The Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2022

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The "Top 100 Greatest Films of All Time" is a list published every ten years by Sight and Sound according to worldwide opinion polls they conduct. They published the critics' list, based on 1,639 participating critics, programmers, curators, archivists and academics, and the directors' list, based on 480 directors and filmmakers. Sight and Sound, published by the British Film Institute, has conducted a poll of the greatest films every 10 years since 1952. [1]

Contents

Critics' poll

In the 2022 critics' poll, Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles was ranked first, [2] [3] [4] replacing Vertigo from 2012, and Citizen Kane , which held the top spot in the five critics' polls before that. [5] The film magazine described Jeanne Dielman as a "landmark feminist film", and stated that the 2022 list "shakes a fist at the established order". [6] Jeanne Dielman is the first film directed by a woman to top the list and, together with Beau Travail , one of the first two such films to appear in the top 10. [7] [8]

Besides Jeanne Dielman and Beau Travail, two other films had never appeared in the top 10 previously: In the Mood for Love (2000); and Mulholland Drive (2001). Nine of the 100 films on the 2022 list were released in the 21st century, [9] [10] [11] up from two in the 2012 list. [12]

The top 10 from the critics' list are:

  2. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975, Belgium/France) (215 votes, 13.1%) [13]
  4. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958, USA) (208 votes, 12.7%) [13]
  6. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941, USA) (163 votes, 9.9%) [13]
  8. Tokyo Story (Ozu Yasujiro, 1953, Japan) (144 votes)
  10. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai, 2000, Hong Kong/France) (141 votes)
  12. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968, UK/USA) (130 votes)
  14. Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1998, France) (106 votes)
  16. Mulholland Drive (David Lynch, 2001, USA) (105 votes)
  18. Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov, 1929, USSR) (100 votes)
  20. Singin' in the Rain (Stanley Donen & Gene Kelly, 1952, USA) (99 votes)

Directors' poll

Props of 2001, A Space Odyssey Stanley Kubrick The Exhibition - LACMA - 2001 A Space Odyssey - Space suits (8999720714).jpg
Props of 2001, A Space Odyssey

In the 2022 directors' poll, 2001: A Space Odyssey was ranked first, [14] replacing Tokyo Story from 2012 and Citizen Kane , which held the top spot in both of the directors' polls previous to that.

The top 10 from the directors' list are:

  2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
  4. Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
  6. The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
  8. Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)
  10. Tokyo Story (Ozu Yasujiro, 1953)
  12. Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
  14. 8½ (Federico Fellini, 1963)
  16. Mirror (Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975)
  18. Close-up (Abbas Kiarostami, 1989)
  20. In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar Wai, 2000)
  22. Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)

Reception

The critic's poll selection of Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles as the greatest film of all time drew strong reactions from journalists, critics, and filmmakers. [15] [4]

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian praised the selection, writing that it is "high time a woman won Sight and Sound's all-time vote." [16]

Armond White of conservative magazine National Review criticized the choice, describing the film as "a dull Marxist-feminist token" and alleging it was chosen for political reasons. [17] Filmmaker Paul Schrader also attacked the list, writing that "The sudden appearance of Jeanne Dielman in the number one slot undermines the S&S poll's credibility ... this year's S&S poll reflects not a historical continuum but a politically correct rejiggering. Akerman's film is a favorite of mine ... but its unexpected number one rating does it no favors. Jeanne Dielman will from this time forward be remembered not only as an important film in cinema history but also as a landmark of distorted woke reappraisal." [18]

Richard Panek of Observer questioned the very usefulness of the S&S poll itself, noting that "expressions of personal opinions, even in the aggregate, are by definition subjective". [19]

Victoria Oliver Farner, on her video essay Sound & Sight & Time for MUBI, stated that: [20]

In the eagerness to classify cinema, lists of the greatest films of all time have been created, which perhaps tell much more about the society that compiles them than about cinema itself. In the same way, Sound & Sight & Time perhaps speaks more about me than about Citizen Kane, Vertigo, or Jeanne Dielman.

See also

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References

  1. ↑ Brody, Richard (6 December 2022). "The Sight and Sound "Greatest Films" Poll Presents a Bolder Vision of World Cinema". The New Yorker. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "The Greatest Films of All Time". BFI. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  3. ↑ Goodman, Stephanie (2022-12-01). "'Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles': A Guide". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  4. 1 2 Scott, A. O.; Dargis, Manohla (2022-12-07). "Is Sight and Sound's List of 100 Greatest Films Too Tasteful?". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  5. ↑ Ritman, Alex (2022-12-01). "Chantal Akerman's 'Jeanne Dielman' Becomes First Female-Directed Film to Top BFI-Backed Critics' Poll of Greatest Films of All Time". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  6. ↑ "Revealed: the results of the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll". BFI. Retrieved 2022-12-08.
  7. ↑ "Chantal Akerman first woman to top Sight and Sound's greatest all-time films poll". The Guardian. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2022-12-02.
  8. ↑ Holub, Christian (1 December 2022). "'Jeanne Dielman' surpasses 'Citizen Kane,' 'Vertigo' as critics' choice for best movie ever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  9. ↑ Johnson, G. Allen (December 1, 2022). "This San Francisco movie was dethroned as the greatest of all time. Here's the new No. 1". Datebook. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  10. ↑ Chapman, Wilson; Blauvelt, Christian (2022-12-01). "'Jeanne Dielman' Tops Sight & Sound's 2022 Poll of the Best Films of All Time". IndieWire. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  11. ↑ Joyaux, Daniel (2022-12-01). "Move Over, Vertigo: There's a New Greatest Movie of All Time". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  12. ↑ "Revealed: the results of the 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time poll". BFI. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  13. 1 2 3 "Vertigo". Sight and Sound . Winter 2022–23. p. 81.
  14. ↑ "Directors' 100 Greatest Films of All Time". BFI. Retrieved 2022-12-01.
  15. ↑ Kenny, Glenn (2 December 2022). "Not Quite As Much Of A Country For Old Men: The 2022 Sight and Sound Greatest Films of All Time Poll". Decider. Retrieved 28 January 2023.
  16. ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (1 December 2022). "Brilliant and radical, Chantal Akerman deserves to top Sight and Sound's greatest films poll". The Guardian .
  17. ↑ White, Armond (7 December 2022). "Sight & Sound Poll Results: The End of Popular Cinema". National Review .
  18. ↑ Zilko, Christian (3 December 2022). "Paul Schrader Slams 'Jeanne Dielman' Topping Sight & Sound Poll as 'Distorted Woke Reappraisal'". Indiewire .
  19. ↑ Panek, Richard (2 December 2022). "Goodbye, 'Citizen Kane': Does Ranking 'Best Movies' Even Make Sense Anymore?". Observer .
  20. ↑ The Video Essay: "Sound & Sight & Time" on Notebook|MUBI
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