What’s the most famous film of all time?
Eight billion people, 100 years of cinematic history, one simple question: what’s the best-known film of all time? I tried to find the answer. But that was probably my first mistake.
I have a question.
A pretty straightforward one, in fact: what’s the most famous film of all time?
I don’t mean the best film. Movie buffs have been arguing over that one for a century, and we’re no closer to landing on a decision. Nor do I mean the most successful. There are rankings for that. I’m not talking about the most-watched film either. Let’s face it, by the time cinema ticket sales, VHS tapes, TV broadcasts, streaming and piracy have been taken into account, even the most assiduous statistician would probably burst into tears and throw their calculator out the window.
No. I’m looking for the best-known film of all time. A film that more people have heard of than any other. One that you could play on a screen anywhere in the world, and the person you were with would say, «Oh yeah, I know that film.»
How hard can it be?
How «known» are we talking here?
Let’s start with a little experiment. Imagine a tall, broad-shouldered man clad in black armour, a black helmet and a black cloak. He’s breathing heavily, so much so that it’s almost a death rattle. In his hand, he’s holding a glowing, red sword.
You know who I mean. Of course you do.
Source: Lucasfilm
Darth Vader is one of the most popular figures in pop culture. His silhouette is unmistakable. As is the khhhh-pchhhhh of his breathing. It goes without saying that his lightsaber is too. The sound of John Williams’ Imperial March likely stirs something primal in millions of people.
So, I guess that settles it. Star Wars is the most famous film of all time.
But hang on a sec.
Which Star Wars, exactly? The first film, A New Hope? Or The Empire Strikes Back, where the Imperial March featured for the very first time? After that, things get complicated. There are seven other films in the main series, plus Rogue One, Solo, TV shows, toys, video games, books, comics, memes and hundreds of parodies.
People who recognise Darth Vader but have never seen a single Star Wars film are even more difficult to classify. Though, I’d say they count as having heard of Star Wars. Mind you, does that mean they’ve also heard of Star Wars, the 1977 film that existed before creator George Lucas retroactively added «Episode IV: A New Hope» to the title in 1981?
It’s hard to say. Star Wars is one of the most culturally impactful franchises there is. Especially since there are now three generations, each of which has grown up with its own trilogy. To children today, Rey Skywalker is just as synonymous with Star Wars as Luke or Anakin are to older generations. Though, on the other hand … well, let’s not talk about that.
Hmm. This makes it difficult to name one particular Star Wars film as the most famous of all time. The franchise lost sight of its origins a long while ago.
Dammit. We’re five minutes into this article, and already struggling with definitions.
Fine, let’s look at money instead
Fortunately, Hollywood has been using one wonderful, objective metric for decades to measure success: box office sales. As I said, I’m definitely not trying to find the most successful film of all time. But I’ve got to start somewhere, don’t I? Plus, if a film has grossed billions of dollars worldwide, a heck of a lot of people must have bought a ticket to see it. That’s more than a decent indicator of popularity.
So, what’s the highest grossing film in the world?
Avatar.
Thanks for reading!
Okay, fine. Things aren’t that straightforward after all. First of all, Avatar didn’t leave much of a mark on pop culture. Can you quote any line from the film, other than maybe «I see you»? Can you name the main villain off the top of your head? (In case you’re interested, it’s Miles Quaritch). So there you go.
Secondly, James Cameron’s blue sci-fi epic has grossed about 2.9 billion worldwide since 2009. The problem with this figure, however, is that prices in general have been rising over the years. As a result, cinema tickets have become more expensive. Back in 2009, a trip to the cinema already cost significantly more than it did in 1977, when the first Star Wars was released. On top of that, we’re now paying even more than we did in 2009. So a recent film might gross significantly more than an older one, even if it generates the same number of cinema ticket sales. If all we’re comparing is earnings, we’ll automatically give newer films an advantage.
So we have to account for inflation somehow. This IMDb ranking, based on data from Guinness World Records, adjusts historical box office takings to a common price level. Put simply: how much revenue would those old blockbusters have generated if cinema tickets at the time had cost roughly the same as they did in the selected comparison year? The result points to a pretty clear winner, which hit theatres in 1939:
Gone with the Wind.
Impressive.
So does that solve the problem? No. Of course not. Let’s be real, the entertainment world of 1939 was a tad different to the one we’re used to now. Back then, there was no Netflix. No YouTube. No game consoles. No doom scrolling on TikTok or Instagram. Not only that, but successful films sometimes ran in theatres for years, not months or even just weeks. That seems almost unimaginable in this day and age, given that the Marvel Cinematic Universe alone brings new films to the silver screen multiple times a year.
Then, there’s TV. Or more accurately, the lack thereof. In 1939, very few households had TVs at all – even in the US. And besides, the people who did own one certainly didn’t have access to a massive variety of entertainment 24/7. Regular television programming was still in its infancy.
In other words, cinemas were competing for our attention with an entirely different media landscape. By today’s standards, Gone with the Wind also had an unimaginably long time to recoup its costs. While that doesn’t take away from its success, it does make it seriously difficult to compare. Plus, if we’re being completely honest, no one can seriously convince me that Gone with the Wind is better known than Star Wars.
Right, time for the next metric.
Shall we just count people, then?
