The 40th National Board of Review Awards were announced on January 10, 1969. The placing of 2001 shows that not all critics were quite sure how to take the ambiguities of Kubrick’s film. The Shoes of the Fisherman starring Anthony Quinn and Laurence Olivier now seems an odd choice as it has fallen somewhat into obscurity having struggled originally at the box office.
Top Ten Films
- The Shoes of the Fisherman
- Romeo and Juliet
- Yellow Submarine
- Charly
- Rachel, Rachel
- The Subject Was Roses
- The Lion in Winter
- Planet of the Apes
- Oliver!
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
Top Foreign Films
- War and Peace
- Hagbard and Signe
- Hunger
- The Two of Us
- The Bride Wore Black
Winners
- Best Film: The Shoes of the Fisherman
- Best Foreign Film: War and Peace
- Best Actor: Cliff Robertson (Charly)
- Best Actress: Liv Ullmann (Hour of the Wolf, Shame)
- Best Supporting Actor: Leo McKern (The Shoes of the Fisherman)
- Best Supporting Actress: Virginia Maskell (Interlude)
- Best Director: Franco Zeffirelli (Romeo and Juliet)