I have avoided putting up a Greatest Films of All Time list up previously because I have always felt such a list is a slippery task because of two reasons:
1) it is not possible for me or any person to have seen enough of the vast quantity of quality films from around the world to make a credible list
2) views of film change over time so such a list would only be a snapshot in time
There are some exceptions to item #1. The late Allan Fish was one person I knew who made a dent in the huge quantity and quality of films from around the world. His top 3000 films list is a wonder. Despite having seen over 10,000 films, Allan was always on the lookout for gems from around the world as he knew there were always great films to be found and documented his findings in his "The Fish Obscuro" reviews. His cinematic quests were (are) in contrast to the vast amount of North American critics who are happy to view and place only English language Hollywood films in their top 10 film lists annually and call it a year. In terms of North American critics, Jonathan Rosenbaum is an exception as he is well versed in foreign films and is always willing to seek out classic films or revisit films for a different perspective as documented by his “Global Discoveries” Cinema Scope columns. Everyone has blind spots in their film viewing but not everyone is willing to take steps to rectify those like Allan did or Jonathan still does.
There are still a vast amount of classic films to view and consider worthy of a canon entry. The recent 101 Hidden Gems from Sight & Sound serves as a reminder of the vast amount of films that are rarely seen. Majority of the films in this list still don’t have proper distribution. In contrast, Sight & Sound’s Greatest Films of all Time list contains films that have been mostly accessible in various formats, starting from theatrical screenings to VHS Tapes to DVDs to Blu-Rays and streaming. This accessibility creates a recursive loop which allows more people to view these films thereby ensuring that these films will always be in the Greatest Films of all time lists due to higher number of mentions.
I am well aware of my blind spots and know that there are a lot more films to be seen. However, I am finally ready to put down a snapshot in time of my 10 Greatest Films list. This list will, and should, change over time but for now, this is it.
Top 10 Greatest Films of all Time
1. The Battle of Algiers (1966, Italy/Algeria, Gillo Pontecorvo)
2. Taste of Cherry (1997, Iran/France, Abbas Kiarostami)
3. Le mani sulla città (Hands over the City, 1963, Italy/France, Francesco Rosi)
4. In the Mood for Love (2000, Hong Kong/France, Wong Kar-wai)
5. Modern Times (1936, USA, Charles Chaplin)
6. Apur Sansar (The World of Apu, 1959, India, Satyajit Ray)
7. Pickpocket (1959, France, Robert Bresson)
8. Ikiru (1952, Japan, Akira Kurosawa)
9. Tokyo Story (1953, Japan, Yasujirô Ozu)
10. Zama (2017, Argentina co-production, Lucrecia Martel)
Honourable mention of dozen films that were once in the Top 10 (arranged in year of release):
Bicycle Thieves (1948, Italy, Vittorio De Sica)
Le salaire de la peur (The Wages of Fear, 1953, Henri-Georges Clouzot)
Seven Samurai (1954, Japan, Akira Kurosawa)
The Seventh Seal (1957, Sweden, Ingmar Bergman)
Il Posto (1961, Italy, Ermanno Olmi)
Black God, White Devil (1964, Brazil, Glauber Rocha)
Play Time (1967, France/Italy, Jacques Tati)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968, UK/USA, Stanley Kubrick)
Uski Roti (Our Daily Bread, 1970, India, Mani Kaul)
Amma Ariyan (Report to Mother, 1986, India, John Abraham)
Yi Yi: A One and a Two (2000, Taiwan, Edward Yang)
The Time That Remains (2009, Palestine co-production, Elia Sulieman)
