The following is a list of the top 10 films chosen annually by the critics of Cahiers du Cinéma, a French film magazine. The magazine started the lists in 1951, but did not publish a list from 1952 to 1953 and from 1969 to 1980 and in 2003.
1950s # English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country19511.The RiverLe FleuveJean RenoirFrance2.Diary of a Country PriestJournal d'un curé de campagneRobert Bresson3.Miracle in MilanMiracolo a MilanoVittorio de SicaItaly4.The Forgotten OnesLos OlvidadosLuis BuñuelMexico5.All About EveJoseph L. MankiewiczUnited States6.Miss Julie Fröken JulieAlf SjöbergSweden7.Story of a Love Affair Cronaca di un amoreMichelangelo AntonioniItaly8.Sunset BoulevardBilly WilderUnited States9.Edward and Caroline Édouard et CarolineJacques BeckerFrance10.The Flowers of St. Francis Francesco, giullare di DioRoberto RosselliniItalyNo lists from 1952 through 195319541.This Strange PassionÉlLuis BuñuelMexico2.Honour Among ThievesTouchez pas au grisbiJacques BeckerFrance3.Knave of HeartsRené Clément4.The Wild OneLászló BenedekUnited States5.Gentlemen Prefer BlondesHoward Hawks6.I VitelloniFederico FelliniItaly7.It Should Happen to YouGeorge CukorUnited States8.The Blue GardeniaFritz Lang9.Robinson CrusoeAventuras de Robinson CrusoeLuis BuñuelMexico10.MotherおかあさんMikio NaruseJapan19551.Journey to ItalyViaggio in ItaliaRoberto RosselliniItaly2.OrdetCarl Theodor DreyerDenmark3.The Big KnifeRobert AldrichUnited States4.Lola MontèsMax OphülsFrance5.Rear WindowAlfred HitchcockUnited States6.Bad LiaisonsLes mauvaises rencontresAlexandre AstrucFrance7.La StradaFederico FelliniItaly8.The Barefoot ContessaJoseph L. MankiewiczUnited States9.Johnny GuitarNicholas Ray10.Kiss Me DeadlyRobert Aldrich19561.A Man EscapedUn condamné à mort s'est échappé ou Le vent souffle où il veutRobert BressonFrance2.Elena and Her MenElena et les HommesJean Renoir3.Rebel Without a CauseNicholas RayUnited States4.Confidential ReportOrson Welles5.SensoLuchino ViscontiItaly6.Smiles of a Summer NightSommarnattens leendeIngmar BergmanSweden7.The SwindleIl bidoneFederico FelliniItaly8.L'AmoreRoberto Rossellini9.PicnicJoshua LoganUnited States10.FearLa PauraRoberto RosselliniItaly19571.A King in New YorkCharlie ChaplinUnited Kingdom2.Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?Frank TashlinUnited States3.Nights of CabiriaLe notti di CabiriaFederico FelliniItaly4.The Wrong ManAlfred HitchcockUnited States5.The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la CruzEnsayo de un crimenLuis BuñuelMexico6.Sawdust and TinselGycklarnas aftonIngmar BergmanSweden7.Bigger Than LifeNicholas RayUnited States8.The Girl Can't Help ItFrank Tashlin9.Beyond a Reasonable DoubtFritz Lang10.12 Angry MenSidney Lumet19581.Touch of EvilOrson WellesUnited States2.The Seventh SealDet sjunde insegletIngmar BergmanSweden3.White NightsLe notti biancheLuchino ViscontiItaly4.Il GridoMichelangelo Antonioni5.Bonjour TristesseOtto PremingerUnited Kingdom,United States6.DreamsKvinnodrömIngmar BergmanSweden7.One LifeUne vieAlexandre AstrucFrance8.Mon OncleJacques Tati9.The Quiet AmericanJoseph L. MankiewiczUnited States10.Summer InterludeSommarlekIngmar BergmanSweden19591.Ugetsu雨月物語Kenji MizoguchiJapan2.Hiroshima mon AmourAlain ResnaisFrance3.Ivan the Terrible (Part II)Иван ГрозныйSergei EisensteinSoviet Union4.PickpocketRobert BressonFrance5.The 400 BlowsLes quatre cents coupsFrançois Truffaut6.Rio BravoHoward HawksUnited States7.Wild StrawberriesSmultronställetIngmar BergmanSweden8.VertigoAlfred HitchcockUnited States9.Princess Yang Kwei Fei楊貴妃Kenji MizoguchiJapan10.The Tiger of EschnapurDer Tiger von EschnapurFritz LangWest Germany
