Roger Ebertwas a deeply respected and highly-influential film critic with an illustrious career spanning over four decades. He and fellow critic Gene Siskel co-hosted the enduring TV showsSneak PreviewsandAt the Movies,in which they would entertainingly discuss their thoughts and opinions on recent cinematic releases; their joint ventures helped popularize a televised format for discussing films.
Ebert passed away in 2013 at the age of 70 following a battle with cancer, and he received an outpouring of appreciation and praise for his trailblazing work in his field;the Chicago-Sun Timesproclaimed he “was without question the nation’s most prominent and influential film critic.” His attention to detail, love of the cinema, and thought-provoking insight and commentary firmly cemented his status as a legendary film scholar. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the greatestmovies of the ‘90saccording to Roger Ebert andhis top 10 list of the decade.
Oliver Stone’s 1991 epic political thrillerJFKfeatures an A-list ensemble cast led by Kevin Costner, Kevin Bacon, and Tommy Lee Jones and tells the gripping true story of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison (Costner), who in 1966 sets out to investigate theassassination of President John F. Kennedyafter discovering numerous inaccuracies and questioning Lee Harvey Oswald’s role in the tragedy.JFKcaused quite a bit of controversy upon its release over the creative liberties taken by Stone regarding the conspiracy theory, but it nonetheless went on to win two Academy Awards.
Ebertdubbed the thriller"hypnotically watchable" and commended Stone for his meticulous research and presentation of the thorough information gathered. He appreciated the director for making Garrison a symbol of truth amid a dangerous conspiracy that many believe continues to hold weight.
9Malcolm X
Denzel Washington earned an Oscar nomination for his phenomenal performance as the prominent titular human rights activist in Spike Lee’s 1992 biographical dramaMalcolm X, which chronicles the life of the controversial civil rights advocate who promoted Black empowerment and the Islam faith.
The film’s screenplay was heavily based on Alex Haley’s bookThe Autobiography of Malcolm X, and dramatizes many key events in the famous figure’s life including his difficult upbringing, incarceration, his involvement with the Nation of Islam, and his assassination in 1965.
When Washington lost the award for Best Actor to Al Pacino forScent of a Woman,Lee went on tocriticize the decisionand stated, “I’m not the only one who thinks Denzel was robbed on that one.” Fellow critics and Ebert himself were blown away byMalcolm X’s powerful screenplay and Washington’s commanding on-screen presence, and he went on to declare the drama one of the best screen biographies of all time.
8Leaving Las Vegas
Based on the semi-autobiography and struggles of author John O’Brien, the 1995 dramaLeaving Las Vegasstars Nicolas Cageas a depressed and alcoholic screenwriter who abandons Los Angeles for Sin City, where he hopes to end his life by drinking himself into an early grave.
Elisabeth Shue appears as a sex worker that Cage’s character Ben develops a relationship with, though their unlikely connection is futile as Ben is determined to destroy his life no matter what. To prepare for his Oscar-winning role, Cage traveled to Dublin, where he did binge-drinking for two weeks and video-taped his behavior and speech.
Ebert went on to declareLeaving Las Vegasas the best film of 1995 and was blown away by both Cage and Shue’s performances as well as the tragic nature of the drama. Hewrote in his review, “The movie works as a love story, but really romance is not the point here, any more than sex is. The story is about two wounded, desperate, marginal people, and how they create for each other a measure of grace.”
7Breaking the Waves
Lars von Trier directed the 1996 psychological dramaBreaking the Waves, a critically-acclaimed picture that follows the peculiar Scottish woman Bess (Emily Watson) and her Danish oil rig worker husband Jan (Stellan Skarsgård) as their relationship becomes strained when he is involved in a tragic accident that leaves him paralyzed. When Jan encourages the God-fearing Bess to sleep with other men to fulfill her needs, she slowly begins to believe she is carrying out the Lord’s work and embraces the arrangement.
The film marked Watson’s big-screen debut and the actress was lauded for her boundary-breaking role as the naive and deeply religious Bess, earning numerous accolades including an Academy Award and Golden Globe nomination.Breaking the Wavestook home the prestigious Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival, and Ebert noted that the drama was a spiritually moving triumph.
6Schindler’s List
Widely regarded as one of the greatest films ever made, Steven Spielberg’s 1993 epic historical dramaSchindler’s Listtouts a career-making performance by Liam Neeson, who brilliantly portrays the eponymous German industrialist who helped save the lives of more than 1200 Jews during the Holocaust during World War II.
With an additional cast including Ben Kingsley and Ralph Fiennes, the poignant andemotionally-grippingSchindler’s Listhighlights the great lengths Oskar Schindler went to in order to protect the Jewish workers employed at his factories by protecting them against the Nazi forces.
