The history of film spans over 100 years, from the latter part of the 19th century to the present day. Motion pictures developed gradually from a carnival novelty to one of the most important tools of communication and entertainment, and mass media in the 20th century and into the 21st century. The first eleven years of motion pictures show the cinema moving from a novelty to an established large-scale entertainment industry. The films represent a movement from films consisting of one shot, completely made by one person with a few assistants, towards films several minutes long consisting of several shots, which were made by large companies in something like industrial conditions.
While there is no general agreement upon the greatest film, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the best. The films mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in a notable survey – be it a popular poll or critics' poll. Many of these sources focus on American films or were polls of English-speaking film goers, but those considered the greatest within their respective countries are also included here. None of these citations should be viewed as scientific measures of the film-watching world. They are often influenced by vote stacking or they survey a population with skewed demographics. Internet-based surveys have a self-selecting audience of unknown participants. The methodology of some surveys may be questionable. Sometimes (as in the case of the American Film Institute) voters were asked to select films from a limited list of entries.
While there is no general agreement upon the greatest film, many publications and organizations have tried to determine the films considered the best. The films mentioned in this article have all been mentioned in a notable survey – be it a popular poll or critics' poll. Many of these sources focus on American films or were polls of English-speaking film goers, but those considered the greatest within their respective countries are also included here. None of these citations should be viewed as scientific measures of the film-watching world. They are often influenced by vote stacking or they survey a population with skewed demographics. Internet-based surveys have a self-selecting audience of unknown participants. The methodology of some surveys may be questionable. Sometimes (as in the case of the American Film Institute) voters were asked to select films from a limited list of entries.
However,
- d a critics' poll conducted by Asian film magazine Cinemaya in 1998. It was followed by Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955) and Kenji Mizoguchi's Ugetsu (1953) tied at second place.[4]
- La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game) (1939) by director Jean Renoir was named the greatest film by the French film magazine Positif in 1991.[5] It also holds the second slot in the Village Voice poll,[6] and is one of only two movies to have appeared in every one of the Sight & Sound polls, the other being The Battleship Potemkin.[7]
- The Brussels World’s Fair, organized in 1958, offered the occasion for the organization by thousands of critics and filmmakers from all over the world, of the first universal film poll in history.[8] These were the films chosen as most artistically fulfilled:
Audience polls
- Seven Samurai (1954) was voted number one in an audience poll conducted by MovieMail in 2000. It was followed by The Third Man (1949) in second place.[5]
- The Godfather (1972) was voted number one by Entertainment Weekly's readers[9] and voted as number one in a Time Out readers' poll in 1998.[10] The film was also voted as the "Greatest Movie of All Time" in September 2008 by 10,000 readers of Empire magazine, 150 people from the movie business and 50 film critics.[11] It currently holds the number 1 spot on the Top 200 at Everyone's a Critic,[12] and the number 2 spot on the IMDb list.[13]
- The Godfather Part II (1974) was voted best movie ever by TV Guide readers[14] in 1998, and is currently in third place on the IMDb list.[13]
- Star Wars (1977) and its sequel The Empire Strikes Back (1980) were chosen as the greatest films by readers of Empire magazine in November 2001 and by voters in a Channel 4 (Film4) poll.[15] Star Wars is also the highest ranking sci-fi film in both versions of the American Film Institute's list of the 100 greatest movies of all time (ranked number 15 in the original list, and number 13 in the updated list).
- Raise the Red Lantern (1991) was voted the best Asian film in another audience poll conducted by MovieMail in 2000. It was followed by The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) at second place.[5]
- Schindler's List (1993) was voted the best film ever made by the German film magazine Cinema.[16]
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994) currently holds the top spot on the Internet Movie Database's list of the top 250 films.[13] It was voted the best film not to have won an Academy Award in a 2004 Radio Times poll and again in 2008.[17] It is currently ranked number 1 on FilmCrave.com's top 100 movies list.[18] It holds an extremely high score on Rotten Tomatoes within the community, at 98%.
