Greatest Movie of All Time?

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matt72582's Avatar
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Is this the oldest thread on the forum that's still going...?

It's one thread I will always check out. If I see someone who mentions a movie I might have scrolled through, I would give the movie a chance.



Impossible question and inevitably choices are going to be focused on English-language films. I am interested in how people choose what they think is the greatest film ever. Do they go solely off their own personal enjoyment? Do they apply any 'objective' criteria?

For me, if a film manages to seep into culture to the point where people who've never watched it understand the reference, it has reached a level of greatness. Many people who haven't seen Casablanca would recognise the quotes, the song, parodies- it takes on a life beyond the big screen. Of course, that criteria still means it's Hollywood-centric but it means it's captured public imagination. I don't think it applies so much nowadays due to social media; just a case of good marketing.



Impossible question and inevitably choices are going to be focused on English-language films. I am interested in how people choose what they think is the greatest film ever. Do they go solely off their own personal enjoyment? Do they apply any 'objective' criteria?

For me, if a film manages to seep into culture to the point where people who've never watched it understand the reference, it has reached a level of greatness. Many people who haven't seen Casablanca would recognise the quotes, the song, parodies- it takes on a life beyond the big screen. Of course, that criteria still means it's Hollywood-centric but it means it's captured public imagination. I don't think it applies so much nowadays due to social media; just a case of good marketing.

There's "popular" greatness and "quality" greatness. But to be honest, a famous reference can also belong to a bad movie, hence the finale of Jaws 4.


For my ratings, I ask myself four questions for every movie I watch. These questions can also apply to book, albums, paintings, etc.


1. What's the goal of this movie?
2. Does the movie meet its goal?
3. Were any basics forgotten or neglected when making the movie (I.e. good casting choices, fitting music, etc.)
4. If so, were these mistakes made up for by other aspects of the movie?


This way I have a personal, subjective system which addresses mistakes without resorting to the "desert island" system of just picking what you wanna keep watching over and over again. Because discussions on quality like this have as much room for "BUT I LOVE IT!" as it does for "BUT EVERYONE SAYS ITS GOOD!"



1. What's the goal of this movie?
2. Does the movie meet its goal?
If the goal is trivial (e.g., the goal was for a movie studio to take a tax write-off and retain intellectual property rights to a character), these questions become moot. If the bar is set too low (e.g., the mere existence of film stock with recorded sound and images will meet the goal), then these questions don't function as criteria of quality. The film has to raise its sights high enough that it has a target worthy of taking a shot at.



Impossible question and inevitably choices are going to be focused on English-language films.
If we were to ask the 'man or woman on the street' in a U.S. city then most likely their choice for greatest film would be an English language film. But if we were to ask that question here or at Mubi's reddit then that answer might be weighted towards foreign language films as there's a core of cinephiles who feel most American/Hollywood movies are akin to fast food, while viewing foreign films as some higher form of cinematic art. So it just depends on where the question is asked.

Do they go solely off their own personal enjoyment? Do they apply any 'objective' criteria?
For me it would be a film that personally resonates with me and or impresses me. Of course there's no such thing as 'greatest film', just our own opinions...see my top 10 profile for my personal favs.



What the greatest film may be one I don't care much for. Some of you may say



But I think it could be The Wizard of Oz, Ben Hur, The Seventh Seal or even
2001. I have seen each too many times to consider them what I consider great and for me, there really isn't just one. Just The Wicker Man, A Clockwork Orange, La Belle et La Bete or Jagten. Again, this is my picks.



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Film n00bs: Star Wars!
Film buffs: 2001
Me, a true cinephile: Starcrash

__________________
Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.



Y'all know the Howard the Duck was a joke. @Citizen Rules sent me a link to the worst films ever and Howard was on there. I dont think it's the worst but not the best either.



If the goal is trivial (e.g., the goal was for a movie studio to take a tax write-off and retain intellectual property rights to a character), these questions become moot. If the bar is set too low (e.g., the mere existence of film stock with recorded sound and images will meet the goal), then these questions don't function as criteria of quality. The film has to raise its sights high enough that it has a target worthy of taking a shot at.

If the goal is just that, then it becomes more susceptible to questions 3 and 4, thus the questions are not moot. I know because I've reviewed crap sequels that fit that bill before. They neglected many things in order to achieve that goal, namely that their goal was not an artistic one which is in itself easier to be a flaw than anything. Basically, question 3 incorporates whether or not the goal was artistic.



wow 22 years old...


Anyway for me it's American Beauty but that's just me.

I would have no way of knowing objectively what the greatest film ever made is other than turning to critics or lining up my own favorites to critics and going from there.