![Citizen-Kane-Welles-Podium](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/34/Citizen-Kane-Welles-Podium.jpg)
This is a list of films considered the best in national and international
surveys of
critics and the public.
Some surveys focus on all films, while others focus on a particular genre or country.
Voting systems differ, and some surveys suffer from biases such as
self-selection or skewed
demographics, while others may be susceptible to forms of interference such as
vote stacking.
Critics and filmmakers
''Sight and Sound''
![Vertigo 1958 trailer Kim Novak at Golden Gate Bridge Fort Point](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e5/Vertigo_1958_trailer_Kim_Novak_at_Golden_Gate_Bridge_Fort_Point.jpg)
Every decade, starting in 1952, the British film magazine ''Sight and Sound'' asks an international group of film critics to vote for the greatest film of all time. Since 1992, they have invited directors to vote in a separate poll. Sixty-three critics participated in 1952, 70 critics in 1962, 89 critics in 1972, 122 critics in 1982, 132 critics and 101 directors in 1992, 145 critics and 108 directors in 2002, 846 critics and 358 directors in 2012, and 1639 critics and 480 directors in 2022.
[ The ''Sight and Sound'' Poll of the Greatest Films of All Time
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
* ]
This poll is regarded as one of the most important "greatest ever film" lists. American critic
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert (; June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American film critic, film historian, journalist, screenwriter, and author. He was a film critic for the ''Chicago Sun-Times'' from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, Ebert beca ...
described it as "by far the most respected of the countless polls of great movies—the only one most serious movie people take seriously."
* ''
Bicycle Thieves'' (1948) topped the first poll in 1952 with 25 votes.
* ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941) stood at number 1 for five consecutive polls, with 22 votes in 1962, 32 votes in 1972, 45 votes in 1982, 43 votes in 1992, and 46 votes in 2002. It also topped the first two directors' polls, with 30 votes in 1992 and 42 votes in 2002.
* ''
Vertigo'' (1958) topped
the critics' poll in 2012 with 191 votes, dethroning ''Citizen Kane''.
* ''
Tokyo Story
is a 1953 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama about an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children. Upon release, it did not immediately gain international recogniti ...
'' (1953) topped the directors' poll in 2012 with 48 votes, also dethroning ''Citizen Kane''.
* ''
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
''Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles'' (, "Jeanne Dielman, 23 Commerce Quay, 1080 Brussels") is a 1975 drama film written and directed by Belgian filmmaker Chantal Akerman. It was filmed over five weeks on location in Brussels, ...
'' (1975) topped the critics' poll in 2022.
*
''2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) topped the directors' poll in 2022.
Other polls
![Eiganotomo-thesevensamurai-dec1953](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f4/Eiganotomo-thesevensamurai-dec1953.jpg)
*''
Battleship Potemkin
'' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent
drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...
'' (1925) was ranked number 1 with 32 votes when the Festival Mondial du Film et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique asked 63 film professionals around the world, mostly directors, to vote for the best films of the half-century in 1951.
It was also ranked number 1 when the
Brussels World's Fair polled 117 experts from 26 countries in 1958.
* ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941) was ranked number 1 with 48 votes when French film magazine ''
Cahiers du cinéma
''Cahiers du Cinéma'' (, ) is a French film magazine co-founded in 1951 by André Bazin, Jacques Doniol-Valcroze, and Joseph-Marie Lo Duca.Itzkoff, Dave (9 February 2009''Cahiers Du Cinéma Will Continue to Publish''The New York TimesMacnab, Ge ...
'' asked 78 French critics and historians to vote for the best films in 2007. It was also ranked number 1 with 48 votes when Chinese website Cinephilia.net asked 135 Chinese-speaking critics, scholars, curators, and cultural workers to vote for the best films in 2012. It was ranked number 1 with 49 votes when Spanish film magazine ' asked 150 Spanish film experts to vote for the best films in 1999.
* ''
Seven Samurai
is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...
'' (1954) was voted the greatest foreign-language (non-English) film in
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
's 2018 poll of 209 critics in 43 countries.
*
''Vertigo'' (1958) was ranked number 1 with 39 votes when German film magazine ' asked 174 critics and filmmakers to vote for their favorite films in 2007. It was also ranked number 1 with 25 votes when Iranian film magazine ''
Film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
'' asked 92 Iranian critics to vote for the best films in 2009.
It topped also the ''
Télérama
''Télérama'' is a weekly French cultural and television magazine published in Paris, France. The name is a contraction of its earlier title: ''Télévision-Radio-Cinéma''. Fabienne Pascaud is currently managing editor. Ludovic Desautez is dep ...
'' poll in 2018.
*''
8½
' (Italian title: , ) is a 1963 surrealist comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano and Brunello Rondi) by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. The metafictional narrative centers on Guido Anselmi, played by Ma ...
'' (1963) was voted the best foreign (i.e. non-Swedish) sound film with 21 votes in a 1964 poll of 50 Swedish film professionals organized by Swedish film magazine '.
It was also ranked number 1 when the asked 279 Polish film professionals (filmmakers, critics, and professors) to vote for the best films in 2015.
[*
*
*]
*''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' (1972) was ranked number 1 when Japanese film magazine ''
Kinema Junpo'' asked 114 Japanese critics and film professionals to vote for the best foreign (i.e. non-Japanese) films in 2009.
It was also voted the greatest film in a ''
Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' poll of 2120 industry members, including every studio, agency, publicity firm and production house in Hollywood in 2014.
*''
Boyz n the Hood
''Boyz n the Hood'' is a 1991 American coming-of-age hood drama film written and directed by John Singleton in his feature directorial debut. It stars Cuba Gooding Jr., Morris Chestnut, Ice Cube, Laurence Fishburne, Nia Long, Regina King, and An ...
'' (1991) topped the "Top Black Films of All Times" poll from the November 1998 edition of ''
Ebony'' magazine.
*''
The Piano'' (1993) was voted the best film made by a
female director in a 2019
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
poll of 368 film experts from 84 countries.
Audience polls
![Godfather puppetmaster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/Godfather_puppetmaster.jpg)
* ''
Gone with the Wind'' (1939) was voted the favorite film of Americans in a poll of 2,279 adults taken by
Harris Interactive in 2008,
and again in a follow-up poll of 2,276 adults in 2014.
* ''
Roman Holiday
''Roman Holiday'' is a 1953 American romantic comedy film directed and produced by William Wyler. It stars Audrey Hepburn as a princess out to see Rome on her own and Gregory Peck as a reporter. Hepburn won an Academy Award for Best Actress f ...
'' (1953) was voted the best foreign (i.e. non-Japanese) film of all time in a 1990 poll of about a million people organized by Japanese public broadcaster
NHK.
* ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' (1972) was voted number 1 by ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...
''s readers in 1999 and voted as number 1 in a ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
'' readers' poll in 1998. The film was voted the "Greatest Movie of All Time" in September 2008 by 10,000 readers of ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' magazine, 150 people from the movie business, and 50 film critics. It also topped ''Empire''s June 2017 poll of 20,000 readers.
* ''
The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) was voted the best film of all time by over 250,000 readers of the ''Empire'' film magazine in 2015.
* ''
The Shawshank Redemption'' (1994) was voted the greatest film of all time by ''Empire'' readers in "The 201 Greatest Movies of All Time" poll taken in March 2006.
*
''Titanic'' (1997) was voted the greatest hit of all time in a poll of 6,000 movie fans conducted by English-language newspaper ''
China Daily
''China Daily'' () is an English-language daily newspaper owned by the Central Propaganda Department of the Chinese Communist Party.
Overview
''China Daily'' has the widest print circulation of any English-language newspaper in China. T ...
'' in March 2008.
*
''Shiri'' (1999) was voted the favorite film of Koreans with 11,918 votes in a 2002 online poll of 54,013 people conducted by Korean movie channel
Orion Cinema Network
OCN (originally an initialism of the Orion Cinema Network) is a movie channel on basic cable throughout South Korea, owned by CJ ENM
CJ ENM (, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in ...
.
[*
* ]
*
The ''Lord of the Rings'' trilogy (2001–2003) was voted the favorite film of Australians in an audience poll for the Australian television special ''
My Favourite Film
{{Italic title
''My Favourite Film'' was a television special broadcast on the ABC on 4 December 2005. After public voting took place on the show's website, the special listed the top ten most popular films as chosen by voters, and these films wer ...
'' in 2005. It was also voted the best film in a poll of 120,000 German voters for the TV special ''Die besten Filme aller Zeiten'' ("The best films of all time") in 2004.
Genres or media
Action
* ''
Mad Max 2
''Mad Max 2'' (released as ''The Road Warrior'' in the United States) is a 1981 Australian post-apocalyptic action film directed by George Miller. It is the second installment in the ''Mad Max'' franchise, with Mel Gibson reprising his role a ...
