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Andrew Sarris's Annual Top 10 Lists, Ranked

The critic who imported the auteur theory to America published year-end lists from 1958 to 2006 — nearly half a century of verdicts in The Village Voice and The New York Observer. Here is every film from those lists in our library, re-ranked by our composite score across 20+ lists, awards and polls.

759 films from this list are in our library; the top 100 by composite score are shown — the ranking is ours, not the list's own order.

  1. 1
    Pulp Fiction1994 · Quentin Tarantino · United States · crime, drama, thriller
    5.76

    Palme d'Or winner 1994 · Empire 500 (2008) #9 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1994

  2. 2
    Raging Bull1980 · Martin Scorsese · United States · biography, drama, action
    5.71

    AFI 100 (2007) #4 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #22 · Siskel's annual top 10 1980 #1

  3. 3
    Annie Hall1977 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    5.55

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1977 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1978 · Siskel's annual top 10 1977 #1

  4. 4
    The Piano1993 · Jane Campion · France / Australia / New Zealand · drama, romance
    4.99

    Palme d'Or winner 1993 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1994 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #50

  5. 5
    Unforgiven1992 · Clint Eastwood · United States · western, drama, crime
    4.96

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1992 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1992 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #1

  6. 6
    Mulholland Drive2001 · David Lynch · United States · mystery, thriller, crime
    4.61

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2001 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2001 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #8

  7. 7
    Chinatown1974 · Roman Polanski · United States · film-noir, mystery, thriller
    4.33

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1974 · AFI 100 (2007) #21

  8. 8
    Wild Strawberries1957 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · drama
    4.30

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 1958 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1962 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1959 #1

  9. 9
    Persona1966 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · drama
    4.29

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1967 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #9 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #18

  10. 10
    The Silence of the Lambs1991 · Jonathan Demme · United States · thriller, horror, crime
    4.23

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1991 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #2 · AFI 100 (2007) #74

  11. 11
    Platoon1986 · Oliver Stone · United States / Philippines · war, drama, action
    4.09

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1986 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1987 #2 · Ebert's annual top 10 1986 #1

  12. 12
    The 400 Blows1959 · François Truffaut · France · drama, crime
    4.04

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #33 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #50 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #5

  13. 13
    Psycho1960 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · thriller, horror, mystery
    4.01

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #31 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · AFI 100 (2007) #14

  14. 14
    Breathless1960 · Jean-Luc Godard · France · drama, crime
    3.95

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #14 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #38 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #3

  15. 15
    Barry Lyndon1975 · Stanley Kubrick · United States / United Kingdom · drama, war, adventure
    3.95

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #12 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #45 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975

  16. 16
    Blowup1966 · Michelangelo Antonioni · United Kingdom / Italy · mystery, thriller, drama
    3.93

    Palme d'Or winner 1967 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1966 #1

  17. 17
    The Pianist2002 · Roman Polanski · France / Germany / United Kingdom · musical, drama, biography
    3.86

    Palme d'Or winner 2002 · BAFTA Best Film winner 2003 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2003 #1

  18. 18
    Ikiru1952 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan · drama
    3.78

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1952 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #157

  19. 19
    Shakespeare in Love1998 · John Madden · United Kingdom / United States · comedy, romance, drama
    3.77

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1998 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1999 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1999 #1

  20. 20
    Titanic1997 · James Cameron · United States · drama, romance
    3.72

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1997 · Kehr's annual top 10 1997 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1998 #4

  21. 21
    Pather Panchali1955 · Satyajit Ray · India · drama
    3.61

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1966 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #22 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #35

  22. 22
    Viridiana1961 · Luis Buñuel · Mexico / Spain · comedy, drama
    3.59

    Palme d'Or winner 1961 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1962 #4

  23. 23
    The Seventh Seal1957 · Ingmar Bergman · Sweden · fantasy, drama
    3.58

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1958 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1958 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72

  24. 24
    Yi Yi2000 · Edward Yang · Taiwan, China / Japan · drama
    3.56

    Film Comment year-end poll 2000 #3 · Sarris's annual top 10 2000 #1 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #8

  25. 25
    Nashville1975 · Robert Altman · United States · comedy, drama, musical
    3.41