- The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001–2003) was voted the most popular film of all time by an audience poll for the Australian television special My Favourite Film and by a poll cast by 120,000 German voters for the TV special "Die besten Filme aller Zeiten" (German "The best films of all time").[19] Its first film, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001), was the pick of readers in a poll by Empire magazine in November 2004.[20] The third film, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, was voted the best movie of all time by Yahoo movies and Movies.com's annual reader's poll in 2006 and 2007.[citation needed]
- Gone with the Wind (1939) was ranked as the greatest film in a poll surveyed by Harris Interactive between January 15 and 22, 2008. Star Wars came in second place and Casablanca in third.[21] Gone with the Wind was also picked as the best film for Best in Film: The Greatest Movies of Our Time.[22]
- Casablanca (1942) was voted the greatest film by readers of the Los Angeles Daily News in 1997.[23] It is also regarded the "best Hollywood movie of all time" by the influential Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide.[24] On April 7, 2006, the Writers' Guild of America declared Casablanca's screenplay the best ever written.[25]
- Cross of Iron (1977) was voted the greatest film of all time by Cinemag.
Countries
Australia
See also: Cinema of Australia- Mad Max (1979): a post-apocalyptic action thriller starring Mel Gibson was voted the best Australian film ever by the Australian Film Institute.[citation needed]
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975): voted No. 1 of the Top 10 best-ever Australian films at 1995 centenary of Australian cinema.[135]
Bangladesh
See also: Cinema of Bangladesh
- Titash Ekti Nadir Naam (1973), also known as A River Named Titas, by the acclaimed Indian Bengali film director Ritwik Ghatak, topped the British Film Institute's "Top 10 Bangladesh Films" of all time, both in the critics,[136] and user polls.[137]
Belgium
See also: Cinema of Belgium
- Loft: voted the best Belgian film on Moviemeter.nl, followed by Man Bites Dog, The Memory of a Killer, Toto the Hero and Ben X.[citation needed]
- Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles: voted the best Belgian film on the "They Shoot Pictures" site (no. 142 in the Top 250).[citation needed]
Brazil
See also: Cinema of Brazil
- Bus 174 (2002). This documentary about a bus hijacking by José Padilha is the highest rated foreign film at Rotten Tomatoes.[138]
- City of God (2002) is the highest rated Brazilian film on the IMDb Top 250 list.[139]
- Deus e o Diabo na Terra do Sol (1964) has been selected by Brazilian critics as the best film of all time several times, such as the 27th edition of Brazilian film magazine Contracampo.[140]
Canada
See also: Cinema of Canada
- Jesus of Montreal (Jésus de Montréal) (1989): Ranked second on the All Time TIFF, and in a reader's poll conducted by Playback's list since its release. Winner of 12 Genie Awards at the 11th Genie Awards.
- Mon oncle Antoine (1971): A poll of critics at the 1984 Toronto International Film Festival and again at the 1993 and 2004 festivals named the greatest Canadian film of all time. 8th in Playback's reader's poll.[citation needed]
- The Sweet Hereafter (1997): Voted the best Canadian film ever by readers of Playback,[141] and a poll done by Canadian film insiders named it the best Canadian film of the last 15 years.[142]
- Wavelength (1967): the only Canadian film on the Village Voice's "100 Best Films of the 20th Century" ranking at #85.[143]
China
See also: Cinema of China
- Spring in a Small Town (小城之春) (1948) was voted the best Chinese film ever made by the Hong Kong Film Awards Association in 2005. A Better Tomorrow (英雄本色) (1986) came in second place.[144]
- Farewell My Concubine (1993), directed by Chen Kaige, is the highest-ranking Asian film on Time Magazine's "Readers Top Rated" list.[145]
- Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) is the highest-ranking Chinese film on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 movies".[146]
Croatia
See also: Cinema of Croatia
- Tko pjeva zlo ne misli (One Who Sings Means No Harm, 1970) was voted the best Croatian all time movie by the Croatian Society of Film Critics.