'' (1981) was voted the greatest
action film
Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...
of all time in a readers' poll by American magazine ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' in 2015.
* ''
Die Hard
''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...
'' (1988) was voted the best action film of all time with 21 votes in a 2014 poll of 50 directors, actors, critics, and experts conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
New York''.
Animation (shorts and features)
![Toy Story logo](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Toy_Story_logo.svg)
* ''
Pinocchio'' (1940) was voted the best
animated movie
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most anima ...
ever made in a 2014 poll of animators, filmmakers, critics, journalists, and experts conducted by ''Time Out''.
* ''
What's Opera, Doc?'' (1957), a
Bugs Bunny
Bugs Bunny is an animated cartoon character created in the late 1930s by Leon Schlesinger Productions (later Warner Bros. Cartoons) and voiced originally by Mel Blanc. Bugs is best known for his starring roles in the '' Looney Tunes'' and '' ...
cartoon, was selected as the greatest animated short film of all time by 1,000 animation professionals in the 1994 book ''
The 50 Greatest Cartoons''.
* ''
Hedgehog in the Fog'' (1975) was ranked number 1 in a poll at the 2003 Laputa Animation Festival where 140 animators from around the world voted for the best animated films of all time.
* ''
Tale of Tales'' (1979) was ranked number 1 with 17 votes in a poll at the Olympiad of Animation in 1984 where an international panel of 35 journalists, scholars, festival directors, and animation programmers voted for the best animated films.
It was also ranked number 1 in a poll organized by the
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
animation magazine ''Dope Sheet'' in 1997, as well as a poll organized by the
Zagreb International Animation Festival, which announced the results in 2002.
* ''
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind may refer to
* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (manga), ''Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind'' (manga), a manga series by Hayao Miyazaki
* Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film), ''Nausicaä of the Valle ...
'' (1984) was the highest-ranking film in a 2006 poll of the greatest animations conducted at the
Japan Media Arts Festival, voted by 80,000 attendees.
* ''
Castle in the Sky
, titled ''Laputa: Castle in the Sky'' for release in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, is a 1986 Japanese animated fantasy adventure film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The first film produced by Studio Ghibli, ...
'' (1986) was voted first place in a 2008 animation audience poll conducted by
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in Nov ...
in Japan.
* ''
Toy Story'' (1995) was voted number 1 on the "Top 100 Animated Features of All Time" list by the
Online Film Critics Society (published March 2003). Voters chose from a reminder list of more than 350 films. It also topped a poll of 4000 film fans for "greatest animated film of all time" in 2009, when it was
re-released in 3D.
Christmas
* ''
It's a Wonderful Life'' (1946) was voted the greatest
Christmas film
Christmas themes have long been an inspiration to artists and writers. A prominent aspect of Christian media, the topic first appeared in in literature and Christmas music. Filmmakers have picked up on this wealth of material, with both adaptatio ...
by an audience poll conducted by
Axios and
SurveyMonkey in 2018.
* ''
Die Hard
''Die Hard'' is a 1988 American action film directed by John McTiernan, with a screenplay by Jeb Stuart and Steven E. de Souza. Based on the 1979 novel '' Nothing Lasts Forever'', by Roderick Thorp, it stars Bruce Willis, Alan Rickman, Ale ...
'' (1988) was voted the greatest Christmas movie by British film magazine ''
Empire
An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...
'' readers in 2015.
Comedy
![Some like it hot film poster](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Some_like_it_hot_film_poster.jpg)
* ''
Some Like It Hot
''Some Like It Hot'' is a 1959 American crime comedy film directed, produced and co-written by Billy Wilder. It stars Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon, with George Raft, Pat O'Brien, Joe E. Brown, Joan Shawlee, Grace Lee Whitney and N ...
'' (1959) was voted the best
comedy film
A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...
of all time in a poll of 253 film critics from 52 countries conducted by the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
in 2017.
* ''
Blazing Saddles
''Blazing Saddles'' is a 1974 American satirical western black comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, who also wrote the screenplay with Andrew Bergman, Richard Pryor, Norman Steinberg, and Alan Uger. The film stars Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder. ...
'' (1974) was voted the funniest movie of all time in a 2014 readers' poll by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine''.''
* ''
Monty Python's Life of Brian
''Monty Python's Life of Brian'' (also known as ''Life of Brian'') is a 1979 British comedy film starring and written by the comedy group Monty Python (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin). It wa ...
'' (1979) was voted the greatest comedy of all time in a poll of over 22,000 people conducted by the British TV network
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
in 2006. It was also voted the greatest comedy film in polls conducted by British film magazine ''
Total Film'' in 2000, and British newspaper ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' in 2007.
* ''
This Is Spinal Tap
''This Is Spinal Tap'' (also known as ''This Is Spınal Tap: A Rockumentary by Martin Di Bergi'') is a 1984 American mockumentary film co-written and directed by Rob Reiner (in his feature directorial debut). The film stars Christopher Guest, M ...
'' (1984) was voted the best comedy movie of all time in a poll of over 70 stand-up comedians, actors, writers, and directors conducted by ''Time Out London'' in 2016.
Disaster
* ''
The Poseidon Adventure'' (1972) was voted best
disaster movie in a poll of 500 members of the
UCI Cinemas staff in May 2004.
Documentary
![Man with a movie camera 1929 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f6/Man_with_a_movie_camera_1929_2.png)
* ''
Man with a Movie Camera'' (1929) was voted the greatest
documentary film
A documentary film or documentary is a non-fictional film, motion-picture intended to "document reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". Bill Nichols (film critic), Bil ...
of all time with 125 votes (100 critics and 25 filmmakers) in a
2014 ''Sight and Sound'' poll of 238 critics, curators, and academics (including many documentary specialists) and 103 filmmakers.
* ''
Hoop Dreams'' (1994) was ranked as the greatest documentary of all time by the
International Documentary Association
International Documentary Association (IDA), founded in 1982, is a non-profit 501(c)(3) that promotes nonfiction filmmakers, and is dedicated to increasing public awareness for the documentary genre. Their major program areas are: Advocacy, Filmm ...
(IDA) in 2007. Voters selected from a list of over 700 films.
* ''
Bowling for Columbine'' (2002) heads the list of 20 all-time favorite non-fiction films selected by members of the IDA in 2002.
Fantasy
* ''
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring'' (2001) was voted the greatest
fantasy movie of all time in a reader's poll conducted by American magazine ''
Wired'' in 2012, with its sequels ''
The Two Towers'' (2002) and ''
The Return of the King'' (2003) placing fourth and third respectively.
Horror
* ''
The Exorcist
''The Exorcist'' is a 1973 American supernatural horror film directed by William Friedkin and written for the screen by William Peter Blatty, based on his 1971 novel of the same name. It stars Ellen Burstyn, Max von Sydow, Lee J. Cobb, Kitty W ...
'' (1973) was voted the best
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
of all time with 53 votes in a 2012 poll of 150 experts conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
London''. It was also voted the best horror film with 67 votes in a 2015 poll of 104 horror professionals conducted by ''
HitFix'', and topped a readers' poll by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2014.
* ''
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
''The Texas Chain Saw Massacre'' is a 1974 American horror film produced and directed by Tobe Hooper from a story and screenplay by Hooper and Kim Henkel. It stars Marilyn Burns, Paul A. Partain, Edwin Neal, Jim Siedow and Gunnar Hansen, w ...
'' (1974) was ranked number 1 on British film magazine ''
Total Film''s 2005 list of the greatest horror films. In 2010 it was voted into first place in an additional ''Total Film'' poll of leading directors and stars of horror films.
LGBT
*''
Brokeback Mountain
''Brokeback Mountain'' is a 2005 American neo-Western romantic drama film directed by Ang Lee and produced by Diana Ossana and James Schamus. Adapted from the 1997 short story of the same name by Annie Proulx, the screenplay was written by O ...
'' (2005) was ranked as the top
LGBT film
This article lists lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender-related films involving participation and/or representation of LGBT. The list includes films that deal with or feature significant LGBT issues or characters. These films may involve LGBT ...
in a 2016 poll of 28 directors, actors, and screenwriters, conducted by ''
Time Out London
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition becam ...
''.
*''
Carol'' (2015) was ranked as the top LGBT film in a 2016 poll of more than 100 critics, filmmakers, programmers, writers, curators, and academics conducted by the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
.
Musical
* ''
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
'' (1961) was chosen as the best
screen musical by readers of British newspaper ''
The Observer
''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...
'' in a 2007 poll.
* ''
The Rocky Horror Picture Show
''The Rocky Horror Picture Show'' is a 1975 musical comedy horror film by 20th Century Fox, produced by Lou Adler and Michael White and directed by Jim Sharman. The screenplay was written by Sharman and actor Richard O'Brien, who is also ...
