T.E. Lawrence vs. Judy Garland: Battle Royale

When asked, as I was once three years ago, what the best year in the history of cinema was, I gave the safe answer, which is of course 1939. I've been talking about it ever since. Best decade? Probably the 30s or the 70s. But let's compare some of the better vintages:

1939

1. Gone With the Wind
2. Wizard of Oz
3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
4. Stagecoach
5. Wuthering Heights
6. Alexander Nevsky
7. Young Mr. Lincoln
8. Ninotchka
9. Rules of the Game

1941

1. Maltese Falcon
2. Citizen Kane
3. Suspicion
4. How Green Was My Valley
5. The Lady Eve
6. High Sierra

1962

1. To Kill A Mockingbird
2. Lawrence of Arabia
3. Manchurian Candidate
4. Jules et Jim
5. Vivre Sa Vie
6. Shoot the Piano Player
7. Yojimbo

1969

1. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
2. Easy Rider
3. Midnight Cowboy
4. The Wild Bunch
5. They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

1977

1. Annie Hall
2. Star Wars
3. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
4. Aguirre, The Wrath of God

1999

1. The Insider
2. Being John Malkovich
3. American Movie
4. All About My Mother
5. Fight Club