Denmark
See also: Cinema of Denmark
- Day of Wrath (Vredens dag) Carl Th. Dreyer's harrowing tale of adultery and repression is often cited in Denmark as the greatest Danish film.[147]
- Flickering Lights (Blinkende lygter) the 2000 comedy about small-time gangsters was voted the Best Danish Film in a 2007 poll by Ekstra Bladet newspaper. Thomas Vinterberg's The Celebration (Festen) was the runner-up.[148]
Estonia
See also: Cinema of Estonia
- Kevade (Spring, 1969) received the first place in the Estonian feature films Top Ten Poll in 2002 held by Estonian film critics and journalists.[149]
Finland
See also: Cinema of Finland
- The Unknown Soldier (1955) was voted the best Finnish movie in an Internet poll by Helsingin Sanomat in 2007.[150]
- Talvisota (The Winter War, 1989): is the highest user rated Finnish film on the IMDb having received more than 1000 votes.[151]
France
See also: Cinema of France
- La Règle du Jeu (The Rules of the Game) (1939/1950). See polls of critics and filmmakers.
- Les Enfants du Paradis (Children of Paradise) (1945/1946): Voted "Best French Film of the Century" in a poll of 600 French critics and professionals in the late 1990s.[152]
- Léon (The Professional) (1994) is currently the highest ranked French film on IMDb's Top 250.[13]
Germany
See also: Cinema of Germany
- M - Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder by Fritz Lang is the highest rated German film in the IMDb.[153]
Hong Kong
See also: Cinema of Hong Kong
- Drunken Master II (1994), directed by Jackie Chan and Lau Kar-Leung, is the highest-ranking entirely Hong Kong production and third highest-ranking Asian film on Time Magazine's "Readers Top Rated" list.[145]
- Infernal Affairs (2002), directed by Andrew Lau and Alan Mak, is the highest-ranking entirely Hong Kong production on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 Movies" list.[154]
- The Departed (2006), Martin Scorsese's remake of Infernal Affairs,[155] is the highest-ranking Hong Kong co-production on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 Movies" list.[13]
Hungary
In 2000, Hungarian film critics chose the so-called "Budapest 12",[156] the twelve best films of Hungary:
- Szegénylegények (The Round-Up) - Miklós Jancsó
- Szerelem (Love) - Károly Makk
- Szindbád (Sinbad) - Zoltán Huszárik
- Emberek a havason (Men on the Mountain) - István Szőts
- Valahol Európában (Somewhere in Europe) - Géza von Radványi
- Megáll az idő (Time Stands Still) - Péter Gothár
- Hyppolit, a lakáj (Hyppolit) - István Székely
- Körhinta (Merry-Go-Round) - Zoltán Fábri
- A kis Valentino (Little Valentino) - András Jeles
- Az én XX. Századom (My 20th Century) - Ildikó Enyedi
- Apa (Father) - István Szabó
- Hannibál tanár úr (Professor Hannibal) - Zoltán Fábri
India
See also: Cinema of India and Lists of Indian films
- The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959), a Bengali film trilogy directed by Satyajit Ray, appeared on the 1992 edition of the Sight & Sound Critics' Poll (ranked number 88)[157] and on The Village Voice's top 250 "Best Films of the Century" critics' poll (ranked number 54).[6][158] It is the highest-ranking trilogy in both polls.
