Is there a more touted question amongst film fans and film lovers than “What is the greatest film of all time”? There is, of course, the much asked “What’s your favourite film?”, but that seems to disappear in circles of real film buffs. I mean no snobbery in this comment, because I believe that the first question is, in itself, a question that can only be deliberated within a group of people who are willing to dismiss objectiveness and subjectivity. After all, if you’re arguing with a fan of the French new wave then they will naturally lean towards Goddard’s Breathless, a film that many comment as greatly influential and important in the world of modern film, but a film that not many, I feel, actually enjoy. Which leads us to our first contestant in this debate: Citizen Kane.

Contender No.1: Citizen Kane

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Do people actually like Citizen Kane? I do...or do I? Do I just fear what the reaction would be if I said I didn’t so much that I have made myself enjoy the film? It’s a possibility. But I do feel that there is actually no doubt that Citizen Kane is a masterpiece and deserves an awful lot of the accolades that it is has received over the years. Whenever the question in question is arisen, it’s the first movie that jumps out, because we have been told by multiple publications and more than multiple critics that it is the answer. But do people actually like it? What is undeniable about the film is it’s sublime writing and performances and it’s near flawless direction, but do people watch it and enjoy the thing? Or do they feel like they have just completed homework? It’s a tough one and I can’t speak for everybody, but I think the crowd unfortunately does lean to the homework side of things. I enjoy the film and watch it a lot, as a matter of fact I would call the film wonderfully re-watchable.

I wish I could find 100 people who have never heard of the film or its reputation and aren’t affected by their own idiotic biases against black and white/older films, and just let them watch it. Then we could have a nice sample to refer to. I think that this hypothetical sample would come out with test scores ranging from the very high to the very low, we can make a more than educated guess on this matter by looking at the initial reviews for the film. These were all people unbridled by mass critical opinion; these were all people who knew nothing of the film’s legacy (naturally, as it didn’t exist yet). These people gave the film very mixed reviews. Do I read some of those scathing reviews and wonder what the hell that critic was thinking? Yes, I do. Will this essay be more than me answering questions I ask of myself? Perhaps. Perhaps not. I do feel that we cannot underestimate the power that this film’s legacy has on its effect on people when they do finally get round to watching it. The majority of people sit down to watch the film expecting the greatest film ever made, which I feel might explain why certain public opinion has shifted to other possibilities for the overly objective title of “best film ever made”. So for now we will keep Citizen Kane as our top film.

Contender No.2: Vertigo

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Now, do I agree with the collected poll of Sight & Sound in saying that Vertigo is a better film than Citizen Kane? Personally I think Citizen Kane is a better film...but I also prefer Vertigo. It’s my favourite Hitchcock without a shadow of a doubt (another great Hitchcock), and I think that overall the film offers some of the darkest meditation on love and obsession ever put onto celluloid, punctuated by two incredible lead performances from Stewart and Novak. But, I also think that Citizen Kane is technically a better film. I think it’s a better written film and I also think that it flows better than Vertigo does. So currently I feel like Citizen Kane is still our top film.

Contender No. 3: Casablanca

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Above my bed hangs a beautiful canvas for the poster of Casablanca. I have written about my love of this film before on this blog and so, for my opinion all one has to look at is my essay on my favourite films. I adore the film, certainly more than Citizen Kane, but I feel I can be as objective as is needed to comment that I do think (my personal opinion aside) that Casablanca is the better film. 

BRIEF BEATLES ANALOGY TANGENT (THAT IS WHOLLY RELATED TO THIS ESSAY): A Hard Day's Night or Revolver are the best Beatles albums ever made. But Sgt. Pepper is the most influential. So what are we talking about when we talk about "best". Are we talking about quality or its effect on the medium? I have always leaned towards the quality side of things. When it comes to influence, I feel that things can get muddy and the actual "best" products can get left on the wayside, when in actuality they should be what is being discussed. So for the purpose of this essay, I am not completely disregarding the influence of the film, but never letting it be worth more in my thinking than the actual quality of the article in question.

Back to Casablanca... I’ll play my hand early – I believe that this is the greatest film of all time. Is it my favourite? No. Is it firmly in my top 20? Yes (read my top 20). I think the film is simply perfect, a true masterpiece of romance, comedy, action, drama and a true marvel of scriptwriting that remains unparalleled to this day. I think it succeeds over Citizen Kane by simply leaving more people feeling entertained than as if they have had just completed homework. Now, one can compare this to saying that somebody would prefer a big juicy steak to a salad. One is good for you and the other is delicious. But Casablanca is one of those great examples of something that is delicious and good for you. It is a masterpiece that you have been told is incredible that isn't a chore to watch. Again, Citizen Kane has never been a chore for me to watch, but I understand the angle of those who see it as such. So we have a new top film: Casablanca.

Contenders No. 5/No. 6: The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption

I am now going to throw two final films into the ring to go up against our new top ranking film: The Godfather and The Shawshank Redemption. Both films are similar to Casablanca in that they are masterpieces than cross genres and leave you wholly entertained and are eminently re-watchable. Their quality is similarly undeniable. Although you get the few trying to pose an argument, it never really lasts too long. But here’s the part that I can’t put into words, which isn’t good for an essay writer whose job it is to put these things into words: I still think Casablanca is the best film ever made. I don’t know why, perhaps it’s more of a fear that I am losing grip on my objectivity as these are two films firmly in my top five. Then there’s the whole part where I describe how I see both Part I and Part II as one long film and eventually the water has been muddied to the extent that it’s hard to actually see anything in it. So I’m afraid, although I prefer both of the above films, I’m keeping Casablanca at the top of my list.

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So where do we land in conclusion? Well, I’m sorry to be aloof and make you feel like you’ve wasted your time here, but we return to the only real conclusion that there has ever been: you can’t pick one.  I’m sorry to disappoint, I can only offer you my personal opinion.

My favourite film of all time is still The Shawshank Redemption.

I believe that the greatest film of all time is Casablanca.

And I’m afraid that they are the only two opinions that I can offer and comment that they are completely, factually correct.

 -Thomas Carruthers