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THE
TOP 5
PROJECT

WEEK NO. SEVENTEEN
Main Page (including links to all past Top 5 weeks)

THE TOP 5 FILMS BY WOMEN DIRECTORS:

view full results       see how points are awarded
Rank Film Points L #1
#1 Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961) 16 5 1
#2 Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975) 13 3 2
#3 Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) 12 4 1
#4 Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943) 11 3 1
#5 Daisies (Vera Chytilová, 1966) 10 3 1
L=How many lists each film appears on             #1=How many number one votes each film recieves

This was probably the most heated race we've had here yet. A record 52 different films were voted for by the 15 panelists, which of course means the love was wide-spread this week with no consensus whatsoever. There weren't even two or three films vying for the title. There were no less than a dozen films within less than ten points of the week's winning film, which in a bit of a surprise, was Agnès Varda's Cléo de 5 à 7 - and though it was a surprise, it was a pleasant one considering the film is in my personal Top 5 as well). Actually I was thinking Chantal Akerman's Jeanne Dielman (my number one pick) or Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon (my number two pick) would win (they came in second and fourth respectively), with Sofia Coppola's Lost in Translation sneaking in at third. Vera Chytilová's Czech New Wave breakthrough Daisies, came in fifth, with both Jane Campion and Hitler's favourite filmmaker, Leni Reifenstahl, just missing out (tied for sixth).

And like I said before, there were another seven or so films that just missed out on the Top 5. You can view all the films voted for by clicking on "view full results" above and you can see who voted and what films and filmmakers they voted for by scanning down the page. And remember, come back next week for an all ne Top 5.

Also, in case you are interested, check out what Senses of Cinema did in a poll about Women Directors.

Individual lists:

Carrie Rickey
Film Critic, Philadelphia Inquirer

  1. Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938)

  2. Clueless (Amy Heckerling, 1995)

  3. Camila (María Luisa Bemberg, 1984)

  4. Something's Gotta Give (Nancy Meyers, 2003)

  5. Love & Basketball (Gina Prince-Bythewood, 2000)



Kent Jones
Editor-at-Large, Film Comment

  • L'Intrus (Claire Denise, 2004)

  • The Holy Girl (Lucrecia Martel, 2004)

  • Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May, 1976)

  • Lives of Performers (Yvonne Rainer, 1972)

  • Jeanne Dielman... (Chantal Akerman, 1975)

Five isn't enough, because there's also:
Chilly Scenes of Winter (Joan Micklin Silver), Ritual in Transfigured Time (Maya Deren), The Cool World (Shirley Clarke), Beau Travail (Claire Denis) and The Heartbreak Kid (Elaine May).


David Sterritt
Chairman, National Society of Film Critics

  1. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975) - One of the great achievements of both avant-garde and feminist cinema, this radical sort-of-melodrama says more about the interrelated natures of "real time" and "movie time" than almost any film theorist has managed to do. It's deeply absorbing, as well, if you allow youself to sink into its utterly unique rhythms.

  2. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961) - Varda has made many fine movies, but this early feature is still her best -- one of the rare examples of a film about a woman in which a woman's directorial touch is always felt, even if it's so subtle as to be almost indefinible.

  3. Household Saints (Nancy Savoca, 1993) - This sadly neglected film explores a fascinating question -- how do religious faith and conventional notions of sanity relate to one another -- in a moving, intelligent drama featuring one of the amazing Lili Taylor's very best performances.

  4. Orlando (Sally Potter, 1992) - Virginia Woolf's remarkable novel is unlikely material for a movie adaptation, but Potter pulls it off, helped by the terrific Tilda Swinton in the androgynous title role. Wittingly or not, the film is an eye-opening illustration of some of Laura Mulvey's ideas regarding feminist film, and thoroughly entertaining into the bargain.

  5. The Connection (Shirley Clarke, 1962) - This ingenious adaptation of Jack Gelber's play about heroin addicts, reworking the Living Theatre's stage production into cinematic terms, is flawed but fascinating -- overall the best movie by a director too often overlooked by the tunnel vision of mainstream viewers and critics.



