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{{For|films that had the highest box office receipts|List of highest-grossing films}}
<big><big><big><big><big>[[Star Wars]]</big></big></big></big></big>

While there is no agreement upon the greatest [[film]] of all time, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the '''films considered the greatest ever'''. The films mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in a notable survey—be it a critics' poll or popular poll. Many of these sources focus on American films or were polls of English-speaking filmgoers, but those considered the greatest within their respective countries are also included here.

None of these citations should be viewed as scientific measures of the film-watching world. All the surveys are flawed in one way or another. They are often influenced by vote-stacking or they survey a population with skewed demographics. Internet-based surveys have a self-selecting audience of unknown participants. The methodology of some surveys may be questionable. Sometimes (like in the case of the American Film Institute) voters were asked to select films from a limited list of entries.

==Polls of critics and filmmakers==
{{globalize}}
* Since 1952, the film magazine ''[[Sight & Sound]]'' has conducted a [[wikt:decennial|decennial]] poll of the greatest films every ten years. Originally, ''[[Bicycle Thieves|Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves)]]'' received the most votes. According to noted film critic [[Roger Ebert]], the ''Sight & Sound'' poll is "generally considered the most authoritative of all 'best film' lists".
* [[Orson Welles]]' ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' has been consistently voted number one in each of the last five ''Sight & Sound'' polls. A separate poll of established film directors, held for the first time in 1992, has also placed ''Citizen Kane'' at the top. The film was selected as number one in a ''[[Village Voice]]'' and in a ''[[Time Out]]'' critics' poll and was listed as the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies|greatest American film]] [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)|twice]] by the [[American Film Institute]] in 1998 and 2007.
* ''[[The Rules of the Game|La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game)]]'' by director [[Jean Renoir]] was named the greatest film by the French film magazine ''[[Positif (magazine)|Positif]]'' in 1991. It also holds the second slot in the ''Village Voice'' poll and is one of only two movies to have appeared in every one of the ''Sight & Sound'' polls.
* ''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]'' is the film most often mentioned in a poll of the favorite films of directors by German language ''Steadycam'' magazine.<ref>[http://cinepad.com/awards/lieblingsfilme.htm Lieblings Filme]</ref>
* ''[[Goodfellas]]'' was voted the greatest film of all time in 2005 by the editorial team of the magazine ''Total Film''.<ref>[http://www.totalfilm.com/movie_news/who_is_the_greatest Total Film Who is the Greatest?]</ref>
* The [[Expo '58|Brussels World’s Fair]], organized in 1958, offered the occasion for the organization by thousands of [[Film criticism|critics]] and [[filmmakers]] from all over the world, of the first universal film poll in history.<ref>Władysław Jewsiewicki: "Kronika kinematografii światowej 1895-1964", Warsaw 1967, no ISBN, page 129 (in Polish)</ref>. These were the films chosen as most artistically fulfilled:
:{| class="wikitable sortable"
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Rank
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Film
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Director
!style="background: #e3e3e3;"|Year
|-
|1
|''[[The Battleship Potemkin|Броненосец Потёмкин (The Battleship Potemkin)]]''
|[[Sergei Eisenstein]]
|[[1925 in film|1925]]
|-
|2
|''[[The Gold Rush]]''
|[[Charles Chaplin]]
|[[1925 in film|1925]]
|-
|3
|''[[Bicycle Thieves|Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves)]]''
|[[Vittorio De Sica]]
|[[1948 in film|1948]]
|-
|4
|''[[The Passion of Joan of Arc|La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc)]]''
|[[Carl Theodor Dreyer]]
|[[1928 in film|1928]]
|-
|5
|''[[Grand Illusion (film)|La Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion)]]''
|[[Jean Renoir]]
|[[1937 in film|1937]]
|-
|6
|''[[Greed (film)|Greed]]''
|[[Erich von Stroheim]]
|[[1924 in film|1924]]
|-
|7
|''[[Intolerance (film)|Intolerance: Love's Struggle Through the Ages]]''
|[[D. W. Griffith]]
|[[1916 in film|1916]]
|-
|8
|''[[Mother (1926 film)|Мать (Mother)]]''
|[[Vsevolod Pudovkin]]
|[[1926 in film|1926]]
|-
|9
|''[[Citizen Kane]]''
|[[Orson Welles]]
|[[1941 in film|1941]]
|-
|10
|''[[Earth (1930 film)|Земля (Earth)]]''
|[[Alexander Dovzhenko]]
|[[1930 in film|1930]]
|-
|}

==Audience polls==
* ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]]'', as of August 25th, 2008 holds the top spot on the [[IMDb]]'s top 250 films.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/chart/top IMDb Top 250<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Previously it had held the second spot for years, after ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]''. However, shortly after the release of ''[[The Dark Knight (film)|The Dark Knight]]'' on July 18, 2008 it overtook both ''[[The Shawshank Redemption (film)|The Shawshank Redemption]]'' and ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]'' as the number one movie on the [[IMDb]]'s top 250 films.<ref>[http://www.imdb.com/chart/top IMDb Top 250<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>.
* ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' ([[1942 in film|1942]]) is widely cited as the greatest film of all time and was voted as such by readers of the ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'' in 1997. It is also regarded the "best [[Hollywood]] movie of all time" by the influential ''[[Leonard Maltin]]'s Movie Guide''. On April 7, 2006, the Writers' Guild of America declared ''Casablanca''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s screenplay the best ever written.
* ''[[Gone with the Wind (film)|Gone with the Wind]]'' was ranked as the greatest film of all time in a poll surveyed by [[Harris Interactive]] between January 15 and 22, 2008. ''[[Star Wars]]'' came in second place and ''Casablanca'' in third.
* ''[[The Godfather (film)|The Godfather]]'' was voted number one by ''Entertainment Weekly''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s readers<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/ew100.html Filmsite.org posting about Entertainment Weekly's book]</ref> and voted as number one in a ''Time Out'' readers' poll in 1998.<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/timeout2.html Filmsite.org posting about ''Time out'' reader's poll]</ref> As of August 25th, 2008, it currently holds number 2 on the IMDb list.
* ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'' was voted best movie ever by ''[[TV Guide]]'' readers<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/tvguide2.html 50 Greatest Movies from TV Guide<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> in 1998 and is in fourth place on the IMDb list.
* ''[[Cross of Iron]]'' ([[1977 in film|1977]]) was voted the greatest film of all time by ''Cinemag''.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}
* ''[[Schindler's List]]'' was voted the best film ever made by the German film magazine ''Cinema''.<ref>[http://www.cinema.de/news/specials/m/magicmoments?object_id=434&artobj_id=1447 Magische Filmmomente Top 100 Filme anno 2000 News & Specials.Alle Specials<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* [[The Lord of the Rings film trilogy|The ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy]] was voted the most popular film of all time by an audience poll for the [[Australia]]n television special ''[[My Favourite Film]]'' and by a poll casted by 120,000 German voters for the TV special "Die besten Filme aller Zeiten".<ref>[http://www.presseportal.de/pm/7841/623493/kabel_eins/ presseportal.de (german)]</ref> Its first film, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (film)|The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring]]'' ([[2001 in film|2001]]), was the pick of readers in a poll by ''Empire'' magazine in November 2004. The third film, ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'', was voted the best movie of all time by Yahoo movies and Movies.com's annual reader's poll in 2006 and 2007. ''[[The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King]]'' is also the all-time top rated movie by [[boxofficemojo]]'s user grades.<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/grades/?page=usergrades&p=.htm boxofficemojo user grades]</ref>
* ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'' ([[1997 in film|1977]]) was chosen by readers of ''Empire'' magazine in November 2001 and by voters in a [[Channel 4]]/''FilmFour'' poll [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1676023.stm]. It was voted number one in the 2007 Empire "Greatest 100 Movies" poll.<ref> It was also voted number one on the Australian Program [['20 to 1']] "Magnificent Movies". [http://greatest.empireonline.com.au/index.php Greatest.Empireonline.com]</ref>
* ''[[Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back]]'' ([[1980 in film|1980]]) was voted number one in [[Total Film]]'s Top 100 Movies of All Time and number one in the 2006 Empire "Greatest Movies Ever" special.<ref>[http://www.totalfilm.com/features/total_film_presents_the_top_100_movies_of_all_time Total Film Presents the Top 100 Movies of All Time]</ref>

