Top 100 Movies
By Shane Rivers
Everyone has a different opinion when it comes to the top 100 movies ever made. Some lean towards older films, while others only include recent hits at the box office. But whatever the case may be, looking at lists of the top 100 movies can be a great way to expand your knowledge of film and get ideas for the next time you invite friends over.
AFI Top 100 Movies
The American Film Institute originally released their list entitled “100 Years…100 Movies” in 1998. The top 100 movies were selected by culling the list down to 400 and then distributing ballots to 1,500 various critics, actors, directors, historians and screenwriters. Here’s the 1998 list:
- Citizen Kane
- Casablanca
- The Godfather
- Gone with the Wind
- Lawrence of Arabia
- The Wizard of Oz
- The Graduate
- On the Waterfront
- Schindler’s List
- Singin’ in the Rain
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Sunset Boulevard
- The Bridge on the River Kwai
- Some Like It Hot
- Star Wars
- All About Eve
- The African Queen
- Psycho
- Chinatown
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- The Grapes of Wrath
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- The Maltese Falcon
- Raging Bull
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Apocalypse Now
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
- Annie Hall
- The Godfather Part II
- High Noon
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- It Happened One Night
- Midnight Cowboy
- The Best Years of Our Lives
- Double Indemnity
- Doctor Zhivago
- North by Northwest
- West Side Story
- Rear Window
- King Kong
- The Birth of a Nation
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- A Clockwork Orange
- Taxi Driver
- Jaws
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- The Philadelphia Story
- rom Here to Eternity
- Amadeus
- All Quiet on the Western Front
- The Sound of Music
- MASH
- The Third Man
- Fantasia
- Rebel Without a Cause
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Vertigo
- Tootsie
- Stagecoach
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Network
- The Manchurian Candidate
- An American in Paris
- Shane
- The French Connection
- Forrest Gump
- Ben-Hur
- Wuthering Heights
- The Gold Rush
- Dances with Wolves
- City Lights
- American Graffiti
- Rocky
- The Deer Hunter
- The Wild Bunch
- Modern Times
- Giant
- Platoon
- Fargo
- Duck Soup
- Mutiny on the Bounty
- Frankenstein
- Easy Rider
- Patton
- The Jazz Singer
- My Fair Lady
- A Place in the Sun
- The Apartment
- Goodfellas
- Pulp Fiction
- The Searchers
- Bringing Up Baby
- Unforgiven
- Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
- Yankee Doodle Dandy
A decade later, the AFI released their updated list. Every ten years, an updated version of the list will be unveiled in order to keep up with changing trends in cinema. Here’s the list from 2007:
- Citizen Kane
- The Godfather
- Casablanca
- Raging Bull
- Singin’ in the Rain
- Gone with the Wind
- Lawrence of Arabia
- Schindler’s List
- Vertigo
- The Wizard of Oz
- City Lights
- The Searchers
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
- Psycho
- 2001: A Space Odyssey
- Sunset Boulevard
- The Graduate
- The General
- On the Waterfront
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Chinatown
- Some Like It Hot
- The Grapes of Wrath
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
- High Noon
- All About Eve
- Double Indemnity
- Apocalypse Now
- The Maltese Falcon
- The Godfather Part II
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Annie Hall
- The Bridge on the River Kwai
- The Best Years of Our Lives
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
- The Sound of Music
- King Kong
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Midnight Cowboy
- The Philadelphia Story
- Shane
- It Happened One Night
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- Rear Window
- Intolerance
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- West Side Story
- Taxi Driver
- The Deer Hunter
- MASH
- North by Northwest
- Jaws
- Rocky
- The Gold Rush
- Nashville
- Duck Soup
- Sullivan’s Travels
- American Graffiti
- Cabaret
- Network
- The African Queen
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
- Unforgiven
- Tootsie
- A Clockwork Orange
- Saving Private Ryan
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- The Silence of the Lambs
- In the Heat of the Night
- Forrest Gump
- All the President’s Men
- Modern Times
- The Wild Bunch
- The Apartment
- Spartacus
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
- Titanic
- Easy Rider
- A Night at the Opera
- Platoon
- 12 Angry Men
- Bringing Up Baby
- The Sixth Sense
- Swing Time
- Sophie’s Choice
- Goodfellas
- The French Connection
- Pulp Fiction
- The Last Picture Show
- Do the Right Thing
- Blade Runner
- Yankee Doodle Dandy
- Toy Story
- Ben-Hur
Here are some interesting facts and comparisons from the two lists:
- Doctor Zhivago, ranked #39 on the 1998 list, was excluded from the updated list.
