The Top 10 Best Picture Winners Every Guy Should Watch

9. "Gladiator" (2000)
"Gladiator," a story of revenge, loyalty, and the rise and fall from grace, is the last great historical epic to win Best Picture. Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe) narrowly escapes his execution ordered by the Roman emperor and becomes a slave sold to compete in Rome's fabled gladiator competitions. The plot follows Maximus' successes in the gladiator arena and his attempt to exact revenge on the emperor who executed his family and was responsible for his downfall. Most famous line: "Are you not entertained?!"

8. "Casablanca" (1943)
Before there was Clooney and Pitt, there was Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, the dapper club owner of Rick's Cafe in Casablanca, Morocco. Rick is forced to choose between his love for his old Paris flame, Elsa, and helping Elsa and her husband, Victor Laslo, escape Vichy-controlled Casablanca so that Laslo can continue to lead the resistance against the Nazis. Yes, it's a romance, and it's in black and white, but it's also one of the best films ever made with more classic one-liners per square inch than any other movie on this list: "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine"; "I'm shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!"; "Round up the usual suspects" (and many, many more).

7. "Bridge on the River Kwai" (1957)
Growing up, most bros played with G.I Joes and toy trains; "Bridge on the River Kwai" incorporates both. The film is another great WWII drama, telling the story of a group of British POWs forced to build a bridge to accommodate the Burma-Siam railroad. After facing torture and a standoff with the Japanese commander, British leader Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) convinces his fellow prisoners to cooperate and build the bridge as a testament to British morale and stamina in the face of adversity. In actuality, the bridge is a monument to Nicholson's arrogance and the final scene -- and ultimate fate of the bridge -- is unforgettable.

6. "Unforgiven" (1992)
Between "Cimarron" in 1930 and "No Country for Old Men" in 2007, "Unforgiven" was the only Western to win Best Picture. Starring and directed by perennial Hollywood badass Clint Eastwood, "Unforgiven" is about a posse of gunslingers trying to capture a $1,000 reward by killing two cowboys who disfigured a prostitute. All the elements of an old Western are present: shoot outs, ladies, assassins, and the law. And, oh yeah, Clint.

5. "The Godfather: Part II" (1974)
The sequel to "The Godfather" is one of only two sequels to win the big prize ("Return of the King" [#10 on our list] is the other). Actually, "Part II" is both a sequel and a prequel as it introduces viewers to the story of young Don Vito Corleone's (Robert DeNiro) childhood in Sicily and rise to power in the 1910s, and continues to tell the story of Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) expansion of the family business in Tahoe and Cuba. Whether or not "Part II" is in fact superior to "Part I" is up to eternal debate.

4. "On the Waterfront" (1954)
Every so often a guy has to take stock of his life and his potential. Terry Malloy (Marlon Brando), an ex-prize fighter turned longshoreman who tries to stand up to his iron-fisted union boss, does just that in "On the Waterfront" with his classic line: "You don't understand! I coulda had class. I coulda been a contender. I could've been somebody, instead of a bum, which is what I am, let's face it."

3. "Braveheart" (1995)
The broadsheet posters for "Braveheart" express an essential mantra: "Every man dies, not every man really lives." Mel Gibson's epic take on Scottish legend William Wallace's fight for his homeland's independence contains one of the all-time great (and oft-quoted) pre-battle speeches. Believe it or not, Gibson actually had to tone down the ensuing battle scenes in order to avoid an NC-17 rating.

2. "Rocky" (1976)
It took nearly 50 years, but "Rocky" was the first sports film to win Best Picture. The rags-to-riches, underdog tale of Rocky Balboa was Sylvester Stallone's attempt to break into the movie business. Hollywood producers offered Stallone an unprecedented $350,000 for his original script, but he refused to sell unless they agreed to allow him to star in the film (according to IMDB, "this despite the fact that he had only $106 in the bank, no car, and was trying to sell his dog because he couldn't afford to feed it"). The producers agreed, but only on the condition that Stallone continue to work as a writer without a fee and that he work as an actor for scale. He didn't make a lot of money off "Rocky" but he certainly broke into the biz.

1. "The Godfather" (1972)
What can one say about "The Godfather" that hasn't already been said? Brando, Pacino, Caan, Duvall, Keaton, with Francis Ford Coppola behind the camera for the adaptation of Mario Puzo's famed book. It's the story of Don Vito Corleone (Marlon Brando) struggling to maintain his Old-World values despite the changing times, and the rise of his son, Michael (Pacino), to take over the family business. Indeed, one last question to ponder is this: who's the real "Godfather" of the title -- Vito or Michael?

Honorable Mention:

• "Kramer vs. Kramer": A custody battle between Dustin Hoffman and Meryl Streep.
• "A Beautiful Mind": A schizophrenic genius wins the Nobel Prize in Economics.
• "Slumdog Millionaire": What one young Bro will do in pursuit of his true love.
• "All the King's Men": The rise and fall of a corrupt politician, not to be confused with the 2006 remake.
• "West Side Story": A musical, yes, but one of the best ever: "Romeo & Juliet" set in Spanish Harlem among the finger-snapping Jets and Sharks gangs.
• "Amadeus": Bro rivalry at its most intense, and that Mozart was such a horndog.
• "Around the World in 80 Days": What happens when Bros bet.
• "A Man for All Seasons": Sir Thomas More, King Henry VIII, and marriage, divorce, and the Church in the 16th century.
• "Ghandi": Ben Kingsley stars as one of the great peace-loving Bros of all time.

  Think we missed something? Maybe, but there's also a good chance it was merely nominated for Best Picture, and didn't actually win the top prize. Click here to see the full list.

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