7. Veritgo - (1958, Alfred Hitchcock)
Vertigo is now considered one of the finest works of the many brilliant films of auteur Alfred Hitchcock. Indeed a recent poll conducted by Sight & Sound magazine revealed that the film had overtaken Citizen Kane (1941) as the greatest movie of all time. Hitchcock was a celebrated director in his own time so he was perplexed when his cinematic prowess was brought under scrutiny as Vertigo failed to garner positive reviews or the public's money at box office. Variety magazine's review of the film said the following:
"Vertigo is too long and slow for what is basically only a psychological murder mystery"
The L.A Times came to a similar conclusion restating that the film is "too long". Disgruntled with the film's performance, Hitchcock removed it from circulation. Vertigo received a renaissance in 1983 when Hitchcock finally re-released it in cinemas. On its second run the film was unanimously better received. Clearly the public of 1958 had not been ready for such a pioneering piece.