AFI names the 10 greatest American movies of all-time – Far Out Magazine

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What is the best movie of all time? For any movie fan, this question is almost impossible to answer, for how do you differentiate between the greatness of Orson Welles and Victor Fleming, Steven Spielberg and David Lean, Martin Scorsese and Francis Ford Coppola? Whilst cinephiles would hide from the question, the American Film Institute (AFI) went about answering this conundrum, albeit whittling their choices down to the top 100 American films of all time. 
Often rounding up the very best of American cinema, the AFI has previously named the most inspirational films of all time, among many other lists, but this undertaking was far more difficult, tasked with distilling over a century of national cinema. So exclusive is the cut that the likes of Barry Jenkins, David Lynch, Paul Thomas Anderson and the Safie brothers brutally miss out on making the 100-film shortlist. 
Focusing on the top ten, the AFI has made sure to include pretty much all the classics of American cinema, including films that have had a ginormous industry impact as well as movies that are beloved by audiences. 
Sneaking into the top ten is the revolutionary technicolour family film The Wizard of Oz by Victor Fleming, with the director making two appearances in the top ten. Just below in spaces nine and eight come Alfred Hitchcock’s iconic James Stewart flick Vertigo and, the latest film in the top ten, Steven Spielberg’s deeply emotional holocaust drama Schindler’s List.
The David Lean classic Lawrence of Arabia is number seven, missing out on the top ten. The second Fleming movie, Gone with the Wind, is at number six. Adjusted for inflation, Gone with the Wind remains the highest-grossing movie of all time by quite some margin but has been knocked down a few pegs in recent years due to its undeniably dated narrative. 
Taking the fifth spot is perhaps the best musical of all time in Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s Singin’ in the Rain, which is followed by Martin Scorsese’s boxing flick Raging Bull, starring Robert De Niro, at number four. In the bronze position is Michael Curtiz’s wartime drama Casablanca, whilst narrowly missing out on gold at number two is Francis Ford Coppola’s epic gangster film The Godfather, starring Marlon Brando.
Taking number one in the AFI’s list of the top ten American movies of all time is Orson Welles’ celebrated Citizen Kane, a critique of the American Dream that tells the story of the publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane and the meaning of his final word; “Rosebud”.
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