The Top Films of Every Decade Over the Past 11 Decades, as Rated by Rotten Tomatoes.

      Here are the finest films from each of the last 11 decades, as determined by Rotten Tomatoes.

      They guide us from the era of silent films to the contemporary age, where the art of filmmaking appears increasingly at risk.

      Before diving into the list, let’s clarify how we compiled it.

      Paulette Goddard in a film you’ll soon read about. United Artists

      Rotten Tomatoes evaluates movies by aggregating critiques from reviewers. We created this compilation by selecting the top film from each decade based on the site’s 300 Best Movies of All Time list. That list was established by merging its Tomatometer ratings, based on critic reviews, with audience votes on the Popcornmeter.

      We’re starting with the 1920s since there were no films preceding that decade on the 300 Best Movies of All Time list.

      Now, here is the selection of the best films from each of the last 11 decades, according to Rotten Tomatoes. (And if you’re interested in our parallel list of the worst movies, based on Rotten Tomatoes, you can find it here.)

      1920s — The Kid (1921)

      Credit: First National Pictures

      Charlie Chaplin’s inaugural full-length directorial film features him (who also wrote and produced it) as his cherished Little Tramp character.

      He discovers an abandoned infant, left by his impoverished, unwed mother. The Tramp decides to take the boy (Jackie Coogan) as his adopted son and companion. However, the boy’s mother (Edna Purviance) makes a return.

      The film was a tremendous box office hit and was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.

      It received no Oscars — as the awards didn’t begin until 1929.

      1930s — Modern Times (1936)

      Credit: United Artists

      It’s a testament to the profound impact Charlie Chaplin had on cinema as an industry and as an art form that he also featured the top film of the 1930s — at least, according to Rotten Tomatoes.

      Modern Times showcases Chaplin’s final performance as the Little Tramp and depicts the beloved character struggling in an increasingly mechanized world. It remains remarkably relevant today, 90 years later, in our era of robots displacing human jobs. That illustrates Chaplin’s brilliance.

      Again written, produced, directed by, and starring Chaplin, it features Paulette Goddard as Ellen Peterson, also known as “The Gamin.”

      It was among the first 25 films chosen by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry due to its “cultural, historical, or aesthetic significance.”

      1940s — Casablanca (1942)

      Credit: C/O

      Rotten Tomatoes considers Casablanca not only the best film of the 1940s but also the finest film ever produced by Warner Bros.

      A fast-paced masterpiece, Michael Curtiz’s Casablanca merges epic scope with tragic romance and some of the sharpest, wittiest dialogue ever. It served as a timely rallying cry against fascism upon its release, and its message remains profoundly relevant today.

      When people express their love for classic movies, this is often the one they’re referencing.

      1950s — The Seven Samurai (1954)

      Credit: Toho Co., Ltd

      One of many exceptional films from Akira Kurosawa, one of the greatest directors in cinema history, The Seven Samurai has been remade and imitated countless times.

      Western audiences may be most aware of the classic Western The Magnificent Seven or its 2016 remake, but its influence is felt strongly in films like the original Star Wars.

      The Seven Samurai ranks No. 2 overall on Rotten Tomatoes' 300 Best Movies of All Time list, and is one of three films from the 1950s on that list. The other two are Rear Window and On the Waterfront, both also released in 1954.

      1960s — The Battle of Algiers (1966)

      Credit: Criterion Collection

      The Battle of Algiers received significant recognition in the most recent film to win the Oscar for Best Picture, Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

      A collaborative Italian-Algerian production, the film co-written and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo, is based on actions taken by rebels against the French government during the Algerian War. It was filmed on location with many non-professional actors who lived through the actual battle. The stirring score was composed by Pontecorvo and Ennio Morricone.

      The film was considered so provocative in France that it was not shown there for five years, but it is widely acclaimed as one of the greatest films in history.

      1970s — The Godfather (1972)

      Credit: Paramount

      The top film overall on Rotten Tomatoes' list of the 300 Best Films of All Time.

      Directed by Francis Ford Coppola and featuring Al Pacino, Marlon Brando, Diane Ke