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Schindler’s Listwon seven Oscars including Best Picture and Best Director for Spielberg, and the legendary director used a portion of the profits to create the Shoah Foundation, a non-profit that documents Holocaust survivor’s experiences. Ebert called the drama Spielberg’s best,simply declaring thatit was “brilliantly acted, written, directed, and seen.”
5Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red
Krzysztof Kieślowski helmedthree revered psychological dramas released between 1993 and 1994 known as theThree Colorstrilogy, withBlue, White,andRedrepresenting the colors of the French flag and with each film depicting a different political ideal of the country: liberty, equality, and fraternity.
Juliette Binoche stars inThree Colors: Blue, a young woman struggling with grief and the loss of her husband; emotional liberty is the theme of the film. InWhite,Zbigniew Zamachowski is a Polish barber who attempts to rebuild his life after personal and professional setbacks in Paris; equality is the installment’s main message.
Finally,Redis a character examination that centers on a group of people and how their lives are interconnected; fraternity is the meaning. TheThree Colorstrilogy earned rave reviews from critics, with Kieślowski’s storytelling and arthouse approach to filmmaking being praised; Ebert commended the films for challenging audiences' minds and for their moving messages.
Acclaimed filmmaking duoJoel and Ethan Coen wrote and directedtheir 1996 dark comedy crime masterpieceFargo, telling the complicated tale of a kidnapping plan gone awry that results in a triple homicide that catches the attention of a Minnesota police chief. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast led by Frances McDormand, William H. Macy, Steve Buscemi, and Harve Presnell, the picture is one of the Coen brothers' most celebrated and raved about achievements and nabbed both the Best Director Award at the Cannes Film Festival and two Oscars (including Best Original Screenplay).
Both Ebert and colleague Gene Siskel rankedFargoas the best release of 1996, with the former appreciating the film for its unique blend of humor, violence, satire and suspense. Hewrote in his review, “To watch it is to experience steadily mounting delight, as you realize the filmmakers have taken enormous risks, gotten away with them and made a movie that is completely original, and as familiar as an old shoe.”
3Goodfellas
Depicting the spectacular rise and ultimate demise of American mobster Henry Hill and his association with the Luchesse New York City crime family, Martin Scorsese’s 1990 biographical crime dramaGoodfellasstars the late and great Ray Liotta as Hill with the additional talent of cinema superstars Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Paul Sorvino. Based on crime reporter Nicholas Pileggi’s non-fiction bookWiseguy(who also wrote the screenplay), Scorsese was drawn to make the movie after reading the book and deeming it the most honest portrayal of gangsters he’d ever come across.
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Critics everywhere were blown away byGoodfellaswith many calling it Scorsese’s greatest achievement, and Ebert went on tocall the drama"the best mob movie ever." Scorsese also received praise for his stellar soundtrack, electrifying storytelling, and the impressive performances of his talented cast, andGoodfellashas since landed on numerous lists of the best films ever made.
2Pulp Fiction
Quentin Tarantino took the world by stormwith his juggernaut 1994 crime dramaPulp Fiction, which focuses on mob hitmen Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) as they cross paths with a myriad of quirky characters and misfits while they set out to retrieve an important suitcase for their gangster boss. The celebrated director firmly established his penchant for stylized violence and non-linear storylines with the groundbreaking ’90s staple, and went on to win the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay as well as the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
Pulp Fictionis lauded as one of the most influential and groundbreaking films of its era and helped demonstrate the power of independent cinema while delivering unforgettable pop culture moments. The crime drama also helped revitalize Travolta’s career and firmly established Tarantino as one of Hollywood’s most revolutionary and thrilling filmmakers.
1Hoop Dreams
Roger Ebert deemed Steve James' engrossing 1994 documentaryHoop Dreamsto be not only the best film of the year but also the very best of the decade, with the influential critic proclaiming, “This is one of the best films about American life that I haveeverseen.”
In the universally beloved picture, James chronicles the lives of Chicago high school basketball players Arthur Agee and William Gates as they set their sights on making it into the NBA by attending a prestigious basketball program at a predominantly white school. James himself was an amateur basketball player and heset out to create"a film about the culture of basketball in the Black community."
Hoop Dreamshad its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival where it won the Audience Award for Best Documentary and became a smash hit with both audiences and critics alike. Ebertwas thoroughly impressedby the spirit of the documentary and its revealing commentary on American society, noting, “It is also poetry and prose, muckraking and expose, journalism and polemic. It is one of the great moviegoing experiences of my lifetime.”
