Martin Scorsese's Killers Of The Flower Moon has been named the best film of 2023.
The 3-and-a-half-hour epic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, centres on the murders of the Osage Native American tribe after oil is found on their land in the 1920's.
It topped BFI international film magazine Sight and Sound's end of year poll, voted for by 100 of the world's top critics.
The venerable director was chuffed with the news:
''When I was told that it had topped the critics’ poll at Sight and Sound, I have to say that I was moved. The magazine has been so important to me, for such a long time.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve seen the cinema ridiculed in so many different ways. Over the last few years, the ridicule has reached a new level. The cinema has been culturally devalued, from all sides and at a constant pace.
Anyone who loves the cinema needs to stand up for it. What I don’t mean is the idea of movies as a kind of cultural messaging delivery service, which can actually play a part in the devaluation. What I do mean is the art of cinema. Period.
I’ve been subscribing to Sight and Sound for 60 years. And when I look through the pages of the latest issue, it always lifts my spirits. Why? Because it’s made and maintained by people who care.
People who love our artform. Please keep it that way.''
