This year's Shanghai International Film Festival and Columbia Pictures jointly planned the "100 Years of Dreaming" celebration unit, carefully selecting masterpieces from various periods of Columbia Pictures over the past 100 years from countless classics for screening. These works are not only a microcosm of Columbia Pictures' own history, but also a brilliant trajectory in the history of film.
Columbia Pictures will celebrate its 100th anniversary on January 10, 2024. Sony Pictures Entertainment Group has also announced a specially designed "Torch Lady" centenary commemorative logo. The glowing torch symbolizes a warm celebration of its century-old history.
Throughout its turbulent and colorful century-long history, Columbia Pictures has always been at the forefront of the industry in the highly competitive Hollywood.
In the classical Hollywood era, Columbia Pictures, Universal Studios and United Artists were collectively known as the "Little Big Three". They relied on careful cost planning, low-budget films and romantic comedies to gain a firm foothold. Famous director Frank Capra and two superstars Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth were the three most important ace filmmakers of Columbia Pictures in the classical Hollywood era.
The 1950s and 1960s were the time when the old and new Hollywood were transitioning. While other companies were facing the pressure of transformation due to Paramount's antitrust lawsuit, Columbia Pictures, which had no "burden" of theaters, went into battle lightly and successively launched classic Oscar-winning films such as "From Here to Back", "On the Waterfront", "The Bridge on the River Kwai", and "Lawrence of Arabia", standing at the forefront.
In the 1980s, when media mergers and transformations were in full swing, Columbia Pictures was sold to giant multinational companies such as Coca-Cola, Samsung, and finally Sony, laying a solid foundation for the development of the next thirty years. In particular, in the 1990s, it successfully obtained the distribution rights of the "007" series of films and the filming rights of the "Spider-Man" comics, which enabled it to still have a place in the subsequent fierce competition of Hollywood action and superhero blockbusters. In recent years, Columbia Pictures has successively produced and released a series of blockbuster series such as "Men in Black", "Jumanji", "Venom", and "Spider-Man" "Hero Trilogy". These films have achieved impressive box office results worldwide and received praise from countless audiences.
It is also worth mentioning that Columbia Pictures has a long history with Chinese-language films. Columbia Film Production (Asia) Ltd., founded at the end of the last century, has produced and filmed Chinese-language film names such as "Double Eyes", "Kung Fu", and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon". The film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has not only achieved great commercial success, but also won several Oscars that year. In recent years, Columbia Pictures has continued to deepen its business in the Chinese-language market, co-producing the animated film "Wish Dragon" and the disaster drama "The Bravest". It has cooperated with China's highest-grossing female director Jia Ling and obtained the English remake rights of the film "Hello, Li Huanying" and the global distribution rights of the film "Hot and Spicy". At the same time, the new version of "The Karate Kid" is also being prepared. I believe that Columbia Pictures will bring more and better co-productions to Chinese audiences and strive to present high-quality Chinese-language films to global audiences.
It Happened One Night (1934, Frank Capra)
Highlights:
The benchmark of romantic comedy, sweeping all five Oscars
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The 90th anniversary of the film is a classic in the pantheon of Hollywood comedies and the first film to sweep the five major Oscars. Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert were both in their prime, and they played the happy story of a poor reporter and a rich girl with ease. Ellie ran away from home in anger because her father opposed her marriage to the pilot, and Peter, who had a keen sense of smell, decided to get the scoop on the missing incident. The two met by chance and achieved a happy relationship. This film also became a benchmark for many romantic love comedies later.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939, Frank Capra)
Highlights:
James Stewart plays the most classic whistleblower in film history
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Another masterpiece of Frank Capra, this time he moved the comedy stage to the political center of the United States, focusing on the confrontation between the little people and the system. James Stewart plays an idealistic and naive young congressman who, upon arriving in Washington, witnesses the corruption in the political arena and is determined to change the world on his own. Mr. Smith always shows the light of idealism, and the scene where he becomes a "whistleblower" is engraved in film history. Stewart was nominated for the Best Actor Oscar for the first time with this film, and the following year he won the award with "Philadelphia", starting his road to superstardom.