'' (1975) was voted the best movie musical by readers of ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' in a 2017 poll.
Romance
*
''Casablanca'' (1942) was voted the best
romance film
Romance films or movies involve romantic love stories recorded in visual media for broadcast in theatres or on television that focus on passion, emotion, and the affectionate romantic involvement of the main characters. Typically their journey ...
of all time with 56 votes in a 1996 poll of 100 experts organized by Spanish film magazine '.
* ''
Brief Encounter'' (1945) was voted the best romance film of all time with 25 votes in a 2013 poll of 101 experts conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
London''.
*
''Titanic'' (1997) was voted the most romantic film of all time in a poll conducted by
Fandango in February 2011.
Science fiction
* ''
2001: A Space Odyssey'' (1968) was voted the best
science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstellar ...
of all time with 73 votes in a 2014 poll of 136 science fiction experts, filmmakers, science fiction writers, film critics, and scientists conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
London''. It was voted the best science fiction film of all time by 115 members of the
Online Film Critics Society in 2002. It topped a readers' poll conducted by ''Rolling Stone'' magazine in 2014.
* ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'' (1982) was voted the best science fiction film by a panel of 56 scientists assembled by the British newspaper ''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' in 2004. In British magazine ''
New Scientist
''New Scientist'' is a magazine covering all aspects of science and technology. Based in London, it publishes weekly English-language editions in the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. An editorially separate organisation publishe ...
'', ''Blade Runner'' was voted "all-time favourite science fiction film" in the readers' poll in 2008, with 12 percent of thousands of votes. It topped a 2011 poll by ''
Total Film'' magazine.
* ''
Serenity
Serenity may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Serenity'' (2019 film), a thriller starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Diane Lane
* Sailor Moon (character), also known as Princess Serenity and Neo-Queen Serenity, in the ' ...
'' (2005) was voted the best science fiction movie in a 2007 poll of 3,000 people conducted by ''
SFX
SFX may refer to:
Entertainment
* Special effects (usually visual), illusions used in film, television, and entertainment
* Sound effects, sounds that are artificially created or enhanced
* SFX (magazine), ''SFX'' (magazine), a British magazine c ...
'' magazine.
Silent
* ''
Battleship Potemkin
'' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent
drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...
'' (1925) was voted the best
silent film
A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...
with 32 votes in a 1964 poll of 50 Swedish film professionals organized by Swedish film magazine '.
Sports
* ''
Rocky
''Rocky'' is a 1976 American sports drama film directed by John G. Avildsen and written by and starring Sylvester Stallone. It is the first installment in the ''Rocky'' franchise and stars Talia Shire, Burt Young, Carl Weathers, and Burgess M ...
'' (1976) topped British website
Digital Spy
Digital Spy (DS) is a British-based entertainment, television and film website and brand and is the largest digital property at Hearst UK. Since its launch in 1999, Digital Spy has focused on entertainment news related to television programmes, ...
's "greatest ever
sports movie
A sports film is a film genre in which any particular sport plays a prominent role in the film's plot or acts as its central theme. It is a production in which a sport, sporting event, athlete (and their sport), or follower of sport (and the spor ...
" online poll in 2012, with 18.7% of the votes. Voters chose from a list of 25 films. It was also voted the best sports movie of all time in a 2020 poll organized by
The Athletic
''The Athletic'' is a subscription-based sports website that provides national and local coverage in 47 North American cities as well as the United Kingdom. ''The Athletic'' also covers national stories from top professional and college sports ...
. They asked 120 panelists to nominate their favorite sports movies, and then to rate each nomination from 1 to 100. Movies with at least 10 ratings qualified for the final list. ''Rocky'' had the highest average rating, 91.04.
Superhero
*''
Superman
Superman is a superhero who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character was created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, and debuted in the comic book ''Action Comics'' #1 (cover-dated June 1938 and publi ...
'' (1978) was voted the greatest
superhero movie
''Superhero Movie'' is a 2008 American superhero parody film written and directed by Craig Mazin, produced by Robert K. Weiss and David Zucker, and starring Drake Bell, Sara Paxton, Christopher McDonald, and Leslie Nielsen. It was originally tit ...
in a poll of 1000 British adults conducted by
Virgin Media
Virgin Media is a British telecommunications company which provides telephone, Cable television, television and Internet access, internet services in the United Kingdom. Its headquarters are at Green Park in Reading, Berkshire, Reading, Engla ...
in 2018.
*''
The Dark Knight'' (2008) was voted the greatest superhero movie in a reader's poll conducted by American magazine ''
Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...
'' in 2014.
Time travel
* ''
Back to the Future'' (1985) was the most cited film in a 2012 poll, when
IndieWire
IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Hollyw ...
asked 53 critics "What is the best time travel movie ever made?"
War
* ''
Saving Private Ryan'' (1998) was voted as the greatest
war film in a 2008
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...
poll of the 100 greatest war films.
Western
*
''Stagecoach'' (1939) was voted the best
western film of all time with 54 votes in a 1996 poll of 100 experts organized by Spanish film magazine '.
* ''
Johnny Guitar'' (1954) was the most cited film in the "Ten Best Westerns" lists of 27 French critics in ''Le Western''.
National polls
Argentina
* ''
Prisioneros de la tierra
''Prisoners of the Earth'', also known as ''Prisoners of the Land'', (Spanish: ''Prisioneros de la tierra'') is a 1939 Argentine drama film directed by Mario Soffici. The film premiered in Buenos Aires. The film is often cited as one of the great ...
'' was voted as the greatest Argentine film of all time in two polls carried out by the
Museo del Cine Pablo Ducros Hicken Museo may refer to:
* Museo, 2018 Mexican drama heist film
*Museo (Naples Metro)
Museo is a station on line 1 of the Naples Metro. It was opened on 5 April 2001 as the eastern terminus of the section of the line between Vanvitelli and Museo. O ...
in 1977 and 1984.
* ''
Crónica de un niño solo
''Chronicle of a Boy Alone'' ( es, Crónica de un niño solo), also known as ''Chronicle of a Lonely Child'', is a 1965 Argentine film directed by Leonardo Favio. It won the Silver Condor Award for Best Film.
It was selected as the greatest Ar ...
'' (1965) was voted as the greatest Argentine film of all time in a poll carried out by the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducros Hicken in 2000.
* ''
La Ciénaga'' (2001) was voted as the greatest Argentine film of all time in a 2022 poll organized by film magazines ''La vida útil'', ''Taipei'' and ''La tierra quema''— inspired by the previous lists by the Museo del Cine Pablo Ducrós Hicken—which was presented at the
Mar del Plata International Film Festival.
Australia
* ''
Picnic at Hanging Rock'' (1975) was voted the best Australian film of all time by members of the Australian Film Institute, industry guilds and unions, film critics and reviewers, academics and media teachers, and Kookaburra Card members of the
National Film and Sound Archive
The National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA), known as ScreenSound Australia from 1999 to 2004, is Australia's audiovisual archive, responsible for developing, preserving, maintaining, promoting and providing access to a national co ...
(NFSA), in a 1996 poll organized by the Victorian Centenary of Cinema Committee and the NFSA.
* ''
The Castle'' (1997) was selected by the public as Australia's favourite film in a 2008 online poll conducted by the
Australian Film Institute
The Australian Film Institute (AFI) was founded in 1958 as a non-profit organisation devoted to developing an active film culture in Australia and fostering engagement between the general public and the Australian film industry. It is responsib ...
, in collaboration with
Australia Post
Australia Post, formally the Australian Postal Corporation, is the government business enterprise that provides postal services in Australia. The head office of Australia Post is located in Bourke Street, Melbourne, which also serves as a post o ...
. The
Adelaide film festival ran a public vote, that again voted it as the greatest Australian film ever in 2018.
*
Bangladesh
* ''
Titash Ekti Nadir Naam
''Titas Ekti Nadir Naam'' ( bn, তিতাস একটি নদীর নাম), or ''A River Called Titas'', is a 1973 film that was a joint production between India and Bangladesh directed by Ritwik Ghatak. The movie was based on a novel ...
'' (1973) topped the list of 10 best Bangladeshi films in the audience and critics' polls conducted by the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
in 2002.
Bosnia and Herzegovina
* ''
Do You Remember Dolly Bell?'' (1981) was voted the best Bosnian film of all time in a 2003 poll of 13 film professionals organized by The National Film Archive of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Brazil
* ''
Limite
''Limite'' (, Portuguese for "limit" or "border") is a film by Brazilian director and writer Mário Peixoto (1908–1992), filmed in 1930 and first screened in 1931.
Cited by some as the greatest of all Brazilian films, this 120-minute, silen ...
'' (1931) is ranked number 1 on the
Brazilian Film Critics Association's list of the top 100 Brazilian films, voted by its 100 members in 2015.