- The General, not included on the 1998 list, debuted at #18 on the 2007 list.
- The Searchers improved 84 spots from 1998 to 2007.
- The African Queen suffered the biggest drop, falling 48 spots to #65.
- In the 2007 list, The Graduate and On the Waterfront were knocked out of the top 10 in favor of Vertigo and Raging Bull.
- Citizen Kane remained #1 on both lists.
- The most represented decade on the lists is the 1970s.
- The earliest film included is Intolerance (1916). The newest film included is The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).
- Five science-fiction films are included on the 2007 list.
- Steven Spielberg leads all directors with five films on the latest list.
- For lead actors, James Stewart leads all other with five films.
- Katharine Hepburn and Faye Dunaway each appear as the lead actress in three films. Hepburn appeared in a total of seven films on the list.
- Six silent films are included on the 2007 list.
- Two animated films are on the 2007 list.
- Eighteen comedies are on the 2007 list.
- Six musicals are on the 2007 list.
- Six westerns are on the 2007 list.
- On the 2007 list, 73 of the top 100 movies were nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Of that number, 30 won the award.
AFI’s Ten Top 10
In 2008, the American Film Institute unveiled a list of Top 10 films in 10 different genres. While it’s not exactly a list of Top 100 movies, I still felt it was important enough to warrant inclusion in this article.
10 Best Animation Movies
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
- Pinocchio
- Bambi
- The Lion King
- Fantasia
- Toy Story
- Beauty and the Beast
- Shrek
- Cinderella
- Finding Nemo
This is a solid enough list. Glad to see timeless classics like Snow White and Pinocchio get their due.
10 Best Romantic Comedies
- City Lights
- Annie Hall
- It Happened One Night
- Roman Holiday
- The Philadelphia Story
- When Harry Met Sally…
- Adam’s Rib
- Moonstruck
- Harold and Maude
- Sleepless in Seattle
Harold and Maude never seemed like a romantic comedy to me. In fact, I always figured it was more of a black comedy. I’d prefer to see some other film at the #1 spot.
10 Best Westerns
- The Searchers
- High Noon
- Shane
- Unforgiven
- Red River
- The Wild Bunch
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
- McCabe & Mrs. Miller
- Stagecoach
- Cat Ballou
I’d put The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven ahead of Shane. Cat Ballou wouldn’t even make my Top 20.
10 Best Sports Movies
- Raging Bull
- Rocky
- The Pride of the Yankees
- Hoosiers
- Bull Durham
- The Hustler
- Caddyshack
- Breaking Away
- National Velvet
- Jerry Maguire
I’d flip Hoosiers and The Pride of the Yankees. I would also replace Jerry Maguire with Field of Dreams.
10 Best Mystery Movies
- Vertigo 1958
- Chinatown 1974
- Rear Window 1954
- Laura 1944
- The Third Man 1949
- The Maltese Falcon 1941
- North by Northwest 1959
- Blue Velvet 1986
- Dial M for Murder 1954
- The Usual Suspects 1995
Either Chinatown or Rear Widow would make for a better #1. Drop Vertigo to #3. I’m amazed that The Usual Suspects made the Top 10.
10 Best Fantasy Movies
- The Wizard of Oz 1939
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
- It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
- King Kong 1933
- Miracle on 34th Street 1947
- Field of Dreams 1989
- Harvey 1950
- Groundhog Day 1993
- The Thief of Bagdad 1924
- Big 1988
I never considered Big a fantasy movie (or Groundhog Day, for that matter). I guess this list explains why Field of Dreams didn’t make the Top 10 sports movies. The Wizard of Oz is still the king, and I really can’t dispute that logic.
