Best movies of 1972
by pauleta_mtr | created - 14 Jan 2017 | updated - 2 months ago | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. The Godfather (1972)
R | 175 min | Crime, Drama
Don Vito Corleone, head of a mafia family, decides to hand over his empire to his youngest son Michael. However, his decision unintentionally puts the lives of his loved ones in grave danger.
Director: Francis Ford Coppola | Stars: Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton
Votes: 1,910,362 | Gross: $134.97M
10/10
2. Solaris (1972)
PG | 167 min | Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A psychologist is sent to a station orbiting a distant planet in order to discover what has caused the crew to go insane.
Director: Andrei Tarkovsky | Stars: Natalya Bondarchuk, Donatas Banionis, Jüri Järvet, Vladislav Dvorzhetskiy
Votes: 94,492
9/10
3. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
NC-17 | 129 min | Drama, Romance
A young Parisian woman meets a middle-aged American businessman who demands their clandestine relationship be based only on sex.
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci | Stars: Marlon Brando, Maria Schneider, Maria Michi, Giovanna Galletti
Votes: 55,943 | Gross: $36.14M
8/10
4. Fritz the Cat (1972)
Unrated | 78 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A hypocritical swinging college student cat raises hell in a satiric vision of various elements on the 1960s.
Director: Ralph Bakshi | Stars: Skip Hinnant, Rosetta LeNoire, John McCurry, Judy Engles
Votes: 13,637 | Gross: $25.00M
8/10
5. X, Y and Zee (1972)
PG | 110 min | Drama
The venomous and amoral wife of a wealthy architect tries, any way she can, to break up the blossoming romance between her husband and his new mistress; a good-natured young widow who holds a dark past.
Director: Brian G. Hutton | Stars: Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Caine, Susannah York, Margaret Leighton
Votes: 1,252 | Gross: $1.36M
8/10
6. Play It Again, Sam (1972)
PG | 85 min | Comedy, Romance
A neurotic film critic obsessed with the movie Casablanca (1942) attempts to get over his wife leaving him by dating again with the help of a married couple and his illusory idol, Humphrey Bogart.
Director: Herbert Ross | Stars: Woody Allen, Diane Keaton, Tony Roberts, Jerry Lacy
Votes: 27,191 | Gross: $2.30M
7.5/10
7. Jeremiah Johnson (1972)
GP | 108 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
A mountain man who wishes to live the life of a hermit becomes the unwilling object of a long vendetta by the Crow tribe and proves to be a match for their warriors in single combat on the early frontier.
Director: Sydney Pollack | Stars: Robert Redford, Will Geer, Delle Bolton, Josh Albee
Votes: 33,139 | Gross: $47.74M
7.5/10
8. Sounder (1972)
G | 105 min | Drama, Family
The oldest son of a loving and strong family of black sharecroppers comes of age in the Depression-era South after his father is imprisoned for stealing food.
Director: Martin Ritt | Stars: Cicely Tyson, Paul Winfield, Kevin Hooks, Carmen Mathews
Votes: 4,549 | Gross: $3.10M
7.5/10
9. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
Not Rated | 95 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
In the 16th century, the ruthless and insane Don Lope de Aguirre leads a Spanish expedition in search of El Dorado.
Director: Werner Herzog | Stars: Klaus Kinski, Ruy Guerra, Helena Rojo, Del Negro
Votes: 59,141
7/10
10. Cabaret (1972)
PG | 124 min | Drama, Music, Musical
A female girlie club entertainer in Weimar Republic era Berlin romances two men while the Nazi Party rises to power around them.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Liza Minnelli, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Joel Grey
Votes: 57,125 | Gross: $42.77M
7/10
11. Deliverance (1972)
R | 109 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's dammed and turned into a lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a canoeing trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.
Director: John Boorman | Stars: Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, Ronny Cox
Votes: 114,313 | Gross: $7.06M
7/10
12. The Getaway (1972)
PG | 123 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
A recently-released ex-con and his loyal wife go on the run after a heist goes awry.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: Steve McQueen, Ali MacGraw, Ben Johnson, Sally Struthers
Votes: 33,940 | Gross: $36.73M
7/10
13. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
PG | 102 min | Comedy
A surreal, virtually plotless series of dreams centered around six middle-class people and their consistently interrupted attempts to have a meal together.
Director: Luis Buñuel | Stars: Fernando Rey, Delphine Seyrig, Paul Frankeur, Bulle Ogier
Votes: 44,901 | Gross: $0.20M
7/10
14. We Won't Grow Old Together (1972)
Not Rated | 110 min | Drama
A husband and wife in a loveless marriage struggle to remain ignorant to their failed relationship.