==Particular genres or media==
===Action===
*''[[Die Hard]]'' (1988) was voted greatest action movie of all time by both ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' and music channel [[MTV2]] and the best disaster movie by [[Channel 4]].

===Animation ===
*''[[Akira (film)|Akira]]'' ([[1988 in film|1988]]) was chosen as the top [[anime]] ever by ''Anime Insider'' in fall 2001.
*''[[Tale of Tales]]'' (''Сказка сказок'') ([[1979 in film|1979]]): [[Yuriy Norshteyn]]'s short film was voted by a large international jury to be the greatest animated film of all time at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympiad of Animation and the 2002 Zagreb World Festival of Animated Films.<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/features/story/0,11710,1460940,00.html
|title= Sweet little mystery
|accessdate= 2008-02-06
|author= [[A. S. Byatt]]
|date= 2005-04-16
|work= [[Guardian Unlimited]]
|quote= Tale of Tales has been called the greatest animated film ever. But what does it mean?}}</ref><ref>
{{cite web
|url= http://context.themoscowtimes.com/print.php?aid=141447
|title= Teller of Tales
|accessdate= 2008-02-06
|author= Malpas, Anna
|date= 2005-04-08
|work= The Moscow Times
|quote= Some people consider Yury Norshtein the greatest animator in history}}</ref>
*''[[Toy Story]]'' ([[1995 in film|1995]]) was voted #1 on the Top 100 Animated Features of All Time by the [[Online Film Critics Society]] (list published March 2003).<ref>[http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com/pages/pr/top100animated Top 100 Animated Features of All Time] at the [[Online Film Critics Society]] website.</ref>
*''[[What's Opera, Doc?]]'' ([[1957 in film|1957]]), directed by [[Chuck Jones]], was voted the greatest animated short of all time in animation historian [[Jerry Beck]]'s 1994 poll of animators, film historians and directors.<ref>[[Jerry Beck|Beck, Jerry]] (ed.) ([[1994]]). ''[[The 50 Greatest Cartoons]]: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals''. Atlanta: Turner Publishing.</ref>
*''[[Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs]]'' ([[1937 in film|1937]]), was selected as the best american animated movie ever by the American Film Institute during their Ten Top Ten.

===Comedy===
*''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' ([[1975 in film|1975]]) A 2004 poll by UK arm of Amazon and the Internet Movie Database named Monty Python and the Holy Grail as the best British comedy picture of all time
*''[[Monty Python's Life of Brian]]'' ([[1979 in film|1979]]) was voted the greatest comedy ever in polls conducted by [[Total Film]] magazine in 2000, <ref>{{cite web|title=Life of Brian tops comedy poll|publisher= BBC News|date=[[29 September]] [[2000]] | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/948331.stm|accessdate=2007-04-03}}</ref> the British TV network [[Channel 4]] in 2006 <ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/4573444.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Life of Brian named best comedy<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and [[The Guardian]] newspaper in 2007. <ref>[http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,,2131880,00.html The last laugh: your favourite 50 | Features | guardian.co.uk Film<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*''[[National Lampoon's Animal House]]'' ([[1978 in film|1978]]) was voted #1 on the [[Bravo (television network)|Bravo]] list of funniest movies of all time, and was #36 on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs]].
*''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' ([[1959 in film|1959]]) was listed Best American Film Comedy by the [[American Film Institute]] in June 2000.
*''[[City Lights]]'' ([[1931 in film|1931]]) was selected as the best American romantic comedy by the American Film Institute in their "Ten top Ten".<ref>{{cite news | publisher = [[American Film Institute]] | title = AFI's 10 Top 10 | date = [[2008-06-17]] | url = http://www.afi.com/10top10/romanticcomedy.html | accessdate=2008-06-18}}</ref>

===Concert===
*''[[The Last Waltz]]'': [[Martin Scorsese]]'s chronicling of [[The Band]]'s farewell concert on [[Thanksgiving|Thanksgiving Day]] in 1976. Michael Wilmington of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' calls it "The greatest rock concert movie ever made -- and maybe the best rock movie, period." Terry Lawson of the ''[[Detroit Free Press]]'' comments that "This is one of the great movie experiences."<ref> [http://ae.freep.com/entertainment/ui/michigan/movie.html?id=61794&reviewId=8681 Movie: The Last Wltz]</ref> The review at ''[[Total Film]]'' comments "In what is rightly considered the greatest concert film ever shot...."<ref>[http://www.totalfilm.com/dvd_reviews/the_last_waltz The Last Waltz - Total Film]</ref> [[Rolling Stone]] dubbed it the greatest film about music ever made. [[All Movie Guide]] said that the film is "considered to be [one] of the best-looking and sounding rock films ever".<ref>[http://www.allmovie.com/cg/avg.dll?p=avg&sql=1:28404 Allmovie: The LasztlaW t]</ref>
*''[[Stop Making Sense]]'' ([[1984 in film|1984]]): Film critic James Berardinelli wrote that [[Jonathan Demme]]'s capturing of the [[Talking Heads]] in concert was "the best concert film to date when it first came out, and nothing in the past decade-and-a-half has come close to toppling it from that position." Edward Guthmann of the ''San Francisco Chronicle'' had similar praise: "Has there ever been a live concert film as vibrant or as brilliantly realized? I don't think so."

===Disaster===
*''[[The Poseidon Adventure (film)|The Poseidon Adventure]]'' ([[1972 in film|1972]]) was voted best disaster movie in a poll commissioned by UCI cinemas in May 2004.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/3720347.stm Poseidon Adventure tops film poll]</ref>

===Documentary===
*''[[Bowling for Columbine]]'' (2002), [[Michael Moore]]'s controversial documentary relating gun control and the [[culture of fear]] in the United States, heads the list of [http://www.lib.cwu.edu/media/intnationaldoc20.htm 20 all-time favorite non-fiction films] selected by members of the International Documentary Association (IDA).<ref>[http://www.documentary.org Documentary.com]</ref>
*''[[Seven Up!]]'' (1964) was voted as the greatest ever documentary in a [[Channel 4]] poll of the 50 Greatest Documentaries in 2005.

===Epic===
*''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'' (1962) was voted best epic by readers of ''Total Film'' in May 2004. In addition, [[Peter O'Toole]]'s performance as [[T. E. Lawrence]] was ranked number one in ''Premiere'' magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. It was selected as the number one epic movie during the American Film Institute during their Ten Top Ten.

