The Sight & Sound Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time

The following are the "Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time" according to the worldwide opinion polls conducted by Sight & Sound and published in the journal's September 2012 issue. They published the critics' list, based on 846 critics, programmers, academics, and distributors,^[1] and the directors' list, based on 358 directors and filmmakers.^[2] Sight & Sound, published by the British Film Institute, has conducted a poll of the greatest films every 10 years since 1952.

Critics' poll

In the 2012 critics' poll, Vertigo ranked first, replacing Citizen Kane, which held the top spot in the last five decennial critics' polls.^[1]

1. Vertigo (1958)
2. Citizen Kane (1941)
3. Tokyo Story (1953)
4. The Rules of the Game (1939)
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
7. The Searchers (1956)
8. Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
10. 8½ (1963)
11. Battleship Potemkin (1925)
12. L'Atalante (1934)
13. Breathless (1960)
14. Apocalypse Now (1979)
15. Late Spring (1949)
16. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
17. Seven Samurai (1954)
17. Persona (1966)
19. Mirror (1975)
20. Singin' in the Rain (1952)
21. L'Avventura (1960)
21. Contempt (1963)
21. The Godfather (1972)
24. Ordet (1955)
24. In the Mood for Love (2000)
26. Rashomon (1950)
26. Andrei Rublev (1966)
28. Mulholland Dr. (2001)
29. Stalker (1979)
29. Shoah (1985)
31. The Godfather Part II (1974)
31. Taxi Driver (1976)
33. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
34. The General (1926)
35. Metropolis (1927)
35. Psycho (1960)
35. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975)
35. Sátántangó (1994)
39. The 400 Blows (1959)
39. La Dolce Vita (1960)
39. Journey to Italy (1954)
42. Pather Panchali (1955)
42. Some Like It Hot (1959)
42. Gertrud (1964)
42. Pierrot le Fou (1965)
42. Playtime (1967)
42. Close-Up (1990)
48. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
48. Histoire(s) du cinéma (1988-1998)
50. City Lights (1931)
50. Ugetsu Monogatari (1953)
50. La Jetée (1962)

Directors' poll

In the 2012 directors' poll, Tokyo Story ranked first, replacing Citizen Kane, which held the top spot in both of the previous decennial directors' polls.^[3]

1. Tokyo Story (1953)
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
3. Citizen Kane (1941)
4. 8½ (1963)
5. Taxi Driver (1976)
6. Apocalypse Now (1979)
7. The Godfather (1972)
8. Vertigo (1958)
9. Mirror (1975)
10. Bicycle Thieves (1948)
11. Breathless (1960)
12. Raging Bull (1980)
13. Persona (1966)
14. The 400 Blows (1959)
15. Andrei Rublev (1966)
16. Fanny and Alexander (1984)
17. Seven Samurai (1954)
18. Rashomon (1954)
19. Barry Lyndon (1975)
20. Ordet (1955)

References

1. Christie, Ian, ed. (1 August 2012). "The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time". Sight & Sound (British Film Institute) (September 2012). Retrieved 6 June 2013.
2. "Directors’ 10 Greatest Films of All Time". Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. 4 December 2014.
3. "Directors' Top 100". Sight & Sound. British Film Institute. 2012.