The Top 50 Films of the Past 50 Years

As part of the celebration of the 50 years of the Quebec Film Critics Association, the organizations unveiled two lists of the top 50 films of the past half century. The first list showcases the diversity and weight of the Quebec industry, highlighting the very best local films since 1973. The other list opens up the discussion worldwide, featuring 50 films from the same period, representing cinema from 28 different countries. The lists are ordered by release date.

The international list hits on a lot of very familiar names, with most of the films having also appeared in the most recent Sight & Sound list, which polled over 1,600 critics from around the world. If the list features any surprises, it’s likely from films of the past decade. Justine Triet’s Anatomy of a Fall is the only film from the 2020s, though it was notably released in the last qualifying year for the list (which features films from 1973 to 2023). It will be interesting to see whether Triet’s film, as well as Parasite and Portrait of a Lady on Fire, continue to maintain their enormous popularity going forward.

The Top 50 Films of the Past 50 Years

1. Amarcord 
2. La maman et la putain 
3. A Woman Under the Influence 
4. The Godfather Part II 
5. Jeanne Dielman, 23, Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles 
6. The Mirror
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest 
8. Taxi Driver 
9. Alien 
10. Apocalypse Now 
11. Manhattan 
12. Stalker
13. Mon oncle d’Amérique 
14. The Shining 
15. Possession
16. Blade Runner 
17. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
18. Fanny et Alexandre 
19. Sans soleil 
20. Paris Texas 
21. The Sacrifice 
22. Wings of Desire
23. Do the Right Thing 
24. Close-Up 
25. Goodfellas
26. The Piano 
27. Pulp Fiction 
28. La haine 
29. Trainspotting 
30. Beau travail 
31. Eyes Wide Shut 
32. Magnolia 
33. Amores perros
34. Dancer in the Dark
35. Les glaneurs et la glaneuse 
36. In the Mood for Love 
37. Yi Yi 
38. Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain 
39. Mulholland Drive 
40. Spirited Away
41. Talk to Her
42. Elephant 
43. 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days
44. There Will Be Blood 
45. Un prophète 
46. Uncle Boonmee, Who Can Recall His Past Lives
47. The Tree of Life 
48. Parasite
49. Portrait de la jeune fille en feu 
50. Anatomie d’une chute

For more on the Quebec Film Critics Association, please visit their website.

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