===High School/Teen Film===
*''[[The Breakfast Club]]'' (1985) was included as number one on [[Entertainment Weekly]]'s list of 50 best high school films of all time in 2006/2007.<ref>[http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1532651,00.html The 50 best high school movies: No. 1 | The Breakfast Club | Movie Commentary | News | Entertainment Weekly<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Horror===
*''[[The Exorcist (film)|The Exorcist]]'' (1973): Voted scariest movie of all time by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' and ''[[Movies.com]]'', also listed at number 3 on AFI's most thrilling films ever.
*''[[Halloween (1978 film)|Halloween]]'' (1978): Listed as best horror film of all time by writers of [[SFX magazine|''SFX'']] magazine in June 2004, listed at #68 as one of AFI's 100 most thrilling american films ever, Empire Magazine's "50 Greatest Horror Movies" as well as ''Premiere Magazine's'' "Top 10 Horror Films of All Time",
*''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' (1960): The [[Alfred Hitchcock]] classic tops [[American Film Institute|AFI]]’s list of the 100 most thrilling American films and [[Rotten Tomatoes]] list of the 50 greatest horror movies.
*''[[The Shining (film)|The Shining]]'' (1980): Voted scariest movie of all time by [[Channel 4]], and also listed on the American Film Institute's most thrilling american movies. [http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/S/scary/results_10-1_2.html]
*''[[The Texas Chain Saw Massacre]]'' (1974): Voted greatest horror movie of all time on [[Total Film]]'s ''50 Greatest Horror Movies of all Time''<ref>[http://www.totalfilm.com/movie_news/the_50_greatest_horror_movies_of_all_time Total Film - Shock Horror!<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>, [[Empire Magazine]]'s ''50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time'', and [[Premiere Magazine]]'s ''Top 10 Horror Films of All Time''.

===Independent Film===
*''[[Reservoir Dogs]]'' (1992): Was listed as the number one film on a list by ''[[Empire Magazine]]'' of the '50 Greatest Independent Films'.<ref>[http://www.filmsite.org/independentfilms3.html 50 Greatest Independent Films From Empire<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Musical===
* ''[[Singin' in the Rain (film)|Singin' in the Rain]]'' (1952) tops the American Film Institute's list of the 25 best American musicals of all time.<ref> [http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/musicals.aspx 25 Best Musicals]</ref>
* ''[[West Side Story (film)|West Side Story]]'' (1961) was chosen as the best screen musical by readers of ''[[The Observer]]'' in a 2007 poll.<ref>[http://www.starpulse.com/news/index.php/2007/02/19/west_side_story_tops_best_movie_musical_/ West Side Story Tops Best Movie Musical]</ref>

===Propaganda===
*''[[Triumph of the Will]]'' (1935), [[Leni Riefenstahl]]'s documentary film glorifying [[Adolf Hitler]] and the 1934 [[Nazi Party]] [[Political convention|Convention]], in [[Nuremberg]] is widely perceived, renowned and acknowledged as the best [[propaganda]] film ever,<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,3604,1039001,00.html Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's favourite film propagandist, dies at 101 | World news | The Guardian<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> although Riefenstahl asserted she intended it only as a documentary.

===Romance===
*''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' (1942) is the top film on [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions]] list.

===Thriller===
*''[[North By Northwest]]'' was ranked #1 on [[IGN]]'s list of the 'Top 25-Thrillers of All Time'. It was number seven on the American Film Institute's list of ten best mystery films during their Ten Top Ten. .<ref>[http://movies.ign.com/articles/658/658733p5.html IGN: Top 25 Thrillers of All-Time<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===Science fiction===<!-- This section is linked from [[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)]] -->
*''[[2001: A Space Odyssey (film)|2001: A Space Odyssey]]'' (1968) tops the [[Online Film Critics Society]] list of greatest science fiction films of all time.<ref>{{cite web | title="''2001: A Space Odyssey'' Named the Greatest Sci-Fi Film of All Time By the Online Film Critics Society" | publisher=Online Film Critics Society | url=http://ofcs.rottentomatoes.com/pages/pr/top100scifi | accessdate=2006-12-15}}</ref> It is also the only science fiction film to make the [[Sight and Sound]] poll for ten best movies and was selected as the best ever Sci-Fi film by the [[American Film Institute]] during their [[AFI's 10 Top 10|Ten Top Ten]].
*''[[Blade Runner]]'' (1982) was voted the best science fiction film by a panel of scientists assembled by the British newspaper ''[[The Guardian]]'' in 2004.<ref>[http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,3604,1290823,00.html Scientists vote Blade Runner best sci-fi film of all time]</ref>
*''[[E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial]]'' (1982) topped a [[Rotten Tomatoes]] poll of the 100 best Science Fiction movies ever made.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/2007/scifi/?r=1&mid=1006389 ET named top Sci-Fi Movie]</ref>
*''[[The Matrix]]'' (1999) was voted the greatest science fiction film of the last 25 years by Entertainment Weekly.

===Mystery===
*[[Vertigo (film)| Vertigo]] was selected as the best mystery by the American Film Institute during their [[AFI's Ten Top Ten| Ten Top Ten.]]

===Superhero/Comic book adaptations===
*''[[Batman Begins]]'' (2005) listed as #1 on the best of IGN's list of the 'Best & Worst Comic-Book Movies'.<ref>[http://comics.ign.com/articles/673/673860p3.html IGN: Best & Worst Comic-Book Movies<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*''[[Ghost World (film)|Ghost World]]'' (2001) topped [[MSN]] Movies' list of the 'Top 10 Comic Book Movies'<ref>[http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=114936&mpc=2 Top 10 Comic Book Movies - MSN Movies News<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> and [[Fandango]]'s 'The Fantastic 10: The Top Comic Book Movies of All Time'<ref>[http://www.fandango.com/commentator_thefantastic10_11?source=ca_title The Fantastic 10 - Behind the Screens<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*''[[Sin City (film)|Sin City]]'' (2005) placed first on [[AOL]]'s list of the 'Best Films Based on Comic Books'<ref>[http://movies.aol.com/movie-photo-ffx/best-movie-based-on-comic-book-300-spider-man Best Movies Based on Comic Books: Film Fixation - Moviefone<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*''[[Spider-Man 2]]'' (2004) was selected the number one comic-to-cinema adaption in a poll of critics at rottentomatoes.com.<ref>[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/2007/comic/?r=1&mid=1133520 Comix Worst to Best]</ref> and was named as the greatest superhero movie ever made by film critic [[Roger Ebert]].
*''[[X2 (film)|X2]]'' (2003) was voted greatest comic book film of all time by [[Empire Magazine]].<ref>{{cite web| title = The 20 Greatest Comic Book Movies| publisher = Empireonline.com| url = http://www.empireonline.com/features/comicbookfilms/10-1.asp#comicbookfilms| accessdate = 2006-10-20}}</ref>

