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:

  1. Citizen Kane
  2. Casablanca
  3. The Godfather
  4. Gone with the Wind
  5. Lawrence of Arabia
  6. The Wizard of Oz
  7. The Graduate
  8. On the Waterfront
  9. Schindler’s List
  10. Singin’ in the Rain
  11. It’s a Wonderful Life
  12. Sunset Boulevard
  13. The Bridge on the River Kwai
  14. Some Like It Hot
  15. Star Wars
  16. All About Eve
  17. The African Queen
  18. Psycho

    19. Top 100 Movies

  19. Chinatown
  20. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  21. The Grapes of Wrath
  22. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  23. The Maltese Falcon
  24. Raging Bull
  25. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  26. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  27. Bonnie and Clyde
  28. Apocalypse Now
  29. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  30. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
  31. Annie Hall
  32. The Godfather Part II
  33. High Noon
  34. To Kill a Mockingbird
  35. It Happened One Night
  36. Midnight Cowboy
  37. The Best Years of Our Lives
  38. Double Indemnity
  39. Doctor Zhivago
  40. North by Northwest
  41. West Side Story
  42. Rear Window
  43. King Kong
  44. The Birth of a Nation
  45. A Streetcar Named Desire
  46. A Clockwork Orange
  47. Taxi Driver
  48. Jaws
  49. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  50. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  51. The Philadelphia Story
  52. rom Here to Eternity
  53. Amadeus
  54. All Quiet on the Western Front
  55. The Sound of Music
  56. MASH
  57. The Third Man
  58. Fantasia
  59. Rebel Without a Cause
  60. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  61. Vertigo
  62. Tootsie
  63. Stagecoach
  64. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
  65. The Silence of the Lambs
  66. Network
  67. The Manchurian Candidate
  68. An American in Paris
  69. Shane
  70. The French Connection
  71. Forrest Gump
  72. Ben-Hur
  73. Wuthering Heights
  74. The Gold Rush
  75. Dances with Wolves
  76. City Lights
  77. American Graffiti
  78. Rocky
  79. The Deer Hunter
  80. The Wild Bunch
  81. Modern Times
  82. Giant
  83. Platoon
  84. Fargo
  85. Duck Soup
  86. Mutiny on the Bounty
  87. Frankenstein
  88. Easy Rider
  89. Patton
  90. The Jazz Singer
  91. My Fair Lady
  92. A Place in the Sun
  93. The Apartment
  94. Goodfellas
  95. Pulp Fiction
  96. The Searchers
  97. Bringing Up Baby
  98. Unforgiven
  99. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner
  100. 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:

  1. Citizen Kane
  2. The Godfather
  3. Casablanca
  4. Raging Bull
  5. Singin’ in the Rain
  6. Gone with the Wind
  7. Lawrence of Arabia
  8. Schindler’s List
  9. Vertigo
  10. The Wizard of Oz
  11. City Lights
  12. The Searchers
  13. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
  14. Psycho
  15. 2001: A Space Odyssey
  16. Sunset Boulevard
  17. The Graduate
  18. The General
  19. On the Waterfront
  20. It’s a Wonderful Life
  21. Chinatown
  22. Some Like It Hot
  23. The Grapes of Wrath
  24. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  25. To Kill a Mockingbird
  26. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
  27. High Noon
  28. All About Eve
  29. Double Indemnity
  30. Apocalypse Now
  31. The Maltese Falcon
  32. The Godfather Part II
  33. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
  34. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
  35. Annie Hall
  36. The Bridge on the River Kwai
  37. The Best Years of Our Lives
  38. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
  39. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
  40. The Sound of Music
  41. King Kong
  42. Bonnie and Clyde
  43. Midnight Cowboy
  44. The Philadelphia Story
  45. Shane
  46. It Happened One Night
  47. A Streetcar Named Desire
  48. Rear Window
  49. Intolerance
  50. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  51. West Side Story
  52. Taxi Driver
  53. The Deer Hunter
  54. MASH
  55. North by Northwest
  56. Jaws
  57. Rocky
  58. The Gold Rush
  59. Nashville
  60. Duck Soup
  61. Sullivan’s Travels
  62. American Graffiti
  63. Cabaret
  64. Network
  65. The African Queen
  66. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  67. Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
  68. Unforgiven
  69. Tootsie
  70. A Clockwork Orange
  71. Saving Private Ryan
  72. The Shawshank Redemption
  73. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
  74. The Silence of the Lambs
  75. In the Heat of the Night
  76. Forrest Gump
  77. All the President’s Men
  78. Modern Times
  79. The Wild Bunch
  80. The Apartment
  81. Spartacus
  82. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans
  83. Titanic
  84. Easy Rider
  85. A Night at the Opera
  86. Platoon
  87. 12 Angry Men
  88. Bringing Up Baby
  89. The Sixth Sense
  90. Swing Time
  91. Sophie’s Choice
  92. Goodfellas
  93. The French Connection
  94. Pulp Fiction
  95. The Last Picture Show
  96. Do the Right Thing
  97. Blade Runner
  98. Yankee Doodle Dandy
  99. Toy Story
  100. 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

