Death In Venice, Italy, 1971, 130 min. Starring Dirk Bogarde, Mark Burns, Marisa Berenson, Silvana Mangano. Directed by Luchino Visconti. Bogarde gives, perhaps, the performance of his career as an avant-garde composer who, while languishing in the title city, finds himself infatuated with a beautiful young boy, ultimately to his severe detriment. Visconti tells his story – which clearly felt quite personal to him – largely through visuals, and sumptuous visuals at that.

Last Tango In Paris, Italy-France, 1972, 129 min. Starring Marlon Brando. Maria Schneider, Jean-Pierre Léaud. Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci. An American living in Paris trying to cope with his wife's suicide immerses himself in a torrid sexual relationship with a girl he doesn't know. Extremely controversial when it was released, this may not be as sexually shocking as it once was, but it's just as raw emotionally, with Brando getting the most out of his Method.

Badlands, USA, 1973, 95 min. Starring Martin Sheen, Sissy Spacek, Warren Oates. Directed by Terrence Malick. Dramatization inspired by the Charles Starkweather/Carole Fugate crime spree in South Dakota. Malick would only direct one more film before disappearing off the radar for twenty years, but the influence of this film would be felt for just as long and can still be discerned today. The barren landscapes that the camera catches mirror the indifference with which the couple commit their crimes. Chillingly effective.

The Godfather Part II, USA, 1974, Starring Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. One of the rare examples of a sequel not only equaling, but, to the minds of some, surpassing the original. This film both continues the story of Michael Corleone's rise to power in organized crime and portrays in flashbacks the earlier ascendance of a young Don Corleone. Violent and compelling.

The Conversation, USA, 1974, 113 min. Starring Gene Hackman, John Cazale, Allen Garfield. Directed by Francis Ford Coppola. A surveillance expert finds his life getting complicated when he breaks his own cardinal rule – never get personally involved. A gripping portrait of post-Watergate paranoia, but also a finely tuned portrayal of one man's quiet desperation.