* ''
Black God, White Devil
''Black God, White Devil'' ( pt, Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol; literally, ''God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun'') is a 1964 Brazilian film directed and written by Glauber Rocha. The film stars Othon Bastos, Maurício do Valle, Yoná Magal ...
'' (1964) was voted the best Brazilian film of all time in a 2001 poll of 108 critics and film professionals organized by Brazilian film magazine ''Contracampo''.
* ''
The Red Light Bandit
''The Red Light Bandit'' ( pt, O Bandido da Luz Vermelha) is a 1968 Brazilian crime film directed by Rogério Sganzerla, inspired by the crimes of the real-life burglar João Acácio Pereira da Costa, known as the "Red Light Bandit" (''Bandido ...
'' (1968) was voted the best Brazilian film of all time in a 2011 poll of 102 critics, researchers, and professionals organized by Brazilian film magazine ''Filme Cultura''.
Bulgaria
* ''
Time of Violence'' (1988) – voted as the best Bulgarian movie of all times in an audience poll, organized by the
Bulgarian National Television.
Canada
* ''
Mon oncle Antoine'' (1971) was named first in the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
's
Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time The Top 10 Canadian Films of All Time is a list compiled by the Toronto International Film Festival ranking what are the considered the best Canadian films. The list has been compiled once roughly every 10 years starting in 1984, typically assembl ...
in 1984, 1993 and 2004.
* ''
The Sweet Hereafter'' (1997) was voted the best Canadian film by readers of ''
Playback
Playback or Play Back may refer to:
Film
* ''Playback'' (1962 film), a British film in the ''Edgar Wallace Mysteries'' series
* ''Playback'', a 1996 film starring Shannon Whirry
* ''Playback'' (2012 film), an American horror film by Michael A. N ...
'' in 2002 in an online poll. More than 500 industry respondents participated in the poll.
* ''
Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner'' (2001) was voted the best Canadian film of all time with 94 votes in a 2015 poll of 220 filmmakers, critics, programmers, and academics organized by the
Toronto International Film Festival
The Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF, often stylized as tiff) is one of the largest publicly attended film festivals in the world, attracting over 480,000 people annually. Since its founding in 1976, TIFF has grown to become a permane ...
, dethroning ''Mon oncle Antoine'' which won the previous three polls.
Chile
* ''
Jackal of Nahueltoro
''Jackal of Nahueltoro'' ( es, El Chacal de Nahueltoro) is a 1969 Chilean drama film directed by Miguel Littín, based on the true story of Jorge Valenzuela Torres, a poor farmer who, during a drunken rampage in 1960, murdered his partner and fi ...
'' (1969) was voted the best Chilean film of all time with 57 votes in a 2016 poll of 77 directors, actors, programmers, scholars, journalists, and critics organized by CineChile.
* ''
Julio comienza en julio
''Julio comienza en julio'' ("Julio Begins in July") is a 1979 Chilean coming-of-age period film directed by Silvio Caiozzi and written by Gustavo Frías. It is one of the few Chilean feature films made and released in the first decade of the Pino ...
'' (1979) was chosen in 1999 as the "Best Chilean Film of the Century" in a vote organized by the
Municipality of Santiago.
China
* ''
Spring in a Small Town
''Spring in a Small Town'' is a 1948 black-and-white Chinese film, written by Li Tianji () and directed by Fei Mu, a director known for his empathetic portrayal of women.Daruvala, S. (2007). The aesthetics and moral politics of Fei Mu's Spring in ...
'' (小城之春; 1948) was ranked number 1 on the
Hong Kong Film Award
The Hong Kong Film Awards (HKFA; ), founded in 1982, is an annual film awards ceremony in Hong Kong. The ceremonies are typically in April. The awards recognise achievement in various aspects of filmmaking, such as directing, screenwriting, act ...
s Association's
Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures list in 2005.
It was also voted the best Chinese film of all time with 25 votes in a 2010 poll of 37 critics organized by the
Hong Kong Film Critics Society.
[*
* ]
* ''
Farewell My Concubine'' (霸王别姬; 1993) was voted the best Mainland Chinese film of all time by 88 international film experts in a poll conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
Shanghai'' and ''Time Out Beijing''.
Colombia
* ''
The Strategy of the Snail
''The Strategy of the Snail'' ( es, La estrategia del caracol) is a 1993 Colombian comedy-drama film directed and produced by Colombian filmmaker and director Sergio Cabrera. The film stars Frank Ramírez, Florina Lemaitre, Humberto Dorado, Faus ...
'' (1993) was voted the best Colombian film of all time with 38 votes in a 2015 poll of 65 critics and journalists organized by Colombian magazine ''
Semana''.
Croatia
* ''
Tko pjeva zlo ne misli'' (''One Who Sings Means No Harm'', 1970) was voted the best Croatian film of all time by 44 Croatian film critics in 1999, in a poll organized by the Croatian magazine ''Hollywood''. It was also voted the best Croatian film by ''Hollywood''s readers.
*''
H-8'' (1958) was voted the best Croatian feature film of all time by 38 Croatian film critics and scholars in a 2020 poll.
Cuba
* ''
Memories of Underdevelopment
''Memories of Underdevelopment'' ( es, Memorias del Subdesarrollo) is a 1968 Cuban drama film written and directed by Tomás Gutiérrez Alea. The story is based on a novel by Edmundo Desnoes entitled ''Inconsolable Memories'' (''Memorias del Subde ...
'' (1968) was voted the best Latin American film of all time with 30 votes in a 1999 poll of 36 critics and film specialists from 11 countries organized by critics Carlos Galiano and Rufo Caballero. It was also voted the best
Ibero-American film of all time in a 2009 poll of more than 500 film professionals, critics, journalists, festival organizers, and fans around the world organized by Spanish magazine ''Noticine''.
Czech Republic
* ''
Christian
Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
'' (1939) was voted best Czech film of all time in a poll held by Media Desk and ''Týden'' magazine in 2010.
* ''
Marketa Lazarova'' (1967) was voted the best Czech film of all time by Czech journalists during the
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival ( cs, Mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary) is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival is one of the oldest in the world and has become ...
in 1994. It also topped 1998 poll of Czech and Slovak film critics and publicists during the 1998 Karlovy Vary International Film Festival.
* ''
The Firemen's Ball
''The Firemen's Ball'' (or ''The Fireman's Ball''; cs, Hoří, má panenko - "Fire, my lady") is a 1967 comedy film directed by Miloš Forman. It is set at the annual ball of a small town's volunteer fire department, and the plot portrays a ser ...
'' (1967) was voted the best Czech film in a 2018 poll of 20 Czech historians, theorists and critics.
* ''
The Cremator
''The Cremator'' ( cs, Spalovač mrtvol) is a 1969 Czechoslovak dark comedy horror film directed by Juraj Herz, based on a novel by Ladislav Fuks. The screenplay was written by Herz and Fuks. The film was selected as the Czechoslovakian entry for ...
'' (1969) was voted the best Czech film by public in a 2018 poll, ''Kánon 100''.
* ''
Cosy Dens
''Cosy Dens'' ( cz, Pelíšky) is a 1999 Czech film directed by Jan Hřebejk. It is loosely based on the novel '' Hovno Hoří'' (Czech: "Flaming Feces") by Petr Šabach. It was voted the best Czech film by ''Reflex'' magazine in 2011.
Plot su ...
'' (1999) was voted the best Czech film with 622 votes in a readers' poll by ''Reflex'' magazine in 2011.
''See also
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
, below.''
Czechoslovakia
''See also
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...
, and
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
below''.
* ''
Marketa Lazarova'' (1967) was voted the best Czech-Slovak film of all-time in a 1998 poll of 55 Czech and Slovak film critics and publicists, receiving 41 votes.
[
* ]
* ''
The Firemen's Ball
''The Firemen's Ball'' (or ''The Fireman's Ball''; cs, Hoří, má panenko - "Fire, my lady") is a 1967 comedy film directed by Miloš Forman. It is set at the annual ball of a small town's volunteer fire department, and the plot portrays a ser ...
'' (1967) was voted the best Czech-Slovak film of all time with 33 votes in a 2007 poll of 53 experts (mostly from the Czech Republic, but also from Slovakia and Poland) titled "Filmové dědictví česko-slovenské kinematografie".
* ''
The Elementary School
''The Elementary School'' ( cs, Obecná škola) is a 1991 Czechoslovak comedy-drama film directed by Jan Svěrák. The screenplay comes from the pen of his father Zdeněk Svěrák. The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign L ...
'' (1991) was voted the best Czech-Slovak film with 192 votes in a 2007 public poll of "Filmové dědictví česko-slovenské kinematografie".