David Ehrenstein
Film Critic & Entertainment Writer

Author, Open Secret: Gay Hollywood 1928-1998

  1. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961)

  2. Daisies (Vera Chytilová, 1966)

  3. The Cool World (Shirley Clarke, 1964)

  4. Ticket of No Return (Ulrike Ottinger, 1979)

  5. The Gold Diggers (Sally Potter, 1983)



Christopher Null
Founder, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, Filmcritic.com

  1. The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993) - Far and away the most artistic film ever made by a female director. Praise is also due for Campion's "An Angel at my Table," but I'll limit my picks to one movie per director.

  2. Real Genius (Martha Coolidge, 1985) - Proof that women can direct funny films that don't end up as cliched romantic comedies.

  3. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) -Touching and sweet.

  4. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961) - Though not part of the core, Varda became a critical member of the French New Wave with "Cleo."

  5. American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) - One of the most misanthropic, misogynistic films ever was directed by a woman.



Jeffrey M. Anderson
Film Critic & Freelance Entertainment Writer
San Francisco Examiner, Las Vegas Weekly, Oakland Tribune

  1. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) - If there has been a better, funnier, more soulful movie in the last ten years about two lost, lonely souls connecting, I have yet to see it. And yet I've heard complaints about its inaccurate representation of Tokyo; it's not meant to be accurate. It's seen through the eyes of two very different Americans, each with their own level of cynicism. There have been other complaints; maybe it belongs more in the era of Griffith and Chaplin than in today's oversaturated, overstimulated world.

  2. Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999) - Denis is the most overwhelmingly physical director working today, punching out a velvety poetry that envelops you with its sheer visceral potency. She has many masterworks, but this one is her most personal.

  3. Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987) - Cult director Kathryn Bigelow crafted this neon-and-blood drenched vampire Western cult movie, and I'm in the cult.

  4. Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943) - An essential piece of cinema history, innovative and beautiful. (See also Martina Kudlácek's excellent documentary "In the Mirror of Maya Deren.")

  5. Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May, 1976) - A bizarre masterpiece from our most criminally neglected female American director.

Runners up: The Apple (1998, Samira Makhmalbaf), Clueless (1995, Amy Heckerling), Daisies (1966, Vera Chytilova), The Gleaners & I (2001, Agnes Varda), Go Fish (1994, Rose Troche), The Piano (1993, Jane Campion), Ratcatcher (1999, Lynne Ramsay)


Rick Curnutte
Film Critic & Editor, The Film Journal

  1. Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943)

  2. Vagabond (Agnès Varda, 1985)

  3. Mikey and Nicky (Elaine May, 1976)

  4. Portrait of a Lady (Jane Campion, 1996)

  5. Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001)



Kelley Baker
Filmmaker

1. (tie) Salaam Bombay! & Mississippi Masala (Mira Nair, 1988/1991) - She showed me a whole new world in both films. These were films about groups of people and customs that I knew nothing about. I was impressed enough that I continue to seek out her films. I may not like a particular film, but her work always interests me. I'll watch pretty much anything she does.

3. The Decline of Western Civilization (Penelope Spheeris, 1981) - I heard her speak years ago in LA right after the first one came out. She was down to earth and funny. I like all three of the docs, but the first is still my favorite.

4. Olympia (Leni Riefenstahl, 1938) - Olympiad is amazing. It is absolutely stunning. I don't like her politics, personal or otherwise, but she made amazing films.

5. Fast Times at Ridgemont High (Amy Heckerling, 1982) -The ultimate high school movie. I can watch that film over and over. The way this film captured teen life still astounds me. It was funny, sad, and probably more like a documentary than a fiction film.

Honorable Mention: Welcome to The Club, The Women of Rockabilly (Beth Harrington) - - Who? Okay, Beth is a friend. She is currently doing a documentary on the Carter Family. She received a Grammy nomination for Welcome to The Club, and her work just isn't seen enough. Look her up and watch her films. You just might discover some one new...