===Sport===
*''[[Murderball (film)|Murderball]]'' (2005) was number 1 on the Rotten Tomatoes countdown of the top sports movies.<ref>{{cite web| title = Rotten Tomatoes Best Sports Films | publisher = Rottentomatoes.com | url = http://www.rottentomatoes.com/features/special/2007/top_sports/?r=1&mid=1003249| accessdate = 2007-09-13}}</ref>
*''[[Raging Bull]]'' (1980) was selected as the best ever sports film by the [[American Film Institute]] during their [[AFI's 10 Top 10|10 Top 10]].
*''[[Rocky]]'' (1976) was also listed as the number 1 sports movie of all time by MovieFone.<ref>{{cite web| title = MovieFone's Top 25 Sports Films | publisher = movies.aol.com | url = http://movies.aol.com/movie-photo/best-sports-movies| accessdate = 2007-10-13}}</ref>

===War===
*''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' (1979) was listed as the number 1 war film of all time by MovieFone and MSN Movies.<ref>{{cite web| title = Best War Movies of All Time| publisher = Aol.com| url = http://movies.aol.com/movie-photo/best-war-movies| accessdate = 2007-09-13}} </ref><ref>{{cite web| title = Top 10 War Movies MSN Movies| publisher = Msn.com| url = http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=144015&mpc=2| accessdate = 2007-09-13}}</ref>
*''[[Saving Private Ryan]]'' (1998) was voted as the greatest war film in a 2008 [[Channel 4]] poll of the 100 greatest war films.<ref>{{cite web| title = 100 Greatest War Films| publisher = Channel4.com| url = http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/W/greatest_warfilms/results/5-1.html| accessdate = 2008-04-02}}</ref>
* ''[[Cross of Iron]]'' (1977) by [[Sam Peckinpah]] was voted greatest war film of all time by ''Sightsense'' magazine in 1983 for its portrayal of Germans and the battles on the Eastern Front in 1943.{{Fact|date=June 2008}}

===Western===
*''[[The Searchers (film)|The Searchers]]'' (1956) was voted the greatest Western of all time by ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''. It was selected as the number one western by the [[American Film Institute]] during their Ten Top Ten. (See also: [[#Films acclaimed by critics and filmmakers|films acclaimed by critics and filmmakers]] above).

==Countries==
===Australia===
{{seealso|Cinema of Australia}}
*''[[Mad Max]]'' (1979): voted the best [[Australian]] film ever by the [[Australian Film Institute]]. Nominated for four [[Australian Film Institute Awards]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
*''[[Picnic at Hanging Rock (film)|Picnic at Hanging Rock]]'' (1975): voted No. 1 of the Top 10 best-ever Australian films at 1995 centenary of Australian cinema.<ref>[http://www.moria.co.nz/fantasy/hangingrock.htm Hanging Rock]</ref>

===Belgium===
{{seealso|Cinema of Belgium}}
*''[[Man Bites Dog]]'' (1992): voted the best Belgian film on Moviemeter.nl, followed by [[Le Couperet]], [[The Memory of a Killer]], [[Toto the Hero]] and [[Ben X]].
*''[[Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles]]'': voted the best Belgian film on the [[They Shoot Pictures]] site (no. 142 in the Top 250)

===Brazil===
{{seealso|Cinema of Brazil}}
* ''[[City of God (film)|City of God]]'' (2002) is the highest rated Brazilian film according to IMDb users. Brazilian critics, however, have selected ''[[Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol]]'' (1964) as the best film of all several times, such as the 27th edition of Brazilian film magazine ''Contracampo''<ref>{{cite web
|url= http://www.contracampo.com.br/27/frames.htm
|title= contracampo - revista de cinema
|accessdate= 2008-02-06
|author= Tose, Juliano
|date=
|year=
|month=
|format=
|work=
|publisher=
|pages=
|language= Portuguese
}}</ref> and a special issue of the magazine ''Bravo'', entitled "100 essential films". The other Brazilian films included in ''Bravo'''s list are ''City of God'', ''[[Pixote]]'' and ''[[Lavoura Arcaica]]'', in that order.
</pre>

===Canada===
{{seealso|Cinema of Canada}}
*''[[Goin' Down the Road]]'': Regarded as one of the best and most influential Canadian films. {{Fact|date=August 2008}}
*''[[Jésus de Montréal]]'': Ranked second on the All Time TIFF and in a reader's poll conducted by [[Playback (magazine)]] list since its release, and a winner of 12 [[Genie Awards]].
*''[[Mon oncle Antoine]]'': A poll of critics at the 1984 [[Toronto International Film Festival]] and again at the 1993 and 2004 festivals named the greatest Canadian film of all time and 8th in [[Playback (magazine)]]'s reader's poll.
*''[[The Sweet Hereafter]]'': Voted the best Canadian film ever by readers of [[Playback (magazine)]].<ref>[http://www.playbackonline.ca/articles/magazine/20020902/best.html Playback :: Egoyan tops Canada's all-time best movies list<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===China===
{{seealso|Cinema of China}}
*''[[Spring in a Small Town]]'' (小城之春): This [[1948 in film|1948]] film was voted the best Chinese film ever made by [[Hong Kong Film Award]]s Association in 2005. ''[[A Better Tomorrow]]'' (英雄本色) ([[1986 in film|1986]]) came in second.

===Denmark===
{{seealso|Cinema of Denmark}}

*''[[Day of Wrath]]'' (''Vredens dag'') [[Carl Th. Dreyer]]'s harrowing tale of adultery and repression is often cited in Denmark as the greatest Danish film of all time.<ref>Jensen, Bo Green, ''De 25 bedste danske film'', Rosinante, 2002</ref>

*''[[Flickering Lights]]'' (''Blinkende lygter'') the 2000 comedy about small-time gangsters was voted the Best Danish Film in a 2007 poll by Ekstra Bladet newspaper. Thomas Venterberg's ''[[The Celebration]] (''Festen'') was the runner-up.<ref>Sørensen, Sola Kruchov, ''[Det er en syg høne, der har lagt det æg]'', Ekstra Bladet, August 3 2007</ref>

===Egypt===
{{seealso|Cinema of Egypt}}
*''[[The Yacoubian Building]]'' Winner of various awards and acclaimed by [[Cairo International Film Festival]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}}

===Finland===
{{seealso|Cinema of Finland}}
*''[[The Unknown Soldier (1955 film)|The Unknown Soldier]]'' (1955): The most successful movie ever in Finland; about 2.8 million people, or more than half the Finnish population, saw it in theaters. Since 2000, YLE TV2 has broadcast the film annually on the Independence Day of Finland. It was voted the best Finnish movie in an Internet poll by Helsingin Sanomat in 2007.<ref>http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Tuntematon+sotilas+on+lukijoiden+mielest%C3%A4+yh%C3%A4+paras/1135227575816</ref> IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (2,986 votes) on August 3, 2008.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048752/</ref>
*''[[Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning]]'' (2005): Star Trek parody, released for free on the Internet and viewed by 3.5 million people in less than two months.<ref>http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4757941.stm</ref> In the first six months, the film was downloaded ten million times, making it, by some estimates, Finland's most popular film.<ref>http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article716054.ece</ref> IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (3,482 votes) on August 3, 2008.<ref>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472566/</ref>
*''[[Talvisota (film)|Talvisota]]'' (1989): is the highest user rated Finnish film on the IMDb having received more than 1000 votes (8.2/10 (2,654 votes) on August 3, 2008.<ref>http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0098437/</ref>

===France===
{{seealso|Cinema of France}}
*''[[Children of Paradise|Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise)]]'' (1945/1946): Voted "Best French Film of the Century" in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in the late 1990s.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
*''[[The Rules of the Game|La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game)]]'' (1939/1950): see [[#Films acclaimed by critics and filmmakers|films acclaimed by critics and filmmakers]]
*''[[Amélie]]'' (2001) is currently the highest ranked French film on IMDb's Top 250.