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957, David Lean)
Highlights:
The anti-war epic that won seven Oscars
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One of the most important masterpieces of David Lean, a famous epic director, and also a famous anti-war film in film history. The film tells the story of a captured British officer who was forced to build a bridge for the Japanese army during World War II. It explores the fierce conflicts between Eastern and Western civilizations and cultures, as well as between individuals and the country. In particular, the huge temptation of the 20th century's nationalist wave on individual consciousness is vividly demonstrated, winning Lean seven Oscars including the Best Picture.
Taxi Driver (1976, Martin Scorsese)
Highlights:
Martin Scorsese's only Palme d'Or, a masterpiece of anti-authoritarian films
One of the most important anti-establishment and anti-authoritarian films in Hollywood in the 1970s, and one of Martin Scorsese's most important masterpieces, it won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. This film depicts a lonely young man who drives a taxi in New York after retiring from the Vietnam War. Religious redemption and questioning of the American dream, two of the most important themes in Scorsese's creative career, are embedded in it at the same time. This is an urban religious redemption version of The Searchers, representing Scorsese's cry and roar at a major turning point in American history.
Kramer vs. Kramer (1979, Robert Benton)
Highlights:
A pioneer in exploring women's independence, winning five Oscars
Joanna was dissatisfied with her husband's neglect of the family and left home to pursue her career, which put Ted's life in chaos. When he was balancing work and life and getting closer to his son Billy, Joanna suddenly came back to fight for custody. This film pioneered the social topics of women returning to themselves and divorce, causing a huge response. It defeated "Apocalypse Now" that year and received 9 Oscar nominations, and finally won 5 awards including Best Picture. Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep also won their first Oscar statuette in their acting careers.
The Age of Innocence (1993, Martin Scorsese)
Highlights:
Martin Scorsese's "Red Rose, White Rose"
This film is adapted from the classic novel of the same name. Martin Scorsese is a tough guy with a soft heart. He lets the young Daniel Day-Lewis, Michelle Pfeiffer and Winona Ryder perform a love entanglement that starts from emotion but ends with courtesy, writing a Martin version of "Red Rose and White Rose". The film perfectly restores the glitz and luxury of New York's upper class society in the late 19th century with exquisite costumes and props. It not only won the Oscar for Best Costume Design, but also won the Elvira Notari Award at the Venice Film Festival.
Groundhog Day (1993, Harold Ramis)
Highlights:
The originator of infinite loop streaming movies
Phil goes to the border town of Punxsutawney every year to report on the Groundhog Day celebration. After today's event, he was stranded by a snowstorm. When he woke up the next day, he found that everything from yesterday was repeating itself. He could only try various ways to break the cycle of Groundhog Day. If life remains the same, how would you face it? The famous comedian Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters) showed his directorial talent and used a fantastical love story to give the answer to "live in the present and live every day well", making this film an immortal classic in the same genre.
Bad Boys (1995, Michael Bay)
Highlights:
Will Smith shows off his hot body
After drug evidence worth $10 billion is stolen, the romantic bachelor Laurie and the good family man Benner form a detective team. The two use all their tricks, jokes, and tacit understanding, which is full of highlights. Michael Bay, a professional blockbuster director, made a name for himself in his first directorial debut, and with a budget of only $19 million, he earned more than $140 million at the box office, which also helped Will Smith, who generously showed off his body in the film, to become a Hollywood A-list star, and he has been offered many films since then.
Moneyball (2011, Bennett Miller)
Highlights:
Brad Pitt interprets the most unconventional comeback
This film is adapted from the documentary book of the same name, and it is a benchmark work of sports films about dark horse counterattacks. Oakland Athletics general manager Billy (Brad Pitt) and Yale University economics master Peter (Jonah Hill) use data as a magic weapon to gradually turn the team around, starting from the bottom and winning streak, and even tying the league record. But when sports become a science, where is the real fun? Pitt and Hill, like the two partners in the film, work together seamlessly, complementing each other, and were nominated for the Oscars for best actor and best supporting actor.
Note: If the film list changes, please refer to the actual schedule.