10 Best Science Fiction Movies
- 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
- A Clockwork Orange 1971
- The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951
- Blade Runner 1982
- Alien 1979
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956
- Back to the Future 1985
Alien should be ahead of The Day the Earth Stood Still, in my opinion. Any of the movies on the list are more deserving of the #1 spot than the uber-pretentious 2001: A Space Odyssey.
10 Best Gangster Movies
- The Godfather 1972
- Goodfellas 1990
- The Godfather Part II 1974
- White Heat 1949
- Bonnie and Clyde 1967
- Scarface 1932
- Pulp Fiction 1994
- The Public Enemy 1931
- Little Caesar 1931
- Scarface 1983
Where’s Reservoir Dogs? GoodFellas is the top gangster movie in my book, although the first two films in the Godfather trilogy certainly merit a high ranking.
10 Best Courtroom Movies
- To Kill a Mockingbird 1962
- 12 Angry Men 1957
- Kramer vs. Kramer 1979
- The Verdict 1982
- A Few Good Men 1992
- Witness for the Prosecution 1957
- Anatomy of a Murder 1959
- In Cold Blood 1967
- A Cry in the Dark 1988
- Judgment at Nuremberg 1961
No complaints with this list. After all these years, To Kill a Mockingbird still stands the test of time.
10 Best Epic Movies
- Lawrence of Arabia 1962
- Ben-Hur 1959
- Schindler’s List 1993
- Gone with the Wind 1939
- Spartacus 1960
- Titanic 1997
- All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
- Saving Private Ryan 1998
- Reds 1981
- The Ten Commandments 1956
It doesn’t get any more epic than Lawrence of Arabia, so I agree with the first two entries. I wouldn’t consider Schindler’s List to be an epic, although I’d also say the same thing about Saving Private Ryan and Titanic. Does being really long instantly make it an epic these days?
Top 100 Movies from TIME Magazine
This list of the top 100 movies was put together by Richard Corliss and Richard Schickel, both film critics for TIME magazine. The films are arranged in alphabetical order.
- 8 1/2
- The 400 Blows
- Aguirre: The Wrath of God
- Aparajito
- The Awful Truth
- Baby Face
- Band of Outsiders
- Barry Lyndon
- Berlin Alexanderplatz
- Blade Runner
- Bonnie and Clyde
- Brazil
- Camille
- Casablanca
- Charade
- Children of Paradise
- Chinatown
- Chungking Express
- Citizen Kane
- City Lights
- City of God
- Closely Watched Trains
- Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
- The Crowd
- Day for Night
- The Decalogue (3-film series)
- Detour
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
- Dodsworth
- Double Indemnity
- Dr. Strangelove
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- Farewell My Concubine
- Finding Nemo
- The Fly / The Fly 2
- Frankenstein / Bride of Frankenstein:
- The Godfather
- The Godfather: Part II
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- GoodFellas
- A Hard Day’s Night
- His Girl Friday
- Ikiru
- In a Lonely Place
- Invasion of the Body Snatchers
- It’s a Gift
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Kandahar
- Kind Hearts and Coronets
- King Kong
- The Lady Eve
- The Last Command
- Lawrence of Arabia
- The Legend of Drunken Master
- Leolo
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- Man with the Movie Camera
- The Manchurian Candidate
- Meet Me in St. Louis
- Metropolis
- Miller’s Crossing
- Mon Oncle D’Amerique
- Mouchette
- Nayagan
- Ninotchka
- Notorious
- Olympia
- On the Waterfront
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- Out of the Past
- Pather Panchali
- Persona
- Pinocchio
- Psycho
- Pulp Fiction
- The Purple Rose of Cairo
- Pyaasa
- Raging Bull
- Schindler’s List
- The Searchers
- Our Hospitality / Sherlock Jr.
- The Shop Around the Corner
- Singin’ in the Rain
- The Singing Detective
- Smiles of a Summer Night
- Some Like It Hot
- Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- Sunrise
- Sweet Smell of Success
- Swing Time
- Talk to Her
- Taxi Driver
- Tokyo Story
- A Touch of Zen
- Ugetsu
- Ulysses’ Gaze
- Umberto D.