- Pather Panchali (Song of the Little Road) (1955), the first part of The Apu Trilogy and Satyajit Ray's debut film, appeared on the Sight & Sound Critics' Poll several times, in 1962 (ranked number 11),[157] 1992 (ranked number 6)[159][160] and 2002 (ranked number 22).[161][162] It also appeared on The Village Voice top 250 "Best Films of the Century" critics' poll (tied at number 12 with The Godfather).[6][158]
- Apur Sansar (The World of Apu) (1959), the final part of Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy, was the highest-ranking Indian film in the 1982 Sight & Sound Critics' Poll (ranked number 42), followed by two other Ray films The Music Room (1958) and Charulata (1964) tied at number 56.[163]
- Sholay (Embers) (1975), a "Curry Western" Hindi film directed by Ramesh Sippy, topped the British Film Institute's poll of "Top 10 Indian Films" of all time.[164]
- Gandhi (1982), an Indian English biographical film about Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi directed by Richard Attenborough,[165] is the highest-ranked Indian co-production on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 Movies" list.[13]
- Junoon (1978), produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by acclaimed director Shyam Benegal, is an Indian film about the violent uprising during the year 1857 and a beautiful love story at the backdrop. This film has received the highest acclaims from the reviewers. The film received awards for the best feature film and also swept many other awards such as the best cinematography, best editing, best dialogues and so on. According to Khalid Mohamed, film critic, the film set high standards and was then considered to be an all time epic movie.[166]
- The Tamil film Nayagan (1987), and the Hindi film Pyaasa (1957), both joined the Bengali The Apu Trilogy (1955–1959) on Time Magazine's ALL-TIME 100 Movies list.[145]
Iran
See also: Cinema of Iran
- Bashu, the Little Stranger (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.[167]
Ireland
See also: Cinema of Ireland
- The Commitments (1991) was voted the best Irish film of all time in a 2004 Jameson Whiskey poll of 10,000 Irish people, with My Left Foot coming second.[168]
Israel
See also: Cinema of Israel
- Giv'at Halfon Eina Ona (1976) was voted "Favorite Israeli Film of all time" in a 2004 poll by Ynet, the web site of a popular Israeli newspaper. The film got 25,000 votes.[169]
Italy
See also: Cinema of Italy
- Bicycle Thieves (Ladri di biciclette) (1948). See Polls of critics and filmmakers section above. Also listed at number 22 on Entertainment Weekly's 100 Greatest Movies of All Time.[170]
- 8½ (1963). Director Federico Fellini's film about filmmaking was the highest rated Italian film in the 2002 Sight & Sound poll of the best films of all time.[171]
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo) (1966) is the highest-ranking Italian production on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 Movies" list as voted by users,[172] where it is currently listed as the 4th best film ever.[13] (Also see Western section above.)
Japan
See also: Cinema of Japan
- Rashomon (羅生門), 1950: This film by Akira Kurosawa was the first Japanese film to gain worldwide acclaim. It is the highest-ranked Japanese and Asian film in the Village Voice poll of "Best Films of the Century" (ranked number 10).[6] It also tied for the highest-ranked Japanese and Asian film on the Sight and Sound 2002 Directors' Top Ten Poll (ranked number 9).[173]
- Seven Samurai (七人の侍 Shichinin no Samurai), 1954: Also by Kurosawa, this period adventure film is frequently cited as the greatest Japanese film ever; at number 12, it is the highest-ranked Japanese and Asian film on the Internet Movie Database's "Top 250 movies" list.[174] It ranked, for the first time, at number 3 in the 1982 Sight & Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll,[175] appeared on the Sight & Sound Directors' Top Ten Poll in 1992 (ranked number 10),[176] and tied for the highest-ranked Japanese and Asian film in 2002 (ranked number 9).[173] It is ranked number 2 on Rotten Tomatoes' top 100 foreign films,[138] and number 1 on their top 100 action/adventure films.[27] It was also voted the "Best Japanese Film ever" in a 1979 Kinema Junpo critics’ poll.[177]
- Tokyo Story (東京物語 Tokyo Monogatari), 1953: Directed by Yasujirō Ozu, is the highest-ranked Japanese and Asian film on the 2002 Sight and Sound Critics' Top Ten Poll (ranked number 5).[178] It was also declared the greatest film ever by Halliwell's Film Guide in 2005.[179]
- Ugetsu (雨月物語 Ugetsu Monogatari), 1953: Directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, it was the highest-ranking Asian film in the Sight & Sound critics' polls in 1962 (ranked number 4)[180] and 1972 (ranked number 10).[181]
Macedonia
See also: Cinema of the Republic of Macedonia
- Before the Rain (1994) is a Milčo Mančevski film, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film .
Mexico
See also: Cinema of Mexico
- El callejón de los milagros (Miracle Alley) is the most awarded film in Mexican history with 49 international awards.[citation needed]
Netherlands
See also: Cinema of the Netherlands
- Soldaat van Oranje (Soldier of Orange - 1977 - Paul Verhoeven): Voted best Dutch film ever made in a 2006 Internet poll by online film magazine Filmwereld.nl.[citation needed]
- Turks Fruit (Turkish Delight - 1973 - Paul Verhoeven): Voted best Dutch film of the 20th century at the 1999 Netherlands Film Festival.[citation needed]
- Zwartboek (Black Book - 2006 - Paul Verhoeven): Voted best Dutch film ever at the 2008 Netherlands Film Festival.[182]
New Zealand
See also: Cinema of New Zealand
- See Lord of the Rings in the Films acclaimed in audience polls section above.
