When first released, "Persona" was edited because of its controversial subject matter. It received positive reviews, with Swedish media coining the word "Person(a)kult" to describe its enthusiastic admirers. It won Best Film at the 4th Guldbagge Awards, and was Sweden's entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The censored content was reinstated in English-language restorations in 2001. Many critics consider "Persona" one of the greatest films ever made, and it was ranked the fifth-best in "Sight & Sound"s 1972 poll and 17th in 2012. It also influenced many later directors, including Robert Altman and David Lynch.