7. 2002: Chicago vs. Roman Polanski & The Pianist
In 2002, controversial Roman Polanski won the Best Directing award for his film The Pianist. Polanski himself was the son of a woman who died in Auschwitz, and as such the personal journey his protagonist Wladyslaw Szpilman takes feels that much more visceral and personal. That same year, the stage play Chicago was adapted for the silver screen by Rob Marshall, a theater director and choreographer. Featuring an all-star cast to depict tales of corruption in 1920's Chicago, Marshall's film won the first Academy Award by a musical since the '60's. And while Chicago is a respectable film in its own right, (it was director Bob Fosse's pet project which he never completed for the cinema prior to his death in 1987) whether it was more worthy than Polanski's film is a reasonable question. One thing to be certain of is that given his history and the hatred so many people hold for him, the fact that Polanski could gather enough votes to win the Oscar is a testament to how truly spectacular a filmmaker he is.