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ANDREW SARRIS' FAVOURITE FILMS

By: Kenji

Andrew Sarris was film critic at Village Voice from 1940, and professor of Film Studies at Columbia University, An extremely important and influential critic in the US, later rivalled by Pauline Kael.

This list is based on different selections made by him for Sight and Sound polls in 1972 and 82, also for John Kobal’s international poll in 1987, and another in the last decade, with its 10 placed highest here. Madame de, Ugetsu Monogatari, Rules of the Game, Vertigo, The Searchers appeared every time, The Magnificent Ambersons 3 times, Belle de Jour, Sunrise, Steamboat Bill Jr, The Great Dictator twice.

Thanks to Angel for 2 selections by Sarris, which i won’t include in the main list, as it would become unbalanced, but which may be of interest anyway.

THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MISAPPRECIATED AMERICAN FILMS (1977)
(important)
awful truth, the
diary of a chambermaid
freshman, the
great dictator, the
lady windermere’s fan
lazybones
letter from an unknown woman
love in the afternoon
magnificent ambersons, the
major and the minor, the
man who shot liberty valance, the
merry widow, the
miracle of morgan’s creek, the
morocco
notorious
palm beach story, the
psycho
rio bravo
roberta
scarface
searchers, the
seven chances
sherlock, jr.
shop around the corner, the
show boat
sunrise
swing time
to be or not to be
true heart susie
vertigo
(misappreciated)
7 women
angel
big sleep, the
breakfast at tiffany’s
bunny lake is missing
east of eden
monsieur verdoux
only yesterday
out of the past
petulia
rebel without a cause
tarnished angels, the

PREMIERE’s THE DECADE’S BEST (1989)
a nos amours
ami de mon amie, l’
argent, l’
berlin alexanderplatz
efter repetitionen
empire of the sun
full metal jacket
housekeeping
singing detective, the
therese

 

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Evan M

18Jan12

Has anyone come across Sarris's top ten of 2011? Last year I found his list hiding somewhere in the margins of Film Comment.

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Angel

11Dec11

I have his ballot for THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MISAPPRECIATED AMERICAN FILMS (1977) and PREMIERE's THE DECADE'S BEST (1989) if you are interested.

Kenji likes this

  • Picture of Kenji

    Kenji

    12Dec11

    Thanks, i would be interested- i don't know if they would be added to this list, as it may then become unbalanced, missing others.

  • Picture of Angel

    Angel

    12Dec11

    That's what I thought. I'll look for them and I send you a PM.

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Evan M

10Dec11

Sarris has changed his mind a lot over the years, so I think that this list is either outdated, or an amalgam of opinions he held at different times. If I recall correctly, his most recent top ten, posted in an article he wrote for the New York Observer about five years ago, looked something like this (unranked, although the first three are his favorites): The Earrings of Madame De... Ugetsu The Rules of the Game Vertigo The Searchers The Magnificent Ambersons Sunrise Modern Times The General Belle De Jour

  • Picture of Kenji

    Kenji

    10Dec11

    So the recent list you mention is mainly those already listed (taken from 3 earlier polls, mentioned in the space above the list), with just 2 films to add, thanks.

  • Picture of Evan M

    Evan M

    12Dec11

    Yes, but three of the films (Lola, Steamboat Bill and Flowers of St. Francis) wouldn't be in his top ten anymore. He has showed a tendency over the years to replace favorite films by selected filmmakers with other works. Lola Montes, for instance, had for a while topped his all-time list, until he decided that Earrings of Madame De... was the superior Ophuls film. Similarly, after years of calling The Great Dictator his favorite of Chaplin's, only recently has Modern Times exceeded it in his esteem. I should also add that I remember seeing Ordet on his top ten at some point, but I can't recall when or where. Perhaps it would be worth tracking down the 2007 Observer article I spoke of, as I'd hate to rely on memory alone.

  • Picture of Kenji

    Kenji

    12Dec11

    Well, i suppose i can alter the order a bit, which i'd thought of doing for Earrings above Lola Montes, and rejig my comments- which anyway make clear the order is based on when selections were made not the latest.

  • Picture of Kenji

    Kenji

    12Dec11

    Ok i've changed the order to reflect latest list and frequency of appearances in the different selections.

Picture of Jaspar Lamar Crabb

Jaspar Lamar Crabb

13Mar11

I read and re-read his CONFESSIONS OF A CULTIST all the time...very heartening that he endorsed Chaplin's A COUNTESS FROM HONG KONG...a real buried treasure.

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