===Germany===
{{seealso|Cinema of Germany}}
* [[F. W. Murnau]]'s [[silent film]] ''[[Nosferatu]]'' is regarded by acclaimed German director [[Werner Herzog]] as the greatest German movie of all time.<ref>[http://www.hatii.arts.gla.ac.uk/MultimediaStudentProjects/00-01/0009135b/fruits/html/Herzog/herzog-nosferatu.htm Herzog Nosferatu]</ref>

===India===
{{seealso|Cinema of India}}
{{seealso|Lists of Indian films}}
*''[[Nayakan]]'' (1987), ''[[Pyaasa]]'' (1957) and ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]'' are the only three Indian films listed in the [http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html "All-Time 100 Best Films"], as rated by [[TIME magazine]].
*''[[Pather Panchali]]'' (1955) is the first film of director [[Satyajit Ray]]'s ''[[The Apu Trilogy]]'' (1955-1959). It appeared on ''Sight and Sound'' Critics' Top Ten Poll (ranked #9 in 1992) and the ''Village Voice'' [http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html 100 Best Films of the 20th Century] Critics' Poll (ranked #13 in 2001). It was ranked the top Indian film in an Internet popularity poll conducted by the British Film Institute (BFI) in 2002.

===Iran===
{{seealso|Cinema of Iran}}
*''[[Bashu, the Little Stranger]]'' Voted "Best Iranian Film of all time" in November of 1999 by a Persian movie magazine "Picture world" poll of 150 Iranian critics and professionals.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}

===Ireland===
*''[[The Commitments (film)|The Commitments]]'' (1991) was voted the best Irish film of all time in a 2004 [[Jameson Whiskey]] poll of 10,000 Irish people, with ''[[My Left Foot (film)|My Left Foot]]'' coming second. [http://www.thecommitments.net/pdf_files/best_film.pdf 24]

===Israel===
{{seealso|Cinema of Israel}}
*''[[Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona]]'' (1976) was voted "Favorite Israeli Film of all time" in a 2004 [http://www.ynet.co.il/articles/0,7340,L-2907674,00.html poll] by Ynet, the web site of Israel's most popular newspaper. The film got 25,000 votes.

===Italy===
{{seealso|Cinema of Italy}}
*''[[8½]]'' – Director [[Federico Fellini]]'s 1963 film about filmmaking was the highest rated Italian film in the 2002 ''Sight & Sound'' poll of the best films of all time.
*''[[Bicycle Thieves|Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves)]]'' (See: [[Films considered the greatest ever#In polls of critics and filmmakers|In polls of critics and filmmakers]] section above.)
*''[[The Good, the Bad and the Ugly|Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo (The Good, the Bad and the Ugly)]]'' (1966) is the highest-ranked non-American film on the IMDb Top 250, where it currently (July 2008) is listed as the 5th best film ever.

===Japan===
{{seealso|Cinema of Japan}}
* ''[[Rashomon (film)|Rashomon]]'' (羅生門): This [[1950 in film|1950]] film by [[Akira Kurosawa]] was the first Japanese film to gain world-wide acclaim. The highest-ranked Japanese film (#10) on the ''Village Voice'' list of 100 Best Films of the 20th Century. It was also the highest-ranked Japanese film on the [[Sight and Sound]] [http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/directors.html 2002 Directors' Top Ten Poll].
* ''[[Seven Samurai]]'' (七人の侍 ''Shichinin no samurai''), 1954: Also by Kurosawa, this period adventure film is frequently cited as the greatest Japanese film ever; at #12, it is the highest ranked Japanese film in the IMDb Top 250 (as of July 2008). It tied ''Rashomon'' on the ''Sight & Sound'' poll.
* ''[[Tokyo Story]]'' (東京物語 ''Tokyo Monogatari''), [[1953 in film|1953]]. This film by [[Yasujiro Ozu]] about an aging couple as they journey from their rural village to visit their two married children in postwar [[Tokyo]] was declared the greatest film ever by [[Halliwell's Film Guide]] in 2005.<ref>[http://film.guardian.co.uk/features/featurepages/0,4120,1503313,00.html Peter Bradshaw pays tribute to Tokyo Story | Features | guardian.co.uk Film<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> It was also the highest-ranked Japanese film on the [[Sight and Sound]] [http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/poll/critics.html 2002 Critics' Top Ten Poll].

===South Korea===
{{seealso|Cinema of Korea}}
* ''[[Obaltan]]'' (오발탄): Released in 1960. This film is widely regarded as the best South Korean film of all time. It also listed as No.1 in "The Best Korean Films" by Film 2.0 Magazine.<ref>[http://www.film2.co.kr/feature/feature_final.asp?mkey=1665 FILM2.0 :: Feature<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
* ''[[Oldboy]]'' (올드보이): This 2003 South Korean film is the highest rated Korean language film on the IMDb top 250 list. It also won the Grand Prix of the jury at Cannes.

===Mexico===
{{seealso|Cinema of Mexico}}
*''[[El callejón de los milagros]] (Miracle Alley)'' is the most awarded film in Mexican history with 49 international awards.[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_callej%C3%B3n_de_los_milagros#Awards_.26_nominations]
*''[[Pan's Labyrinth]] (El laberinto del fauno)'' is the highest rated film in Spanish on IMDb. While this film is set in Spain and primarily features Spanish actors, it was written and produced in Mexico and is considered a Mexican film.

===The Netherlands===
{{seealso|Cinema of the Netherlands}}
*''[[Soldaat van Oranje]]'' (Soldier of Orange - 1977 - [[Paul Verhoeven]]): Voted best Dutch film ever made in a 2006 Internet poll by online film magazine Filmwereld.nl.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}
*''[[Spoorloos]]'' (The Vanishing - 1988 - [[George Sluizer]]): One of the highest rated Dutch films on IMDb and the highest (and only) on the 1000 greatest films list of the [[They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?|They Shoot Pictures]] filmsite.<ref>{{cite web|title= TheyShootPictures.com| date= 2007-08-07|url =http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_countryREST.htm}}</ref>
*''[[Turks Fruit]]'' (Turkish Delight - 1973 - [[Paul Verhoeven]]): Voted best Dutch film of the 20th century at the 1999 [[Netherlands Film Festival]].{{Fact|date=March 2008}}

===New Zealand===
{{seealso|Cinema of New Zealand}}
:See : ''Lord of the Rings '' in the [[#In audience polls|Films acclaimed in audience polls]] section above.

===Norway===
{{seealso|Cinema of Norway}}
*''[[Flåklypa Grand Prix]]'' (''Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'' - 1975 - [[Ivo Caprino]]): The people's choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web | title = Norsk film i 100 | date= 2005-10-23| url =http://www.biff.no/2005/index.php3?ID=Nyhet&Eng=&ID2=Vis&counter=67}}</ref>
*''[[Ni Liv]]'' (''Nine Lives'' - 1957 - [[Arne Skouen]]): The critics' choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.{{Fact|date=March 2008}}

===The Philippines===
{{seealso|Cinema of the Philippines}}
*''[[Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag]]'' (''Manila in the Claws of Neon''): Cited in numerous film anthologies and critical polls.{{Fact|date=November 2007}}

===Russia===
{{seealso|Cinema of Russia and Soviet Union}}
*''[[The Battleship Potemkin|Броненосец Потёмкин (Battleship Potemkin)]]'': see [[#Films acclaimed by critics and filmmakers|Films acclaimed by critics and filmakers]] above.