  1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs 1937
  2. Pinocchio 1940
  3. Bambi 1942
  4. The Lion King 1994
  5. Fantasia 1940
  6. Toy Story 1995
  7. Beauty and the Beast 1991
  8. Shrek 2001
  9. Cinderella 1950
  10. Finding Nemo 2003

This is a solid enough list. Glad to see timeless classics like Snow White and Pinocchio get their due.

10 Best Romantic Comedies

  1. City Lights 1931
  2. Annie Hall 1977
  3. It Happened One Night 1934
  4. Roman Holiday 1953
  5. The Philadelphia Story 1940
  6. When Harry Met Sally… 1989
  7. Adam’s Rib 1949
  8. Moonstruck 1987
  9. Harold and Maude 1971
  10. Sleepless in Seattle 1993

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

  1. The Searchers 1956
  2. High Noon 1952
  3. Shane 1953
  4. Unforgiven 1992
  5. Red River 1948
  6. The Wild Bunch 1969
  7. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid 1969
  8. McCabe & Mrs. Miller 1971
  9. Stagecoach 1939
  10. Cat Ballou 1965

I’d put The Wild Bunch and Unforgiven ahead of Shane. Cat Ballou wouldn’t even make my Top 20.

10 Best Sports Movies

  1. Raging Bull 1980
  2. Rocky 1976
  3. The Pride of the Yankees 1942
  4. Hoosiers 1986
  5. Bull Durham 1988
  6. The Hustler 1961
  7. Caddyshack 1980
  8. Breaking Away 1979
  9. National Velvet 1944
  10. Jerry Maguire 1996

I’d flip Hoosiers and The Pride of the Yankees. I would also replace Jerry Maguire with Field of Dreams.

10 Best Mystery Movies

  1. Vertigo 1958
  2. Chinatown 1974
  3. Rear Window 1954
  4. Laura 1944
  5. The Third Man 1949
  6. The Maltese Falcon 1941
  7. North by Northwest 1959
  8. Blue Velvet 1986
  9. Dial M for Murder 1954
  10. 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

  1. The Wizard of Oz 1939
  2. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring 2001
  3. It’s a Wonderful Life 1946
  4. King Kong 1933
  5. Miracle on 34th Street 1947
  6. Field of Dreams 1989
  7. Harvey 1950
  8. Groundhog Day 1993
  9. The Thief of Bagdad 1924
  10. Big 1988

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

  1. 2001: A Space Odyssey 1968
  2. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope 1977
  3. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial 1982
  4. A Clockwork Orange 1971
  5. The Day the Earth Stood Still 1951
  6. Blade Runner 1982
  7. Alien 1979
  8. Terminator 2: Judgment Day 1991
  9. Invasion of the Body Snatchers 1956
  10. 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

  1. The Godfather 1972
  2. Goodfellas 1990
  3. The Godfather Part II 1974
  4. White Heat 1949
  5. Bonnie and Clyde 1967
  6. Scarface 1932
  7. Pulp Fiction 1994
  8. The Public Enemy 1931
  9. Little Caesar 1931
  10. 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

  1. To Kill a Mockingbird 1962
  2. 12 Angry Men 1957
  3. Kramer vs. Kramer 1979
  4. The Verdict 1982
  5. A Few Good Men 1992
  6. Witness for the Prosecution 1957
  7. Anatomy of a Murder 1959
  8. In Cold Blood 1967
  9. A Cry in the Dark 1988
  10. 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

  1. Lawrence of Arabia 1962
  2. Ben-Hur 1959
  3. Schindler’s List 1993
  4. Gone with the Wind 1939
  5. Spartacus 1960
  6. Titanic 1997
  7. All Quiet on the Western Front 1930
  8. Saving Private Ryan 1998
  9. Reds 1981
  10. 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.

