It’s that magical time that comes along every decade when Sight and Sound posts the results of its 100 Greatest Films of All Time poll, so sharpen your tongues and get ready to throw hands at your fellow movie buffs over the outcome. A new movie has been crowned the “greatest film of all time” and its a movie that’s likely totally unknown to non-cinephiles – Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles, which was number 36 on the poll the last time it was done, back in 2012. Notably, this is the first time a movie directed by a woman has topped the top since it began in 1952.
Back in 2012, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo notoriously stole the top spot from Orson Wells’ Citizen Kane, which had topped the poll for 50 years. Now, Vertigo has slipped to number 2, while Citizen Kane is number 3 – still not too shabby. The rest of the top 10 consists of Tokyo Story, In the Mood For Love, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Beau Travail, Mulholland Drive, Man With the Movie Camera, and Singin’ in the Rain.
The Greatest Films poll is voted on by critics, but on a separate director’s poll for Sight and Sound, Stanley Kubrick’s 2001 was named the greatest film ever, with Citizen Kane, The Godfather, Tokyo Story, and Jeanne Dielman rounding out the top 5.
As far as the newest additions to the critics poll go, 2019’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire comes in at number 30, Moonlight by Barry Jenkins is in at 60, Parasite is one of the many films tying for the 90th spot, while Get Out is in the tie for 95. The way the poll works, 100 films are listed, but as there are so many ties, the list ends at 95.
While it’s really just an arbitrary list at the end of the day, the Sight and Sound list is generally considered the most prestigious “greatest films” list to be part of. Certainly, film academics will be having a field day with the fact that yet another movie has taken the top spot. The next poll should happen in 2032, at which time, of course, Cocaine Bear will almost certainly take the top spot.
What do you think of the Sight and Sound poll? Let us know in the comments!
The Sight and Sound poll for 2022 will stir the pot among film enthusiasts whose ability to become vocal about the medium has advanced with the rise of social media. Nowadays, professionals and self-appointed critics can rant and rave about movies via various platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube. Granted, most of the platforms mentioned above existed in 2012—still, the saturation and reach of today’s tech stretch beyond what was available a decade ago.
What do you think about Sight and Sound‘s 2022 poll for the 100 Greatest Films of All Time? Are the new additions worthy of being in the Top 100? Should some of the movies returning to the list have gotten the boot? Please let us know what you think in the comments.