===Sweden===
{{seealso|Cinema of Sweden}}
*''[[The Emigrants (film)|The Emigrants]]'' (''Utvandrarna''): [[Jan Troell]]'s naturalist masterwork is often cited in Sweden as the greatest Swedish film of all-time.{{Fact|date=February 2007}}
*''[[Persona (film)|Persona]]'': Acclaimed director [[Ingmar Bergman]]'s movie reached the highest position (#5 in 1972) of any Swedish film on any of Sight & Sound's lists of greatest films of all time.
*''[[The Seventh Seal]]'', also directed by Ingmar Bergman, is the highest rated Swedish film on the IMDb.

===United Kingdom===
{{see also|Cinema of the United Kingdom}}
*''[[Brief Encounter]]'': Was the highest rated British film in the Channel 4 poll of ''100 greatest movies'', at No 14.
*''[[The Third Man]]'': Voted best British film ever by members of the [[British Film Institute]] in 1999.<ref>[http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/1-10.html BFI | Features | The BFI 100 | 1-10<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>
*''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'': voted "best British film of all time" in August of 2004 by a [[London]] ''[[Sunday Telegraph]]'' poll of Britain's leading filmmakers.<ref>[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1469436/Stars-vote-Lawrence-of-Arabia-the-best-British-film-of-all-time.html Stars vote Lawrence of Arabia the best British film of all time - Telegraph<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> (See also: [[#Epic|Epic]] above).
*''[[Monty Python and the Holy Grail]]'' was voted the best British picture of all time by a 2004 poll by the UK arm of Amazon and Internet Movie Database.<ref> [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3482029.stm Python's Grail 'best Brit film'.] BBC News (2004-2-12)</ref>
*''[[Get Carter]]'' (1971): Named best British film by ''[[Total Film]]'' in 2004.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/film/3711460.stm BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film | Get Carter tops British film poll<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

===United States===
{{see also|Cinema of the United States|National Film Registry}}
[[1998 in film|Since 1998]], the [[American Film Institute]] has assembled juries of film community leaders and polled them for a [[AFI 100 Years... series|series of top 100 lists]]. Two of the lists from the series, [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies]] from 1998 and [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition)]] from 2007, identified ''[[Citizen Kane]]'' as the best [[:Category:American films|American film]] ever. In other years, AFI's jury members selected ''[[Some Like It Hot]]'' the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Laughs|greatest American comedy]], ''[[Psycho (1960 film)|Psycho]]'' as the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Thrills|most thrilling American movie]], ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'' as the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Passions|greatest American love story]], ''Singin' in the Rain'' as the [[AFI's 100 Years of Musicals|greatest American film musical]], and ''[[It's a Wonderful Life]]'' as the [[AFI's 100 Years... 100 Cheers|most inspiring American film]].<ref name="inspireafi"> AFI told their jury to consider "Movies that inspire with characters of vision and conviction who face adversity and often make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Whether these movies end happily or not, they are ultimately triumphant—both filling audiences with hope and empowering them with the spirit of human potential.</ref>

*See also: ''[[Gone with the Wind]]'', ''[[Casablanca (film)|Casablanca]]'', ''[[The Godfather]]'', ''[[The Godfather Part II]]'', ''[[Goodfellas]]'', ''[[Pulp Fiction (film)|Pulp Fiction]]'', ''[[Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope|Star Wars]]'', and ''[[The Shawshank Redemption]] in the [[#Audience polls|Films acclaimed in audience polls]] section above.

==See also==
*[[List of highest-grossing films]]
*[[List of film-related topics]]
*[[Films considered the worst ever]]
*[[List of films preserved in the United States National Film Registry]]
*[[AFI 100 Years... series]]

==Notes==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.afi.com/tvevents/100years/movies.aspx American Film Institute's ''100 Years, 100 Movies'']
*[http://www.bfi.org.uk/features/bfi100/ BFI List of top 100 British movies]
*[http://imdb.com/top_250_films IMDb Top 250]
*[http://www.channel4.com/film/newsfeatures/microsites/G/greatest/results/control.jsp?resultspage=01 Channel 4 poll: 100 Greatest Films]
*[http://www.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/topten/ ''Sight and Sound'' magazine best films of all time polls]
*[http://www.villagevoice.com/specials/take/one/full_list.php3?category=10 ''Village Voice'' 100 Best films of the 20th century list]

[[Category:Top film lists|Greatest]]

[[ca:Pel·lícules considerades les millors de tots els temps]]

Revision as of 22:05, 30 August 2008

For films that had the highest box office receipts, see List of highest-grossing films.

While there is no agreement upon the greatest film of all time, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the greatest ever. The films mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in a notable survey—be it a critics' poll or popular poll. Many of these sources focus on American films or were polls of English-speaking filmgoers, but those considered the greatest within their respective countries are also included here.

None of these citations should be viewed as scientific measures of the film-watching world. All the surveys are flawed in one way or another. They are often influenced by vote-stacking or they survey a population with skewed demographics. Internet-based surveys have a self-selecting audience of unknown participants. The methodology of some surveys may be questionable. Sometimes (like in the case of the American Film Institute) voters were asked to select films from a limited list of entries.

Polls of critics and filmmakers

  • Since 1952, the film magazine Sight & Sound has conducted a decennial poll of the greatest films every ten years. Originally, Ladri di Biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) received the most votes. According to noted film critic Roger Ebert, the Sight & Sound poll is "generally considered the most authoritative of all 'best film' lists".
  • Orson Welles' Citizen Kane has been consistently voted number one in each of the last five Sight & Sound polls. A separate poll of established film directors, held for the first time in 1992, has also placed Citizen Kane at the top. The film was selected as number one in a Village Voice and in a Time Out critics' poll and was listed as the greatest American film twice by the American Film Institute in 1998 and 2007.
  • La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game) by director Jean Renoir was named the greatest film by the French film magazine Positif in 1991. It also holds the second slot in the Village Voice poll and is one of only two movies to have appeared in every one of the Sight & Sound polls.
  • The Searchers is the film most often mentioned in a poll of the favorite films of directors by German language Steadycam magazine.[1]
  • Goodfellas was voted the greatest film of all time in 2005 by the editorial team of the magazine Total Film.[2]
  • The Brussels World’s Fair, organized in 1958, offered the occasion for the organization by thousands of critics and filmmakers from all over the world, of the first universal film poll in history.[3]. These were the films chosen as most artistically fulfilled:
Rank Film Director Year
1 Броненосец Потёмкин (The Battleship Potemkin) Sergei Eisenstein 1925
2 The Gold Rush Charles Chaplin 1925
3 Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves) Vittorio De Sica 1948
4 La Passion de Jeanne d'Arc (The Passion of Joan of Arc) Carl Theodor Dreyer 1928
5 La Grande Illusion (Grand Illusion) Jean Renoir 1937
6 Greed Erich von Stroheim 1924
7 Intolerance: Love's Struggle Through the Ages D. W. Griffith 1916
8 Мать (Mother) Vsevolod Pudovkin 1926
9 Citizen Kane Orson Welles 1941
10 Земля (Earth) Alexander Dovzhenko 1930

