Top 10 Best Biopics

What does one look for in a great biopic? Historical accuracy? A memorable personality? The right story within the larger person’s life? It is only on a very rare occasion that a director and his/her team are able to check all of these boxes. Some have come very close. But perhaps there will never be a truly unbiased biopic since it’s near impossible for the filmmakers to deliver something completely objective.

Personally, I have thoroughly enjoyed researching for this list because there is something special about knowing that the events in these films are real (or at least based on something real), and it is in this knowledge that can affect the way we experience the film, often bringing us on a larger, more fulfilling journey that sometimes even takes us beyond the realm of what we consider possible. Mark Twain put it this way: “Truth is stranger than fiction, but it is because Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; Truth isn’t.”

It is in that Truth alone that makes the biopic a genre that often receives top honors and critical acclaim.

10. Amadeus (1984) – [Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart]

Amadeus won a staggering 40 awards out of the 58 it was nominated for, including 8 Academy Awards. One of these was for Best Picture, and it is easy to see why. The sets, the costume, the music, and the execution of the narrative are all superb. The casting is a little less than perfect with many of the cast having incredibly intrusive American accents, but Amadeus works so well because it is also totally accessible. Mozart’s music is expertly and intricately woven into the narrative in such a way that music novices have a chance to hear his work for perhaps the first time, while his fans can enjoy it in an almost postmodern, inter-textual way.  Those who perhaps know a little more about Mozart’s life will also be able to appreciate the huge amount of attention to detail that director Miloš Foreman demonstrates in this film.

9. Malcolm X (1992) – [Malcolm X]

Malcolm X is perhaps best known for Denzel Washington’s eloquent performance, the striking resembles between Washington and X, and the controversy that surrounded the film’s production. There were protests over the white Norman Jewison directing the film, until Spike Lee took over; there were concerns over how X was going to be portrayed by both Lee and Washington, and Lee also requested that media outlets only send black journalists to interview him.  Making Malcolm X was always going to cause controversy, but this controversy helped bring to the forefront racial issues that were still simmering in America, so much so that the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.  All of the buzz aside, Malcolm X is a very well-rounded and insightful biopic. It mixes the intimate and the spectacular well while Washington contrasts his quieter moments with immense passion, creating a very memorable performance. Lee and Washington succeed in what is often central to a biopic: bringing the character back to life, if only for a short while.

8.  Raging Bull (1980) – [Jake La Motta]

Many think of Raging Bull as Scorsese’s best work. Part of the reason for this is that it allowed De Niro to do what he does best: be explosive. No one can deny that he went above and beyond the call of duty for this movie, in a Christian-Bale-does-The-Machinist kind of way. However, he is not the only stand-out feature of the film. Raging Bull is unique in its genre as a sports film, as well as a biopic. Rather than offering us a rags-to-riches-overcoming-adversity story, we are given a fierce and unapologetic portrait of a great athlete’s rise and fall.

7. Ed Wood (1994) – [Edward D. Wood, Jr.]

Although it is marred by a few historical inaccuracies, Ed Wood is a hugely entertaining and original biopic. Edward D. Wood, Jr. was once considered to be the “worst film director of all time” and a combination of Tim Burton’s masterful direction and Johnny Depp’s comic performance meant that Wood is shown to us with love and affection rather than as a subject of mockery. Kind of like a dumb puppy. Wood might not have been particularly skilled, but Burton’s biopic is a celebration of those that have the passion and determination to try and achieve their dreams anyway. Wood made a name for himself after all… just probably not in the way he would have liked.

6. L a Vie en Rose (2007) – [Édith Piaf]

Marion Cotillard won the Oscar for her show-stopping performance as Édith Piaf, making it the first time an Oscar has gone to a French-speaking role. I hope that this is the beginning of a greater immersion of foreign films into the mainstream. La Vie en Rose is just one example of an outstanding film that could have quite easily slipped past millions of people. Édith Piaf’s life is shown to us in non-linear fashion, which we learn are flashbacks from within her own memory as she lies dying. The structure is certainly original and inventive, but what makes this biopic so great is Cotillard. She gives one of those performances that is so emotionally charged that you feel slightly exhausted watching her. She utterly gives her body and soul to the role. Part of this comes from her eyes; they are incredibly expressive, “huge pools of defiance, vulnerability, coquettishness” (Sukhdev  Sandhu – “The Telegraph). Cotillard’s performance is incredibly refreshing, and a fitting tribute to France’s brightest star.

