The Curious Case of Netflix's 'Breakdown: 1975'

Netflix's latest offering 'Breakdown: 1975', directed by Morgan Neville, sees Oliver Stone enthusiastically reciting a list of his favorite movies from the year 1975. However, film buffs will quickly realize a glaring error: both 'All the President’s Men' and 'Network', mentioned by Stone, were released in 1976.

Crammed with captivating clips and promising observations,'Breakdown: 1975' is a peculiar documentary. For casual history or cinema enthusiasts, it may be quite engaging, but those looking for profound insights might find it underwhelming.

Half the time, the documentary maintains an accurate 1975 lens, focusing on classic films like 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest', 'Dog Day Afternoon', 'Nashville' and 'Jaws'. However, at other times, the film strangely broadens its scope to include a wider array of films not strictly from 1975 such as 'Network' and 'All the President’s Men'.

This approach, instead of providing a deep dive into the film industry of 1975, results in a somewhat disjointed and superficial narrative. The documentary attempts to tie in historical elements of the era like the Watergate scandal and the Bicentennial, Nixon's resignation, the fall of Saigon, and even the incipient personal computer revolution. However, despite its ambitious intentions, the film struggles to create a comprehensive story or offer profound industry analysis.

Despite this lack of depth, 'Breakdown: 1975' makes some compelling tentative connections between the movie industry and the era's cultural and political zeitgeist. Yet, viewers are left feeling that the potential to create a more comprehensive exploration of 1975’s cinema scene was lost.

Ultimately, 'Breakdown: 1975' comes across as a checklist of great films from the period, albeit without much coherence or connectivity between them. The strength of this documentary lies in its talented roster of commentators and the joy of reliving timeless classics, but it certainly falls short in providing in-depth analysis or revelations about the cinematic world of 1975.