- Unforgiven
- White Heat
- Wings of Desire
- The World of Apu
- Yojimbo
I didn’t expect all three Lord of the Rings films to make the Top 100. While I enjoyed them all, I felt there was a major drop in quality following the first film.
Chungking Express and City of God are both modern films which have more than earned their way onto the list. As far as The Singing Detective goes, I’m uncertain whether they’re talking about the Robert Downey film or the more critically lauded BBC miniseries starring Michael Gambon.
My Top 100 Movies
If I’m going to offer commentary, I might as well have the courage to submit my own list of the Top 100 movies of all-time. Some of the entries below I consider to be high works of art, while others are nothing more than trashy popcorn movies which have won me over through the years. But either way, these are the 100 films which have left the greatest impression on my mind. Listed in no particular order, they are:
- Glengarry GlenRoss
- The Shawshank Redemption
- Oldboy
- House of Games
- Raging Bull
- Platoon
- Pulp Fiction
- Lawrence of Arabia
- The Road Warrior
- John Carpenter’s The Thing
- Reservoir Dogs
- Lethal Weapon
- Die Hard
- Se7en
- Jaws
- Alien
- Taxi Driver
- Saving Private Ryan
- Dr. Strangelove
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail
- Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- Braveheart
- The Quick and the Dead
- Return of the Living Dead
- Dawn of the Dead (2004)
- Angel Heart
- Exorcist III
- Big Trouble in Little China
- Road House
- Psycho
- Spider-Man
- Unforgiven
- Singin’ in the Rain
- The Rundown
- American Beauty
- Battle Royale
- Frankenstein
- The Best of Times
- The Big Picture
- The Cable Guy
- Blade
- City of God
- Dirty Harry
- Dances with Wolves
- Drugstore Cowboy
- Places in the Heart
- Evil Dead II
- A Fish Called Wanda
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
- GoodFellas
- Heathers
- Hud
- Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
- Raiders of the Lost Ark
- L.A. Confidential
- The Lives of Others
- Lolita
- A Mighty Wind
- Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
- Once Upon a Time in the West
- Predator
- The Princess Bride
- Shaun of the Dead
- The Shootist
- A Shock to the System
- The Silence of the Lambs
- Tombstone
- Tremors
- The Untouchables
- The Last Action Hero
- White Hunter, Black Heart
- Apocalypse Now
- Sergeant York
- Raising Arizona
- JFK
- Rebel Without a Cause
- Network
- Star Wars
- The Empire Strikes Back
- Fight Club
- The Matrix
- A Clockwork Orange
- Chinatown
- Aguirre: the Wrath of God
- Brotherhood of the Wolf
- An American Werewolf in London
- High Noon
- The Color of Money
- Gallipoli
- Rain Man
- The Dirty Dozen
- The Great Escape
- Bob Roberts
- Field of Dreams
- Escape from New York
- Misery
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Cool Hand Luke
- Rocky
- Citizen Kane
Not much commentary to offer on this one. I realize not all of my selection will be popular, and I fully expect to be pulled from my home and stoned to death for having the temerity to select Road House to any manner of Top 100 movies list.
IMDB Top 100 Movies
Constantly revised and updated, this list represents the current highest-rated films from the Internet Movie Database. The Shawshank Redemption has been sitting at #1 for as long as I remember, and deservedly so.
I’m a little surprised that Raiders of the Lost Ark isn’t higher than #18, but I was always a sucker for those films. It’s downright criminal that Raging Bull only ranks at #74.