Norway
See also: Cinema of Norway
- Flåklypa Grand Prix (Pinchcliffe Grand Prix - 1975 - Ivo Caprino): The people's choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.[183]
- Ni Liv (Nine Lives - 1957 - Arne Skouen): The critics' choice for "Best Norwegian Film of the Century" during the 2005 Bergen International Film Festival.[183]
Pakistan
See also: Cinema of Pakistan
- Baji (1963), directed by S. Suleman, topped the British Film Institute's critics poll of "Top 10 Pakistani Films" of all time.[184]
- Aina (1977), directed by Nazr-ul-Islam, topped the user poll of "Top 10 Pakistani Films" of all time.[185]
Philippines
See also: Cinema of the Philippines
- Maynila: Sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag (Manila in the Claws of Neon) - Lino Brocka (1975): cited in numerous film anthologies and critical polls as the greatest Filipino film ever.[186][187]
- Himala (Miracle) - Ishmael Bernal (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).[188][189][190][191]
Poland
See also: Cinema of Poland
- Sexmission (Seksmisja) is the best Polish film of the last 30 years according to a 2005 poll by readers of three popular film magazines.[192]
- Seksmisja is also on the prominence position in the ranking of Polish movies on portal Filmweb.pl.[193] Other positions from the first ten places are: Polish-French cooproduction The Pianist (2002), comedies: Day of the wacko (2002), Our Folks (1967), How I Unleashed World War II (1969), Teddy Bear (1980), Boys Don't Cry (2000), and dramas showing important social or political problems after 1989: The Debt (1999), Symmetry (2003), and Psy-Pigs (1992).
- Polish best awarded production are: A Short Film About Killing (European Film Award for Best Film in 1988), Man of Iron (Palme d'Or of 1981 Cannes Film Festival), and The Pianist (Palme d'Or of 2002 Cannes Film Festival).
Romania
See also: Cinema of Romania
Best 10 Romanian films as considered by the Union of Romanian Cineastes and the Film Critics Association[194] (Uniunea Cineaştilor din România şi Asociaţia Criticilor de Film):
- Reconstituirea (The Reenactment - Lucian Pintilie, 1968)
- Pădurea spânzuraţilor (The Forest of the Hanged - Liviu Ciulei, 1965)
- Moartea domnului Lazarescu (The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu - Cristi Puiu, 2005)
- 4 luni, 3 săptămâni şi 2 zile (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - Cristian Mungiu, 2007)
- Secvenţe (Alexandru Tatos, 1982)
- Nunta de piatră (The Stone Wedding - Mircea Veroiu, Dan Piţa. 1973)
- La moara cu noroc (Victor Iliu. 1956)
- A fost sau n-a fost? (12:08 East of Bucharest - Corneliu Porumboiu, 2006)
- Probă de microfon (Mircea Daneliuc, 1979)
- Croaziera (Mircea Daneliuc, 1981)
Russia
See also: Cinema of Russia and Cinema of the Soviet Union
Serbia
See also: Cinema of Serbia and Cinema of Yugoslavia
- Who's That Singing Over There (Ko to tamo peva, 1980) was in 1996 voted the best Serbian movie made in the 1947-1995 period by the members of the Yugoslavian Board of the Academy of Film Art and Science (AFUN).[195]
South Korea
See also: Cinema of Korea
- Obaltan (오발탄): Released in 1960. This film is widely regarded as the best South Korean film.[196]
- Oldboy (올드보이): This 2003 South Korean film is the highest rated Korean language film on the Internet Movie Database's top 250 list.[197] It also won the Grand Prix of the Jury at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival.[198]
Sri Lanka
See also: Cinema of Sri Lanka
- Pura Handa Kaluwara (1997), also known as Death on a Full Moon Day, directed by P. Vithanage and starring Joe Abeywickrama, topped the British Film Institute's poll of "Top 10 Sri Lankan Films" of all time.[199]
- Ananta Rathiriya (1995), directed by P. Vithanage, topped the user poll of "Top 10 Sri Lankan Films" of all time.[200]
Sweden
See also: Cinema of Sweden
- The Emigrants (Utvandrarna): Jan Troell's naturalist masterwork is often cited in Sweden as the greatest Swedish film of all-time.[citation needed]