Egypt
* ''
The Night of Counting the Years'' (1969) was voted the best Arab film of all time (i.e. the best film made in an
Arab country
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
) in a 2013 poll of 475 film critics, writers, novelists, academics, and other arts professionals organized by the
Dubai International Film Festival.
Estonia
* ''
Kevade
''Spring'' ( et, Kevade) is a 1969 Estonian film directed by Arvo Kruusement and is a film adaptation of Oskar Luts' popular novel of the same name. The movie placed first place in the Estonian feature films top ten poll held in 2002 by Estonian ...
'' (''Spring'', 1969) received first place in the Estonian feature films Top Ten Poll in 2002 held by Estonian film critics and journalists.
* ''
Autumn Ball
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September (Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Southe ...
'' (2007) was voted the best Estonian film of all time with 29 votes in a 2011 poll of 33 film writers and film scholars organized by the Estonian Association of Film Journalists.
Finland
* ''
The Unknown Soldier'' (1955) was voted the best Finnish movie by 1213 respondents in an Internet poll by ''
Helsingin Sanomat
''Helsingin Sanomat'', abbreviated ''HS'' and colloquially known as , is the largest subscription newspaper in Finland and the Nordic countries, owned by Sanoma. Except after certain holidays, it is published daily. Its name derives from that of ...
'' in 2007.
* ''
Inspector Palmu's Mistake'' (1960) was chosen as the best Finnish fictional movie of all time in a poll of 48 critics by
Yle
Yleisradio Oy (Finnish, literally "General Radio Ltd." or "General Broadcast Ltd."; abbr. Yle ; sv, Rundradion Ab, italics=no), translated to English as the Finnish Broadcasting Company, is Finland's national public broadcasting company, founde ...
in 2012.
France
* ''
The Rules of the Game'' (1939) was voted the best French film of all time with 15 votes in a 2012 poll of 85 film professionals conducted by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
Paris''. It was voted the best European film of all time with 56 votes (tied with the German film ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'') in a 1994 poll of 70 critics and film historians organized by
Cinemateca Portuguesa
Cinemateca Portuguesa is a film archive located in Lisbon. It was established in 1948.
The Cinemateca Portuguesa provides film festivals, film screenings, presentations, a museum exhibition, a bookshop, and a restaurant. It is located in Rua Bar ...
.
Georgia
* ''
Eliso
''Eliso'' is a 1928 Soviet silent adventure film directed by Nikoloz Shengelaia and loosely based on the short story by Alexander Kazbegi. It was made in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic.
It was released in the United States in 1929 by Am ...
'' (1928) was voted the best Georgian film of all time in a critic poll organized by Tbilisi Intermedia.
Germany
* ''
Nosferatu
''Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror'' (German: ''Nosferatu – Eine Symphonie des Grauens'') is a 1922 silent German Expressionist horror film directed by F. W. Murnau and starring Max Schreck as Count Orlok, a vampire who preys on the wife ...
'' (1922) was voted the best European film of all time with 56 votes (tied with the French film ''
The Rules of the Game'') in a 1994 poll of 70 critics and film historians organized by
Cinemateca Portuguesa
Cinemateca Portuguesa is a film archive located in Lisbon. It was established in 1948.
The Cinemateca Portuguesa provides film festivals, film screenings, presentations, a museum exhibition, a bookshop, and a restaurant. It is located in Rua Bar ...
.
* ''
M'' (1931) was voted the best German film of all time with 306 votes in a 1994 poll of 324 film journalists, film critics, filmmakers, and cineastes organized by the .
Greece
*
''O Drakos'' (1956) was voted the best Greek film of all time by members of the
Greek Film Critics Association The Greek Film Critics Association or Pan-Hellenic Film Critics Association (PEKK) ( el, Πανελλήνια Ένωση Κριτικών Κινηματογράφου, ΠΕΚΚ) was founded in 1976. The first members included the Greek film critics ...
in 2006.
*
''Evdokia'' (1971) was voted the best Greek film of all time by members of the
Greek Film Critics Association The Greek Film Critics Association or Pan-Hellenic Film Critics Association (PEKK) ( el, Πανελλήνια Ένωση Κριτικών Κινηματογράφου, ΠΕΚΚ) was founded in 1976. The first members included the Greek film critics ...
in 1986.
Hong Kong
* ''
A Better Tomorrow'' (英雄本色; 1986), filmed and produced in Hong Kong, was voted
the second-best Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association in 2005.
* ''
Days of Being Wild'' (阿飛正傳; 1990) was voted the best Hong Kong film of all time with 16 votes in a 2010 poll of 37 critics organized by the
Hong Kong Film Critics Society.
* ''
In the Mood for Love
''In the Mood for Love'' is a 2000 romantic drama film written, produced and directed by Wong Kar-wai. A co-production between Hong Kong and France, it portrays a man ( Tony Leung) and a woman (Maggie Cheung) whose spouses have an affair toget ...
'' (花樣年華; 2000) reached the highest position (number 5 in 2022) of any Hong Kong film on the 2022 ''Sight & Sound'' poll's lists of greatest films of all time.
Hungary
* ''
The Round-Up'' (1965) was chosen as the best Hungarian film in a 2000 Hungarian film critics' poll.
Iceland
* ''
Children of Nature
''Children of Nature'' ( is, Börn náttúrunnar) is a 1991 Icelandic film directed by Friðrik Þór Friðriksson. It was nominated for the Best Foreign Language Film Oscar at the 64th Academy Awards, the only Icelandic film to have ever been n ...
'' (1991) was voted the best Icelandic film of all time in a Stockfish poll of 12 film experts.
India
* ''
Pather Panchali
''Pather Panchali'' (; ) is a 1955 Indian Bengali (language), Bengali-language Drama (film and television), drama film written and directed by Satyajit Ray and produced by the Government of West Bengal. It is an adaptation of Bibhutibhushan Ba ...
'' (1955) topped the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's user poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time in 2002.
* ''
Mayabazar'' (1957) was chosen as the greatest Indian film of all time with 16,960 votes in an online poll conducted by
IBN Live in 2013. Voters select from a list of 100 films from different Indian languages, and 70,926 votes were cast.
* ''
Sholay'' (1975) topped the British Film Institute's critics' poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time in 2002.
Bollywood
* ''
Mother India'' (1957) was voted the best
Bollywood
Hindi cinema, popularly known as Bollywood and formerly as Bombay cinema, refers to the film industry based in Mumbai, engaged in production of motion pictures in Hindi language. The popular term Bollywood, is a portmanteau of "Bombay" (fo ...
film of all time with 15 votes in a 2003 poll of 25 directors organized by Indian magazine ''
Outlook''.
* ''
Sholay'' (1975) was voted the best Bollywood film of all time with 17 votes in a 2015 poll of 27 Bollywood experts organized by ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an enginee ...
London''.
Iran
* ''
The Deer
Deer or true deer are hoofed ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. The two main groups of deer are the Cervinae, including the muntjac, the elk (wapiti), the red deer, and the fallow deer; and the Capreolinae, including the reindeer ...
'' (1974) was voted the best Iranian film of all time with 33 votes in a 2009 poll of 92 critics organized by Iranian film magazine ''
Film
A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...
'',
and again in a follow-up poll of 140 critics in 2019.
* ''
Bashu, the Little Stranger
''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' ( fa, باشو غریبه کوچک, translit=Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak), is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, and was released in 1989. This multi-ethnic film was the ...
'' (1986) was voted "Best Iranian Film of all time" in November 1999 by a Persian movie magazine ''Picture World'' poll of 150 Iranian critics and professionals.
* ''
Close-Up
A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot that tightly frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard shots used regularly with medium and long s ...
'' (1990) reached the highest position (number 17 in 2022) of Iranian film on the 2022 ''Sight & Sound'' poll
's lists of greatest films of all time.
Ireland
* ''
The Commitments'' (1991) was voted the best Irish film of all time in a 2005
Jameson Whiskey
Jameson ( or ) is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys at the Jameson Distillery Bow St., Jameson is now distilled at the New Midleton Distillery i ...
online poll of over 10,000 Irish people.
Israel
* ''
Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona
''Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona'' ( he, גבעת חלפון אינה עונה, lit: "Halfon Hill Doesn't Answer"), also titled ''Giv'at Halfon'', is a cult Israeli comedy film produced in 1976. It is a good-hearted satire of the Israel Defense Forces wh ...
'' (1976) was voted "Favorite Israeli Film of All Time" in a 2004 poll by Ynet, the platform of the Israeli newspaper
Yediot Ahronot
''Yedioth Ahronoth'' ( he, יְדִיעוֹת אַחֲרוֹנוֹת, ; lit. ''Latest News'') is a national daily newspaper published in Tel Aviv, Israel. Founded in 1939 in British Mandatory Palestine, ''Yedioth Ahronoth'' is the largest paid n ...
