Academy Awards, famously known as the Oscars, are considered to be the highest honour and most prestigious award that one’s talent in the entertainment industry could be recognized with. Each year, many films are nominated and win Oscars. Here in this list are the films which have won the most Oscars. A point to be noted is that all of these films are either based on books or depict events that took place in reality or portray lives of people who actually existed, and have won in the Oscar Best Picture category. Three of the slots have ties between two films each.
10. Gandhi (1982) and Amadeus (1984) – 8 Awards, 11 Nominations Each
Gandhi is a biopic based on the life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, who was the Indian liberation leader practicing non-violent resistance against the British colonialism in South Asia. The film was co-produced by Indian and British companies and was premiered in New Delhi. The film ranks at 34 on British Film Institute’s Top 100 Films.
Amadeus is a period drama film based on the stage play of the same name, which covers the lives of two 18th Austrian composers Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Antonio Salieri. However, the story is highly fictionalized. It was directed by Miloš Forman and stars F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge. It was ranked at 53 by American Film Institute, but was later removed from the list replaced by another classic movie. However, it won 40 awards out of the 53 it was nominated for in different categories at various awards events.
9. On the Waterfront (1954) and My Fair Lady (1964) – 8 Awards, 12 Nominations Each
On the Waterfront is a drama film with an original screenplay by Budd Schulberg. However, it has been based on a series of articles by Malcolm Johnson written for the New York Sun. Arthur Miller who was also the friend of the film’s director, Elia Kazan, wrote the original screenplay entitled The Hook, which finally evolved into the script for this film. However, he was replaced in the end by Budd Schulberg due to some political differences between the two. It stars Marlon Brando, Rod Steiger, Eva Marie Saint, Lee J. Cobb and Karl Malden. The film has also been recognized by American Film Institute.
My Fair Lady is a musical film based on the stage musical of the same name by Lerner and Loewe, which is in turn based on the 1938 adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. It was directed by George Cukor and stars Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison, who received an Oscar for his performanc. The American Film Institute has recognized it with several accolades. The film has been restored with a better print version and there are also plans to have a remake of it.
8. From Here to Eternity (1953) – 8 Awards, 13 Nominations
From Here to Eternity is a drama film based on the novel of the same name by James Jones, which won the National Book Award for fiction in 1952. The novel is ranked at 62 by Modern Library on their list of 100 Best Novels of the 20th Century. The film was directed by Fred Zinnemann and stars Burt Lancaster, Montgomery Clift, Deborah Kerr, Donna Reed, Frank Sinatra, Ernest Borgnine, Philip Ober, and Jack Warden. The film won recognition from various awards circuit as well as has been selected by National Film Registry.
7. Gigi (1958) and The Last Emperor (1987) – 9 Awards, 9 Nominations Each
Gigi is a musical film based on the 1944 novella of the same name by Coletta, who was a French writer. It was directed by Vincente Minnelli and stars Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier and Hermione Gingold. It was recognized by National Film Registry and American Film Institute. It won other awards too including a Grammy for its musical score.
The Last Emperor is a biopic about the life of Puyi, who is famously regarded as the “Last Emperor of China”. It has been slightly based on Reginald Johnston’s 1934 book, Twilight in the Forbidden City. He was Puyi’s personal tutor who later became the Commissioner of Weihaiwei. It was directed by Bernardo Bertolucci and stars John Lone as an adult Puyi besides Joan Chen, Peter O’Toole and other actors. The film has other alternate versions too which are lengthy and more detailed in account.
6. The English Patient (1996) – 9 Awards, 12 Nominations
It is a romantic drama film based on the historiographic meta-fiction and Booker Prize-winning 1992 novel of the same name by the Sri Lankan-Canadian writer Michael Ondaatje. It was directed by Anthony Minghella who also wrote the screenplay. Ondaatje served as a consultant on the film. It stars Ralph Fiennes, Juliette Binoche, Willem Dafoe, Kristin Scott Thomas, Naveen Andrews and Colin Firth. It has been ranked at 55 by British Film Institute in its Top 100 British Films list. It has also received other awards around the critics’ circuit.
5. West Side Story (1961) – 10 Awards, 11 Nominations
It is a musical film based on the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which was based on William Shakespeare’s play, Romeo and Juliet. However, the film has many differences from the stage play it was based on. The film stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George Chakiris. It was the second highest-grossing film of 1961. Its soundtrack was immensely successful with its record album sold more than any other before it. It has been recognized by National Film Registry and American Film Institute.
4. Gone with the Wind (1939) – 10 Awards (2 Out of Competition), 13 Nominations
It is an epic historical film based on the 1936 Pulitzer-winning romance novel of the same name by Margaret Mitchell. It was directed by Victor Fleming and stars Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland, and Hattie McDaniel. It was the longest sound film made at that time with the running length of 3 hours and 44 minutes. It has been selected for preservation by National Film Registry as well as has been ranked by American Film Institute amongst the Best American Films of All Time. It was the highest grossing film of all time until 1966. However, despite all its fame, the film is racially prejudiced since the African-Americans have been portrayed as slaves and incapable of civility. It received eight competitive Oscar awards and two honorary awards, receiving in total ten Oscars.
3. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) – 11 Awards, 11 Nominations
It is an epic fantasy-drama film based on the second and third volumes of J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy-adventure novel, The Lord of the Rings, which is the third best-selling novel ever written. Due to film-making being a different art-format, not all parts of both the novels have been included. One could go on reading a book for hours, but for a film, it gets out of budget. It was directed by Peter Jackson and stars a stellar cast. It was the highest grossing film of 2003 and is one of the biggest financial successes for Time Warner. It has won awards in other critical circles too and is considered to be one of the best films ever made.
2. Ben-Hur (1959) – 11 Awards, 12 Nominations
It is an epic film based on Lee Wallace’s 1880 historical novel, Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ, which is considered to be the most influential Christian book of the 19th century. However, the film holds some differences from the novel. It was directed by William Wyler and stars Charlton Heston in the lead role. The characters in the film are all fictional. It was the highest grossing film of 1959 and is considered a classic today. It has been listed as one of the greatest film by Empire Magazine, National Film Registry as well as American Film Institute.
1. Titanic (1997) – 11 Awards, 14 Nominations
This epic romance-cum-drama-cum-disaster film is based on the real events of the sinking of RMS Titanic on its maiden voyage in 1912. It is directed, produced and written by James Cameron. Jon Landau also served as the producer on the film. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet along with a host of other actors and actresses. Some of the people portrayed in the film are real-life people who were aboard the ship when it met with tragedy. The film was an instant success all across the world with fans full of frenzy.