The classic film "The Godfather" came in second, after "Citizen Kane". Christopher Nolan's blockbuster "The Dark Knight" entered at position 96.

The BBC has just published a list of the 100 best American films of all time, based on opinions from 62 reputable critics worldwide.

Citizen Kane is widely considered the greatest American film. Directed by Orson Welles in 1941 when he was just 25 years old, this debut work was ahead of its time, pioneering a structured and logical storytelling technique. The story is a tragicomedy about the illusions of life, offering a philosophical perspective on time and human consciousness. The film has immortalized the names of director Orson Welles, cinematographer Gregg Toland, and screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewics.

"Citizen Kane" tops the list of the best American films in nearly a century since its release.

The Godfather (1972) ranks second on the list. Director Francis Ford Coppola took on the project after 12 other veteran American filmmakers turned it down. Coppola's exceptional talent transformed this film into one of the most captivating works in American cinematic history. Beyond the realm of a film, The Godfather is considered a story about life, offering viewers a valuable life lesson with each viewing.

"The Godfather" is considered not just a film, but also a life story.

The top 10 films are all older works. The Godfather: Part II, produced 41 years ago, ranks last in the Top 10. Alfred Hitchcock's detective films Vertigo and Psycho, the Western The Searchers, the science fiction 2001: A Space Odyssey, and the musical Singin' in the Rain also make it into the top 10 list.

Only six films from the 21st century made it into the Top 100: 12 Years a Slave, The Tree of Life, The Dark Knight, 25th Hour, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and Mulholland Drive. Critic Noah Gittel explains: “America still makes groundbreaking films today, but they are independent films. Perhaps they don’t have the same widespread social impact as older films.”

The superhero film "The Dark Knight" made it into the Top 100 best American films.

Since Thomas Edison revolutionized film technology in the 1890s, America has risen to become one of the world's leading film powers, exporting films to all corners of the globe. The BBC list honors the incredible influence of this nation's film industry.

The critics selected for the survey lived in diverse regions, from the United States to Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia, India, South America, and the Middle East. Regarding the criteria for evaluation, a film was considered an American film if it was funded in the United States. The director of the film did not necessarily have to have been born in the United States.

According to Vnexpress