It is simple human nature that everybody will have their own opinion on what they define as 'the greatest'. Whether it be television shows, sports teams, musicians or even something as trivial as pizza toppings, it's a foregone conclusion that not everyone is going to have the same opinion. This rings especially true when it comes to art, which is easily the most subjective medium and definitely the most open to interpretation. As the biggest, costliest and most popular pieces of art available to the public, movies tend to divide opinion like no other medium. However, with billions of dollars at stake most releases are now treated more as entertainment, which is to be expected when you're running a business model designed to maximize income. We live in a world where the filmographies of Roland Emmerich and Shawn Levy have generated more box office business than those of Martin Scorsese and Quentin Tarantino, so it's safe to say that commercial success is no longer a barometer of quality. With that in mind, this article will cast a look back at the entire history of cinema in an attempt to pick out the 30 greatest movies ever made. It is a list that spans ten decades, covering almost every genre from silent movies to summer blockbusters, featuring directors from Kurosawa to Kubrick and Spielberg to... well, Spielberg. Taking into account both the narrative and technical qualities, as well as the influence and innovations these movies had on the medium, condensing the best of over 100 years of cinema down to just 30 was a tough task, so read on to find out what movies made the cut.
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