The first list to come from the American Film Institute was in 1998 and was compiled in celebration of 100 years of movies. It was revised in 2007 and this is the list discussed here. The list is supposedly made up of the ‘100 Best American Movies’ but there are collaborations with other countries and also films that are classed as UK made, such as David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia and Stanley Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove. The criteria for inclusion are recognition from critics, award winning status, long-term popularity, innovative elements in film, and the cultural significance in American society.
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As you might expect, it’s a mixed bunch, with different genres represented.
Citizen Kane comes out on top. Released in 1941, Orson Welles was a fresh faced 25 year old directing and co-writing his debut feature. He also stars as the newspaper baron, Charles Foster Kane. It is considered his finest achievement.
The Godfather from 1972 is Francis Ford Coppola’s ode to the mafia at Number 2, (
The Godfather Part II is placed at Number 32).
The oldest movie on the list, at Number 49, is the silent D.W.Griffith directed
Intolerance from 1916. The narrative tells the story of intolerance through the ages. Griffith is hailed as a pioneer of filmmaking techniques. The most recent movie, listed at Number 50, is the first part of the
Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring from 2001. Peter Jackson did an excellent job of bringing Tolkien’s complex story to the screen.
We love the movies for many reasons. Sometimes, we want to escape from our everyday problems and that’s why we still love musicals. The highest placed musical is
Singin’ in the Rain at Number 5. Released in 1952, each new generation discovers it on television and the Gene Kelly dancing in the rain scene is one of the most famous ever filmed.
The Wizard of Oz from 1939 comes in at Number 10. Both these movies are Christmas favorites but the film that defines the festive season has to be the Number 20 on the list,
It’s a Wonderful Life, released in 1946. James Stewart gives the performance of his life under Frank Capra’s direction.
The
AFI Top 100 Movies has not shied away from controversial films. Three films that were criticized for glamorizing violence are included,
Bonnie and Clyde (1967),
Taxi Driver (1976), and
A Clockwork Orange (1971). Westerns and all their accompanying mythology has been part of American culture since the beginning of movies. Five westerns are listed with
The Searchers (1956) in the highest position of Number 12, followed by
Shane (1953),
Unforgiven (1992),
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), and
The Wild Bunch (1969). Science fiction films, also referred to as ‘westerns in the sky’, feature
Star Wars (1977) at Number 13, followed by
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968),
ET the Extra-Terrestrial (1982), and
Blade Runner (1982).
Animation has produced a number of classics and the Number 34 film,
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, made history in 1937. It was a bold step by the Walt Disney Studios to release the first American feature length animated movie. The
AFI has also named it the 'Greatest Animated Film of All Time'. The technology for animated movies was revolutionized with the advent of Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI) and
Toy Story (1995), at Number 99, was the first feature film to be entirely produced with CGI.