The problem with the Sight And Sound poll is becoming more obvious with every edition. Previous lists are affecting the current one. Critics know from past polls that if, for instance, they want a Hitchcock on the list then they have to vote for Vertigo. And so they are choosing their titles from an ever decreasing pool of films. At this point it looks like the snake has well and truely eaten itself. The winners are:
1. Vertigo
2. Citizen Kane
3. Tokyo Story
4. The Rules of the Game
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. The Searchers
8. Man with a Movie Camera
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc
10. 8 1/2
Vertigo: I like Vertigo. It's a bit of fun. Saying it's the best film ever made is like reading The Postman Always Rings Twice and declaring it literatures greatest work.
Citizen Kane: Lost top spot at last. Interesting to see how that affects blurbs on DVD covers for the next 10 years.
Tokyo Story: Perfect critic movie. Very long and dull to the point of phone checking tedium but it is quite moving as these things go and also- and this is important- it's very, very basic so critics can discuss it safely knowing they're not missing out on any subtext. This is why Antonioni misses out on these lists despite being just as slow. Critics can help suspecting there might be something underneath his films that they're missing.
The Rules Of The Game: Never made it to the end of this one so can't honestly comment. Tried a few times though.
Sunrise: Fuck me... A technical marvel of '20s filmmaking with a story so basic and absurdly silly it couldn't pad out a short.
2001: Okay. I guess.
The Searchers: I like The Searchers. Can't think of a single way in which it's superior to Once Upon A Time In The West though.
Man With A Movie Camera: okay now this is getting silly. You get exactly what the title promises you if you sit down to watch this one. Yes it's experimental, does a few new things but really who gives a fuck? Throwing in some split screen and whatnot is not enough to make your film important.
8 1/2: Fair 'nough. Prefer early Fellini myself, before it all became about midget and fat women but I understand a lot of people are quite taken with the midgets and fat women phase of his career so there you go.
1. Vertigo
2. Citizen Kane
3. Tokyo Story
4. The Rules of the Game
5. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. The Searchers
8. Man with a Movie Camera
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc
10. 8 1/2
Vertigo: I like Vertigo. It's a bit of fun. Saying it's the best film ever made is like reading The Postman Always Rings Twice and declaring it literatures greatest work.
Citizen Kane: Lost top spot at last. Interesting to see how that affects blurbs on DVD covers for the next 10 years.
Tokyo Story: Perfect critic movie. Very long and dull to the point of phone checking tedium but it is quite moving as these things go and also- and this is important- it's very, very basic so critics can discuss it safely knowing they're not missing out on any subtext. This is why Antonioni misses out on these lists despite being just as slow. Critics can help suspecting there might be something underneath his films that they're missing.
The Rules Of The Game: Never made it to the end of this one so can't honestly comment. Tried a few times though.
Sunrise: Fuck me... A technical marvel of '20s filmmaking with a story so basic and absurdly silly it couldn't pad out a short.
2001: Okay. I guess.
The Searchers: I like The Searchers. Can't think of a single way in which it's superior to Once Upon A Time In The West though.
Man With A Movie Camera: okay now this is getting silly. You get exactly what the title promises you if you sit down to watch this one. Yes it's experimental, does a few new things but really who gives a fuck? Throwing in some split screen and whatnot is not enough to make your film important.
8 1/2: Fair 'nough. Prefer early Fellini myself, before it all became about midget and fat women but I understand a lot of people are quite taken with the midgets and fat women phase of his career so there you go.
Comment