    Ebert's annual top 10 1975 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1975 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1975

  26. 26
    The Departed2006 · Martin Scorsese · United States / Hong Kong, China · drama, thriller, crime
    3.41

    Oscar Best Picture winner 2006 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 2006 #1

  27. 27
    Farewell My Concubine1993 · Chen Kaige · China · drama, romance
    3.39

    Palme d'Or winner 1993 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1994 #2 · TIME All-TIME 100

  28. 28
    The English Patient1996 · Anthony Minghella · United Kingdom / United States · romance, war, drama
    3.38

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1996 · BAFTA Best Film winner 1997 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1997 #5

  29. 29
    The Last Picture Show1971 · Peter Bogdanovich · United States · drama
    3.35

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1972 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1971 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1971

  30. 30
    L'Avventura1960 · Michelangelo Antonioni · France / Italy · drama
    3.35

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #2 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #38 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #72

  31. 31
    Fanny and Alexander1982 · Ingmar Bergman · France / Germany / Sweden · drama
    3.30

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1985 #3 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #129

  32. 32
    Au Hasard Balthazar1966 · Robert Bresson · Sweden / France · drama, crime
    3.29

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1966 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #25 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #37

  33. 33
    Day for Night1973 · François Truffaut · France / Italy · drama, comedy
    3.25

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1974 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1974 #3 · Siskel's annual top 10 1974 #1

  34. 34
    Kagemusha1980 · Akira Kurosawa · Japan · drama, war
    3.23

    Palme d'Or winner 1980 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1980 #2 · Ebert's annual top 10 1980 #3

  35. 35
    Kramer vs. Kramer1979 · Robert Benton · United States · drama
    3.17

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1979 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1980 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1979 #1

  36. 36
    The Tree of Wooden Clogs1978 · Ermanno Olmi · Italy · drama
    3.14

    Palme d'Or winner 1978 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1979 #2 · Empire 500 (2008) #108

  37. 37
    Underground1995 · Emir Kusturica · France / Germany / Bulgaria · comedy, drama, war
    3.13

    Palme d'Or winner 1995 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1996 #3 · Kehr's annual top 10 1995 #2

  38. 38
    Vagabond1985 · Agnès Varda · France · drama
    3.12

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1985 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #41 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #101

  39. 39
    Sense and Sensibility1995 · Ang Lee · United Kingdom / United States · drama, romance, comedy
    3.08

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1996 · Berlin Golden Bear winner 1996 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1995

  40. 40
    Fargo1996 · Joel Coen, Ethan Coen · United States / United Kingdom · crime, drama, film-noir
    3.02

    Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Siskel's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1996

  41. 41
    The Eel1997 · Shohei Imamura · Japan · drama
    3.00

    Palme d'Or winner 1997 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1997 #1 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1997 #4

  42. 42
    Contempt1963 · Jean-Luc Godard · France / Italy · drama
    3.00

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1963 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #54

  43. 43
    Sansho the Bailiff1954 · Kenji Mizoguchi · Japan · drama
    3.00

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1960 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #75 · Sarris's annual top 10 1969 #2

  44. 44
    The Tin Drum1979 · Volker Schlöndorff · France / Germany / Poland · war, drama
    2.99

    Palme d'Or winner 1979 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1981 #1 · NYT Best 1,000 Movies

  45. 45
    Lost in Translation2003 · Sofia Coppola · United States / Japan · comedy, romance, drama
    2.95

    Film Comment year-end poll 2003 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 2003 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2003

  46. 46
    Atlantic City1980 · Louis Malle · Canada / United States / France · romance, drama, crime
    2.92

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1980 · Sarris's annual top 10 1981 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1981

  47. 47
    The Child2005 · Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne · Belgium / France · drama
    2.89

    Palme d'Or winner 2005 · Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #4 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2005 #4

  48. 48
    The Green Ray1986 · Éric Rohmer · France · romance, drama
    2.88

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1986 #1 · Venice Golden Lion winner 1986 · Sarris's annual top 10 1986 #1

  49. 49
    Red Desert1964 · Michelangelo Antonioni · France / Italy · drama, romance
    2.83