1960s # English Title Original Title Director(s) Production Country19601.Sansho the Bailiff山椒大夫Kenji MizoguchiJapan2.L'AvventuraMichelangelo AntonioniItaly3.BreathlessÀ bout de souffleJean-Luc GodardFrance4.Shoot the Piano PlayerTirez sur le pianisteFrançois Truffaut5.Poem of the SeaПоэма о мореAlexander Dovzhenko & Yuliya SolntsevaSoviet Union6.Les Bonnes FemmesClaude ChabrolFranceNazarínLuis BuñuelSpain, Mexico8.MoonfleetFritz LangUnited States9.PsychoAlfred Hitchcock10.The HoleLe TrouJacques BeckerFrance19611.LolaJacques DemyFrance2.A Woman Is a WomanUne femme est une femmeJean-Luc Godard3.Paris Belongs to UsParis nous appartientJacques Rivette4.Rocco and His BrothersRocco e i suoi fratelliLuchino ViscontiItaly5.Shin Heike Monogatari新・平家物語Kenji MizoguchiJapan6.The Horse That CriedDorogoy tsenoyMark DonskoySoviet Union7.La NotteMichelangelo AntonioniItaly8.Last Year at MarienbadL'Année dernière à MarienbadAlain ResnaisFrance9.Elmer GantryRichard BrooksUnited States10.Two Rode TogetherJohn Ford19621.My Life to LiveVivre sa vieJean-Luc GodardFrance2.Jules and JimJules et JimFrançois Truffaut3.Hatari!Howard HawksUnited States4.ViridianaLuis BuñuelMexico5.The Sign of LeoLe Signe du LionÉric RohmerFrance6.Wild RiverElia KazanUnited States7.The TrialOrson Welles8.Through a Glass DarklySåsom i en spegelIngmar BergmanSweden9.The Elusive CorporalLe Caporal épingléJean RenoirFrance10.Vanina VaniniRoberto RosselliniItaly19631.ContemptLe MéprisJean-Luc GodardFrance2.The BirdsAlfred HitchcockUnited States3.The Exterminating AngelEl ángel exterminadorLuis BuñuelMexico4.Adieu PhilippineJacques RozierFrance5.The Trial of Joan of ArcProcès de Jeanne d'ArcRobert Bresson6.MurielMuriel ou le Temps d'un retourAlain Resnais7.The Nutty ProfessorJerry LewisUnited States8.The CarabineersLes CarabiniersJean-Luc GodardFrance9.Salvatore GiulianoFrancesco RosiItaly10.8½Otto e mezzoFederico Fellini19641.Band of OutsidersBande à partJean-Luc GodardFrance2.GertrudCarl Theodor DreyerDenmark3.MarnieAlfred HitchcockUnited States4.A Married WomanUne femme mariéeJean-Luc GodardFrance5.Man's Favorite Sport?Howard HawksUnited States6.Red DesertIl deserto rossoMichelangelo AntonioniItaly7.America AmericaElia KazanUnited States8.The SilenceTystnadenIngmar BergmanSweden9.All These WomenFör att inte tala om alla dessa kvinnor10.The ServantJoseph LoseyUnited Kingdom19651.Pierrot le FouJean-Luc GodardFrance2.SandraLuchino ViscontiItaly3.Winter LightNattvardsgästernaIngmar BergmanSweden4.Six in Paris ("Gare du Nord" segment)Paris vu par...Jean RouchFrance5.AlphavilleAlphaville: une étrange aventure de Lemmy CautionJean-Luc Godard6.LilithRobert RossenUnited States7.Shock CorridorSam Fuller8.The Family JewelsJerry Lewis9.The Gospel According to St. MatthewIl vangelo secondo MatteoPier Paolo PasoliniItaly10.Le BonheurAgnès VardaFrance19661.Au hasard BalthazarRobert BressonFrance2.WalkoverWalkowerJerzy SkolimowskiPoland3.Not ReconciledNicht versöhntJean-Marie StraubWest Germany4.Masculin FémininMasculin féminin: 15 faits précisJean-Luc GodardFrance5.The Man Who Had His Hair Cut ShortDe man die zijn haar kort liet knippenAndré DelvauxBelgium6.7 WomenJohn FordUnited States7.The Taking of Power by Louis XIVLa prise de pouvoir par Louis XIVRoberto RosselliniItaly8.Torn CurtainAlfred HitchcockUnited States9.Red Line 7000Howard Hawks10.Fists in the PocketI pugni in tascaMarco BellocchioItaly19671.PersonaIngmar BergmanSweden2.Belle de JourLuis BuñuelFrance3.WeekendWeek-endJean-Luc Godard4.Lion Hunting with Bow and ArrowLa chasse au lion à l'arcJean Rouch5.PlaytimeJacques Tati6.The Big MouthJerry LewisUnited States7.DaisiesSedmikráskyVera ChytilovaCzechoslovakiaThe NunLa ReligieuseJacques RivetteFrance9.Two or Three Things I Know About HerDeux ou trois choses que je sais d'elleJean-Luc Godard10.La ChinoiseLa Chinoise, ou plutôt à la Chinoise: un film en train de se faireJean-Luc Godard19681.The Chronicle of Anna Magdalena BachChronik der Anna Magdalena BachJean-Marie Straub & Danièle HuilletWest Germany2.Before the RevolutionPrima della rivoluzioneBernardo BertolucciItaly3.The EdgeRobert KramerUnited States4.Spirits of the Dead ("Toby Dammit" segment)Tre passi nel delirioFederico FelliniItaly5.Don't Let It Kill YouIl ne faut pas mourir pour çaJean Pierre LefebvreCanada6.The Times That AreLe règne du jourPierre Perrault7.BarrierBarieraJerzy SkolimowskiPoland8.Stolen KissesBaisers volésFrançois TruffautFrance9.Ride in the WhirlwindMonte HellmanUnited States10.The Bride Wore BlackLa Mariée était en noirFrançois TruffautFranceThe SmugglersLes ContrebandièresLuc MoulletNo list for 1969
1970s No lists for the 1970s.
1980s