As part of a year-long exploration, I’m looking at my 50 favorite films from the 1970s. Periodically throughout the year I’ll be sharing my favorite films in 10-film chunks. Today, I’m looking at No. 40 to No. 31.

40. Mean Streets (1973)
About: This was a decade for young filmmakers that have become icons. One of those is Martin Scorsese. This early gangster film stars Robert De Niro and Harvey Keitel in a gangster flick. It’s a genre and a partnership that Scorsese would lean on for years. This isn’t his best film of the decade but it’s worth checking out.

39. Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
About: Long before Michael Bay gave the world Pearl Harbor, we got this in-depth look at the infamous attack on the Hawaiian base. The film splits its time between the Americans and Japanese, ending with the attack at Pearl Harbor. It’s an engaging and at times devastating film, part of the wave of World War II films released in the 1970s.

38. Apocalypse Now (1979)
About: The 1970s were a big decade for Francis Ford Coppola, and in the first of many appearances on this countdown, he delivers a unique take on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness. This isn’t always an easy film to watch, but it has some great performances, iconic scenes and some great filmmaking.

37. Brian’s Song (1971)
About: Sports movies aren’t usually supposed to make you weep, but that’s certainly the case for Brian’s Song. It’s the story of the friendship between Brian Piccolo and Gayle Sears. It’s got some great performances and an iconic story. It’s the benchmark for this type of story.

36. Marathon Man (1976)
About: This one features Dustin Hoffman in the worst dental exam in history, courtesy of Laurence Olivier. It’s an interesting conspiracy thriller that sees Hoffman’s college student pulled into something over his head after the death of his brother, a spy played by Roy Scheider. It’s an interesting and engaging tale.

35. The Parallax View (1974)
About: Here we get into a stretch of films that were about conspiracies and paranoia. There were a lot of these type films in the 1970s, and I have three in a row on this list in that vein. This one features Warren Beatty as a reporter on the trail of an assassination and cover up. It has a startling ending you’re probably not expecting.

34. The Conversation (1974)
About: Between Godfather sagas, Coppola delivered this stirring drama starring Gene Hackman is a surveillance specialist. It features John Cazale and Harrison Ford in supporting roles. I enjoyed the film craft here and it’s a great lead performance from Hackman.

33. Dirty Harry (1971)
About: It’s not just that Clint Eastwood’s performance as Harry Callahan has become iconic, it’s that this movie set a template for so many other hard-boiled modern detective tales. Eastwood gives a solid performance and this first movie in what became a franchise grabs a hold of you and won’t let go.

32. …And Justice For All (1979)
About: The 1970s were quite a decade for Al Pacino, who gave some iconic performances. This film from Norman Jewison features Pacino as a defense lawyer who is becoming increasingly troubled by the lack of justice in the Justice System. It features some great performances and a heart-breaking story. I remember the first time I saw it in college, and how it’s stuck with me all these years later.

31. Patton (1971)
About: General Patton was an imposing historical figure who played a huge role in World War II. In this biopic, George C. Scott cuts an imposing figure in bringing Patton to life, including a number of stirring speeches, often directly to the camera. That’s part of what helped it win Best Picture and is the role Scott’s probably best remembered for portraying.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.