Unlike the Oscars or other annual awards, being selected by the Library of Congress as one of the 25 films picked to join the National Film Registry is on a whole different level. By being chosen, a film is given the honor of being deemed one of the most influential and important films to ever be released. And this year, the 25 films chosen include a wide variety of features, from superhero films to war dramas to musical comedies.
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Probably the biggest film to be selected this year for the National Film Registry is Christopher Nolan’s superhero epic, “The Dark Knight.” More than a decade after its release, “The Dark Knight” ranks as one of the best films in the superhero genre and one of the best of Nolan’s already-massive career.
“This is not only a great honor for all of us who worked on ‘The Dark Knight,’ this is also a tribute to all of the amazing artists and writers who have worked on the great mythology of Batman over the decades,” said Nolan.
“The Dark Knight” is joined by films such as “A Clockwork Orange,” “Grease,” “The Joy Luck Club,” “Shrek,” and “The Hurt Locker,” among others. And in the case of the latter film, “The Hurt Locker” is not only one of the best war films of the past 20 years but marked the first feature directed by a woman to win Best Director.
“My desire in making ‘The Hurt Locker’ was to honor those in uniform serving in dangerous posts abroad, so I have been gratified by the resonance the film has had over the last 10 years,” said director Kathryn Bigelow. “For it to be selected by the National Film Registry is both humbling and thrilling.”
In addition to those films, there’s also John Landis’ landmark comedy film, “The Blues Brothers.”
“Having ‘The Blues Brothers’ chosen to be included in the National Film Registry is both a great honor and a delightful surprise,” Landis said. “The film is the result of Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi’s genuine passion for rhythm and blues and our mutual love for these great African American artists and the city of Chicago.”
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The full list of films selected to join the National Film Registry (in chronological order) include:
Suspense (1913)
Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
Bread (1918)
The Battle of the Century (1927)
With Car and Camera Around the World (1929)
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Outrage (1950)
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
Wattstax (1973)
Grease (1978)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Losing Ground (1982)
Illusions (1982)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
The Ground (1993-2001)
Shrek (2001)
Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)
The Hurt Locker (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Freedom Riders (2010)