. The film received votes from 25,000 web users.
* ''
Avanti Popolo'' (1986) was voted "Greatest Israeli Film of All Time" in a 2013 poll of 20 Israeli film experts by
NRG Ma'ariv
''Maariv'' () is a Hebrew-language daily newspaper published in Israel.
From Sunday to Thursday, it is printed under the ''Ma'ariv Hashavu'a'' () brand, while the weekend edition that is out on Friday is called ''Ma'ariv SofHashavu'a'' (). ...
.
Italy
![Mastroianni ottomez](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Mastroianni_ottomez.jpg)
* ''
Bicycle Thieves'' (1948) topped the first ''
Sight & Sound'' critics' poll in 1952.
* ''
8½
' (Italian title: , ) is a 1963 surrealist comedy-drama film directed and co-written (with Tullio Pinelli, Ennio Flaiano and Brunello Rondi) by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini. The metafictional narrative centers on Guido Anselmi, played by Ma ...
'' (1963) was voted the best foreign (i.e. non-Swedish) sound film with 21 votes in a 1964 poll of 50 Swedish film professionals organized by Swedish film magazine '.
It was also ranked number 1 when the asked 279 Polish film professionals (filmmakers, critics, and professors) to vote for the best films in 2015.
Japan
![So Yamamura 3](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/So_Yamamura_3.jpg)
* ''
Rashomon
is a 1950 Jidaigeki psychological thriller/crime film directed and written by Akira Kurosawa, working in close collaboration with cinematographer Kazuo Miyagawa. Starring Toshiro Mifune, Machiko Kyō, Masayuki Mori (actor), Masayuki Mori, and ...
'' (1950) was ranked joint tenth in the 1992 ''
Sight & Sound'' directors' poll, and joint ninth in 2002.
* ''
Tokyo Story
is a 1953 Japanese drama film directed by Yasujirō Ozu and starring Chishū Ryū and Chieko Higashiyama about an aging couple who travel to Tokyo to visit their grown children. Upon release, it did not immediately gain international recogniti ...
'' (東京物語; 1953) topped the ''
Sight & Sound'' directors' poll with 48 votes and was number 3 in the critics' poll with 107 votes in 2012.
It was also voted the best Japanese film of all time in a 2009 poll of 114 critics and film professionals organized by Japanese film magazine ''
Kinema Junpo''.
It was voted the best Asian film of all time in a 2015 poll of 73 film critics, festival executives, programmers, and directors from around the world, organized by the
Busan International Film Festival.
* ''
Seven Samurai
is a 1954 Japanese epic samurai drama film co-written, edited, and directed by Akira Kurosawa. The story takes place in 1586 during the Sengoku period of Japanese history. It follows the story of a village of desperate farmers who hire seven ...
'' (1954) was voted the best Japanese film of all time in a 1989 poll of 372 celebrities for a book published by
Bungeishunjū. It was voted the best Japanese film of all time in a 1990 poll of about a million people organized by
NHK.
It was the greatest foreign-language film in BBC Culture's 2018 poll of 209 critics in 43 countries.
Mexico
* ''
Vámonos con Pancho Villa
''Let's Go with Pancho Villa'' (Spanish: ''Vámonos con Pancho Villa'') is a Mexican motion picture directed by Fernando de Fuentes in 1936, the last of the director's ''Revolution Trilogy'', besides ''El prisionero trece'' and ''El compadre Mend ...
'' (1936) was ranked number 1 Mexican film of all time in a 1994 poll of 25 critics and journalists organized by Mexican magazine ''Somos''.
* ''
Los Olvidados
''Los olvidados'' (, Spanish: ''The Forgotten Ones''; known in the United States as ''The Young and the Damned'') is a 1950 Mexican teen crime film directed by Luis Buñuel. It was filmed at Tepeyac Studios and on location in Mexico City.
Produ ...
'' (1950) was voted the best Mexican film of all time in a 2020 poll of 27 critics and journalists organized by ''Sector Cine'' online magazine.
Netherlands
* ''
Turkish Delight
Turkish delight or lokum ( ota, لوقوم) is a family of confections based on a gel of starch and sugar. Premium varieties consist largely of chopped dates, pistachios, hazelnuts or walnuts bound by the gel; traditional varieties are often f ...
'' (1973) was voted the best Dutch film of the 20th century in a 1999 poll organized by the
Netherlands Film Festival.
* ''
Soldaat van Oranje
''Soldier of Orange'' ( nl, Soldaat van Oranje, ) is a 1977 Dutch romance-thriller film directed and co-written by Paul Verhoeven and produced by Rob Houwer, starring Rutger Hauer and Jeroen Krabbé. The film is set around the German occupation of ...
'' (''Soldier of Orange'', 1977) was voted the best Dutch film of all time by nearly 9,000 people in a 2006 online poll organized by the now defunct Dutch website Filmwereld.net.
* ''
Zwartboek'' (''Black Book'', 2006) was voted the best Dutch film of all time at the 2008
Netherlands Film Festival by nearly 15,000 members of the public.
New Zealand
* ''
Once Were Warriors
''Once Were Warriors'' is New Zealand author Alan Duff's bestselling first novel, published in 1990. It tells the story of an urban Māori family, the Hekes, and portrays the reality of domestic violence in New Zealand. It was the basis of a 199 ...
'' (1994) was voted the best New Zealand film of all time in a 2014 online poll organized by
Fairfax Media
Fairfax Media was a media company in Australia and New Zealand, with investments in newspaper, magazines, radio and digital properties. The company was founded by John Fairfax as John Fairfax and Sons, who purchased ''The Sydney Morning Herald' ...
. More than 500 people voted, including about 100 film professionals and 15 critics.
North Korea
* ''
Hong Kil-dong'' (1986) was voted the "best North Korean film ever" in a 2002 poll of ex-North Koreans living in South Korea, organized by newspaper
The Chosun Ilbo
''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...
.
Norway
* ''
Ni Liv
''Nine Lives'' ( no, Ni Liv) is a 1957 Norwegian film about Jan Baalsrud, a commando and member of the Norwegian resistance during World War II. Trained in Britain, in 1943, he participated in an operation to destroy a German air control tower. ...
'' (''Nine Lives'', 1957) was the critics' choice for "Best Norwegian Film of All Time" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.
* ''
The Chasers'' (1959) was voted the best Norwegian film of all time with 23 votes in a 2011 poll of 32 critics and experts organized by Norwegian film magazine '.
* ''
Flåklypa Grand Prix
''The Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'' ( no, Flåklypa Grand Prix) is a 1975 Norwegian stop-motion-animated feature film directed by Ivo Caprino. It is based on characters from a series of books by Norwegian cartoonist and author Kjell Aukrust.
It is t ...
'' (''Pinchcliffe Grand Prix'', 1975) was the people's choice for "Best Norwegian Film of All Time" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.
Pakistan
* ''Baji'' (1963) topped the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's critics' poll of "Top 10 Pakistani Films" of all time in 2002.
* ''
Aina
Aina may refer to:
* Aina (given name)
Places
* Aina (Crete), a town of ancient Crete
* Aïna River, a river in Cameroon and Gabon
* Aina, Iran, a village in Kermanshah Province, Iran
Art and entertainment
* ''Aina'' (1977 film), a 1977 Pakista ...
'' (1977) topped the British Film Institute's user poll of "Top 10 Pakistani Films" of all time in 2002.
Philippines
* ''
Manila in the Claws of Light
''Manila in the Claws of Light'' ( tl, Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag) is a 1975 Filipino drama film directed by Lino Brocka based on the story ''In the Claws of Brightness'' by Edgardo M. Reyes. It is considered by many as one of the greatest fi ...
'' (1975) was voted the best Filipino film of all time in a 2013 poll of 81 critics, filmmakers, archivists, and academics organized by Pinoy Rebyu. It was also voted the best Filipino film of all time with 16 votes (tied with ''
Ganito Kami Noon, Paano Kayo Ngayon
''Ganito Kami Noon... Paano Kayo Ngayon?'' () is a 1976 Philippine period drama film set in the end of Spanish colonization and the start of American colonization in the Philippines. Directed by Eddie Romero and written by Romero and Roy C. Igl ...
'') in a 1989 poll of 28 filmmakers and critics, organized by Joel David and his UP film criticism class, and published in Philippine magazine ''National Midweek''. The article also included a list of the most common number-one choices (topped by ''
Manila in the Claws of Light
''Manila in the Claws of Light'' ( tl, Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag) is a 1975 Filipino drama film directed by Lino Brocka based on the story ''In the Claws of Brightness'' by Edgardo M. Reyes. It is considered by many as one of the greatest fi ...