  1. 8 1/2
  2. The 400 Blows
  3. Aguirre: The Wrath of God
  4. Aparajito
  5. The Awful Truth
  6. Baby Face
  7. Band of Outsiders
  8. Barry Lyndon
  9. Berlin Alexanderplatz
  10. Blade Runner
  11. Bonnie and Clyde
  12. Brazil
  13. Camille
  14. Casablanca
  15. Charade
  16. Children of Paradise
  17. Chinatown
  18. Chungking Express
  19. Citizen Kane
  20. City Lights
  21. City of God
  22. Closely Watched Trains
  23. Le Crime de Monsieur Lange
  24. The Crowd
  25. Day for Night
  26. The Decalogue (3-film series)
  27. Detour
  28. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie
  29. Dodsworth
  30. Double Indemnity
  31. Dr. Strangelove
  32. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  33. Farewell My Concubine
  34. Finding Nemo
  35. The Fly / The Fly 2
  36. Frankenstein / Bride of Frankenstein:
  37. The Godfather
  38. The Godfather: Part II
  39. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  40. GoodFellas
  41. A Hard Day’s Night
  42. His Girl Friday
  43. Ikiru
  44. In a Lonely Place
  45. Invasion of the Body Snatchers
  46. It’s a Gift
  47. It’s a Wonderful Life
  48. Kandahar
  49. Kind Hearts and Coronets
  50. King Kong
  51. The Lady Eve
  52. The Last Command
  53. Lawrence of Arabia
  54. The Legend of Drunken Master
  55. Leolo
  56. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  57. Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  58. Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  59. Man with the Movie Camera
  60. The Manchurian Candidate
  61. Meet Me in St. Louis
  62. Metropolis
  63. Miller’s Crossing
  64. Mon Oncle D’Amerique
  65. Mouchette
  66. Nayagan
  67. Ninotchka
  68. Notorious
  69. Olympia
  70. On the Waterfront
  71. Once Upon a Time in the West
  72. Out of the Past
  73. Pather Panchali
  74. Persona
  75. Pinocchio
  76. Psycho
  77. Pulp Fiction
  78. The Purple Rose of Cairo
  79. Pyaasa
  80. Raging Bull
  81. Schindler’s List
  82. The Searchers
  83. Our Hospitality / Sherlock Jr.
  84. The Shop Around the Corner
  85. Singin’ in the Rain
  86. The Singing Detective
  87. Smiles of a Summer Night
  88. Some Like It Hot
  89. Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope
  90. A Streetcar Named Desire
  91. Sunrise
  92. Sweet Smell of Success
  93. Swing Time
  94. Talk to Her
  95. Taxi Driver
  96. Tokyo Story
  97. A Touch of Zen
  98. Ugetsu
  99. Ulysses’ Gaze
  100. Umberto D.
  101. Unforgiven
  102. White Heat
  103. Wings of Desire
  104. The World of Apu
  105. 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:

  1. Glengarry GlenRoss
  2. The Shawshank Redemption
  3. Oldboy
  4. House of Games
  5. Raging Bull
  6. Platoon
  7. Pulp Fiction
  8. Lawrence of Arabia
  9. The Road Warrior
  10. John Carpenter’s The Thing
  11. Reservoir Dogs
  12. Lethal Weapon
  13. Die Hard
  14. Se7en
  15. Jaws
  16. Alien
  17. Taxi Driver
  18. Saving Private Ryan
  19. Dr. Strangelove
  20. Monty Python and the Holy Grail
  21. Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  22. Braveheart
  23. The Quick and the Dead
  24. Return of the Living Dead
  25. Dawn of the Dead (2004)
  26. Angel Heart
  27. Exorcist III
  28. Big Trouble in Little China
  29. Road House
  30. Psycho
  31. Spider-Man
  32. Unforgiven
  33. Singin’ in the Rain
  34. The Rundown
  35. American Beauty
  36. Battle Royale
  37. Frankenstein
  38. The Best of Times
  39. The Big Picture
  40. The Cable Guy
  41. Blade
  42. City of God
  43. Dirty Harry
  44. Dances with Wolves
  45. Drugstore Cowboy
  46. Places in the Heart
  47. Evil Dead II
  48. A Fish Called Wanda
  49. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
  50. GoodFellas
  51. Heathers
  52. Hud
  53. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
  54. Raiders of the Lost Ark
  55. L.A. Confidential
  56. The Lives of Others
  57. Lolita
  58. A Mighty Wind
  59. Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life
  60. Once Upon a Time in the West
  61. Predator
  62. The Princess Bride
  63. Shaun of the Dead
  64. The Shootist
  65. A Shock to the System
  66. The Silence of the Lambs
  67. Tombstone
  68. Tremors
  69. The Untouchables
  70. The Last Action Hero
  71. White Hunter, Black Heart
  72. Apocalypse Now
  73. Sergeant York
  74. Raising Arizona
  75. JFK
  76. Rebel Without a Cause
  77. Network
  78. Star Wars
  79. The Empire Strikes Back
  80. Fight Club
  81. The Matrix
  82. A Clockwork Orange
  83. Chinatown
  84. Aguirre: the Wrath of God
  85. Brotherhood of the Wolf
  86. An American Werewolf in London
  87. High Noon
  88. The Color of Money
  89. Gallipoli
  90. Rain Man
  91. The Dirty Dozen
  92. The Great Escape
  93. Bob Roberts
  94. Field of Dreams
  95. Escape from New York
  96. Misery
  97. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
  98. Cool Hand Luke
  99. Rocky
  100. 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.

  1. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
  2. The Godfather (1972)
  3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
  4. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966)
  5. Pulp Fiction (1994)
  6. The Dark Knight (2008)
  7. Schindler’s List (1993)
  8. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
  9. 12 Angry Men (1957)
  10. Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  11. Casablanca (1942)
  12. Star Wars (1977)
  13. Seven Samurai (1954)
  14. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)
  15. Goodfellas (1990)
  16. Rear Window (1954)
  17. City of God (2002)
  18. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  19. Once Upon a Time in the West (1968)
  20. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
  21. Fight Club (1999)
  22. The Usual Suspects (1995)
  23. Psycho (1960)
  24. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
  25. Sunset Blvd. (1950)
  26. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
  27. Memento (2000)
  28. North by Northwest (1959)
  29. The Matrix (1999)
  30. Citizen Kane (1941)
  31. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  32. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002)
  33. Se7en (1995)
  34. Léon (1994)
  35. Apocalypse Now (1979)
  36. American Beauty (1999)
  37. Taxi Driver (1976)
  38. Slumdog Millionaire (2008)
  39. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  40. American History X (1998)
  41. WALL·E (2008)
  42. Vertigo (1958)
  43. Paths of Glory (1957)
  44. Forrest Gump (1994)
  45. Amelie (2001)
  46. M (1931)
  47. Double Indemnity (1944)
  48. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
  49. The Departed (2006)
  50. Alien (1979)
  51. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
  52. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
  53. The Lives of Others (2006)
  54. The Third Man (1949)
  55. The Shining (1980)
  56. Chinatown (1974)
  57. The Pianist (2002)
  58. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
  59. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
  60. Spirited Away (2001)
  61. The Wrestler (2008)
  62. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
  63. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
  64. Requiem for a Dream (2000)
  65. L.A. Confidential (1997)
  66. Aliens (1986)
  67. Das Boot (1981)
  68. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
  69. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
  70. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
  71. City Lights (1931)
  72. Rashômon (1950)
  73. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
  74. Raging Bull (1980)
  75. All About Eve (1950)
  76. Modern Times (1936)
  77. Downfall (2004)
  78. Metropolis (1927)
  79. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  80. Rebecca (1940)
  81. Some Like It Hot (1959)
  82. Gran Torino (2008)
  83. The Prestige (2006)
  84. Amadeus (1984)
  85. Life is Beautiful (1997)
  86. The Elephant Man (1980)
  87. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
  88. The Apartment (1960)
  89. Cinema Paradiso (1988)
  90. The Great Escape (1963)
  91. Sin City (2005)
  92. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
  93. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
  94. The Great Dictator (1940)
  95. The Sting (1973)
  96. Touch of Evil (1958)
  97. The Seventh Seal (1957)
  98. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
  99. The Bicycle Thief (1948)
  100. 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.