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- The Godfather (1972)
- The Godfather: Part II (1974)
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- Schindler’s List (1993)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Casablanca (1942)
- Star Wars (1977)
- Seven Samurai (1954)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
- Goodfellas (1990)
- Rear Window (1954)
- City of God (2002)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
- Fight Club (1999)
- The Usual Suspects (1995)
- Psycho (1960)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- Sunset Blvd. (1950)
- Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
- Memento (2000)
- North by Northwest (1959)
- The Matrix (1999)
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
- Se7en (1995)
- Léon (1994)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- American Beauty (1999)
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- American History X (1998)
- WALL·E (2008)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Paths of Glory (1957)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Amelie (2001)
- M (1931)
- Double Indemnity (1944)
- To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
- The Departed (2006)
- Alien (1979)
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- A Clockwork Orange (1971)
- The Lives of Others (2006)
- The Third Man (1949)
- The Shining (1980)
- Chinatown (1974)
- The Pianist (2002)
- Saving Private Ryan (1998)
- Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
- Spirited Away (2001)
- The Wrestler (2008)
- Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
- Requiem for a Dream (2000)
- L.A. Confidential (1997)
- Aliens (1986)
- Das Boot (1981)
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Reservoir Dogs (1992)
- City Lights (1931)
- Rashômon (1950)
- The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- Raging Bull (1980)
- All About Eve (1950)
- Modern Times (1936)
- Downfall (2004)
- Metropolis (1927)
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
- Rebecca (1940)
- Some Like It Hot (1959)
- Gran Torino (2008)
- The Prestige (2006)
- Amadeus (1984)
- Life is Beautiful (1997)
- The Elephant Man (1980)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- The Apartment (1960)
- Cinema Paradiso (1988)
- The Great Escape (1963)
- Sin City (2005)
- Full Metal Jacket (1987)
- Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
- The Great Dictator (1940)
- The Sting (1973)
- Touch of Evil (1958)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
- The Bicycle Thief (1948)
- On the Waterfront (1954)
Roger Ebert’s Great Movies
Ebert didn’t put together a Top 100 list, opting instead to select a huge batch of films and label them “great movies.” But how great are they, really? Read on and find out.
- 12 Angry Men (1957)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
- The 400 Blows (1959)
- 8 1/2 (1963)
- Ace in the Hole (1951)
- Adaptation. (2002)
- The Adventures of Robin Hood (1939)
- After Dark, My Sweet (1990)
- After Hours (1985)
- The Age of Innocence (1993)
- Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
- Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
- Alien (1979)
- All About Eve (1950)
- Amadeus (1984)
- Amarcord (1974)
- Annie Hall (1977)
- The Apartment (1960)
- Apocalypse Now (1979)
- The Apu Trilogy (1959)
- Army of Shadows (1969)
- Atlantic City (1980)
- Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
- Au Revoir, les Enfants (1987)
- Babel (2006)
- The Band Wagon (1953)
- The Bank Dick (1940)
- Baraka (1992)
- The Battle of Algiers (1967)
- The Battleship Potemkin (1925)
- Beat the Devil (1954)
- Beauty and the Beast (1946)
- Being There (1979)
- Belle de Jour (1967)
- The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
- The Bicycle Thief (1949)
- The Big Heat (1953)
- The Big Red One (1980)
- The Big Sleep (1946)
- The Birth of a Nation (1915)
- Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)
- Blow-Up (1966)
- The Blue Kite (1993)
- Bob le Flambeur (1955)
- Body Heat (1981)
- Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
- Breathless (1960)
- Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
- The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
- Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
- Broken Blossoms (1919)
- Cabiria (1914)
- Casablanca (1942)
- Cat People (1942)
- Children of Paradise (1945)
- Chimes at Midnight (1965)
- Chinatown (1974)
- A Christmas Story (1983)
- Chuck Jones: Three Cartoons (1953-1957)
- Citizen Kane (1941)
- City Lights (1931)
- The Color Purple (1985)
- The Conversation (1974)
- Cool Hand Luke (1967)
- Cries and Whispers (1972)
- Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
- Crumb (1994)
- Dark City (2005)
- Day for Night (1973)
- Days of Heaven (1978)
- The Dead (1987)
- The Decalogue (1988)
- Detour (1945)
- The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
- Diva (2008)
- Do the Right Thing (1989)
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- Don’t Look Now (1974)
- Double Indemnity (1944)
- Dr. Strangelove (1964)
- Dracula (1931)
- Duck Soup (1933)
- E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- The Earrings of Madame de… (1953)
- Easy Rider (1969)
- El Norte (1983)
