The author of this paper puts cinematic taste under a sociological magnifying glass, acknowledging both aesthetic and psychological aspects of this complex phenomenon. The problem is observed within the familiar sociological triangle: author-work-audience. Artistic, therefore cinematic communication as well is treated as a social act. The relations within the communication chain are considered reciprocal, where a film audience participates as an active agent of communication. It is a receptive subject, but its taste has a great impact on the production of new film contents and the selection of authorial approaches. The paper pays particular attention to the problem of genesis and evolution of cinematic taste, in the context of sociological divisions of taste created by certain relevant theoreticians (Lynes, Gans, Bourdieu). A film audience is an informal and heterogeneous social aggregate, and its taste is primarily defined as a social category that represents a form of collective relationship (sensibilities and aesthetic preferences) towards films belonging to specific eras, styles and genres. This study examines sociological and aesthetic components of cinematic taste in the 20th century, in which film was the most popular art and a representative cultural phenomenon. Key words: cinematic taste, 20th century, sociology, artistic communication, audience, reception.