To be selected as one of the 25 films picked to join the National Film Registry is a huge honor. A film being placed in the Registry indicates that it is one of the most important and influential films ever released. This year, 25 more films, including superhero films, war dramas and musical comedies, joined the esteemed list.
Probably the most easily recognizable film, The Dark Knight was selected just decade after its release. While many superhero films have come out since Christopher Nolan’s Batman-centric crime thriller, none have been able to reach the levels of influence and prestige that Nolan’s sequel did.
“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,” Nolan said.
Also released in 2008, Katheryn Bigelow’s The Hurt Locker also made it to the National Film Registry. Not only is Jeremy Renner led war drama one of the best modern military films of the last 20 years, it’s also the first feature directed by woman to be awarded with Best Director at the Academy Awards.
“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 Bigelow. “For it to be selected by the National Film Registry is both humbling and thrilling.”
Plenty of classics made it to the list too, including A Clockwork Orange, Grease, The Man with the Golden Arm, and even John Landis’ iconic 1980 comedy, 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,” said Landis. “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.”
Here’s the complete list of films selected to join the National Film Registry in chronological order:
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)
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