Director: Maurice Pialat | Stars: Marlène Jobert, Jean Yanne, Christine Fabréga, Patricia Pierangeli
Votes: 2,043 | Gross: $0.01M
7/10
15. The Offence (1973)
R | 112 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
A burnt-out British police detective finally snaps whilst interrogating a suspected child molester.
Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Sean Connery, Trevor Howard, Vivien Merchant, Ian Bannen
Votes: 7,423
7/10
16. Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex * But Were Afraid to Ask (1972)
R | 88 min | Comedy
Seven stories are trying to answer the question: what is sex? Or maybe they are not trying.
Director: Woody Allen | Stars: Woody Allen, Gene Wilder, Louise Lasser, John Carradine
Votes: 40,776
7/10
17. Love in the Afternoon (1972)
R | 97 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Though he has an adoring wife, a bourgeois man is still tempted to pursue other women.
Director: Éric Rohmer | Stars: Bernard Verley, Zouzou, Françoise Verley, Daniel Ceccaldi
Votes: 8,862
7/10
18. Fist of Fury (1972)
R | 107 min | Action, Drama, Romance
A young man seeks vengence for the death of his teacher.
Director: Wei Lo | Stars: Bruce Lee, Nora Miao, James Tien, Maria Yi
Votes: 32,041 | Gross: $1.29M
7/10
19. Images (1972)
R | 104 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
Whilst writing a children's book, a woman interrupted by images unsure if they may, or may not be real
Director: Robert Altman | Stars: Susannah York, Rene Auberjonois, Marcel Bozzuffi, Hugh Millais
Votes: 7,339
7/10
20. The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant (1972)
Not Rated | 124 min | Drama, Romance
A successful fashion designer abandons a sado-masochistic relationship with her female assistant in favor of a love affair with a beautiful young woman.
Director: Rainer Werner Fassbinder | Stars: Margit Carstensen, Hanna Schygulla, Katrin Schaake, Eva Mattes
Votes: 10,417
7/10
21. Poszukiwany, poszukiwana (1973)
82 min | Comedy
Falsely accused Warsaw art museum assistant goes into hiding as a woman.
Director: Stanislaw Bareja | Stars: Wojciech Pokora, Jolanta Bohdal, Mieczyslaw Czechowicz, Maria Chwalibóg
Votes: 2,342
7/10
22. Podróz za jeden usmiech (1972– )
201 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
Two youngsters in their early teens go hitchhiking all over Poland. Adventures ensue...
Stars: Henryk Golebiewski, Filip Lobodzinski, Alina Janowska, Jerzy Cnota
Votes: 306
7/10 There's a movie too.
23. Trzeba zabic te milosc (1972)
92 min | Drama, Romance
The young couple love each other. The boy is in constant work which will fit him, and in the end becomes a petty thief who cannot pay his debts anymore and decides to steal from homes where... See full summary »
Director: Janusz Morgenstern | Stars: Jadwiga Jankowska-Cieslak, Andrzej Malec, Wladyslaw Kowalski, Barbara Wrzesinska
Votes: 213
7/10
24. Fat City (1972)
PG | 96 min | Drama, Sport
Two men, working as professional boxers, come to blows when their careers each begin to take different directions.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Stacy Keach, Jeff Bridges, Susan Tyrrell, Candy Clark
Votes: 9,824
7/10
25. The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
PG | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Nine people explore a cruise ship at sea in a manner that turns their whole lives upside down.
Director: Ronald Neame | Stars: Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, Shelley Winters, Red Buttons
Votes: 47,251 | Gross: $84.56M
7/10
26. Roma (1972)
R | 120 min | Comedy, Drama
A fluid, unconnected and sometimes chaotic procession of scenes detailing the various people and events of life in Italy's capital, most of it based on director Federico Fellini's life.
Director: Federico Fellini | Stars: Britta Barnes, Peter Gonzales Falcon, Fiona Florence, Pia De Doses
Votes: 13,339 | Gross: $0.73M
7/10
27. The Hot Rock (1972)
PG | 101 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Dortmunder and his pals plan to steal a huge diamond from a museum. But this turns out to be only the first time they have to steal it...
Director: Peter Yates | Stars: Robert Redford, George Segal, Ron Leibman, Paul Sand
Votes: 6,689 | Gross: $2.54M
7/10
28. The Olsen Gang's Big Score (1972)
Not Rated | 99 min | Comedy, Crime, Family
Olsen has a plan: rob over DKK4,000,000 from an armored car with police escort using a hot-dog stand, some ducks etc. Can the gang hide the money safely?
