Just what exactly is it that makes a movie great? Is it the cultural significance of the film, given the context in which it was made and released? Is it the legacy that a film had over the years? Is greatness in relation to art not a matter of subjectivity? The aforementioned are tough questions to answer, which must be why it’s provided movie geeks the world over with conversational fuel for decades now.
READ MORE: Retrospective: The Directorial Films Of Orson Welles
The truth is that the question of a movie’s greatness is not one that can ever really be answered definitively. It is, as many things are in the moviegoing culture, an ongoing conversation: something we continue to add to. This is the reason why some cinephiles feel an almost knee-jerk sense of confusion when “Citizen Kane” is mentioned so frequently as the quote-unquote greatest film of all time, while other, more classically inclined viewers hold Welles’ magnum opus up as the pinnacle of filmmaking craft.
This new video essay from Now You See It gets us just a bit closer to figuring out that answer. Of course, no discussion of what the “greatest” movie of all time is complete without some discussion of “Citizen Kane,” though the video argues that Welles’ film is mainly significant for its landmark technical achievements. There’s also talk of cultural context and how films can shake up the world outside your local multiplex. Not surprisingly, “Fight Club” is mentioned in this regard, and while it’s debatable if David Fincher’s acidic satire belongs in the all-time greats discussion, it’s a film that had an undeniable effect on the culture.
Do you think the video missed any solid picks for the greatest film of all time? Let us know in the comments section.