  1. 12 Angry Men (1957)
  2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
  3. The 400 Blows (1959)
  4. 8 1/2 (1963)
  5. Ace in the Hole (1951)
  6. Adaptation. (2002)
  7. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1939)
  8. After Dark, My Sweet (1990)
  9. After Hours (1985)
  10. The Age of Innocence (1993)
  11. Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972)
  12. Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974)
  13. Alien (1979)
  14. All About Eve (1950)
  15. Amadeus (1984)
  16. Amarcord (1974)
  17. Annie Hall (1977)
  18. The Apartment (1960)
  19. Apocalypse Now (1979)
  20. The Apu Trilogy (1959)
  21. Army of Shadows (1969)
  22. Atlantic City (1980)
  23. Au Hasard Balthazar (1966)
  24. Au Revoir, les Enfants (1987)
  25. Babel (2006)
  26. The Band Wagon (1953)
  27. The Bank Dick (1940)
  28. Baraka (1992)
  29. The Battle of Algiers (1967)
  30. The Battleship Potemkin (1925)
  31. Beat the Devil (1954)
  32. Beauty and the Beast (1946)
  33. Being There (1979)
  34. Belle de Jour (1967)
  35. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
  36. The Bicycle Thief (1949)
  37. The Big Heat (1953)
  38. The Big Red One (1980)
  39. The Big Sleep (1946)
  40. The Birth of a Nation (1915)
  41. Blade Runner: The Final Cut (1982)
  42. Blow-Up (1966)
  43. The Blue Kite (1993)
  44. Bob le Flambeur (1955)
  45. Body Heat (1981)
  46. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
  47. Breathless (1960)
  48. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
  49. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
  50. Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia (1974)
  51. Broken Blossoms (1919)
  52. Cabiria (1914)
  53. Casablanca (1942)
  54. Cat People (1942)
  55. Children of Paradise (1945)
  56. Chimes at Midnight (1965)
  57. Chinatown (1974)
  58. A Christmas Story (1983)
  59. Chuck Jones: Three Cartoons (1953-1957)
  60. Citizen Kane (1941)
  61. City Lights (1931)
  62. The Color Purple (1985)
  63. The Conversation (1974)
  64. Cool Hand Luke (1967)
  65. Cries and Whispers (1972)
  66. Crimes and Misdemeanors (1989)
  67. Crumb (1994)
  68. Dark City (2005)
  69. Day for Night (1973)
  70. Days of Heaven (1978)
  71. The Dead (1987)
  72. The Decalogue (1988)
  73. Detour (1945)
  74. The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie (1972)
  75. Diva (2008)
  76. Do the Right Thing (1989)
  77. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
  78. Don’t Look Now (1974)
  79. Double Indemnity (1944)
  80. Dr. Strangelove (1964)
  81. Dracula (1931)
  82. Duck Soup (1933)
  83. E.T. — The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  84. The Earrings of Madame de… (1953)
  85. Easy Rider (1969)
  86. El Norte (1983)
  87. El Topo (1970)
  88. The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
  89. The Exterminating Angel (1962)
  90. The Fall of the House of Usher (1928)
  91. Fanny and Alexander (1983)
  92. Fargo (1996)
  93. Faust (1926)
  94. The Films of Buster Keaton (1923)
  95. The Firemen’s Ball (1968)
  96. Fitzcarraldo (1982)
  97. Five Easy Pieces (1970)
  98. Floating Weeds (1959)
  99. Forbidden Games (1952)
  100. Gates of Heaven (1978)
  101. The General (1927)
  102. The Godfather (1972)
  103. The Godfather, Part II (1974)
  104. Goldfinger (1964)
  105. Gone With the Wind (1939)
  106. The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1968)
  107. GoodFellas (1991)
  108. Gospel According to St. Matthew (1964)
  109. Grand Illusion (1937)
  110. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
  111. Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
  112. The Great Dictator (1940)
  113. Great Expectations (1946)
  114. Greed (1925)
  115. Groundhog Day (1993)
  116. A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
  117. Hoop Dreams (1994)
  118. House of Games (1987)
  119. Howards End (1992)
  120. The Hustler (1961)
  121. Ikiru (1952)
  122. In Cold Blood (1967)
  123. Inherit the Wind (1960)
  124. It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)
  125. Jaws (1975)
  126. JFK (1991)
  127. Johnny Guitar (1954)
  128. Jules and Jim (1961)
  129. Juliet of the Spirits (1965)
  130. Killer of Sheep (1977)
  131. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
  132. King Kong (1933)
  133. L’Atalante (1934)
  134. L’Avventura (1960)
  135. L.A. Confidential (1997)
  136. La Dolce Vita (1960)
  137. The Lady Eve (1941)
  138. The Last Laugh (1924)
  139. The Last Picture Show (1971)
  140. Last Tango in Paris (1972)
  141. The Last Temptation of Christ (1988)
  142. Last Year at Marienbad (1961)
  143. Late Spring (1972)
  144. Laura (1944)
  145. Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
  146. Le Boucher / The Butcher (2003)
  147. Le Samourai (1967)
  148. Leaving Las Vegas (1995)
  149. Leolo (1993)
  150. The Leopard (1963)
  151. The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)