- El Topo (1970)
- The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
- The Exterminating Angel (1962)
- The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
- Fanny and Alexander (1983)
- Fargo (1996)
- Faust (1926)
- The Films of Buster Keaton (1923)
- The Firemen’s Ball (1968)
- Fitzcarraldo (1982)
- Five Easy Pieces (1970)
- Floating Weeds (1959)
- Forbidden Games (1952)
- Gates of Heaven (1978)
- The General (1927)
- The Godfather (1972)
- The Godfather, Part II (1974)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Gone With the Wind (1939)
- The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968)
- GoodFellas (1991)
- Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
- Grand Illusion (1937)
- The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
- Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
- The Great Dictator (1940)
- Great Expectations (1946)
- Greed (1925)
- Groundhog Day (1993)
- A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
- Hoop Dreams (1994)
- House of Games (1987)
- Howards End (1992)
- The Hustler (1961)
- Ikiru (1952)
- In Cold Blood (1967)
- Inherit the Wind (1960)
- It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
- Jaws (1975)
- JFK (1991)
- Johnny Guitar (1954)
- Jules and Jim (1961)
- Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
- Killer of Sheep (1977)
- Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
- King Kong (1933)
- L’Atalante (1934)
- L’Avventura (1960)
- L.A. Confidential (1997)
- La Dolce Vita (1960)
- The Lady Eve (1941)
- The Last Laugh (1924)
- The Last Picture Show (1971)
- Last Tango in Paris (1972)
- The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
- Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
- Late Spring (1972)
- Laura (1944)
- Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
- Le Boucher / The Butcher (2003)
- Le Samourai (1967)
- Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
- Leolo (1993)
- The Leopard (1963)
- The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
- The River (Le Fleuve) (1951)
- The Long Goodbye (1973)
- M (1931)
- Magnolia (1999)
- The Maltese Falcon (1941)
- The Man Who Laughs (1928)
- The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
- Manhattan (1979)
- The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
- McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
- Mean Streets (1973)
- Mephisto (1981)
- Metropolis (1926)
- Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
- Mon Oncle (1958)
- Mon Oncle Antoine (1971)
- Moolaade (2007)
- Moonstruck (1987)
- Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
- The Music Room (1958)
- My Darling Clementine (1946)
- My Dinner With Andre (1981)
- My Fair Lady (1964)
- My Life to Live / Vivre sa Vie (1963)
- My Man Godfrey (1936)
- My Neighbor Totoro (1993)
- Nanook of the North (1922)
- Nashville (1975)
- Network (1976)
- Night Moves (1975)
- The Night of the Hunter (1955)
- Nights of Cabiria (1957)
- Nosferatu (1922)
- Notorious (1946)
- On the Waterfront (1954)
- One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
- Ordet (1955)
- Orpheus (1949)
- Out of the Past (1947)
- Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
- Pandora’s Box (1928)
- Paris, Texas (1984)
- The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
- Paths of Glory (1957)
- Patton (1970)
- Peeping Tom (1960)
- Persona (1966)
- The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
- Pickpocket (1959)
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Pixote (1981)
- Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
- Playtime (1967)
- A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
- The Producers (1968)
- Psycho (1960)
- Pulp Fiction (1994)
- Raging Bull (1980)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
- Raise the Red Lantern (1990101)
- Ran (1985)
- Rashomon (1950101)
- Rear Window (1954)
- Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
- Red River (1948)
- The Red Shoes (1948)
- Rififi (1954)
- The Right Stuff (1983)
- Ripley’s Game (2002)
- Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
- Romeo and Juliet (1968)
- The Rules of the Game (1939)
- Safety Last (1923)
- Samurai Rebellion (1967)
- Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
- Santa Sangre (1989)
- Saturday Night Fever (1977)
- Say Anything (1989)
- Scarface (1983)
- The Scarlet Empress (1934)
- Schindler’s List (1993)
- The Searchers (1956)
- Secrets & Lies (1996)
- The Seven Samurai (1954)
- The Seventh Seal (1957)
- Shane (1953)
- The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
- The Shining (1980)
- The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
- The Silence (1963)
- Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Solaris (1972)
- Some Like It Hot (1959)
- Star Wars (1977)
- Strangers on a Train (1951)
- Stroszek (1977)
- A Sunday in the Country (1984)
- Sunrise (1928)
- Sunset Boulevard (1950)
- The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
- Swing Time (1936)
- A Tale of Winter (1992)
- Taxi Driver (1976)
- The Terrorist (2000)
- The Thin Man (1934)
- The Third Man (1949)
- This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
- Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red (1993-1994)
- 3 Women (1977)
- Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
- Tokyo Story (1953)
- Top Hat (1935)
- Touch of Evil (1958)
- Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954)
- The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
- Triumph of the Will (1935)
- Trouble in Paradise (1932)
- Ugetsu (1953)
- Umberto D (1952)
- Un Chien Andalou (1928)
- Unforgiven (1992)
- The Up Documentaries (1985)
- Vengeance Is Mine (2008)
- Vertigo (1958)
- Victim (1961)
- Waking Life (2001)
- Walkabout (1971)
- Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
- West Side Story (1961)
- What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
- The Wild Bunch (1969)
- Wings of Desire (1988)
- Winter Light (1962)
- The Wizard of Oz (1939)
- Woman in the Dunes (1964)
- A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
- A Woman’s Tale (1992)
- Woodstock (1970)
- WR — Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
- Written on the Wind (1956)
- Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
- A Year of the Quiet Sun (1984)
- Yellow Submarine (1968)
- Yojimbo (1961)
As usual, Ebert comes through with an eclectic list of movie classics. While I expected to see The Wizard of Oz, In Cold Blood and Citizen Kane on any list of Top 100 movies, I didn’t anticipate gems like Dark City and Pan’s Labyrinth making the final cut.
Top Grossing Films Before Inflation
Now let’s take a look at the highest-grossing films in terms of global box-office performance. As you may notice, no films before 1977 appear on this list. That is primarily due to inflation and the growth in population.
- Titanic
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
- The Dark Knight
- Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
- Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
- Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
- The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
- Shrek 2
- Jurassic Park
- Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
- Spider-Man 3
- Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
- The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
- Finding Nemo
- Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
- Spider-Man
- Independence Day
- Shrek the Third
- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
- Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
- The Lion King
- Spider-Man 2
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
- The Da Vinci Code
- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
- The Matrix Reloaded
- Transformers
- Forrest Gump
- The Sixth Sense
- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
- Ice Age: The Meltdown
- Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
- Kung Fu Panda
- The Incredibles
- Hancock
- Ratatouille
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park
- The Passion of the Christ
- Casino Royale
- War of the Worlds
- Mamma Mia!
- Men in Black
- I Am Legend
- Iron Man
- Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
- Night at the Museum
- Quantum of Solace
It still saddens me that Titanic is #1. Three hours long, and that damned ship couldn’t sing fast enough in my book. I did, however, enjoy Billy Zane in one of his most sniveling roles to date.
Highest – Grossing Films Adjusted for Inflation
Finally, let’s look at the all-time results for the U.S. and Canadian box office with inflation factored in. You should quickly notice a big difference between these two lists.
- Gone with the Wind (1939)
- Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
- The Sound of Music (1965)
- E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
- The Ten Commandments (1956)
- Titanic (1997)
- Jaws (1975)
- Doctor Zhivago (1965)
- The Exorcist (1973)
- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
- Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
- Ben-Hur (1959)
- Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
- The Sting (1973)
- Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones) (1981)
- Jurassic Park (1993)
- The Graduate (1967)
- Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
- Fantasia (1941)
- The Godfather (1972)
- Forrest Gump (1994)
- Mary Poppins (1964)
- The Lion King (1994)
- Grease (1978)
- Thunderball (1965)
- The Dark Knight (2008)
- The Jungle Book (1967)
- Sleeping Beauty (1959)
- Shrek 2 (2004)
- Ghostbusters (1984)
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
- Love Story (1970)
- Spider-Man (2002)
- Independence Day (1996)
- Home Alone (1990)
- Pinocchio (1940)
- Cleopatra (1963)
- Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Airport (1970)
- American Graffiti (1973)
- The Robe (1953)
- Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
- Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
- Bambi (1942)
- Blazing Saddles (1974)
- Batman (1989)
- The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
- The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
On this list, Gone with the Wind is #1, while it didn’t even crack the Top 50 on the previous list. It’s also amazing at how high The Exorcist ranks.
But the biggest shocker in my book is Thunderball at #26. Adjusted for 2008 currency, Thunderball would have made $966.4 million at the box office. Wow!
Other Top 100 Movie Lists