I’m not interested in the money aspect anyway. I want to know how many people have seen a film. So I guess we’ll count the number of cinema tickets sold. That’s a better approach anyway. One ticket equals one person. Doesn’t it? Well, sort of. Going to see the same film three times suddenly makes you count as three separate people.
Incidentally, how do we count people who’ve seen a particular film, but never in the cinema? Personally, I didn’t discover many of the films I watched as a kid in the cinema. I saw them on video, or later on DVD. Some were shown on TV, others I eventually ended up streaming.
Anyway, how do we count a family that watched Jurassic Park on TV together in 1995? As one broadcast? Four viewers? Five? Thinking about the era we live in now, we also have to factor in streaming, in-flight entertainment, hotels, school screenings and – importantly – piracy, all of which render ticket sales metrics completely useless.
Basically, the older a film is, the more gigantic the black hole named «I still don’t have the foggiest idea what the most famous film of all time is» becomes. I’m starting to understand why no one maintains definitive global rankings.
What now? What now?!
Of course, I could just give up now. Conclude that fame can’t be measured, throw my hands up and end this article with some pithy remark about the real answer depending on your perspective.
But that’s out of the question.
I’ve dug through box office figures, inflation data and cinema ticket prices. I’ve pondered whether a film can be classed as «known» by people who haven’t actually watched it. And I’ve realised that Darth Vader is probably more famous than any US president in history. After all that, the least I can do is give you an answer.
Alrighty then. What’s it going to be?
Screw it, let’s pick a winner!
Despite its enduring success, we can probably cross Gone with the Wind off the list. Yes, the film is undoubtedly legendary. But if I were to show a picture of Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh to folks in Japan, Brazil, Nigeria or Switzerland today, would I consistently get, «Oh sure, I know who they are», as a response? I doubt it.
I think we can rule out Avatar too. Nearly three billion dollars in box office revenue is unreal. But despite this, the film’s characters have left a surprisingly faint imprint on our collective memory. People are familiar with the Na’vi and maybe Neytiri. But Pandora? Jake Sully? Colonel Miles Quaritch?!
If that were the case, we’d have a whole bunch of massive pop culture icons.
Take Superman, for example. The «S» on his chest might just be one of the most recognisable symbols in human history. That red cape, the kryptonite and Clark Kent are long-established, common reference points. But that doesn’t help me in the slightest. Superman first began soaring through the world of comics, radio and television in 1938 – long before Christopher Reeve donned his cape for the big screen in 1978. More films, TV shows, cartoons, Henry Cavill and who knows how many remakes were added to the mix later.
Of course, Superman himself is probably more popular than any single film I’ve mentioned here. The trouble is, his fame can’t be attributed to one particular title. Batman? Same problem. James Bond? Even more problematic. Spider-Man? Forget it.
Which brings us right back to Star Wars.
Darth Vader wasn’t created decades before the film he appears in. He made his debut in 1977, at the same time as Star Wars. As did Luke Skywalker, Leia, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2-D2, Yoda, lightsabers and the Force. Many of the things recognisable to even people who’ve never seen Star Wars can be traced back to that one film.
Which is a seriously compelling argument.
However, Star Wars has now fallen victim to Superman Syndrome. Three generations have grown up with three different trilogies. Not to mention the TV shows, video games, books, comics, Lego and nearly 50 years’ worth of merchandise. Could everyone capable of identifying a lightsaber today really say they’re familiar with the 1977 film? Or even just Star Wars the franchise?
As I said, I’m not sure. Now, there’s another film that, astoundingly, doesn’t have this problem.
Titanic.
Time to go all in
Pretty much everyone has heard of that ship. Pretty much everyone has heard of that iceberg. Céline Dion’s My Heart Will Go On has become just as much of a cultural staple as the image of Jack and Rose on the bow. Right now, somebody, somewhere, is probably on a cruise ship, spreading their arms wide in an impression of Leonardo DiCaprio whooping «I’m the king of the world!»
Unlike with Superman, Spider-Man or James Bond, this cultural influence hasn’t been spread across dozens of films, video games or comics. Unlike with Star Wars, I don’t have to explain which episode I’m actually referring to. Unlike with Gone with the Wind, I’m certain that even people born decades after its release at least know what I’m talking about. And unlike Avatar, its massive financial success has also translated into an impact on pop culture.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. Of course, Titanic has cheated a little. The ship, after all, was already world-famous before director James Cameron was even born. The 1912 disaster is one of the most famous tragedies in history. Perhaps the only reason why Cameron’s film is so well known around the world is that people were already aware of the ship’s story.
But maybe that’s exactly where its greatest strength lies.
Source: 20th Century Studios
Cameron took a story that was already embedded in humanity’s collective memory and layered his own story on top of it. Today, the two are virtually inseparable. We think of the Titanic, the ship, and see Jack and Rose spreading their arms wide. We hear Céline Dion. We picture the ship in the Atlantic, its stern almost completely up in the air, as the string quartet continues playing music to calm the passengers.
History and Hollywood have become well and truly entangled.
So is Titanic the most famous film of all time? Your guess is as good as mine. But after billions in box office takings, 100 years of film history, Darth Vader’s breathing, an iceberg and way too many numbers, this is the film I’d place my completely unscientific bet on.
Titanic wins.
Probably.
Maybe.
Oh, what do I know anyway?
I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.
This is a subjective opinion of the editorial team. It doesn't necessarily reflect the position of the company.
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