Why Vertigo Toppled Citizen Kane as Cinema's Greatest Film
In short: For decades, a specific set of films held the crown of 'the canon.' This lecture explores the shifting criteria of cinematic greatness and the surprising moment one masterpiece finally dethroned another.
The British Film Institute’s Sight & Sound magazine has conducted an international poll every decade for nearly seventy years to determine the world's greatest films. This 'ten best' list serves as a primary arbiter of the cinematic canon, reflecting evolving tastes and critical standards over time.
In 2012, a significant shift occurred when Alfred Hitchcock’s eerie melodrama Vertigo replaced Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane as the top-ranked film. The lecture by Ian Christie examines the specific factors that elevate certain makers and works to 'classic' status, providing context for why these rankings fluctuate over half a century.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: What Makes a Film Classic?
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