  152. The River (Le Fleuve) (1951)
  153. The Long Goodbye (1973)
  154. M (1931)
  155. Magnolia (1999)
  156. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
  157. The Man Who Laughs (1928)
  158. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
  159. Manhattan (1979)
  160. The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979)
  161. McCabe & Mrs. Miller (1971)
  162. Mean Streets (1973)
  163. Mephisto (1981)
  164. Metropolis (1926)
  165. Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
  166. Mon Oncle (1958)
  167. Mon Oncle Antoine (1971)
  168. Moolaade (2007)
  169. Moonstruck (1987)
  170. Mr. Hulot’s Holiday (1953)
  171. The Music Room (1958)
  172. My Darling Clementine (1946)
  173. My Dinner With Andre (1981)
  174. My Fair Lady (1964)
  175. My Life to Live / Vivre sa Vie (1963)
  176. My Man Godfrey (1936)
  177. My Neighbor Totoro (1993)
  178. Nanook of the North (1922)
  179. Nashville (1975)
  180. Network (1976)
  181. Night Moves (1975)
  182. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
  183. Nights of Cabiria (1957)
  184. Nosferatu (1922)
  185. Notorious (1946)
  186. On the Waterfront (1954)
  187. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
  188. Ordet (1955)
  189. Orpheus (1949)
  190. Out of the Past (1947)
  191. Pan’s Labyrinth (2006)
  192. Pandora’s Box (1928)
  193. Paris, Texas (1984)
  194. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928)
  195. Paths of Glory (1957)
  196. Patton (1970)
  197. Peeping Tom (1960)
  198. Persona (1966)
  199. The Phantom of the Opera (1925)
  200. Pickpocket (1959)
  201. Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
  202. Pinocchio (1940)
  203. Pixote (1981)
  204. Planes, Trains and Automobiles (1987)
  205. Playtime (1967)
  206. A Prairie Home Companion (2006)
  207. The Producers (1968)
  208. Psycho (1960)
  209. Pulp Fiction (1994)
  210. Raging Bull (1980)
  211. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
  212. Raise the Red Lantern (1990101)
  213. Ran (1985)
  214. Rashomon (1950101)
  215. Rear Window (1954)
  216. Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
  217. Red River (1948)
  218. The Red Shoes (1948)
  219. Rififi (1954)
  220. The Right Stuff (1983)
  221. Ripley’s Game (2002)
  222. Rocco and His Brothers (1960)
  223. Romeo and Juliet (1968)
  224. The Rules of the Game (1939)
  225. Safety Last (1923)
  226. Samurai Rebellion (1967)
  227. Sansho the Bailiff (1954)
  228. Santa Sangre (1989)
  229. Saturday Night Fever (1977)
  230. Say Anything (1989)
  231. Scarface (1983)
  232. The Scarlet Empress (1934)
  233. Schindler’s List (1993)
  234. The Searchers (1956)
  235. Secrets & Lies (1996)
  236. The Seven Samurai (1954)
  237. The Seventh Seal (1957)
  238. Shane (1953)
  239. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
  240. The Shining (1980)
  241. The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
  242. The Silence (1963)
  243. Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
  244. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
  245. Solaris (1972)
  246. Some Like It Hot (1959)
  247. Star Wars (1977)
  248. Strangers on a Train (1951)
  249. Stroszek (1977)
  250. A Sunday in the Country (1984)
  251. Sunrise (1928)
  252. Sunset Boulevard (1950)
  253. The Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
  254. Swing Time (1936)
  255. A Tale of Winter (1992)
  256. Taxi Driver (1976)
  257. The Terrorist (2000)
  258. The Thin Man (1934)
  259. The Third Man (1949)
  260. This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
  261. Three Colors Trilogy: Blue, White, Red (1993-1994)
  262. 3 Women (1977)
  263. Through a Glass Darkly (1961)
  264. Tokyo Story (1953)
  265. Top Hat (1935)
  266. Touch of Evil (1958)
  267. Touchez Pas au Grisbi (1954)
  268. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
  269. Triumph of the Will (1935)
  270. Trouble in Paradise (1932)
  271. Ugetsu (1953)
  272. Umberto D (1952)
  273. Un Chien Andalou (1928)
  274. Unforgiven (1992)
  275. The Up Documentaries (1985)
  276. Vengeance Is Mine (2008)
  277. Vertigo (1958)
  278. Victim (1961)
  279. Waking Life (2001)
  280. Walkabout (1971)
  281. Werckmeister Harmonies (2000)
  282. West Side Story (1961)
  283. What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)
  284. The Wild Bunch (1969)
  285. Wings of Desire (1988)
  286. Winter Light (1962)
  287. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
  288. Woman in the Dunes (1964)
  289. A Woman Under the Influence (1974)
  290. A Woman’s Tale (1992)
  291. Woodstock (1970)
  292. WR — Mysteries of the Organism (1971)
  293. Written on the Wind (1956)
  294. Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
  295. A Year of the Quiet Sun (1984)
  296. Yellow Submarine (1968)
  297. 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.

