Picture 36: Tom Jones (1963)

The 1960s have provided three absolute classics so far. The Apartment (1960), West Side Story (1961) and the epic Lawrence of Arabia (1962) have all stood the test of time. The excitement is palpable as we approach the fourth edition of the Swinging Sixties. What does this 1963 British comedy have in store for us?

A visit to 18th century Somerset is in order. We follow Tom Jones (Albert Finney) – an exuberant, youthful lothario who gets into all kinds of mischief. How will Tom compare to its predecessors?

Not well. It’s genuinely hard to fathom how this film was made, let alone won Best Picture. Shaky camerawork, one dimensional characters and ropey, bizarre plot development all contribute to a nauseating experience for the unsuspecting audience. Viewers are also treated to screen transitions reminiscent of Windows Movie Maker© in the early 2000s and needless fourth wall breaks. It’s an amateurish cross between The Favourite (2018) and a Channel 5© late night film you accidentally stumble across.

What was going on in the world in 1963? Maybe everyone was still recovering from the existential threat of the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 and so didn’t have any intellectual or emotional energy left to take the Oscars seriously. The powers that be therefore decided to vote for the most ridiculous choice they could think of.

Moments like this make you question your reality. Are the Oscars a thing? Are films real? Do I have a TV? I triple checked that I had bought the correct film and really I did. Really.

Isolated moments of humour, seeing David Warner early in his career and nods to Greek mythology provide scant mitigation for this disaster. I thought it would be nigh on impossible for any of these films to be worse than the Broadway Melody. I was wrong. It comes last.

Rating: 2/10

Oscar Best Picture Rankings:

1. Casablanca (1943)

2. The Apartment (1960)

3. Rebecca (1940)

4. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

5. Ben-Hur (1959)

6. Lost Weekend (1945)

7. All About Eve (1950)

8. Hamlet (1948)

9. How Green Was My Valley (1941)

10. Gone With the Wind (1939)

11. West Side Story (1961)

12. Mrs. Miniver (1942)

13. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)

14. Wings (1928)

15. Mutiny on the Bounty (1935)

16. You can’t take it with you (1938)

17. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)

18. On the Waterfront (1954)

19. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

20. Marty (1955)

21. Cimarron (1931)

22. Grand Hotel (1932)

23. An American in Paris (1951)

24. From Here to Eternity (1953)

25. It Happened One Night (1934)

26. Gentleman’s Agreement (1947)

27. Cavalcade (1933)

28. The Life of Emile Zola (1937)

29. Going My Way (1944)

30. The Great Ziegfeld (1936)

31. All the King’s Men (1949)

32. Gigi (1958)

33. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)

34. The Greatest Show on Earth (1952)

35. The Broadway Melody (1929)

36. Tom Jones (1963)

Previous or current ranking leaders are in bold.

With credit and thanks to the patrons of the Best Picture Film Club:

Dr Sophie Bloomfield

Dr Caspar Briault

Dr Kate Diomede

Dr Fionnuala Durrant

Dr Hannah Morrison

Dr Meera Radia