ffinally a director takes first place of the authoritative ranking by the British Film Institute. And while the top-rated film is probably unknown to most, it is nonetheless the new “Best movie of all time”.
The best film ever is by a director
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Brussels by the Belgian director Chantal Akermanconsidered a pioneer of feminist cinema, it is the first in the chart’s history to be shot by a woman. And so after 40 years of unchallenged dominance of Fourth Estate from Orson Wellessurpassed in 2012 by The Woman Who Lived Twice from Alfred Hitchcocknow it’s Akerman’s turn with his film very far from the most famous films or popular cult films.
A semi-unknown masterpiece
Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Brusselsusually abbreviated to Jeanne Dielman is an experimental film, considered by many to be a masterpiece. Set over three days, the director describes the life of a Belgian widow, played by Delphine Seyrig who occasionally prostitutes herself and her teenage son. An obsessive repetitiveness, sometimes almost boring, which, however she was much praised And considered an example of avant-garde work.
Title to most unknown, already in 1976 Jeanne Dielman was classified by both Le Monde that from New York Times how “the greatest female masterpiece in the history of cinema».
Chantal Akerman is the first director to win first place in the British Film Institute ranking
Best film ever: it was too bike thieves
Every ten years Sight and Sound asks film experts, film critics, archivists and academics about select what they think are the top 10 movies of all time: the ranking is then drawn up from the preferences. In the first, in 1952, the winner was bike thievesfilm by Vittorio De Sica from 1948. Jeanne Dielman it was already on the 2012 list, but in 35th place. A great leap that joins the other films directed by women present in the standings.
Eleven films directed by women
There are 11 films in the charts directed by women, including Cleo from 5 to 7 (1962) by Agnès Varda at the 14th e Portrait of the young woman on fire by Céline Sciamma (2019) at the 30th. There are also more films by black directors (in the 2012 ranking there was only The Journey of the Hyena, 1973, by Djibril Diop Mambéty): among these there are Do the right thing (1989) by Spike Lee e Run away – Get Out (2017) by Jordan Peele.
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