  1. Titanic
  2. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
  3. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest
  4. The Dark Knight
  5. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
  6. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End
  7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
  8. The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
  9. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
  10. Shrek 2
  11. Jurassic Park
  12. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
  13. Spider-Man 3
  14. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
  15. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
  16. Finding Nemo
  17. Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith
  18. Spider-Man
  19. Independence Day
  20. Shrek the Third
  21. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
  22. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
  23. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
  24. The Lion King
  25. Spider-Man 2
  26. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
  27. The Da Vinci Code
  28. The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
  29. The Matrix Reloaded
  30. Transformers
  31. Forrest Gump
  32. The Sixth Sense
  33. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
  34. Ice Age: The Meltdown
  35. Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones
  36. Kung Fu Panda
  37. The Incredibles
  38. Hancock
  39. Ratatouille
  40. The Lost World: Jurassic Park
  41. The Passion of the Christ
  42. Casino Royale
  43. War of the Worlds
  44. Mamma Mia!
  45. Men in Black
  46. I Am Legend
  47. Iron Man
  48. Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa
  49. Night at the Museum
  50. 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.

  1. Gone with the Wind (1939)
  2. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (1977)
  3. The Sound of Music (1965)
  4. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
  5. The Ten Commandments (1956)
  6. Titanic (1997)
  7. Jaws (1975)
  8. Doctor Zhivago (1965)
  9. The Exorcist (1973)
  10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
  11. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)
  12. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
  13. Ben-Hur (1959)
  14. Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi (1983)
  15. The Sting (1973)
  16. Raiders of the Lost Ark (Indiana Jones) (1981)
  17. Jurassic Park (1993)
  18. The Graduate (1967)
  19. Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)
  20. Fantasia (1941)
  21. The Godfather (1972)
  22. Forrest Gump (1994)
  23. Mary Poppins (1964)
  24. The Lion King (1994)
  25. Grease (1978)
  26. Thunderball (1965)
  27. The Dark Knight (2008)
  28. The Jungle Book (1967)
  29. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
  30. Shrek 2 (2004)
  31. Ghostbusters (1984)
  32. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
  33. Love Story (1970)
  34. Spider-Man (2002)
  35. Independence Day (1996)
  36. Home Alone (1990)
  37. Pinocchio (1940)
  38. Cleopatra (1963)
  39. Beverly Hills Cop (1984)
  40. Goldfinger (1964)
  41. Airport (1970)
  42. American Graffiti (1973)
  43. The Robe (1953)
  44. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)
  45. Around the World in 80 Days (1956)
  46. Bambi (1942)
  47. Blazing Saddles (1974)
  48. Batman (1989)
  49. The Bells of St. Mary’s (1945)
  50. 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