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*''[[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.
*''[[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>
*''[[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>
*''[[Wavelength (1967 film)]]'': the highest ranking Canadian film on [They Shoot Pictures|http://www.theyshootpictures.com/] ranking at #297<ref>http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_countryREST.htm</ref> and only Canadian film on the [[Village voice]]'s "100 Best Films of the 20th Century" ranking at #85<ref>http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html</ref>.


===China===
===China===

Revision as of 03:12, 31 August 2008

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.


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[27], 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. .[32]

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'.[36]
  • Ghost World (2001) topped MSN Movies' list of the 'Top 10 Comic Book Movies'[37] and Fandango's 'The Fantastic 10: The Top Comic Book Movies of All Time'[38]
  • Sin City (2005) placed first on AOL's list of the 'Best Films Based on Comic Books'[39]
  • Spider-Man 2 (2004) was selected the number one comic-to-cinema adaption in a poll of critics at rottentomatoes.com.[40] 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.[41]

Sport

War

Western

Countries

Australia

Belgium

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[48] 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

China

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.[52]
  • 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.[53]

Egypt

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.[54] IMDb user rating: 7.8/10 (2,986 votes) on August 3, 2008.[55]
  • 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.[56] In the first six months, the film was downloaded ten million times, making it, by some estimates, Finland's most popular film.[57] IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (3,482 votes) on August 3, 2008.[58]
  • 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.[59]

France

Germany

India

Iran

Ireland

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

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.[61] It was also the highest-ranked Japanese film on the Sight and Sound 2002 Critics' Top Ten Poll.

South 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.[62]
  • 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

  • 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

New Zealand

See : Lord of the Rings in the Films acclaimed in audience polls section above.

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.[64]
  • 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

Russia

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

United States

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.[69]

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. ^ Total Film - Shock Horror!
  28. ^ 50 Greatest Independent Films From Empire
  29. ^ 25 Best Musicals
  30. ^ West Side Story Tops Best Movie Musical
  31. ^ Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler's favourite film propagandist, dies at 101 | World news | The Guardian
  32. ^ IGN: Top 25 Thrillers of All-Time
  33. ^ ""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.
  34. ^ Scientists vote Blade Runner best sci-fi film of all time
  35. ^ ET named top Sci-Fi Movie
  36. ^ IGN: Best & Worst Comic-Book Movies
  37. ^ Top 10 Comic Book Movies - MSN Movies News
  38. ^ The Fantastic 10 - Behind the Screens
  39. ^ Best Movies Based on Comic Books: Film Fixation - Moviefone
  40. ^ Comix Worst to Best
  41. ^ "The 20 Greatest Comic Book Movies". Empireonline.com. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
  42. ^ "Rotten Tomatoes Best Sports Films". Rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  43. ^ "MovieFone's Top 25 Sports Films". movies.aol.com. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
  44. ^ "Best War Movies of All Time". Aol.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  45. ^ "Top 10 War Movies MSN Movies". Msn.com. Retrieved 2007-09-13.
  46. ^ "100 Greatest War Films". Channel4.com. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  47. ^ Hanging Rock
  48. ^ Tose, Juliano. "contracampo - revista de cinema" (in Portuguese). Retrieved 2008-02-06. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |month= (help)
  49. ^ Playback :: Egoyan tops Canada's all-time best movies list
  50. ^ http://www.theyshootpictures.com/gf1000_countryREST.htm
  51. ^ http://www.filmsite.org/villvoice.html
  52. ^ Jensen, Bo Green, De 25 bedste danske film, Rosinante, 2002
  53. ^ Sørensen, Sola Kruchov, [Det er en syg høne, der har lagt det æg], Ekstra Bladet, August 3 2007
  54. ^ http://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/artikkeli/Tuntematon+sotilas+on+lukijoiden+mielest%C3%A4+yh%C3%A4+paras/1135227575816
  55. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048752/
  56. ^ http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4757941.stm
  57. ^ http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article716054.ece
  58. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0472566/
  59. ^ http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0098437/
  60. ^ Herzog Nosferatu
  61. ^ Peter Bradshaw pays tribute to Tokyo Story | Features | guardian.co.uk Film
  62. ^ FILM2.0 :: Feature
  63. ^ "TheyShootPictures.com". 2007-08-07.
  64. ^ "Norsk film i 100". 2005-10-23.
  65. ^ BFI | Features | The BFI 100 | 1-10
  66. ^ Stars vote Lawrence of Arabia the best British film of all time - Telegraph
  67. ^ Python's Grail 'best Brit film'. BBC News (2004-2-12)
  68. ^ BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film | Get Carter tops British film poll
  69. ^ 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.