Library of Congress Adds Movies to the 2010 Film Registry

The Library of Congress announced its 2010 Film Registry list. The Library of Congress Film Registry seeks to preserve films that are “…culturally, historically or aesthetically significant, to be preserved for all time.” These films aren’t necessarily the best films of a particular genre. Rather they are representatives of the time in which they were made.  The films range from comical (Airplane and The Pink Panther) to dramatic (All the Presidents Men and Malcolm X) to groundbreaking (Newark Athlete and The Front Page) to even the blockbusters (The Empire Strikes Back and Saturday Night Fever).  In case you are wondering which films made the list for 2010, they are:

1.            Airplane (1980)

2.           All the President’s Men (1976)

3.           The Bargain (1914)

4.           Cry of Jazz (1959)

5.           Electronic Labyrinth: THX 1138 4EB (1967)

6.           The Empire Strikes Back (1980)

7.            The Exorcist (1973)

8.           The Front Page (1931)

9.           Grey Gardens (1976)

10.          I Am Joaquin (1969)

11.           It’s a Gift (1934)

12.           Let There Be Light (1946)

13.           Lonesome (1928)

14.           Make Way For Tomorrow (1937)

15.           Malcolm X (1992)

16.           McCabe and Mrs. Miller (1971)

17.           Newark Athlete (1891)

18.           Our Lady of the Sphere (1969)

19.           The Pink Panther (1964)

20.           Preservation of the Sign Language (1913)

21.           Saturday Night Fever (1977)

22.           Study of a River (1996)

23.           Tarantella (1940)

24.           A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (1945)

25.           A Trip Down Market Street (1906)

Yes, some on the list are more well known than others. Yet, whether they are a documentary, short film or feature film, they all have a story to tell. Be it about political corruption, the importance of dreams, social justice or just getting the bad guy before he strikes again, stories are how human beings inform and instruct each other and subsequent generations. So, the having the Library of Congress preserve these films isn’t just a publicity stunt to make them look less stuffy.  Rather it is keeping with the library’s mission to “…further human understanding”. So, these films to the Film Registry will help future generations know more about life in the 20^th Century. Either that or they’ll be very entertained.

To learn more about the films on the list, go to:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-273.html

Source:
http://www.loc.gov/today/pr/2010/10-273.html

Advertisement