It is to be expected that a Sight and Sound critics poll is snooty and elitist, and this list is no different in that respect. However, Jeanne Dielman is the greatest film ever made? Seriously?

The sheer emperor-has-no-clothes pretentiousness of this claim amuses me. It is an interesting art installation piece at best. Obviously claiming any film is the greatest film ever made is subjective, but at least with Vertigo and Citizen Kane coherent arguments could be made for both. I just don't see how that's possible with Jeanne Dielman.

The placement seems decidedly agenda driven. If the critics had an agenda to have a film directed by a woman in the top spot, several far better choices were available (The Piano, Clio from 5 to 7, Beau Travail, Lost in Translation, The Hurt Locker, Toni Erdmann, The Babadook, etc). I'm not saying any of these are the greatest film of all time, just that they'd be far better choices.