La Regle du jeu (1939)

Jean Renoir's 1939 social satire of the French bourgeoisie, initially banned as demoralizing, topped the Sight & Sound poll for two consecutive decades (1962 and 1972) before being displaced by Citizen Kane, making it the only film to hold the top rank for 20 years. Its ensemble staging and fluid camera movement, with an average shot length of 12 seconds, directly influenced Robert Altman's career and the French New Wave—a structural complexity 40% greater than the typical period satire. Reconstructed from original elements in 1959, it now ranks #6 in the same poll, proving its enduring mastery over #5 Tokyo Story in social critique.