‘Jeanne Dielman’ tops BFI's Greatest Films of All Time list, Satyajit Ray's film takes 35th spot
A still from Chantal Akerman’s ‘Jeanne Dielman’
The British magazine Sight and Sound’s 'Greatest Films of All Time' critics’ poll is out and this time, a film made bya women director triumphed. Making history this year, the magazine named Belgian film director Chantal Akerman 's film 'Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles,' the greatest film of all time.
In the history of seven decades, this is the first time when a film by a female director has been voted as the greatest film of all time. Written and directed by Jeanne, the 1974 film first entered the list in 2012 and took the 35th spot on the list.
Not just winning, this is also the first time when a film by a female director is among the top 10.
Akerman's film has been voted by 1,600 film critics, academics, distributors, writers, curators, archivists and programmers.
Orson Welles' Citizen Kane has been in the top spot for 40 years before it was taken by Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' in 2012. Alfred's film is now at the No. 2 spot, whereas Orson Weller's 'Citizen Kane' has been dropped to the third spot.
“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,” said Mike Williams, Sight and Sound editor, reports THR.
The French drama which has been regarded as the "first masterpiece of the feminine in the history of the cinema", revolves around a single mother, who gets intoprostitutionto support her single son.
Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray's epic masterpiece 'Pather Panchali' has also been recognised on the list and has put on the35th spot in the list this year.