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1964 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #169 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1964 #6

  50. 50
    L'Argent1983 · Robert Bresson · France · drama, crime
    2.83

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1983 #1 · Kehr's annual top 10 1984 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #72

  51. 51
    L.A. Confidential1997 · Curtis Hanson · United States · crime, film-noir, mystery
    2.82

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1998 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1997 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1997

  52. 52
    Belle de Jour1967 · Luis Buñuel · France / Italy · drama
    2.82

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1967 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1967 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1968 #1

  53. 53
    A Room with a View1986 · James Ivory · United Kingdom · comedy, romance, drama
    2.81

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1987 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1986 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1987 #6

  54. 54
    Life Is Beautiful1997 · Roberto Benigni · Italy · comedy, drama
    2.80

    Cannes Grand Prix winner 1998 · TIFF People's Choice winner 1998 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1998

  55. 55
    Ordinary People1980 · Robert Redford · United States · drama
    2.80

    Oscar Best Picture winner 1980 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1981 #3 · Siskel's annual top 10 1980 #2

  56. 56
    Manhattan1979 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.77

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1980 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1980 #5 · Sarris's annual top 10 1979 #2

  57. 57
    Tootsie1982 · Sydney Pollack · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.74

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1982 · AFI 100 (2007) #69 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1983 #8

  58. 58
    Breaking the Waves1996 · Lars von Trier · Denmark / Sweden / France · drama, romance
    2.69

    Cannes Grand Prix winner 1996 · Kehr's annual top 10 1996 #1 · Ebert's annual top 10 1996 #2

  59. 59
    Hana-bi1997 · Takeshi Kitano · Japan · crime, drama
    2.68

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1997 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1998 #1 · Venice Golden Lion winner 1997

  60. 60
    Sex, Lies, and Videotape1989 · Steven Soderbergh · United States · drama
    2.67

    Palme d'Or winner 1989 · Sarris's annual top 10 1989 #1 · National Film Registry (inducted 2006)

  61. 61
    Howards End1992 · James Ivory · United Kingdom · drama
    2.66

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1993 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1992 · Ebert's annual top 10 1992 #3

  62. 62
    Under the Sun of Satan1987 · Maurice Pialat · France · drama
    2.64

    Palme d'Or winner 1987 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1987 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1989 #10

  63. 63
    The Full Monty1997 · Peter Cattaneo · United Kingdom / United States · comedy, drama
    2.62

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1998 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1997 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1998 #5

  64. 64
    All the President's Men1976 · Alan J. Pakula · United States · crime, drama, thriller
    2.60

    Siskel's annual top 10 1976 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1976 · AFI 100 (2007) #77

  65. 65
    The Son's Room2001 · Nanni Moretti · Italy / France · drama
    2.59

    Palme d'Or winner 2001 · Sarris's annual top 10 2002 #2 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2001 #9

  66. 66
    The Birds1963 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · adventure, horror, mystery
    2.58

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1963 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1963 #1 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1963 #4

  67. 67
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon2000 · Ang Lee · United States / Taiwan, China / Hong Kong, China · romance, fantasy, action
    2.44

    TIFF People's Choice winner 2000 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2000 · Film Comment year-end poll 2000 #6

  68. 68
    À Nos Amours1983 · Maurice Pialat · France · drama
    2.41

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1983 #1 · César Best Film winner 1984 · Sarris's annual top 10 1984 #2

  69. 69
    Room at the Top1959 · Jack Clayton · United Kingdom · drama
    2.38

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1959 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1959 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1959 #9

  70. 70
    Once Upon a Time in the West1968 · Sergio Leone · Italy / United States · western, drama, action
    2.37

    Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #46 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #95 · Empire 500 (2008) #14

  71. 71
    Before Sunset2004 · Richard Linklater · United States · romance, drama
    2.36

    Film Comment year-end poll 2004 #3 · Sarris's annual top 10 2004 #1 · Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #26

  72. 72
    My Life to Live1962 · Jean-Luc Godard · France · drama
    2.32

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1962 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #157 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1963 #5

  73. 73
    Hiroshima mon amour1959 · Alain Resnais · France / Japan · drama, romance
    2.31

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1959 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1960 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #169