Audience polls

Particular genres or media

Action

Animation

Comedy

Concert

  • The Last Waltz: Martin Scorsese's chronicling of The Band's farewell concert on Thanksgiving Day in 1976. Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune calls it "The greatest rock concert movie ever made -- and maybe the best rock movie, period." Terry Lawson of the Detroit Free Press comments that "This is one of the great movie experiences."[22] The review at Total Film comments "In what is rightly considered the greatest concert film ever shot...."[23] Rolling Stone dubbed it the greatest film about music ever made. All Movie Guide said that the film is "considered to be [one] of the best-looking and sounding rock films ever".[24]
  • Stop Making Sense (1984): Film critic James Berardinelli wrote that Jonathan Demme's capturing of the Talking Heads in concert was "the best concert film to date when it first came out, and nothing in the past decade-and-a-half has come close to toppling it from that position." Edward Guthmann of the San Francisco Chronicle had similar praise: "Has there ever been a live concert film as vibrant or as brilliantly realized? I don't think so."

Disaster

Documentary

Epic

  • Lawrence of Arabia (1962) was voted best epic by readers of Total Film in May 2004. In addition, Peter O'Toole's performance as T. E. Lawrence was ranked number one in Premiere magazine's list of the 100 Greatest Performances of All Time. It was selected as the number one epic movie during the American Film Institute during their Ten Top Ten.

High School/Teen Film

Horror

  • The Exorcist (1973): Voted scariest movie of all time by Entertainment Weekly and Movies.com, also listed at number 3 on AFI's most thrilling films ever.
  • Halloween (1978): Listed as best horror film of all time by writers of SFX magazine in June 2004, listed at #68 as one of AFI's 100 most thrilling american films ever, Empire Magazine's "50 Greatest Horror Movies" as well as Premiere Magazine's "Top 10 Horror Films of All Time",
  • Psycho (1960): The Alfred Hitchcock classic tops AFI’s list of the 100 most thrilling American films and Rotten Tomatoes list of the 50 greatest horror movies.
  • The Shining (1980): Voted scariest movie of all time by Channel 4, and also listed on the American Film Institute's most thrilling american movies. [2]
  • The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974): Voted greatest horror movie of all time on Total Film's 50 Greatest Horror Movies of all Time[28], Empire Magazine's 50 Greatest Horror Movies of All Time, and Premiere Magazine's Top 10 Horror Films of All Time.

Independent Film

Musical

Propaganda

Romance

Thriller

  • North By Northwest was ranked #1 on IGN's list of the 'Top 25-Thrillers of All Time'. It was number seven on the American Film Institute's list of ten best mystery films during their Ten Top Ten. .[33]

Science fiction

Mystery

Superhero/Comic book adaptations

  • Batman Begins (2005) listed as #1 on the best of IGN's list of the 'Best & Worst Comic-Book Movies'.[37]
  • Ghost World (2001) topped MSN Movies' list of the 'Top 10 Comic Book Movies'[38] and Fandango's 'The Fantastic 10: The Top Comic Book Movies of All Time'[39]
  • Sin City (2005) placed first on AOL's list of the 'Best Films Based on Comic Books'[40]
  • Spider-Man 2 (2004) was selected the number one comic-to-cinema adaption in a poll of critics at rottentomatoes.com.[41] and was named as the greatest superhero movie ever made by film critic Roger Ebert.
  • X2 (2003) was voted greatest comic book film of all time by Empire Magazine.[42]

Sport

War

Western

Countries

Australia

See also: Cinema of Australia

Belgium

See also: Cinema of Belgium

Brazil

See also: Cinema of Brazil
  • City of God (2002) is the highest rated Brazilian film according to IMDb users. Brazilian critics, however, have selected Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol (1964) as the best film of all several times, such as the 27th edition of Brazilian film magazine Contracampo[49] and a special issue of the magazine Bravo, entitled "100 essential films". The other Brazilian films included in Bravo's list are City of God, Pixote and Lavoura Arcaica, in that order.

Canada

See also: Cinema of Canada

China

See also: Cinema of China

Denmark

See also: Cinema of Denmark
  • Day of Wrath (Vredens dag) Carl Th. Dreyer's harrowing tale of adultery and repression is often cited in Denmark as the greatest Danish film of all time.[51]
  • Flickering Lights (Blinkende lygter) the 2000 comedy about small-time gangsters was voted the Best Danish Film in a 2007 poll by Ekstra Bladet newspaper. Thomas Venterberg's The Celebration (Festen) was the runner-up.[52]

Egypt

See also: Cinema of Egypt

Finland

See also: Cinema of Finland
  • The Unknown Soldier (1955): The most successful movie ever in Finland; about 2.8 million people, or more than half the Finnish population, saw it in theaters. Since 2000, YLE TV2 has broadcast the film annually on the Independence Day of Finland. It was voted the best Finnish movie in an Internet poll by Helsingin Sanomat in 2007.[53] IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (2,986 votes) on August 3, 2008.[54]
  • Star Wreck: In the Pirkinning (2005): Star Trek parody, released for free on the Internet and viewed by 3.5 million people in less than two months.[55] In the first six months, the film was downloaded ten million times, making it, by some estimates, Finland's most popular film.[56] IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (3,482 votes) on August 3, 2008.[57]
  • Talvisota (1989): is the highest user rated Finnish film on the IMDb having received more than 1000 votes (8.2/10 (2,654 votes) on August 3, 2008.[58]

France

See also: Cinema of France

Germany

See also: Cinema of Germany

India

See also: Cinema of India
See also: Lists of Indian films

Iran

See also: Cinema of Iran

Ireland

Israel

See also: Cinema of Israel
  • Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona (1976) was voted "Favorite Israeli Film of all time" in a 2004 poll by Ynet, the web site of Israel's most popular newspaper. The film got 25,000 votes.

Italy

See also: Cinema of Italy

Japan

See also: Cinema of Japan
  • Rashomon (羅生門): This 1950 film by Akira Kurosawa was the first Japanese film to gain world-wide acclaim. The highest-ranked Japanese film (#10) on the Village Voice list of 100 Best Films of the 20th Century. It was also the highest-ranked Japanese film on the Sight and Sound 2002 Directors' Top Ten Poll.
  • Seven Samurai (七人の侍 Shichinin no samurai), 1954: Also by Kurosawa, this period adventure film is frequently cited as the greatest Japanese film ever; at #12, it is the highest ranked Japanese film in the IMDb Top 250 (as of July 2008). It tied Rashomon on the Sight & Sound poll.
  • Tokyo Story (東京物語 Tokyo Monogatari), 1953. This film by Yasujiro Ozu about an aging couple as they journey from their rural village to visit their two married children in postwar Tokyo was declared the greatest film ever by Halliwell's Film Guide in 2005.[60] It was also the highest-ranked Japanese film on the Sight and Sound 2002 Critics' Top Ten Poll.

