New Movie Tops Sight & Sound Poll
For the first time in 50 years “Citizen Kane” doesn’t top the Sight & Sound poll. Every ten years since 1952, the London-based film magazine published by the British Film Institute conducts a sweeping survey of renowned critics and filmmakers to determine what many cinephiles consider to be the definitive list of the greatest movies ever made. The very first poll placed Vittorio De Sica’s “Bicycle Thieves” at the No. 1 spot. Ever since 1962, however, Orson Welles’ dazzling fake biopic has taken top honors. Until 2012, that is. This year Sight & Sound tapped 846 critics and 358 directors to submit individual Top 10 lists. When all the ballots were tallied and aggregated, the magazine’s editors discovered that both the critics and directors had said, “Rosebud, schmosebud.†The critics’ pick for the new No. 1 is Hitchcock’s “Vertigo.” (pictured) That wouldn’t have even made my top ten. It’s not even my favorite Hitchcock movie. (That would be “Rebecca.”)