  74. 74
    The Story of Qiu Ju1992 · Zhang Yimou · China · comedy, drama
    2.30

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1992 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #2 · Sarris's annual top 10 1993 #1

  75. 75
    Traffic2000 · Steven Soderbergh · United States / Germany / Mexico · crime, drama, thriller
    2.28

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2001 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2000 · Film Comment year-end poll 2000 #16

  76. 76
    The Sacrifice1986 · Andrei Tarkovsky · Sweden / France / United Kingdom · drama
    2.26

    Cannes Grand Prix winner 1986 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1986 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 1986 #2

  77. 77
    A History of Violence2005 · David Cronenberg · Germany / United States · thriller, crime, drama
    2.24

    Film Comment year-end poll 2005 #1 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 2005 #2 · Hoberman's annual top 10 2005 #1

  78. 78
    Sideways2004 · Alexander Payne · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.23

    Film Comment year-end poll 2004 #1 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2004 · Sarris's annual top 10 2004 #2

  79. 79
    Army of Shadows1969 · Jean-Pierre Melville · France / Italy · drama, war
    2.21

    Film Comment year-end poll 2006 #3 · Sarris's annual top 10 2006 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #211

  80. 80
    Ali: Fear Eats the Soul1974 · Rainer Werner Fassbinder · Germany · drama, romance
    2.17

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #52 · Sight & Sound 2022 directors' poll #52 · Kehr's annual top 10 1974 #2

  81. 81
    All About My Mother1999 · Pedro Almodóvar · France / Spain · comedy, drama
    2.16

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 2000 #2 · Kehr's annual top 10 1999 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #157

  82. 82
    Short Cuts1993 · Robert Altman · United States · comedy, drama
    2.16

    Venice Golden Lion winner 1993 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1994 #3 · Siskel's annual top 10 1993 #2

  83. 83
    North by Northwest1959 · Alfred Hitchcock · United States · crime, thriller, mystery
    2.15

    Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #45 · AFI 100 (2007) #55 · AFI 100 (1998) #40

  84. 84
    The Cousins1959 · Claude Chabrol, Philippe de Broca · France · drama
    2.15

    Berlin Golden Bear winner 1959 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1959 #4 · Sarris's annual top 10 1959 #4

  85. 85
    Claire's Knee1970 · Éric Rohmer · France · drama, romance, comedy
    2.14

    San Sebastián Golden Shell winner 1971 · Siskel's annual top 10 1971 #1 · Sarris's annual top 10 1971 #2

  86. 86
    Miller's Crossing1990 · Ethan Coen, Joel Coen · United States · film-noir, crime, drama
    2.13

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1991 #2 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1991 #3 · TIME All-TIME 100

  87. 87
    You Can Count on Me2000 · Kenneth Lonergan · United States · drama
    2.13

    Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner 2000 · Sarris's annual top 10 2000 #1 · Film Comment year-end poll 2000 #9

  88. 88
    Pierrot le Fou1965 · Jean-Luc Godard · France / Italy · romance, drama, comedy
    2.13

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1965 #1 · Sight & Sound 2022 critics' poll #85 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1967 #5

  89. 89
    Hannah and Her Sisters1986 · Woody Allen · United States · comedy, romance, drama
    2.11

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1987 #3 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1986 · Sarris's annual top 10 1986 #2

  90. 90
    Four Weddings and a Funeral1994 · Mike Newell · United Kingdom · comedy, romance, drama
    2.10

    BAFTA Best Film winner 1995 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1994 · BFI Top 100 British films #23

  91. 91
    The Crying Game1992 · Neil Jordan · United Kingdom / Japan / Ireland · drama, romance, thriller
    2.10

    Oscar Best Picture nominee 1992 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1993 #4 · BFI Top 100 British films #26

  92. 92
    The Big Chill1983 · Lawrence Kasdan · United States · drama, musical
    2.08

    TIFF People's Choice winner 1983 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 1983 · National Film Registry (inducted 2025)

  93. 93
    Shall We Dance?1996 · Masayuki Suo · Japan · comedy, drama
    2.07

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (Japanese) 1996 #1 · Japan Academy Prize winner 1997 · Sarris's annual top 10 1997 #2

