Jeanne Dielman Tops Sight & Sound’s 2022 Best Movie Poll
Chantal Akerman’s groundbreaking 1975 film Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles has been named the winner of Sight and Sound magazine’s prestigious Greatest Films of All Time Critics’ poll for 2022. This marks a historic moment, as it’s the first time a film directed by a woman has secured the top position since the poll began in 1952, affirming its place in discussions surrounding the Best Movie In The World 2022 based on critical consensus.
A Historic Shift in the Sight and Sound Poll
Akerman’s film made a remarkable leap, climbing from 36th place in the 2012 poll to the number one spot a decade later. The once-a-decade poll, now in its eighth iteration by Sight and Sound, was its most ambitious yet. Over 1,600 influential international film critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists, and programmers participated, nearly doubling the voter count from 2012. This expanded electorate contributed to a significant shift in the rankings.
Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958) film poster featured on Sight and Sound cover
Top 10 Greatest Films: New Rankings and Notable Changes
The 2012 winner, Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958), moved to second place. Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941), which previously held the top spot for 50 years, now ranks third, followed by Yasujiro Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953) at fourth. Several films made significant jumps into the top 10: Wong Kar Wai’s In the Mood for Love (2001) landed in fifth place (up from 24th), Claire Denis’s Beau travail (1998) is now seventh (up from 78th), and David Lynch’s Mulholland Dr. (2001) secured the eighth position (up from 28th). The full list and commentary are available in Sight and Sound’s Winter double issue.
Understanding Jeanne Dielman: A Landmark Feminist Film
Hailed by Le Monde in 1976 as “the first masterpiece of the feminine in the history of the cinema,” Akerman’s hypnotic film meticulously chronicles the daily routine of a middle-aged widow (Delphine Seyrig) over three days. Akerman was only 25 when she directed this experimental and revolutionary work, which has sparked decades of analysis and debate.
Delphine Seyrig as Jeanne Dielman meticulously working in her kitchen in Chantal Akerman's 1975 film
Mike Williams, Sight and Sound editor in chief, commented, ”Jeanne Dielman challenged the status quo when it was released in 1975 and continues to do so today. It’s a landmark feminist film, and its position at the top of list is emblematic of better representation in the top 100 for women filmmakers.” He added that its success highlights the existence of under-seen gems and the vital role of repertory cinemas and distributors.
Jason Wood, BFI’s executive director of public programmes and audiences, stated, “Canons should be challenged and interrogated… it’s so satisfying to see a list that feels quite radical in its sense of diversity and inclusion.”
Filmmaker Joanna Hogg reflected on Akerman’s potential reaction, noting the film’s immense influence despite the complexities of its legacy for Akerman herself. “In a way this film winning represents not just specifically the importance of Jeanne Dielman but the importance of Chantal Akerman as a filmmaker. Her influence is irrefutable…”
Laura Mulvey, Professor of Film Studies at Birkbeck, University of London, emphasized the film’s radical nature: “Akerman’s unwavering and completely luminous adherence to a female perspective… combined with her uncompromising and completely coherent cinema to produce a film that was both feminist and cinematically radical. One might say that it felt as though there was a before and an after Jeanne Dielman…” Mulvey anticipates the film will attract new audiences eager to experience this addition to cinema history.
