The Sight & Sound Greatest Films of All Time 2012


The following are the "Top 100 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, and the directors' list, based on 358 directors and filmmakers. 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 previous five decennial critics' polls.
  1. Vertigo
  2. Citizen Kane
  3. Tokyo Story
  4. The Rules of the Game
  5. '
  6. '
  7. The Searchers
  8. Man with a Movie Camera
  9. The Passion of Joan of Arc
  10. 8½
  11. Battleship Potemkin
  12. L'Atalante
  13. Breathless
  14. Apocalypse Now
  15. Late Spring
  16. Au Hasard Balthazar
  17. Seven Samurai
  19. Persona
  21. Mirror
  23. Singin' in the Rain
  25. L'Avventura
  27. Le Mépris
  29. The Godfather
  31. Ordet
  33. In the Mood for Love
  35. Rashomon
  37. Andrei Rublev
  39. Mulholland Drive
  41. Stalker
  43. Shoah
  45. The Godfather Part II
  47. Taxi Driver
  49. Bicycle Thieves
  51. The General
  53. Metropolis
  55. Psycho
  57. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles
  59. Sátántangó
  61. The 400 Blows
  63. La Dolce Vita
  65. Journey to Italy
  67. Pather Panchali
  69. Some Like It Hot
  71. Gertrud
  73. Pierrot le Fou
  75. Playtime
  77. Close-Up
  79. The Battle of Algiers
  81. Histoire du cinéma
  83. City Lights
  85. Ugetsu Monogatari
  87. La Jetée
  89. North by Northwest
  91. Rear Window
  93. Raging Bull
  95. M
  97. The Leopard
  99. Touch of Evil
  101. Sherlock Jr.
  103. Barry Lyndon
  105. La maman et la putain
  107. Sansho Dayu
  109. Wild Strawberries
  111. Modern Times
  113. Sunset Blvd.
  115. The Night of the Hunter
  117. Pickpocket
  119. Rio Bravo
  121. Blade Runner
  123. Blue Velvet
  125. Sans Soleil
  127. A Man Escaped
  129. The Third Man
  131. L'eclisse
  133. Les enfants du paradis
  135. La Grande Illusion
  137. Nashville
  139. Chinatown
  141. Beau Travail
  143. Once Upon a Time in the West
  145. The Magnificent Ambersons
  147. Lawrence of Arabia
  149. The Spirit of the Beehive
  151. Fanny and Alexander
  153. Casablanca
  155. The Colour of Pomegranates
  157. Greed
  159. A Brighter Summer Day
  161. The Wild Bunch
  163. Partie de campagne
  165. Aguirre, Wrath of God
  167. A Matter of Life and Death
  169. The Seventh Seal
  171. Un chien andalou
  173. Intolerance
  175. Yi Yi
  177. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
  179. Touki Bouki
  181. Fear Eats the Soul
  183. Imitation of Life
  185. Madame de...''

    186. 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.
  1. Tokyo Story
  4. Citizen Kane
  6. 8½
  8. Taxi Driver
  10. Apocalypse Now
  12. The Godfather
  14. Vertigo
  16. Mirror
  18. Bicycle Thieves
  20. Breathless
  22. Raging Bull
  24. Persona
  26. The 400 Blows
  28. Andrei Rublev
  30. Fanny and Alexander
  32. Seven Samurai
  34. Rashomon
  36. Barry Lyndon
  38. Ordet
  40. Au Hasard Balthazar
  42. Modern Times
  44. L'Atalante
  46. Sunrise
  48. La règle du jeu
  50. Touch of Evil
  52. The Night of the Hunter
  54. The Battle of Algiers
  56. La strada
  58. Stalker
  60. City Lights
  62. L'Avventura
  64. Amarcord
  66. The Gospel According to St. Matthew
  68. The Godfather Part II
  70. Come And See
  72. Close-Up
  74. Some Like It Hot
  76. La Dolce Vita
  78. The Passion of Joan of Arc
  80. Playtime
  82. A Man Escaped
  84. Viridiana
  86. Once Upon a Time in the West
  88. Le Mépris
  90. The Apartment
  92. Hour of the Wolf
  94. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
  96. The Searchers
  98. Psycho
  100. Man with a Movie Camera
  102. Shoah
  104. Lawrence of Arabia
  106. L'eclisse
  108. Pickpocket
  110. Pather Panchali
  112. Rear Window
  114. Goodfellas
  116. Blow Up
  118. The Conformist
  120. Aguirre, Wrath of God
  122. Gertrud
  124. A Woman Under the Influence
  126. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  128. Blue Velvet
  130. La grande illusion
  132. Badlands
  134. Blade Runner
  136. Sunset Blvd.
  138. Ugetsu Monogatari
  140. Singin' in the Rain
  142. In The Mood For Love
  144. Journey to Italy
  146. Vivre Sa Vie
  148. The Seventh Seal
  150. Hidden
  152. Battleship Potemkin
  154. M
  156. There Will Be Blood
  158. The Shining
  160. The General
  162. Mulholland Drive
  164. A Clockwork Orange
  166. Fear Eats the Soul
  168. Kes
  170. Husbands
  172. The Wild Bunch
  174. Salò, or the 120 Days of Sodom
  176. Jaws
  178. Los Olvidados
  180. Pierrot le Fou
  182. Un chien andalou
  184. Chinatown
  186. La maman et la putain
  188. Beau Travail
  190. Opening Night
  192. The Gold Rush
  194. Zero de Conduite
  196. The Deer Hunter
  198. L'argent
  200. The Killing of a Chinese Bookie
  202. Sans Soleil
  204. Don't Look Now
  206. I am Cuba
  208. Last Year At Marienbad
  210. Le Samouraï