'Sight and Sound' announce their new list of the greatest films ever made

Every decade, the team of critics and filmmakers selected by Sight And Sound come up with their new list of the ten greatest films of all time, and today that list has been announced. Rumors leading up to the announcement had pegged Hitchcock’s Vertigo as the newly minted “greatest film of all time” over the long-standing champion Citizen Kane, and shockingly, that has come true.

Kane falls to number two, followed by Ozu’s masterpiece Tokyo Story, and followed by Renoir’s The Rules Of The Game and Murnau’s silent stunner Sunrise rounding out the top five of the critics list. Directors? Well, they went a different route, giving Tokyo Story the top spot, with both Kubrick’s 2001 A Space Odyssey (number six on the critics’ list) and Kane tying for the second slot.

Now, I’m not exactly sure what this all means with regards to the beloved nature of Kane as time spans (it has not only become a slightly less regarded film in general, but most people this writer has chatted to find films like The Magnificent Ambersons to be superior within Welles’ canon) but you can’t find a better film to steal the top spot from the masterful debut of Orson Welles than Hitchcock’s best film.

OK, I will throw my pick into the mix. It is “ the 1987 Finnish film “Talvisota” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kp0O78bNXfI about the 1939-1940 Winter War against the USSR when it invaded tiny Finland (total population three million) expecting a walkover. But the Soviets met with absolute disaster from the Finns’ sacrifice, bravery, and ferocious fighting ability against the largest standing army in the world at the time. Long covered up by the Soviets, Nikita Khrushchev in his memoirs stated the 100 day war had cost the Soviets one million men. This is doubted by some, but the lowest estimate for their losses is 250,000 before a armistice was agreed upon.

The Winter War was quickly overclouded by World War 2, but it still stands as one of the most memorable David versus Goliath military contests in history.

When the Nazis invaded the USSR in 1941, the Russians launched air raids against Finland and started the Continuation War. The Finns reacted by driving the Soviet forces out of former conquered Finnish lands before stopping at their original 1939 borders. Both sides entrenched and things relatively quite until June 9th, 1944, when the now victorious Soviets were driving the Nazis back toward Germany. The Soviets decided the time was ripe for exacting vengeance against Finland and launched a massive attack against the Finns. With huge Russian losses they drove the Finns back into Finland, until the miracle Battle of Ihantala, where the Finns, inflicting huge causalities stopped the Soviets cold.

The Finns had very few artillery pieces but they had worked out a great method where as each artillary battery could be supported by all other batteries for bringing fire power to bear at any given point. “The famed fire correction method of Finnish Artillery, which enabled easy fire correction and quick changes of targets.[5] At the critical Ihantala sector of the battle, the Finnish defenders managed to concentrate their fire to the extent of smashing the advancing Soviet spearhead.[27] The clever fire control system enabled as many as 21 batteries, totaling some 250 guns, to fire at the same target simultaneously in the battle; the fire controller did not need to be aware of the location of individual batteries to guide their fire, which made quick fire concentration and target switching possible. This concentration was considered a world record at the time.” Except for three tanks captured by the Finns, one Soviet tank brigade was simply annihilated.

The leading soviet spearhead led into the concentrated position at Tali-Ihantala, were wiped out by Finnish artillery and a counter attack. The Soviets finding themselves now bogged down in Estonia by Operation Bagration against the Nazis and badly needing their forces in Finland, began to withdraw troops and went over from offensive, to defensive operations. On September 4th, a cease fire and armistice went into effect with the same borders of 1941 from where the Finns had first went on the offensive.

In the WW2 era democratic Finland, was the only country invaded by the USSR which was not totally conquered and retained their freedom from Soviet domination.

The ten day 1944 action in Finland is when some of the largest battles of the Continuation War were fought.

Oh, I love Seven chances, and all Keaton's silent features (though Go West is kind of weak). The General is not really all that funny, but is a brilliant adventure film/epic. And Buster is often funny just standing there.

I love Hitchcock's films. Many of them could be "the best Hitchcock". Vertigo is certainly one of his greatest I love the on location filming in San Francisco, back before it became Sodom); but is not for everyone. The Lady Vanishes is really enjoyable, as is the earlier 39 Steps. My favorites of his "great" films include Strangers on a Train, Notorious, Rear Window, North by Northwest and Psycho. To Catch a Thief is a lot of fun, but not truly great. I guess I'd put Rear Window at the top. But all the ones I listed are great. I don't care for The Birds. Never saw much of a point to it.

As far as this new "10 best" list goes, I still have Citizen Kane at the top of my list. It is more than just a bunch of innovations. I still find it exhilarating and entertaining time and again.

Later this year, there is going to be some major Blu-ray releases of Hitchcock's films. Dial 'M' For Murder is going to be released in its original 3D(!) version. Strangers on a Train is coming out on Blu as well; and there is a big boxed set coming out with 12 or 13 films in it (from the early fifties to the end of his career-the 'great' ones).

Speaking of silent films on Blu-ray: the recently released Wings is beautifully done with a new music score. Sunrise may be hard to find. when I bought it on DVD, I had to buy several other Fox titles before they'd allow me to order Sunrise. PM me if you cannot find it at a decent price. I don't have Netflix any more, so I do not know if they offer it.

Wings was released the same year as Sunrise in 1929, and is the first "Best Picture" winner at the Academy awards. Sunrise won an academy award for "Unique and Artistic Production". Janet Gaynor was Best actress for her performances in Sunrise and Seventh Heaven.

Wings is a WWI epic directed by William Wellman. Wellman had been a pilot in the Lafayette Escadrille during the war, and used his experience to make the definitive film about WWI air combat. It's about two guys (Buddy Rogers and Richard Arlen) in love with the same girl (Jobyna Ralston, who starred in some of Harold Lloyd's best comedies). The girl loves Arlen, but Rogers thinks she loves him. Rogers is oblivious to the fact that his friend and fellow car enthusiast Clara Bow (the 'It' girl) is in love with him.

The two enlist to fight as pilots and though rivals, they become fast friends. The air scenes are exhilarating because they were shot from the air. Wellman had cameras mounted in front of or behind the actors' heads while an unseen pilot actually flies the plane. So, you feel you are seeing actual air combat with no silly back projection. The climax of the film left my wife in tears. The new Blu-ray is spectacular. If you see it, see that version, either on Blu or DVD. Previous releases only had an organ score.

While on the subject of silent WWI films, also try King Vidor's The Big Parade, starring matinee idol John Gilbert. it has never been released on DVD or Blu-ray, but it shows up on TCM. It's another movie with a tearjerker (though sweet) ending.

If you have not seen Sunrise, one of the great silent films, which is on the list, you should.

I just finished watching Sunrise. You were right. That was a great film! Each scene was like a painting. I really liked the "Luncheon of the Boating Party" in the beginning. Obviously the director was paying homage to the Renoir painting.

The director used the multiple exposures of the same film to really excellent levels in the film. There was a traveling matte shot that I'm not sure how he did without a green screen. It was really phenomenal.

If I can offer a criticism...I love my wife. I would do anything for her. I would die to save her, but I'm not sure that I could forgive her after she tried to kill me. That's not something that you can just gloss over in your relationship.

As soon as the wife was woozy from drinking, I knew what was going to happen. I knew that he would give her the bulrushes to save her.

The ending was satisfying. It was sort of a 'rebirth from the water'.

Next I'll watch Wings like you recommended.

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