1001 Movies Club - Last Picture Show, The (1971)

#557. The Last Picture Show (1971)

Why It's In The Book: "An ardent formalist at a time when his early '70s peers were spending their time breaking rules, Peter Bogdanovich doggedly stuck to old fashioned ideals and ideas when directing The Last Picture Show. In this sense, his adaptation of Larry McMurtry's novel stands as a eulogy for the previous generation of master filmmakers (like Howard Hawks or John Ford) as a new generation of youthful pioneers steered filmmaking in a looser, more visceral direction... Bogdanovich's vision is bleak but honest, and he captures (in stark but striking black and white) the awkward moments when innocence lurches into experience, without judgment and without pat nostalgia. The film is like a wake for an entire era, ripe with tragedy and exuding a heavy pall of unmistakable sadness." -1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die

Member Ratings

Thomas Gatto - 10/10
"This is a sprawling, depressing and bleak look into the passing of a generation, of a town so barren, stark, and empty with emotion. Lushly detailed in traditional black and white composition, The Last Picture Show is a stunning portrait of teen angst and middle age regrets."
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Michaël Parent - 9/10
"Overall, The Last Picture Show is a smart film that brings you into known territories and then surprise you with its mature themes and its wonderful and touching story."
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The Movie Mistress - 9/10
"This is one of the most realistic movies I've seen in a long time. It's artfully done without beating you over the head with cinematic techniques, and I can imagine everything that happens in the film actually happening in real life."
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Robert - 9/10
"The film is focused on potentially cliche subjects (teenage sexual confusion, midlife crises, small town America) but instead of falling into the traps that these subjects present, overcomes them all masterfully and sparks unforgettable life into them."
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alfindeol - 8/10
"Textbook hickin' and awkward sex."
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Alyson - 8/10
"The class of 1952 obviously had inadequate sex-ed." 
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The Mad Hatter - 8/10
" Growing up in a big city has afforded me too much opportunity, entertainment, and anonymity. The moments I have spent visiting people in small towns has proved to me how little of that is possible in a such places. If anyone wants proof of this theory, I'd have to point them towards The Last Picture Show and rest my case...."
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Movie Guy Steve - 8/10
"I think it’s safe to say that The Last Picture Show is a great film in all of the important ways that a film can be great and important. What I’m not sure of is if it is a good film."
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Univarn - 8/10
"If you can get caught up in the characters, and there are a lot, you can find yourself whisked away for a couple of hours into this world. Sure it rambles on, and has long periods where very little happens, but such is life for these individuals." 
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Adolytsi - 7/10
"I’m still a bit uncertain as to how I feel about The Last Picture Show. I can see why it was placed on the list, but I can’t figure out if I like it or not."
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Fey - 7/10
"There were definitely some central themes and, you know, universal truths and things but for the most part, the movie was either jumbled or predictable."
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Overall Rating: 7.8/10