South Korea

See also: Cinema of Korea
  • Obaltan (오발탄): Released in 1960. This film is widely regarded as the best South Korean film of all time. It also listed as No.1 in "The Best Korean Films" by Film 2.0 Magazine.[61]
  • Oldboy (올드보이): This 2003 South Korean film is the highest rated Korean language film on the IMDb top 250 list. It also won the Grand Prix of the jury at Cannes.

Mexico

See also: Cinema of Mexico
  • El callejón de los milagros (Miracle Alley) is the most awarded film in Mexican history with 49 international awards.[3]
  • Pan's Labyrinth (El laberinto del fauno) is the highest rated film in Spanish on IMDb. While this film is set in Spain and primarily features Spanish actors, it was written and produced in Mexico and is considered a Mexican film.

The Netherlands

See also: Cinema of the Netherlands

New Zealand

See also: Cinema of New Zealand
See : Lord of the Rings in the Films acclaimed in audience polls section above.

Norway

See also: Cinema of Norway
  • Flåklypa Grand Prix (Pinchcliffe Grand Prix - 1975 - Ivo Caprino): The people's choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.[63]
  • Ni Liv (Nine Lives - 1957 - Arne Skouen): The critics' choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.[citation needed]

The Philippines

See also: Cinema of the Philippines

Russia

See also: Cinema of Russia and Soviet Union

Sweden

See also: Cinema of Sweden
  • The Emigrants (Utvandrarna): Jan Troell's naturalist masterwork is often cited in Sweden as the greatest Swedish film of all-time.[citation needed]
  • Persona: Acclaimed director Ingmar Bergman's movie reached the highest position (#5 in 1972) of any Swedish film on any of Sight & Sound's lists of greatest films of all time.
  • The Seventh Seal, also directed by Ingmar Bergman, is the highest rated Swedish film on the IMDb.

United Kingdom

See also: Cinema of the United Kingdom

United States

See also: Cinema of the United States and National Film Registry

Since 1998, the American Film Institute has assembled juries of film community leaders and polled them for a series of top 100 lists. Two of the lists from the series, AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies from 1998 and AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) from 2007, identified Citizen Kane as the best American film ever. In other years, AFI's jury members selected Some Like It Hot the greatest American comedy, Psycho as the most thrilling American movie, Casablanca as the greatest American love story, Singin' in the Rain as the greatest American film musical, and It's a Wonderful Life as the most inspiring American film.[68]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Lieblings Filme
  2. ^ Total Film Who is the Greatest?
  3. ^ Władysław Jewsiewicki: "Kronika kinematografii światowej 1895-1964", Warsaw 1967, no ISBN, page 129 (in Polish)
  4. ^ IMDb Top 250
  5. ^ IMDb Top 250
  6. ^ Filmsite.org posting about Entertainment Weekly's book
  7. ^ Filmsite.org posting about Time out reader's poll
  8. ^ 50 Greatest Movies from TV Guide
  9. ^ Magische Filmmomente Top 100 Filme anno 2000 News & Specials.Alle Specials
  10. ^ presseportal.de (german)
  11. ^ boxofficemojo user grades
  12. ^ It was also voted number one on the Australian Program '20 to 1' "Magnificent Movies". Greatest.Empireonline.com
  13. ^ Total Film Presents the Top 100 Movies of All Time
  14. ^ A. S. Byatt (2005-04-16). "Sweet little mystery". Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2008-02-06. Tale of Tales has been called the greatest animated film ever. But what does it mean?
  15. ^ Malpas, Anna (2005-04-08). "Teller of Tales". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 2008-02-06. Some people consider Yury Norshtein the greatest animator in history
  16. ^ Top 100 Animated Features of All Time at the Online Film Critics Society website.
  17. ^ Beck, Jerry (ed.) (1994). The 50 Greatest Cartoons: As Selected by 1,000 Animation Professionals. Atlanta: Turner Publishing.
  18. ^ "Life of Brian tops comedy poll". BBC News. 29 September 2000. Retrieved 2007-04-03. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Life of Brian named best comedy
  20. ^ The last laugh: your favourite 50 | Features | guardian.co.uk Film
  21. ^ "AFI's 10 Top 10". American Film Institute. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-06-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Movie: The Last Wltz
  23. ^ The Last Waltz - Total Film
  24. ^ Allmovie: The LasztlaW t
  25. ^ Poseidon Adventure tops film poll
  26. ^ Documentary.com
  27. ^ The 50 best high school movies: No. 1 | The Breakfast Club | Movie Commentary | News | Entertainment Weekly
  28. ^ Total Film - Shock Horror!
  29. ^ 50 Greatest Independent Films From Empire
  30. ^ 25 Best Musicals
  31. ^ West Side Story Tops Best Movie Musical
  32. ^ Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's favourite film propagandist, dies at 101 | World news | The Guardian
  33. ^ IGN: Top 25 Thrillers of All-Time
  34. ^ ""2001: A Space Odyssey Named the Greatest Sci-Fi Film of All Time By the Online Film Critics Society"". Online Film Critics Society. Retrieved 2006-12-15.
  35. ^ Scientists vote Blade Runner best sci-fi film of all time
  36. ^ ET named top Sci-Fi Movie
  37. ^ IGN: Best & Worst Comic-Book Movies
  38. ^ Top 10 Comic Book Movies - MSN Movies News
  39. ^ The Fantastic 10 - Behind the Screens
  40. ^ Best Movies Based on Comic Books: Film Fixation - Moviefone
  41. ^ Comix Worst to Best
  42. ^ "The 20 Greatest Comic Book Movies". Empireonline.com. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  43. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes Best Sports Films". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  44. ^ "MovieFone's Top 25 Sports Films". movies.aol.com. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  45. ^ "Best War Movies of All Time". Aol.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  46. ^ "Top 10 War Movies MSN Movies". Msn.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  47. ^ "100 Greatest War Films". Channel4.com. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  48. ^ Hanging Rock
  49. ^ Tose, Juliano. "contracampo - revista de cinema" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  50. ^ Playback :: Egoyan tops Canada's all-time best movies list
  51. ^ Jensen, Bo Green, De 25 bedste danske film, Rosinante, 2002
  52. ^ Sørensen, Sola Kruchov, [Det er en syg høne, der har lagt det æg], Ekstra Bladet, August 3 2007
  53. ^ http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Tuntematon+sotilas+on+lukijoiden+mielest%C3%A4+yh%C3%A4+paras/1135227575816
  54. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048752/
  55. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4757941.stm
  56. ^ http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article716054.ece
  57. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472566/
  58. ^ http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0098437/
  59. ^ Herzog Nosferatu
  60. ^ Peter Bradshaw pays tribute to Tokyo Story | Features | guardian.co.uk Film
  61. ^ FILM2.0 :: Feature
  62. ^ "TheyShootPictures.com". 2007-08-07.
  63. ^ "Norsk film i 100". 2005-10-23.
  64. ^ BFI | Features | The BFI 100 | 1-10
  65. ^ Stars vote Lawrence of Arabia the best British film of all time - Telegraph
  66. ^ Python's Grail 'best Brit film'. BBC News (2004-2-12)
  67. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film | Get Carter tops British film poll
  68. ^ AFI told their jury to consider "Movies that inspire with characters of vision and conviction who face adversity and often make a personal sacrifice for the greater good. Whether these movies end happily or not, they are ultimately triumphant—both filling audiences with hope and empowering them with the spirit of human potential.
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