- Persona: Acclaimed director Ingmar Bergman's movie reached the highest position (number 5 in 1972) of any Swedish film on any of Sight & Sound's lists of greatest films of all time.[citation needed]
- The Seventh Seal (Sjunde Inseglet), also directed by Ingmar Bergman, is the highest rated Swedish film on the IMDb top 250 list.[13]
Taiwan
See also: Cinema of Taiwan
- Cape No. 7 (traditional Chinese：海角七號): a movie in 2008 earns over $350 million NTD in just over a month to become the highest-grossing domestic film in Taiwanese history. It is also considered to be the film that revives the 10-year-lasting depression of Taiwanese cinema.[201]
Turkey
See also: Cinema of Turkey
- In 2003 Ankara Sinema Derneği (Ankara Association for Cinema Culture) chose the "Best 10 Turkish films ever" by a poll among people who are interested in cinema professionally:[202]
- Yol (1982), Şerif Gören
- Umut (1970), Yılmaz Güney
- Sürü (1978), Zeki Ökten
- Muhsin Bey (1987), Yavuz Turgul
- Masumiyet (1997), Zeki Demirkubuz
- Selvi Boylum Al Yazmalım (1978), Atıf Yılmaz
- Anayurt Oteli (1986), Ömer Kavur
- Susuz Yaz (1964), Metin Erksan
- Gelin (1973), Ömer Lütfi Akad
- Uzak (2002), Nuri Bilge Ceylan
Ukraine
See also: Cinema of Ukraine
- Земля (Earth), one of the World's ten greatest films of all time (Brussels World's Fair, 1958)
- Пропала грамота (The Lost Letter), was banned in Soviet Union. 20 years later was awarded with Golden Pagoda during the Bangkok International Film Festival, 1991.
- Тіні забутих предків (Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors) received the British Academy Award and Grand Prix at Mar del Plata International Film Festival (1965)
United Kingdom
See also: Cinema of the United Kingdom
- Brief Encounter (1945): Was the highest rated British film in the Channel 4 poll of 100 greatest movies, at number 14.[citation needed]
- The Third Man (1949): Voted best British film ever by members of the British Film Institute in 1999.[203] Currently number 3 on the Rotten Tomatoes list of the best mystery/suspense movies.[101]
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962): voted "best British film of all time" in August 2004 by a London Sunday Telegraph poll of Britain's leading filmmakers.[204] (See also: Epic above).
- Dr. Strangelove (1964): Directed by Stanley Kubrick, was ranked number 1 on the Rotten Tomatoes list of the best comedy movies.[205]
- Get Carter (1971): Named best British film in a poll of 25 film critics by Total Film magazine in 2004.[206]
- Don't Look Now (1973): Named best British film in a poll of 150 film industry experts conducted by Time Out London in 2011.[207]
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) was voted the best British picture of all time by a 2004 poll by the UK arm of Amazon and Internet Movie Database.[60]
- Trainspotting (1996): Named best British film between 1984-2009 by a poll of critics and film professionals in The Observer.[208]
United States
See also: Cinema of the United States, National Film Registry, and American Film Institute
Since 1998, the American Film Institute has assembled juries of film community leaders and polled them for a series of top 100 lists. Two of the lists from the series, 100 Years... 100 Movies from 1998 and 100 Years... 100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) from 2007, identified Citizen Kane as the best American film ever. In other years, AFI's jury members selected Some Like It Hot the greatest American comedy, Psycho as the most thrilling American movie, Casablanca as the greatest American love story, Singin' in the Rain as the greatest American film musical, and It's a Wonderful Life as the most inspiring American film.[209]
- See also: Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, The Godfather, The Godfather Part II, Goodfellas, Citizen Kane, Star Wars, The Dark Knight, Schindler's List, and The Shawshank Redemption in the Films acclaimed in audience polls section above.