''), as well as an alternate version of the top 10 (topped by ''
Manila by Night
''Manila by Night'', also known as ''City After Dark'', is a controversial 1980 Filipino film directed by Ishmael Bernal and starring Gina Alajar and Charito Solis. Released at the height of the Marcos regime, the film uncovers the other face of Ma ...
'') which was ordered by average rank.
* ''
Himala
''Himala'' (English: ''Miracle'') is a 1982 Filipino film directed by Ishmael Bernal and produced by the Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. It stars Nora Aunor as a young woman living in the province who claims to have seen a Marian appari ...
'' (''Miracle'', 1982) won the 2008 CNN Asia Pacific Screen Awards Viewers Choice as "Best Asia-Pacific Film of All Time" (voted for by thousands of film fans around the world).
Poland
*
''The Promised Land'' (1975) was voted the best Polish film of all time in a 2015 poll of 279 Polish film professionals organized by the .
* ''
Teddy Bear
A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, ...
'' (1980) was voted by the public of 2013 Filmfest PL as the best movie of all time.
Portugal
* ''
Os Verdes Anos
''Os Verdes Anos'' is a 1963 Portuguese drama film directed by Paulo Rocha.
Cast
* Isabel Ruth
* Rui Gomes
* Ruy Furtado Ruy may refer to:
Arts and Entertainment
*Ruy, the Little Cid, Spanish animated television series
*Ruy Blas, a characte ...
'' (1963) was voted the best Portuguese film of all time in a 2020 poll of 122 critics and film professionals organized by filmSPOT.
Romania
* ''
Reconstituirea'' (''The Reenactment'', 1968) was selected as the best Romanian film by 40 film critics in 2008.
Russia
* ''
My Friend Ivan Lapshin'' (1985) was voted the best Russian film of all time with 47 votes in a 2008 poll of 100 filmmakers and critics, organized by Russian film magazine '.
''See also
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, below''.
Serbia
* ''
Who's Singin' Over There?
''Who's Singin' Over There?'' ( sh, Ko to tamo peva) is a 1980 Yugoslav film written by Dušan Kovačević and directed by Slobodan Šijan. It is a dark comedy and features an ensemble cast. The film tells a story about a group of passengers trav ...
'' (1980) was voted by Serbian critics the best Serbian film of all time.
Slovakia
* ''
Pictures of the Old World
''Pictures of the Old World'' ( sk, Obrazy starého sveta) is a 1972 Slovak documentary film by Dušan Hanák
Dušan Hanák (April 27, 1938 in Bratislava) is a Slovak people, Slovak film director.
Hanák graduated from the Film and TV School of ...
'' (1972) was voted the best Slovak film of all time by Slovak critics in 2000.
''See also
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
, above.''
Slovenia
* ''
Dancing in the Rain'' (1961) was voted the best Slovenian film of all time in a poll by Slovenian critics.
South Korea
* ''
Obaltan
''Obaltan'' ( ko, 오발탄, also known as ''Aimless Bullet'' and ''Stray Bullet'') is a 1960 South Korean tragedy film directed by Yu Hyun-mok. The plot is based on the novella of the same name by Yi Beomseon. It has often been called the best K ...
'' (1961) was voted the best Korean film of all time with 48 votes in a 1999 poll of 140 filmmakers organized by Korean newspaper ''
The Chosun Ilbo
''The Chosun Ilbo'' (, ) is a daily newspaper in South Korea and the oldest daily newspaper in the country. With a daily circulation of more than 1,800,000, the ''Chosun Ilbo'' has been audited annually since the Audit Bureau of Circulations w ...
''. It was also voted the best Korean film of all time (tied with
''The Housemaid'' and ''
The March of Fools
''The March of Fools'' () is a 1975 South Korean comedy film directed by Ha Gil-jong.
Plot
Philosophy university students, Byeong-tae and Yeong-cheol, make friends with French Literature female students, Yeong-ja and Sun-ja, from a nearby univers ...
'' in a 2014 poll of 62 film scholars, critics, film professionals, researchers, and programmers organized by the
Korean Film Archive.
*
''Shiri'' (1999) was voted the favorite film of Koreans with 11,918 votes in a 2002 online poll of 54,013 people conducted by Korean movie channel
Orion Cinema Network
OCN (originally an initialism of the Orion Cinema Network) is a movie channel on basic cable throughout South Korea, owned by CJ ENM
CJ ENM (, CJ Entertainment aNd Merchandising) is a South Korean entertainment and retail company founded in ...
.
* ''
Memories of Murder
''Memories of Murder'' () is a 2003 South Korean crime thriller film co-written and directed by Bong Joon-ho. It is loosely based on the true story of Korea's first confirmed serial murders, which took place between 1986 and 1991 in Hwaseong, ...
'' (2003) was voted the best Korean film of all time with 806 votes in a 2014 audience poll of 1462 people organized by the
Korean Film Archive.
* ''
Burning
Combustion, or burning, is a high-temperature exothermic redox chemical reaction between a fuel (the reductant) and an oxidant, usually atmospheric oxygen, that produces oxidized, often gaseous products, in a mixture termed as smoke. Combusti ...
'' (2018) was voted the best Korean film of all time in a 2021 poll of 158 critics from 28 countries organized by Korean Screen.
Soviet Union
![odessastepsbaby](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Odessastepsbaby.jpg)
* ''
Battleship Potemkin
'' Battleship Potemkin'' (russian: Бронено́сец «Потёмкин», ''Bronenosets Potyomkin''), sometimes rendered as ''Battleship Potyomkin'', is a 1925 Soviet silent
drama film produced by Mosfilm. Directed and co-written by S ...
'' (1925) was ranked number 1 with 32 votes when the Festival Mondial du Film et des Beaux-Arts de Belgique asked 63 film professionals around the world, mostly directors, to vote for the best films of the half-century in 1951.
It was ranked number 1 when the
Brussels World's Fair polled 117 experts from 26 countries in 1958.
* ''
Man with a Movie Camera'' (1929) was voted the eighth greatest film ever made in the British Film Institute's 2012 ''
Sight & Sound'' poll.
* ''
Mirror
A mirror or looking glass is an object that Reflection (physics), reflects an image. Light that bounces off a mirror will show an image of whatever is in front of it, when focused through the lens of the eye or a camera. Mirrors reverse the ...
'' (1975) ranked 9th in the 2012 ''Sight & Sound'' directors' poll.
''See also
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
, above''.
Spain
* ''
Viridiana'' (1961) was voted the best Spanish film of all time with 227 votes in a 2016 poll of 350 experts organized by Spanish film magazine ''Caimán Cuadernos de Cine''.
*
''El verdugo'' (1963) was voted the best Spanish film of all time with 77 votes in a 1995 poll of 100 critics and film professionals organized by Spanish film magazine '.
Sri Lanka
* ''
Anantha Rathiriya'' (1995) topped the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's user poll of "Top 10 Sri Lankan Films" of all time in 2002.
* ''
Pura Handa Kaluwara'' (1997) topped the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
's critics' poll of "Top 10 Sri Lankan Films" of all time in 2002.
Sweden
![Korkarlen (1921) - Aug 1922 Photoplay](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/92/Korkarlen_%281921%29_-_Aug_1922_Photoplay.jpg)
* ''
The Phantom Carriage
''The Phantom Carriage'' ( sv, Körkarlen, literally "The Wagoner") is a 1921 Swedish silent film directed by and starring Victor Sjöström, based on the 1912 novel '' Thy Soul Shall Bear Witness!'' (''Körkarlen'') by Swedish author Selma Lag ...
'' (''Körkarlen'', 1921) was voted the best Swedish film of all time with 30 votes in a poll of 50 film critics and academics conducted by film magazine ''FLM'' in 2012.
* ''
Persona'' (1966) reached the highest position (number 5 in 1972) of any Swedish film on any of ''Sight & Sound''
's lists of greatest films of all time.
Switzerland
* ''
Alpine Fire'' (1985) was voted the best Swiss film of all time in 2001, 2006, 2011, and 2016, in polls organized by Swiss newspaper '. 31 experts participated in 2011, and 36 experts in 2016.
Taiwan
* ''
A City of Sadness'' (; 1989) was voted the best Chinese-language film of all time with 73 votes in a 2010 poll of 122 film professionals organized by the
Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival
The Taipei Golden Horse Film Festival and Awards () is a film festival and awards ceremony held annually in Taiwan. It was founded in 1962 by the Government Information Office of the Republic of China (ROC) in Taiwan. The awards ceremony is us ...
. It was also number 5, the highest ranked Taiwanese film, on the Hong Kong Film Awards' list of the
Best 100 Chinese Motion Pictures, voted by 101 filmmakers, critics, and scholars.
Turkey
* ''
Dry Summer
''Dry Summer'' (a.k.a. ''Reflections''; tr, Susuz Yaz) is a 1964 black-and-white Turkish drama film, co-produced, co-written and directed by Metin Erksan based on a novel by Necati Cumalı, featuring Erol Taş as a tobacco farmer, who dams a rive ...