J.E. Snavely
Home Theatre Cinephile *

Interesting topic this week! I've never judged a film in the context of gender, only in the subjective disposition of good and bad films. As I review my favorite films and try to remember the thousands I've watched in darkened theatres or flickering through my tv, I begin to realize how few movies have been directed by women. I suppose the movies below are not good films because of the fact that they're directed by women...they're just damn good films! Period.

*I have included a few brief comments about the available DVDs of each film on my list because I enjoy watching films at home. I am greatly annoyed when a disc is released that doesn't preserve the integrity of the theatrical version (please don't ever tell me you actually watched an edited full-frame version of a widescreen film! The horror, the horror.) I hope my comments help you in deciding what versions to watch at home so you can enjoy these great films.

  1. Seven Beauties (Linda Wertmuller, 1975) - One of the greatest Holocaust films: A terribly funny and sadistic story of what one man must sacrifice in order to survive. This was recently released on DVD by Koch Lorber but what a horror! The image seems to be ported from the original release (though contrast is slightly boosted, giving it a false sense of greater detail) with an non-anamorphic (not 16x9 enhanced) image. Bland colors and visible artifacts mar an incredibly beautiful film.

  2. Triumph of the Will (Leni Riefenstahl, 1935) - Can this film be judged apart from its subject matter? I think so. Her use of low and wide angle photography, extreme close-ups and invigorating soundtrack revealed the true power of cinema and its cultural influence. Synapse released a very good quality DVD earlier this year; I suggest picking it up because of the restored picture and sound quality and some nice extras like the short film "Day of Freedom".

  3. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961) - Two hours in the life of Cleo, a woman whose vanity seems more important than her mortality. A film that I can relate to in very realistic terms: when my wife had a biopsy and we spent an agonizing week waiting for results, many vain thoughts of disfigurement and suffering outweighed the actual fear of death. (My wife is now a cancer survivor). A sub-par Criterion DVD (a company known for their quality) is shameful: a non-anamorphic, non-progressive image with no extras.

  4. Daughters of the Dust (Julie Dash, 1991) - A touching film about a community trying to keep their cultural and spiritual heritage alive as the "civilized" world intrudes upon them. Kino International released this on DVD in 2000 but it needs re-issued: another non-anamorphic, low-bitrate release with a less than stellar sound mix...and no extras.

  5. Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) - Another mature, brilliant performance from Bill Murray who plays an aging American actor visiting Japan where he meets the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson, who is having marital strife of her own. A quiet, engaging film that is heavy on emotion and light on dialogue. If you have a region-free DVD player (with a good PAL converter...at least 8 megs), I recommend the R-2 Danish version: it has a superior image quality and incredible DTS English soundtrack. It also has a load of extras!



Peter Sobczynski
Film Critic, eFilmCritic.com

With all apologies to Dorothy Arzner, Ida Lupino and Asia Argento, these are my five picks.

(In no particular order)

  • The Night Porter (Liliana Cavani, 1974) - still one of the greatest first-date movies ever made.

  • Strange Days (Kathryn Bigelow, 1995) - Until the last two minutes, one of the great genre films of the 1990's

  • Boys Don't Cry (Kimberly Pierce, 1999) - Where the hell did she go to?

  • Holy Smoke (Jane Campion, 1999) - A mess on virtually every possible level but what a fascinating mess.

  • Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola, 2003) - The film that proved that Ms Coppola has more going for her as a filmmaker than a last name.



Michael Parent
Film Student

  1. Triumph of the Will (Leni Reifenstahl, 1935) - I know that's a movie about propagandha but as a History student this is a great material to work with a huge piece of history.

  2. The Piano (Jane Campion, 1993)

  3. The Woodsman (Nicole Kassell, 2004)

  4. The Virgin Suicides (Sofia Coppola, 2000)

  5. Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999) -

Runners-Up:
Lost in Translation (Sofia Coppola) & Chocolat (Claire Denis)


Vern
Film Critic

  1. Stander (Bronwen Hughes, 2003) - This is one of my favorite movies of the last several years, and most people don't seem to know about it. It's the true story of an apartheid-era South African police captain who decides one day on his lunch break to start robbing banks. For a while he investigates the crimes himself, then when he's found out he goes to prison, busts out and becomes a folk hero, trying to spin his crimes as a way of fighting against the racist system. This director Bronwen Hughes has only made a couple movies, all of them completely different from each other, but you can tell she's smart by the way she handles this story as a fun bank heist movie with a completely original political context.

