Alfred Hitchcock’s name has emerged again with more applaud over the revelation that his 1958 thriller Vertigo is now on top of the list of best films ever made, skimming over reigning leader of the last 50 years Citizen Kane. 

Conducted by the British Film Institute every decade is the Sight and Sound poll whose participants include critics, academics (including directors) and distributors. With such highly accredited individuals voting the results are respected throughout the entire film industry. Vertigo hitting the top spot this year is a slight surprise after most film fanatics were likely assuming the Orson Welles classic would hold its position.

Results however, are never clean, with Vertigo only winning out by 34 votes (in the critics poll), highlighting only a very slight change over the decade. Overall the results are not unusual as most of the films listed remain more than 40 years old, all jumping back and forth between rankings.

Vertigo has all the right elements to earn the label of “best film ever made” with strong psychological themes and groundbreaking new film techniques, such as Hitchcock’s famous camera trick that shows the feeling of vertigo held by his main character, retired policeman Scottie.

The biggest factor in the win is the film’s past; Vertigo was not considered highly by critics upon it’s release, but 54 years later it is seen as the best in the world, with 70 countries involved in the vote.

Here is the separate top 10 list by critics:

Critics’ List
1. Vertigo
2. Citizen Kane
3. Tokyo Story
4. The Rules of the Game
5. Sunrise
6. 2001: A Space Odyssey
7. The Searchers
8. Man With a Movie Camera
9. The Passion of Joan of Arc
10. 8 1/2

Here is the separate top 10 list by directors:

1. Tokyo Story
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Citizen Kane
4. 8 1/2
5. Taxi Driver
6. Apocalypse Now
7. The Godfather
8. Vertigo
9. The Mirror
10. Bicycle Thieves

via ABC