5. Walk the Line (2005) – [Johnny Cash]

Even though I’ve never been a huge fan of Johnny Cash’s music, I absolutely fell in love with this film. It gives you the humble and honest account of the earlier years of Cash’s career, and it is absolutely fascinating. Also, Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon give wonderful live performances of some of Cash and Carter’s greatest hits. Many critics found fault with Johnny Cash’s life being given the “Hollywood treatment,” but all of the events that we see are true. Johnny’s proposal to June may look like something straight out of a cheesy Rom-Com, but the fact remains that that was how it happened! Nothing ever appears contrived or O.T.T.  Considering that the subject is such a huge star, the film is actually quite modest. What also makes this such a powerful biopic is the amount of action and intensity we get from just a fraction of Cash’s life. This film is very, very well paced. A modern favourite!

4. Goodfellas (1990) – [Henry Hill]

Goodfellas is one of my absolute favourite films. Directed by Martin Scorsese, Goodfellas is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “Wiseguy” by Nicholas Pileggi. Over a period of 25 years, it documents the rise and fall of the Lucchese crime family associates Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro) and Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci.) It is excellently paced, wonderfully shot, and it has brought about some of the most iconic scenes in cinema history. One of my favourites is known as the “The Copacabana Shot,” which is the stunning long tracking shot through the Copacabana Club. And of course, there is Tommy’s “Funny How?” scene. It is easy to see why this film managed to inspire an entire successful television series: The Sopranos. I’m in complete agreement with Roger Ebert: “No finer film has ever been made about organized crime.”

3. I’m Not There (2007) – [Bob Dylan)

Directed by Todd Haynes, I’m Not There is less about Bob Dylan; rather, it’s inspired by him. Six actors, including African-American Marcus Carl Franklin and Cate Blanchett, depict the six different lives or public personas that Dylan has. Marcus Carl Franklin plays a young boy that calls himself “Woody Guthrie,” referring to Dylan’s obsession with the famous folk singer. It also refers to the many fake identities that Dylan gave himself in the early stages of his career. Cate Blanchett is “Jude Quinn,” which is a portrayal of Dylan from 1965-1966, during one of the more controversial years of his life when he went electric and indulged in narcotics. Blanchett is incredible to watch; she somehow manages to become the Dylan that we see in Don’t Look Back and Eat the Document. I found this idea to be totally ingenious as, in reality, a person cannot be truly represented by a single actor’s imitation; especially when that person is as enigmatic as Bob Dylan. Imitation is just too superficial. With boundless energy and playfulness, Haynes has brought something new and exciting to the world of biopics, and I look forward to where we go from here.

2. Lawrence of Arabia (1962) – [T.E. Lawrence]

Running at an incredibly 216 minutes, Lawrence of Arabia is without a doubt one of the most influential films in cinema history. It is said to have influenced the work of George Lucas, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg – to name a few. Lawrence of Arabia is based on the life of T.E. Lawrence, a British Army office, and his role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule. This film is epic, as well as being reasonably accurate. It is wonderfully shot to capture the beautiful, vast deserts and its score is now something of a legend. Peter O’Toole’s leading performance is also often considered to be one of the greatest of all time, in such publications as “Entertainment Weekly.” This film tops most other “Best Biopics” lists that I have come across and, given its important, influence and sheer grandeur, I can see why.

1. Schindler’s List (1993) – [Oksar Schindler]

Ralph Fiennes and Liam Neeson have each given many excellent performances, but neither have shone so much as in Schindler’s List. It’s the harrowing yet amazing story of one man who saved the lives of more than one thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. Not only is it one of the best biopics of all time, but many consider it to be one of the greatest films ever made. It is completely unapologetic and intensely emotive, but it doesn’t run amok. It is cleverly controlled. Schindler’s List is a film that I could praise for hours; it’s an overflowing golden goblet of filmmaking mastery. And that is without even touching upon its contribution to remembering the Holocaust. It is a display of such incredible humanity to witness how one man made such a difference in such a terrible, terrible time. That is why Schindler’s List tops my list. It doesn’t just document one man’s life; it touches upon something even greater than that, something that can be difficult to grasp in other art forms. We see compassion, sacrifice, humility, and astounding humanity.