'' (1963) was voted the best Turkish film released between 1923 and 2013 in a 2014 poll launched by the Turkish Ministry of Tourism.
* ''
Umut
Umut (; ) is a Turkish gender neutral given name meaning '' hope''. Notable people named Umut include:
* Umut Akkoyun (born 2000), Turkish tennis player
* Umut apa (fl. 1991–2005), renowned charismatic healer from Kazakhstan
* Umut Aral (bor ...
'' (1970) was voted the best Turkish film of all time in a poll of 100 directors, actors, producers, and film writers organized by the Turkish newspaper ''
Hürriyet
''Hürriyet'' (, ''Liberty'') is one of the major Turkish newspapers, founded in 1948.
, it had the highest circulation of any newspaper in Turkey at around 319,000. ''Hürriyet'' has a mainstream, liberal and conservative outlook. ''Hürriyet ...
''.
*''
Yol
''Yol'' (; translated as ''The Way'', ''The Road'' or ''The Path'') is a 1982 Turkish film directed by Şerif Gören and Yılmaz Güney. The screenplay was written by Yılmaz Güney, and it was directed by his assistant Şerif Gören, as Güne ...
'' (1982) was voted the best Turkish film of all time in a 2016 poll of 383 experts organized by Turkish magazine ''Notos''. It was also selected as the best Turkish film in a 2003 poll undertaken by Ankara Sinema Derneği (Ankara Association for Cinema Culture) of people interested in cinema professionally.
Ukraine
* ''
Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors
''Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors'', alternatively translated into English as ''Shadows of Our Forgotten Ancestors'' or ''Shadows of Our Ancestors'' ( uk, Тіні забутих предків, Tini zabutykh predkiv), also known in English under ...
'' (1965) was voted the best Ukrainian film of all time with 30 votes in a 2012 poll of about 100 journalists organized by the Cinema Journalism Bureau of Ukraine and the National Union of Cinematographers of Ukraine.
United Kingdom
![Peter O'Toole in Lawrence of Arabia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Peter_O%27Toole_in_Lawrence_of_Arabia.png)
* ''
The Third Man
''The Third Man'' is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Set in postwar Vienna, the film centres on American Holly Martins (Cotten), ...
'' (1949) was voted the best British film ever by 1000 industry professionals, academics, and critics in a
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
poll conducted in 1999.
* ''
Lawrence of Arabia
Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British archaeologist, army officer, diplomat, and writer who became renowned for his role in the Arab Revolt (1916–1918) and the Sinai and Palestine Campaign (1915–1918 ...
'' (1962) was voted the "best British film of all time" in August 2004 by over 200 respondents in a ''
Sunday Telegraph
''The Sunday Telegraph'' is a British broadsheet newspaper, founded in February 1961 and published by the Telegraph Media Group, a division of Press Holdings.
It is the sister paper of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', kn ...
'' poll of Britain's leading filmmakers.
*''
The Italian Job'' (1969) was voted the best British film in a poll of film fans conducted by Sky Movies HD in 2011 when it received 15% of votes. It also topped a 2017 survey by
Vue Entertainment.
* ''
Get Carter'' (1971) was voted the best British film ever in a 2003 poll by ''
Hotdog'' magazine. It also topped the 2004 poll of 25 film critics conducted by ''
Total Film''.
* ''
Don't Look Now
''Don't Look Now'' ( it, A Venezia... un Dicembre rosso shocking, lit=In Venice... a shocking red December) is a 1973 English-language film in the thriller genre directed by Nicolas Roeg, adapted from the 1971 short story by Daphne du Mauri ...
'' (1973) was named the best British film in a poll of 150 film industry experts conducted by ''
Time Out London
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition becam ...
'' in 2011.
* ''
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
''Monty Python and the Holy Grail'' is a 1975 British comedy film satirizing the Arthurian legend, written and performed by the Monty Python comedy group (Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones, and Michael Palin) an ...
'' (1975) was voted the best British picture of all time by 7,000 film fans in a 2004 poll by the UK arm of Amazon and Internet Movie Database.
United States
![Gone With The Wind 1967 re-release](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b3/Gone_With_The_Wind_1967_re-release.jpg)
* ''
Gone with the Wind'' (1939) was voted the favorite film of Americans in a poll of 2,279 adults undertaken by
Harris Interactive in 2008,
and again in a follow-up poll of 2,276 adults in 2014.
It was also voted the best American film of all time by 35,000 members of the
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
in 1977. It was picked in 2011 as the best film for ''
Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time'', an online poll in which over 500,000 votes were cast. Voters chose from a list of 10 English-language films selected by film industry experts.
* ''
Citizen Kane
''Citizen Kane'' is a 1941 American drama film produced by, directed by, and starring Orson Welles. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Herman J. Mankiewicz. The picture was Welles' first feature film. ''Citizen Kane'' is frequently cited ...
'' (1941) was selected as the greatest American film in 2015 by sixty-two international film critics surveyed by the BBC. It was also ranked top in every ''Sight & Sound'' critics' poll between 1962 and 2002, and the directors' poll in 1992 and 2002.
The
American Film Institute
The American Film Institute (AFI) is an American nonprofit film organization that educates filmmakers and honors the heritage of the motion picture arts in the United States. AFI is supported by private funding and public membership fees.
Leade ...
polled 1,500 film community leaders for the lists ''
100 Years...100 Movies'' and ''
the 10th Anniversary Edition'' in 1998 and 2007 respectively, asking voters to choose from a list of 400 nominations. Both polls identified ''Citizen Kane'' as the best
American film ever. It was voted the best American film of all time with 156 votes in a 1977 poll of 203 experts from 22 countries (116 Americans and 87 non-Americans). The poll was organized by the
Royal Belgian Film Archive and titled "The most important and misappreciated American films", and they were looking for subjective choices.
* ''
Casablanca
Casablanca, also known in Arabic as Dar al-Bayda ( ar, الدَّار الْبَيْضَاء, al-Dār al-Bayḍāʾ, ; ber, ⴹⴹⴰⵕⵍⴱⵉⴹⴰ, ḍḍaṛlbiḍa, : "White House") is the largest city in Morocco and the country's econom ...
'' (1942) was voted the greatest American film by readers of the ''
Los Angeles Daily News
The ''Los Angeles Daily News'' is the second-largest-circulating paid daily newspaper of Los Angeles, California. It is the flagship of the Southern California News Group, a branch of Colorado-based Digital First Media.
The offices of the ''Dai ...
'' in 1997.
* ''
Vertigo'' (1958) topped the ''Sight & Sound'' critics' poll in 2012 with 191 votes.
* ''
The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling 1969 novel of the same title. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, ...
'' (1972) was selected as the greatest film by 2,120 industry professionals in a
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood, ...
survey undertaken by ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' in 2014.
Uruguay
*
''Whisky'' (2004) was voted the best Uruguayan film of all time by 22 members of the
Uruguayan Film Critics Association in 2015.
Venezuela
* ''
El Pez que Fuma
''El Pez que Fuma'' (English: ''The Smoking Fish'') is a 1977 Venezuelan film directed by Román Chalbaud. The film takes place in La Guaira, in the titular brothel. It is considered by many to represent a high point in Venezuelan cinema, and was m ...
'' (1977) was voted the best Venezuelan film of all time with 22 votes in a 1987 poll of 29 experts organized by ''Imagen'' magazine.
It was also voted the best Venezuelan film of all time with 33 votes in a 2016 poll of 41 experts organized by the
Fundación Cinemateca Nacional.
See also
*
List of best picture awards
*
List of film awards
*
List of highest-grossing films
Films generate income from several revenue streams, including theatrical exhibition, home video, television broadcast rights, and merchandising. However, theatrical box-office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assess ...
*
List of film-related topics
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to film:
''Film'' refers to motion pictures as individual projects and to the field in general. The name came from the fact that photographic film (also called filmstock) ha ...
*
List of films with a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, a film has a rating of 100% if each professional review recorded by the website is assessed as positive rather than negative. The percentage is based on the film's reviews aggregated by the webs ...
*
List of films considered the worst
*
List of video games considered the best
References
External links
"The 1,000 Greatest Films"at ''They Shoot Pictures, Don't They?''
The American Film Institute's ''100 Years, 100 Movies''''Sight & Sound'' magazine: The 50 Greatest Films of All Time*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Films Considered The Greatest Ever
Film and video fandom
Best
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporation ...
Film-related lists of superlatives
Best
Best or The Best may refer to:
People
* Best (surname), people with the surname Best
* Best (footballer, born 1968), retired Portuguese footballer
Companies and organizations
* Best & Co., an 1879–1971 clothing chain
* Best Lock Corporation ...