This year the British film magazine Sight & Sound made some fresh and interesting observations in the critique of film. By declaring “Vertigo” the new best movie of all time over the beloved “Citizen Kane,” they shook up a 50 year old film perception in the industry. The organization surveyed 846 critics and 358 directors to submit their own individual Top 10 lists. Here are the results broken down by profession:
The Critics’ Top 10
1. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)
2. Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
3. Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)
4. The Rules of the Game (Jean Renoir, 1939)
5. Sunrise: A Song for Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
7. The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
8. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929)
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (Carl Th. Dreyer, 1927)
10. 8 ½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)
The Directors’ Top 10
1. Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953)
2 2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick, 1968)
2 Citizen Kane (Welles, 1941)
4. 8 ½ (Fellini, 1963)
5. Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976)
6. Apocalypse Now (Coppola, 1979)
7. The Godfather (Coppola, 1972)
7. Vertigo (Hitchcock, 1958)
9. Mirror (Tarkovsky, 1974)
10. Bicycle Thieves (De Sica, 1948)
I actually haven’t seen “Tokyo Story” or “Bicycle Thieves,” but will make that a priority immediately. This list serves as a reminder why I refuse to waste my time attending a screening of a “Total Recall” remake when I should watch classic films instead. Also, I need to re-watch “Vertigo,” because I have developed more of a critical eye for movies since viewing it. I still prefer Alfred Hitchcock’s grim and creepy “The Birds” as the director’s best work, which shows why I need to revisit his other classics before I cement that claim as his best work.
One complaint about the list: where is Casablanca? I consider the Michael Curtiz classic to be the best film of all time. The witty screenplay with the sharp one-liners and captivating story along with the performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman is cinema at its highest form. It is the standard I compare most films toward.
What classic film do you think should have made the list?
I really enjoyed this post and plan to check out the recommended films I’m not familiar with. Thanks Kenny!
—–Jacqui Naylor
The best thing about these lists is that it gives us something to think and talk about, but I agree with your question about “Casablanca.” Note that not only is not not in their top 10, but is is nowhere in Sight & Sound’s complete list of the top 50 films.