The Critics’ Top 20 Greatest Films of All Time
- Jeanne Dielman, 23, quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)
- Vertigo (Alfred Hitchcock, 1958)
- Citizen Kane (Orson Welles, 1941)
- Tokyo Story (Yasujiro Ozu, 1953)
- In the Mood for Love (Wong Kar-wai, 2001)
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (Stanley Kubrick, 1968)
- Beau travail (Claire Denis, 1998)
- Mulholland Dr. (David Lynch, 2001)
- Man with a Movie Camera (Dziga Vertov,1929)
- Singin’ in the Rain (Stanley Donen and Gene Kelly, 1951)
- Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (F.W. Murnau, 1927)
- The Godfather (Francis Ford Coppola, 1972)
- La Règle du jeu (Jean Renoir, 1939)
- Cléo from 5 to 7 (Agnès Varda, 1962)
- The Searchers (John Ford, 1956)
- Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, 1943)
- Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami, 1989)
- Persona (Ingmar Bergman, 1966)
- Apocalypse Now (Francis Ford Coppola, 1979)
- Seven Samurai (Akira Kurosawa, 1954)
Increased Diversity and Representation in the 2022 Poll
The 2022 poll reflects a significant increase in diversity compared to 2012. The number of films directed by women in the top 100 rose from two (Jeanne Dielman and Beau travail) to eleven. New entries include Agnès Varda’s Cléo from 5 to 7 (#14) and The Gleaners and I (#67), Maya Deren’s Meshes of the Afternoon (#16), Vera Chytilová’s Daisies (#28), Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire (#30), Barbara Loden’s Wanda (#48), Jane Campion’s The Piano (#50), Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust (#60), and Akerman’s second entry, News from Home (#52).
Mahershala Ali as Juan teaches young Chiron (Little) to swim in Barry Jenkins' Moonlight (2016)
Representation of Black filmmakers also increased. In 2012, only Djibril Diop Mambéty’s Touki Bouki (#93) was listed. The 2022 poll features seven titles: Touki Bouki climbed to #67, joined by Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing (#24), Charles Burnett’s Killer of Sheep (#43), Julie Dash’s Daughters of the Dust (joint #60), Barry Jenkins’s Moonlight (joint #60), Jordan Peele’s Get Out (joint #95), and Ousmane Sembène’s Black Girl (joint #95).
Films from the last two decades also gained prominence. While only In the Mood for Love and Mulholland Dr. made the top 100 in 2012, the 2022 list includes nine, adding Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite (#90), Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away (#75), Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s Tropical Malady (#95), and others mentioned above like The Gleaners and I, Portrait of a Lady on Fire, Moonlight, and Get Out.
Notable Absences and Silent Era Representation
Significant films dropped out of the top 100, including classics like Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather Part II, Raging Bull, and Chinatown. However, the silent era remains represented with nine films in the top 100. Two silent films made the top 20: F.W. Murnau’s Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (#11) and Dziga Vertov’s documentary Man with a Movie Camera (#9). Other notable silent entries include works by Chaplin, Keaton, Dreyer, Eisenstein, and Lang.
George O'Brien and Margaret Livingston in a scene from F.W. Murnau's silent film Sunrise (1927)
The Directors’ Perspective: The 2022 Poll Results
A separate poll surveyed a record 480 filmmakers, including prominent names like Martin Scorsese, Barry Jenkins, and Bong Joon Ho. Their collective choice for the Greatest Film of All Time was Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). Citizen Kane placed second, and The Godfather third. Jeanne Dielman tied for fourth place with the 2012 Directors’ Poll winner, Tokyo Story. Vertigo and Federico Fellini’s 8½ tied for sixth.
An astronaut floats near a pod in space in Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
About Sight and Sound and Viewing Opportunities
Sight and Sound, the BFI’s internationally renowned film magazine published since 1932, serves as a vital platform for film criticism and appreciation. The magazine, recently awarded for its redesign and editorial leadership, offers print and digital editions, including access to a vast online archive.
BFI Southbank plans to screen the full Top 100 Greatest Films across January, February, and March. Additionally, Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles became available exclusively on BFI Player Subscription from December 1st, marking its UK streaming debut. Over 40 titles from the Critics’ top 100 poll are also accessible on BFI Player.
Conclusion
The Sight and Sound 2022 Critics’ Poll marks a significant moment in film history, declaring Chantal Akerman’s Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles as its top choice, effectively positioning it via critical consensus in discussions about the Best Movie In The World 2022‘s polling outcome. This result not only recognizes a landmark feminist film but also reflects a broader shift towards greater diversity and a potential re-evaluation of the cinematic canon. The poll’s findings underscore the evolving landscape of film criticism and the ongoing discovery and appreciation of diverse cinematic voices from different eras and backgrounds.