  94. 94
    The Aviator2004 · Martin Scorsese · United States · biography, drama, thriller
    2.06

    BAFTA Best Film winner 2005 · Oscar Best Picture nominee 2004 · Film Comment year-end poll 2004 #12

  95. 95
    Full Metal Jacket1987 · Stanley Kubrick · United Kingdom / United States · war, drama
    2.06

    Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1988 #2 · Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1987 #6 · Siskel's annual top 10 1987 #2

  96. 96
    My American Uncle1980 · Alain Resnais · France · drama
    2.06

    Cannes Grand Prix winner 1980 · TIME All-TIME 100 · Sarris's annual top 10 1980 #3

  97. 97
    Bande à part1964 · Jean-Luc Godard · France · crime, romance, drama
    2.05

    Cahiers du Cinéma annual top 10 1964 #1 · TIME All-TIME 100 · Scorsese's 39 essential foreign films

  98. 98
    The Mattei Affair1972 · Francesco Rosi · Italy · drama
    2.03

    Palme d'Or winner 1972 · Kinema Junpo Best Ten (International) 1974 #8 · Sarris's annual top 10 1973 #4

  99. 99
    Y tu mamá también2001 · Alfonso Cuarón · Mexico · drama, comedy, romance
    1.99

    Rolling Stone 100 Best of the 21st Century #5 · Film Comment year-end poll 2002 #3 · Ebert's annual top 10 2002 #6

  100. 100
    Roger & Me1989 · Michael Moore · United States · documentary
    1.99

    TIFF People's Choice winner 1989 · Siskel's annual top 10 1989 #2 · National Film Registry (inducted 2013)

The man who gave America the auteur theory

Andrew Sarris (1928–2012) is the critic who taught American readers to watch for the director. He spent a year in Paris around the turn of the 1960s, fell in with the young men of the French New Wave, and carried their obsession home: the idea that the person behind the camera, not the studio or the star, is the true author of a film. His 1962 essay "Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962" planted the word in English; his 1968 book The American Cinema: Directors and Directions, 1929–1968 made it a system, sorting Hollywood's filmmakers into a ranked pantheon that critics have argued with ever since. He wrote from The Village Voice — his first piece there, in 1960, was a rave for Hitchcock's Psycho — and later from The New York Observer, where he kept filing until 2009.

For roughly half a century, from 1958 to 2006, he also closed out each year with a ten-best list. Those lists are the source assembled here.

The auteurist's taste against the crowd

A film lands on this page because Sarris named it in one of those year-end tens; the order below is not his but ours, every title re-ranked by our composite score across more than twenty lists, awards and polls. So the interesting question is where a director's critic and the broader consensus part ways. By our numbers the highest-scoring film he ever picked is Pulp Fiction (1994) at #11, with Annie Hall (1977) at #14, Unforgiven (1992) at #23 and Roman Polanski's The Pianist (2002) at #66 behind it — a pulp crime picture, a New York comedy, a revisionist Western and a late Holocaust drama, none of them the kind of avant-garde object you might expect the auteur theory's chief evangelist to crown.

Look closer, though, and the auteurist shows through. Raging Bull (1980) from Martin Scorsese sits at #13, Mulholland Drive (2001) from David Lynch at #31 — two American directors whose whole careers are arguments for authorship. The European modernists he came up admiring are here too, further down our order: Ingmar Bergman's Wild Strawberries (1957) at #42 and Persona (1966) at #44, Michelangelo Antonioni's Blowup (1966) at #63, Luis Buñuel's Viridiana (1961) at #84. Even the movement that formed him gets a nod — François Truffaut's Day for Night (1973), a film about filmmaking, at #123, and Agnès Varda's Vagabond (1985) at #141.

How to read this list

Read the gap. Sarris built his reputation ranking directors, and where his year-end enthusiasms and the accumulated canon disagree — a Blowup far below a Pulp Fiction (1994), which our score puts at #11 — you are watching one committed sensibility rub against the average of many. His famous feud with Pauline Kael was a quarrel about exactly this: whether the director's signature or the immediate jolt of the movie is what counts. The order here is only ever ours; what it measures against is his.