  2. American Psycho (Mary Harron, 2000) - I think this is more of a gimmicky slasher movie than the important movie you almost want it to be, but it's just so great at what it does that I gotta love it. Christian Bale is amazing, the whole thing is creepy but also pretty hilarious to see that yuppie sicko crawling around biting people on the leg or running naked with a chain saw showing off his chiseled six pack.

  3. Ornette: Made in America (Shirley Clarke, 1985) - This is a weird, experimental documentary about the free jazz pioneer Ornette Coleman. It goes between interviews, performances, re-enactments of his childhood and primitive video art. He talks alot about Buckminster Fuller and the time he wanted to get his balls cut off. I wish it was on DVD.

  4. Jesus' Son (Alison McLean, 1999) - This is another movie that I think didn't really get its due. It's a really well directed set of junkie vignettes, really sad and surreal but with more heart than you usually get in a junkie movie. Some of it's so sad you have to start laughing. I haven't seen this since Jack Black became such a big deal, but I remember him being really crazy in it.

  5. Whale Rider (Niki Caro, 2002) - I gotta admit this movie got me. It'll make you feel good whether you like it or not. A total stick it to the man movie about a little Maori girl. You can't help but love it. Warning: she does not ride on a whale that much though.



Rod Armstrong
Film Critic, Reel.com

  1. Crush (Alison Maclean, 1992)

  2. Sweetie (Jane Campion, 1989)

  3. Near Dark (Kathryn Bigelow, 1987)

  4. Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (Beeban Kidron, 1990)

  5. Illumination (Pascale Breton, 2004)



Kevin Cassidy
Film Enthusiast

  1. Daisies (Vera Chytilová, 1966)

  2. Pleasures of War (Ruth Lingford, 1998)

  3. Seven Beauties (Lina Wertmüller, 1975)

  4. Swept Away By An Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August (Lina Wertmüller, 1974)

  5. Little Women (Gillian Armstrong, 1994)



Kevyn Knox
Film Critic, Essayist + Historian

Unfortunately, though not surprisingly so, there are far too little amount of films made by women, which is probably more an overall societal thing than a more specific cinematic problem. And I did hold back from my Chantal Akerman fixation, and decided on just one film per director (Akerman would have been on the list 4, possibly all 5 times if I hadn't) which unavoidably leaves off such films as Friday Night (Denis), Vagabond (Varda), and Akerman's Les Rendez-vous d'anna, Toute une nuit, The Golden Eighties and her debut Je, tu, il, elle (which could very well have been the Top 5 after Jeanne Dielman). I also ended up leaving Jane Campion, Leni Reifenstahl, Niki Caro, Katherine Bigelow, Alison Anders, Sally Potter and Sofia Coppola (although all have at least one stand-out film in their ouevre (some like Campion, many stand-outs! - I really wish I could have found room for Holy Smoke or Portrait of a Lady).

  1. Jeanne Dielman, 23 Quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Chantal Akerman, 1975)

  2. Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren, 1943)

  3. Beau Travail (Claire Denis, 1999)

  4. Cléo de 5 à 7 (Agnès Varda, 1961)

  5. Daisies (Vera Chytilová, 1966)

I would like to also give a special mention to Alice Guy Blanche, a contemporary of Edison, Porter and Méliès, and the Founding Mother of Cinema (it is truly sad that not one person, myself included, placed her in their Top 5).

*points are given as follows: for numbered lists, first place recieves 5 points, second place recieves 4, third place 3, fourth place 2 and fifth place gets 1 point; for unumbered lists, each film will recieve 3 points; total points are then tallied up and a comprehensive Top 5 list is created


The Next Topic is:
Name The Top 5 Gangster Films

e-mail me at kevynknox@thecinematheque.com with your picks for week #18,
no later than 4pm on Sunday, August 13, 2006.

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