I had a conversation with andaroo about this earlier today and he brought me to this idea. Basically, ROTK was one of the "safest" Best Picture winners ever. So we thought which other films of the recent decades could have potentially won against it and both of us agreed that there are only two: Schindler's List and Titanic.

So, if these three films (ROTK, Schindler's List and Titanic) were going up against each other in the same year which one do you think would have won Best Picture?

Also, if you can think of any other film with recent Oscar strength, mention them.


Return of the King would have the advantage of being the last in the series, having a very good gross and having its both predecessors nominated for Best Picture.

Titanic's advantage is its gross obviously.

But I still think Schindler's List would have taken it home. I think it would be pretty much impossible not to award a movie of this kind in favor of a blockbuster. So it's my pick.

1. schindlers list because of its importance

2. titanic because of its unprecedented box office gross

3. lotr

I think it would be ROTK actually.

Schindler's List, because of the material and the fact that it's the greatest movie ever made.

And if it were just Titanic vs. ROTK, Titanic would have won.

I think the potential would've been there for Schindler's List to get robbed, the academy has never been friendly to Spielberg, and up against box-office behemoths like Titanic and ROTK, it may have faded below them despite it's uber quality.

Titanic vs ROTK ... Titanic wasn't all that great with critics, and many saw it as cheesy, the only reason it won in 1997 was because it had the box-office the others didn't. ROTK had box-office as well, then there's the Jackson effect, the 3rd in the series, the fact that it would take all the technicals and stuff. As much as it pains me to say it, I think ROTK would've been invincible no matter what.

Should win or Would win?

Would win is Schindler's, no doubt in my mind.

Would win.

As far as *should* win, I'd go for ROTK or Schindler's List, not Titanic certainly. I love all three, though.

Would win: Schindler's List
Should win: same.

Schindler's List.

ROTK by a sizable margin, after the first 2 installments number 3 was guaranteed the nod, Schindler and Titanic would have made no different.

I'm speaking about which film would win, not necessarily which should win, and I think that Schindler's List would most certainly win, because of the subject matter of the film and it's "importance" alone. It was just regarded in that way, and would have to be rewarded over Titanic and Lord of the Rings, no matter how good they are regarded if they were up too.

PEACE, Mike.

Should win I would go with ROTK.

While in no way a bad film, I seem to be one the few people who don't think Schindler's is a great either. I find it typical of the academy that it gave him awards for two of what I consider to be more pedestrian examples of his work. I have no problem at all with him having two oscars, and from a political standpoint, they gave him the first award at the first political opportunity. It's just he has done much better work than either of those two.

Schindler's List, because of its subject matter (the Academy loves that stuff- drama, the Holocaust, violin music, a liberal hero, etc. ) and also because it did have a huge box-office push behind it: Spielberg's success had to be acknowledged somehow, even if the Academy was jealous of his success. In ROTK's, the win awarded the entire trilogy' success, in Titanic's case, the single film's success, but in the case of Schindler's List, the win awarded Spielberg's entire career, and as big as LOTR and Titanic were, they don't come even close to the Jaws-ET-Indiana Jones-Jurassic Park-Etc combination.

So, do you guys think there is any BP winner in history that could have potentially won against Schindler's List? I don't think so.

By the way, I think that if it had come to such a showdown, I think Schindler's List would have definitely won BP, but ROTK would have had a good chance at Best Director still.

ROTK is the greatest movie of all time... imo...

But...

I think Schindlers List probably would steal it away...

So...

Should Win- ROTK
Would Win- Schindlers List

Should win: Schindler's List
Would win: Schindler's List

It's one of the most important films ever made. Now all we need is for that Star Wars poster to come back and tell us how Spielberg made the whole thing up.

GWTW would have annihilated it, as it would pretty much anything else. Rebecca I suspect would also take it down pretty handily (Hitchcock vs. Spielberg.). The Best Years of Our Lives is possible given that its policitcal dynamic with the acedemy at its time was similar. Godfather I also would also throw out as a probable. There are some other interesting options.

but

If you mean recent times, say 1990 forward, probably the most interesting matchup might actually be Unforgiven as the career achievement dynamic is almost identical - though I think Spielberg has the clear edge.

If these films were going up against each other for BP...

Schindler's List would easily win.

a true life movie about Jews getting murdered verses a fantasy & disaster flick. come on.
the votes would go like 75%, 15%, 10%.

while i think shindlers list is th ebest of 3, itd be townto titanic or king. why? unlike shindlers list, titanic n rotk had a lot o fother stuff that was amazing OTHER then story and acting. special effects, score, eidintg, box office, ect.

I think ROTK would give Schidnler's List a run for it's Oscar but if all three were in the running, I'd give a slight edge to Schindler, if for anything, because Titanic and LOTR might cancel out some blockbuster/epic votes.

Should win is a bit harder. I have only seen Schindler's List once and it was a while ago. Seeing as how I thought FOTR was better than ROTK as a film on its own, I think I would also still go with Schindler's List but none of these films I would consider among the greatest of our time.

the score and editing in schindlers list were not too shabby either. judging it by its technical merits, i think schindlers list is a perfect film.

Schindler's List for sure. It swept the critics awards, none of which would likely switch to Peter Jackson and ROTK if they compete with each other. In some sense, it's Brokeback Mountain without the controversial subject, American Beauty without the dark humor; or in other words, it combines being one of the most critically acclaimed movies ever, the most awarded subject at Oscar, and a director who had never won after 20 years of a distinguished career. Unbeatable combination. It would win BFCA, GG, DGA, and WGA with relative ease. I could only see ROTK winning PGA at best.

Another question that pops up in my mind to the subject... If The Pianist was released BEFORE Schindler's List and had the same competition it did in 2002 (Chicago et al.) you think it would have won Best Picture then? I am pretty sure it would.

had it been released before polanski fucked a 14 year old girl and fled from the usa, i am sure it would have won.