Director: Erik Balling | Stars: Ove Sprogøe, Morten Grunwald, Poul Bundgaard, Kirsten Walther
Votes: 1,779
7/10
29. Boxcar Bertha (1972)
R | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Romance
During the Great Depression, a union leader and a young woman become criminals to exact revenge on the management of a railroad.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Barbara Hershey, David Carradine, Barry Primus, Bernie Casey
Votes: 10,119
7/10
30. Avanti! (1972)
R | 144 min | Comedy, Romance
A successful businessman goes to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon father's body only to discover dad died with his long-time mistress.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: Jack Lemmon, Juliet Mills, Clive Revill, Edward Andrews
Votes: 11,136 | Gross: $3.30M
7/10
31. The Mechanic (1972)
PG | 100 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
An aging hitman befriends a young man who wants to be a professional killer. Eventually it becomes clear that someone has betrayed them.
Director: Michael Winner | Stars: Charles Bronson, Jan-Michael Vincent, Keenan Wynn, Jill Ireland
Votes: 14,878 | Gross: $7.30M
7/10
32. A Cop (1972)
PG | 98 min | Crime, Thriller
After a shaky first heist, a group of thieves plan an even more elaborate and risky second heist.
Director: Jean-Pierre Melville | Stars: Alain Delon, Richard Crenna, Catherine Deneuve, Riccardo Cucciolla
Votes: 10,196 | Gross: $0.05M
6.5/10
33. The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean (1972)
PG | 120 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
In Vinegaroon, Texas, former outlaw Roy Bean appoints himself the judge for the region and dispenses his brand of justice as he sees fit.
Director: John Huston | Stars: Paul Newman, Ava Gardner, Roy Jenson, Gary Combs
Votes: 8,911 | Gross: $16.53M
6.5/10
34. The Valachi Papers (1972)
PG | 125 min | Crime, Drama
Gangster Joe Valachi is a marked man in the same joint where mob boss Don Vito Genovese is imprisoned and he's forced to co-operate with the DA in exchange for protection.
Director: Terence Young | Stars: Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, Jill Ireland, Walter Chiari
Votes: 4,117 | Gross: $20.27M
6/10
35. The Last House on the Left (1972)
R | 84 min | Crime, Horror, Thriller
Two teenage girls heading to a rock concert for one's birthday try to score marijuana in the city, where they are kidnapped and brutalized by a gang of psychopathic convicts.
Director: Wes Craven | Stars: Sandra Peabody, Lucy Grantham, David Hess, Fred J. Lincoln
Votes: 38,739 | Gross: $3.10M
6/10
36. The Dawns Here Are Quiet (1972)
PG-13 | 188 min | Drama, History, War
During WWII in a small village outpost, a commander has his troop replaced by an all female unit. As they finally begin to appreciate one another, German paratroopers are spotted nearby and the realities of war emerge.
Director: Stanislav Rostotskiy | Stars: Andrey Martynov, Irina Dolganova, Elena Drapeko, Ekaterina Markova
Votes: 4,543
6/10
37. Sisters (1972)
R | 93 min | Horror, Mystery, Thriller
A small-time reporter tries to convince the police she saw a murder in the apartment across from hers.
Director: Brian De Palma | Stars: Margot Kidder, Jennifer Salt, Charles Durning, William Finley
Votes: 19,268 | Gross: $0.35M
6/10
38. Ulzana's Raid (1972)
R | 103 min | Adventure, Drama, Western
After fierce war chief Ulzana and a small war party jump the reservation bent on murder and terror, an inexperienced young lieutenant is assigned to track him down.
Director: Robert Aldrich | Stars: Burt Lancaster, Bruce Davison, Jorge Luke, Richard Jaeckel
Votes: 6,177
6/10
39. Frenzy (1972)
R | 116 min | Thriller
A serial murderer is strangling women with a necktie. The London police have a suspect, but he is the wrong man.
Director: Alfred Hitchcock | Stars: Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Anna Massey
Votes: 47,464 | Gross: $12.60M
6/10
40. Death Line (1972)
Unrated | 87 min | Horror
When a government official disappears in the London tunnels, after several reports of missing people in the same location, Scotland Yard start to take the matter seriously, along with a couple who stumble into a victim by accident.
Director: Gary Sherman | Stars: Donald Pleasence, Norman Rossington, David Ladd, Sharon Gurney
Votes: 5,084
6/10
41. Wesele (1973)
102 min | Drama
Set at the turn of the century, the story concerns a Polish poet living in Cracow who has decided to marry a peasant girl. The wedding is attended by a heterogenous group of people from all... See full summary »
Director: Andrzej Wajda | Stars: Marek Walczewski, Izabella Olszewska, Ewa Zietek, Daniel Olbrychski
Votes: 1,276
6/10
42. Joe Kidd (1972)
PG | 88 min | Western
An ex-bounty hunter reluctantly helps a wealthy landowner and his henchmen track down a Mexican revolutionary leader.
Director: John Sturges | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Robert Duvall, John Saxon, Don Stroud
Votes: 19,859
6/10
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