1. I Am Curious (Yellow)/ (Blue) 1967
The number 1 film to define the 1960s is Vilgot Sjoman’s I Am Curious (Yellow). From the way the film’s shot to the subject of the tale, it’s perfect.
I Am Curious (Yellow) endured a harsh censorship battle. In a time of free-thinking, This film was considered a bit too risky, even for the 1960s. The film follows:
“Nyman’s character, also named Lena, lives with her father in a small apartment in Stockholm and is driven by a burning passion for social justice and a need to understand the world, people and relationships.”
Set against the turbulence of the late 1960s, Lena goes about her life working for the equality of all. Lena also begins an affair with a married man and finds herself falling in love with him.
She finds herself in a moral quandary.
Each film in this list defined everything about the 1960s: from the freedom movement, equality, war, love, and taboo. The 1960s were a tumultuous time for civilization, but it also was a period of growth.
Many say that the 1960s brought on a great social and moral awakening that sent ripples throughout every facet of the art world, including cinema. It’s a decade that ushered in the arthouse film to the mainstream market.
The 1960s was the first decade to take the cuffs off of filmmakers. With everything happening in culture with the civil rights movement, the space race, to the Vietnam war. Peace and free-thinking found a home here.