The term “King of Cool” doesn’t even need to describe ’60s man Steve McQueen. With his brawny handsome looks, laid-back personality, and ability to move between brave charm and quiet intensity, McQueen was a rare star in the film industry.
A counterculture icon and somehow the ultimate action star of his time, McQueen had a screen presence that rivaled the likes of Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford and Paul Newman. rice field. Although his films are relatively few, they are considered classics of ’50s, ’60s and ’70s cinema, and McQueen himself achieved legendary icon status in the years after his death.
Like many actors, some of McQueen’s films are clearly considered better than others. From World War II ensembles to Golden Age Hollywood westerns, here are McQueen’s greatest masterpieces, ranked from best to worst.
great escape
With World War II approaching, a group of captured Allied soldiers plan an ambitious escape from a remote German prisoner of war camp, digging a long underground tunnel beyond the prison fence. reach the side.
The film speaks to McQueen’s acting talent against an ensemble cast of Richard Attenborough, James Garner, Charles Bronson, Donald Pleasence and James Coburn. The so-called “Cooler King,” the daredevil American pilot who dominates every scene he appears in, Hirts demonstrates all his greatest strengths as an actor and is arguably the best of McQueen’s career. It is a role.
Magnificent Seven
With food and supplies routinely stolen by a band of ruthless bandits, residents of a poor Mexican village hire a ragtag group of seven gunmen to protect their town from further raids.
similarly great escapeMcQueen found himself in the middle of an ensemble cast. Magnificent Seven. However, not content to fade into the background, McQueen used every scene in which Vin the castaway appeared to grab the attention of the audience and the performances of the other cast members (especially star Yul Brynner). Compliments perfectly.
brit
A San Francisco Police Department Lieutenant (McQueen) is tasked with keeping an eye on a former gangster (Feliz Orlandi) who is planning to bring evidence against the gang, but is forced by an ambitious politician (Robert Vaughan) to do whatever he can to get the job done. Pressure to protect witnesses.
Without a doubt, the best solo movie in McQueen’s filmography. brit The film was one of many police procedural films released in the 70s when the Western genre began to decline in popularity. Like fellow star Clint Eastwood, McQueen transitions effortlessly from the Old West to modern-day San Francisco by swapping his trusty horse for a modified Ford Mustang.
The Getaway
A recently released prison ex-con (McQueen) and his wife (Ali McGraw) team up to take over the state of Texas on behalf of a corrupt businessman (Ben Johnson) who wants to put a dent in their relationship. bank robbery.
Judging from that premise, it might be expected that The Getaway fall into the same general category as brit again thomas clown affair. But halfway through the film, the whole plot undergoes a surprising transformation, and McQueen is playing a distinctly different kind of character than he’s played before. Plagued by doubts, uncertainties, and deep-rooted insecurities, the entire film hinges on his attempts to reconcile with his wife, forming a crime-minded love story in the process.
sand pebbles
During China’s revolutionary changes in the 1920s, a cynical sailor (McQueen) is assigned to the crew of the naval gunboat USS Pablo, which is tasked with patrolling the Yangtze River.
A striking period piece featuring McQueen at his most daring. sand pebbles McQueen became the only film to be nominated for Best Actor at the 39th Academy Awards. A sort of allegory of America’s complex involvement in Vietnam at the time, the work is a wonderfully picturesque view of naval missions and the influence of the increasingly troubled western world on the east. be.
Papillon
In a penal colony in 1930s French Guiana, a master safecracker (McQueen) befriends an embezzler (Dustin Hoffman) and the two plan a daring escape from a repressive prison environment.
Another famous McQueen jailbreak movie is Papillon In some places it is prone to selfish monotony and lacks the same lightning pace as others. great escape. But it’s impossible to take anything away from McQueen and Hoffman’s inspiring performances, and their fascinating on-screen chemistry.
cincinnati kid
In the Depression-era American South, a young gambler (McQueen) hones his skills to become a master of the cards and finds himself at odds with a veteran poker player (Edward G. Robinson).
At the time it was released in 1965, cincinnati kid It was like ushering in a new era of American cinema. Starring noir stalwart Edward G. Robinson in one last and unforgettable performance, the film has become almost an allegory for the film industry at large, but Robinson wisely handed McQueen the torch and ushered in the golden age of Hollywood. It marked the end and the beginning of New Hollywood. movement.
thomas clown affair
A respected businessman (McQueen), who has accomplished what he believes to be the perfect heist, has his activities investigated by a determined insurance investigator (Faye Dunaway) with whom he has a romantic relationship.
part thriller, part heist movie, part romance, thomas clown affair The film is almost Hitchcockian, relying heavily on the romantic/hostile relationship that develops between McQueen and Dunaway’s characters. While the film is seen as a thin plot by some, even the most ardent critics have praised the unforgettable chemistry between the two lead actors.
towering inferno
20th Century Fox.
After a massive fire breaks out in a gorgeous San Francisco skyscraper, a group of firefighters race against time to rescue the people trapped inside.
In yet another ensemble movie, McQueen once again managed to headline a star-studded film. McQueen’s protagonist (burnt-out SFFD Chief O’Halloran) opposite Paul Newman, William Holden, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire, Susan Blakely, and Jennifer Jones steals nearly every scene.
blob
When a group of teenagers witness the appearance of a gelatinous alien creature that eats anything in its path, they try to warn adults in the community of the creature’s presence, only to find themselves met with disbelief wherever they go. rice field.
It’s almost ludicrous to think that one of McQueen’s early breakthrough performances was due to a ’50s B-horror movie. blob. He’s not exactly the perfect picture-perfect teenage protagonist, but he gives the film enough legitimacy to keep us watching.
Le Mans
Two longtime racing rivals (McQueen and Siegfried Lauf) take on the toughest of them all: the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a one-day race that tests each driver’s endurance and concentration. play against
As a competitive racer himself, it’s no surprise that McQueen has combined his passion for cars with his profession as an actor. rush at the time, Le Mans He excels at building an amazing story around the character of McQueen, a highly competitive driver who is obsessed with high speed, even if it means losing his life on the circuit. increase.
love with a suitable stranger
A Macy’s clerk (Natalie Wood) discovers she is pregnant after a brief affair with young musician Rocky (McQueen). When she confronts Rocky about the news, she is surprised that the musician seems to remember Rocky very little and know nothing about their time together.
Romance movies aren’t necessarily the first genre that comes to mind when you hear the name Steve McQueen. But that doesn’t mean he wasn’t a talented lead actor in the few romantic movies he’s been in, a quality that can be found. love with a suitable stranger. Wood’s beleaguered clerk is the film’s defining star, but her scenes with McQueen are intimate, subtle, and gripped by inner fears about the future, making for hauntingly beautiful moments.
Tom Horn
A former Army scout (McQueen) hired to protect the ranch from would-be mobs in the area accidentally shoots a young boy and is arrested for murder.
Returning to the genre that got him started, McQueen has managed to express the singular personality necessary to return to the front lines of the Western. In her penultimate film before her death in 1980, McQueen earned real-world popularity and recognition for her performance as Tom Horn, a once-heroic cowboy who bids a melancholy farewell to a world he no longer recognizes. succeeded in instilling charisma.
Richard Chakowski is a freelance writer based in New Jersey. He loves reading, his dog Tootsie, and almost every movie that ever exists (especially Star Wars).
