by Martin Unsworth

Proclaiming any certain year the greatest for film releases is a dicey prospect. Everyone, of course, will have their own opinion and preferences. Author Robert Sellers (Hellraisers: The Life and Inebriated Times of Burton, Harris, O’Toole and Reed) sets his sights on 1971 and in his assessment of some of the cinematic highlights does indeed provide a good argument for his selection.

A quick glance at some of the films included reveals a varied and impressive array of movies in massively contrasting genres. Some of the big hitters – A Clockwork Orange, Dirty Harry, The Devils, Get Carter, Straw Dogs, and The French Connection – contrast greatly with fare such as Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Fiddler on the Roof, and Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. There are also some foreign releases that are usually left out of yearly appraisals, like W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism and A Touch of Zen.

Sellers presents the films in chronological order, so we can see how 1971 at the pictures would have panned out. This isn’t a review book or full of synopsis. There is a mix of behind-the-scenes info and input from various people who had worked on the films, including some fun anecdotes. The write-ups are not overblown; they’re more easily digestible but no less informative and entertaining. We were particularly happy to see the ethereal Let’s Scare Jessica to Death as a highlighted film.

Obviously, there were more than 100 films released that year, and Sellers manages to include a bonus selection of titles that didn’t quite make the cut for the main list but are notable. He also throws in some of what most people would call ‘downright stinkers’, but we call limited appeal classics. Think Al Adamson’s Dracula vs Frankenstein and The Incredible 2-Headed Transplant.

While 1971 might not be definitively the greatest year of cinema, Sellers puts a good case forward with the selection of movies highlighted in this enjoyable read.

1971: 100 Films from Cinema’s Greatest Year is out now.