1. Rio Lobo (1970)

During the American Civil War, Colonel Cord McNally’s (John Wayne) friend is killed by Confederates. With the help of his new sidekicks, McNally sets out to find the men responsible.

Rio Lobo was the last film of one of America’s preeminent directors: Howard Hawks, responsible for Scarface (1932), His Girl Friday (1940) and The Big Sleep (1946). Director Quentin Tarantino has stated that he will retire after making ten movies. He explains this is because “most directors have horrible last movies. The most cutting-edge artist, the coolest guys, the hippest dudes, they’re the ones that stay at the party too long. They’re the ones that make those last two or three movies that are completely out of touch and do not realise the world has turned on them. I don’t want to make Rio Lobo.”

Rio Lobo may be the last film in the style of Hollywood’s golden age, before New Hollywood conquered cinema. However, it is a far more accomplished and entertaining than Tarantino gives it credit for. With Hawks’ matured mastery, it is more fluid and effective than Tarantino’s favourite of the director’s films: Rio Bravo (1959). Firstly, Rio Lobo’s action set pieces are suspenseful and well-choreographed, specifically the thrilling train sequence at the beginning. Additionally, Rio Lobo has a well-structured script with a textbook premise. John Wayne annexes humour to his cowboy persona, through his exchanges with his associates. The ensemble causes Rio Lobo to excel as both a comedy and an exemplary western.

2. Two-Lane Blacktop (1971)

Two petrolhead drifters (musicians Dennis Wilson and James Taylor) and a hitchhiker (Laurie Bird) race a GTO driver (Warren Oates) across the USA.

One of Two-Lane Blacktop’s most curious features is its strange, meditative, existential atmosphere. It has awkward pauses, philosophical introspection and laconic protagonists. Like Easy Rider (1969), Two-Lane Blacktop is a seminal countercultural classic and one of cinematic history’s most iconic road movies. Stylistically, it is emblematic of the hippie era and its adventurous, bohemian spirit.

More deeply, however, the movie is a haunting expression of director Monte Hellman’s poetic sensibility and uniquely desolate worldview. Concurrently, Warren Oates imbues hillbilly comedy, whilst the ingenious Harry Dean Stanton makes a tragic, heartfelt cameo. The road trip itself serves as a metaphor for the characters’ emotional arcs, their sense of longing and feeling lost.

3. Straw Dogs (1971)

David (Dustin Hoffman) and Amy Sumner (Susan George) reside in a bucolic English village. The builders repairing their house become increasingly more hostile towards them.

Foremost, Straw Dogs is the unsettling, unpredictable peak of explosive grindhouse thrillers. It professes ominous, amplifying tension and shockingly gruesome action. Under the surface, however, Straw Dogs examines the English class system, socialism and a debate over morality. What makes the movie more frightening than a supernatural horror is its plausibility and the implications of its harrowing rape scenes.

As well as perhaps Sam Peckinpah’s strongest directorial effort, it is one of maestro Dustin Hoffman’s most memorable roles. He contributes the skill, nuance and intelligence which have come to characterise his storied career. Intensely visceral and impactful, Straw Dogs strips back human civilisation to primal savagery.

4. The Friends of Eddie Coyle (1973)

Eddie Coyle (Robert Mitchum) is an arms dealer facing life imprisonment. He accepts a bargain to spy on the Boston underworld.

At the forefront of The Friends of Eddie Coyle is Robert Mitchum’s career-best performance. In Out of the Past (1947), Mitchum became known for his hardboiled noir antiheroes, as well as villains, in pictures like The Night of the Hunter (1955). In this film, Mitchum is the antithesis of the cool he previously cultivated. Family man Eddie is tragic, hapless, softhearted and relatable, making him an pertinent avatar for the audience’s emotions.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle is an adaptation of George V. Higgins’ novel. His other work, Cogan’s Trade, was later adapted into Killing Them Softly (2012). True to Higgins’ source material, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is heavily dialogue-driven, whilst adhering to expertly crafted, fast-paced plotting. Capturing a distinct Boston regionality, The Friends of Eddie Coyle is a classic of the genre and one of the most accomplished titles of the 1970s.

5. The Outfit (1973)

Earl Macklin (Robert Duvall) sets out to take revenge against the mafia for the murder of his brother.

Primarily, The Outfit is a solidly entertaining crime movie, with all the gangster, hitman, shootout and caper trappings. It is an adaptation of a Donald E. Westlake novel. The genre-defining plot is elevated by Robert Duvall’s investment, supreme talent and flair for characterisation. He is supported by cult horror-favourite Karen Black, bringing her volatility and emotional intensity.

Undervalued, The Outfit began its life with a lukewarm response, but has since been reappraised. It is particularly recommendable to fans of groovy ‘70s crime movies, in search of their next watch. Moreover, The Outfit is an especial favourite of Quentin Tarantino, who praised it in his book Cinema Speculation. The film has had a noticeable influence upon Tarantino’s neo-noir style.