National Film Registry, How The United States Appreciates Films

Christian Bale as Batman (WarnerBros. Pictures)

JAKARTA - The National Film Registry is a program of the National Film Preservation Board that gives appreciation to American films. This appreciation is made as a form of conservation and increasing awareness of the film for the public. The way this is done, by providing recommendations for annual selection and seeing developments in trends.

In the first election in 1989 by the Librarian Congress or Librarian of Congress, a total of 1000 films were selected for consideration. Then, the NFR members voted and screened up to 25 films. Since then members of the National Film Registry have made nominations for up to 50 films. All genres of films can be included in this list, from horror to classic.

As well as full-fledged films, there are silent films, short films, music videos, film series, documentaries, animations, and other types of films that can be included in this list.

Film Selection Criteria

Listed films don't always do well, but their work has American importance. The criterion for choosing a film is that it has a significant cultural, historical and aesthetic significance. This year, the 25 films selected consist of nine directed by women and seven directed by people of color.

"We're not trying to set records but trying to straighten up by highlighting the astonishing contribution of women and people of color to American cinema despite often formidable hurdles," said Carla Hayden of the Library of Congress for this year's film selection launching from the official Library of Congress.

Additionally, films must be 10 years old to be recommended on the annual National Film Registry list and have been released to the public in any medium. The oldest film on this list is Newark Athlete which was released in 1891. Meanwhile, the shortest film is the Edison Kinetoscopic Record of a Sneeze which has a duration of five seconds.

Michael Jackson's thriller is the only music video listed in the National Film Registry.

25 Featured Films in 2020

In 2020, the NFR launched 25 films that represent the cultural heritage of the United States. Some of them are The Dark Knight, Shrek, Grease, The Blues Brothers, Lillies of the Field, The Hurt Locker and others.

“This appreciation is not only a great honor for those of us who worked on The Dark Knight. "It's also a tribute to all the players and writers who have worked on Batman mythology over the past decade," said Christopher Nolan, director of The Dark Knight.

That pride was also expressed by Janet Yang, producer of The Joy Luck Club. "I never imagined that after reading Amy (Tan) 's manuscript from The Joy Luck Club, the dream of making an adaptation resulted in a film that is still being talked about decades later."

Lillies of the Field became the first black film to win an Oscar for Best Actor. In addition, a musical with all black players, Cabin in the Sky 1943 is also included in this list.

Then there's 1982's Losing Ground about students confronting Hollywood racism, Kathryn Bigelow's 2008 The Hurt Locker about soldiers in Baghdad.

The musical Grease from 1978 became one of the iconic films with the phenomenal performances of John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. “The Grease cast and crew have remained close for 40 years. We are honored to be included in this year's selection, "said director Randal Kleiser.

The cartoon film Shrek is one of the special works of DreamWorks production house after 20 years of release. The film is able to dispel the stereotypes of fairy tales and is entertaining for both adults and children. Due to the success of the first part, Shrek has three film sequels, a special edition, and a Broadway adaptation.

Here are 25 films that officially entered the National Film Registry this year:

1.Suspense (1913)

2.Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)

3. Bread (1918)

4.The Battle of the Century (1927)

5. With Car and Camera Around the World (1929)

6.Cabin in the Sky (1943)

7.Outrage (1950)

8. The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)

9.Lilies of the Field (1963)

10.A Clockwork Orange (1971)

11.Sweet Sweetback's Baadassss Song (1971)

12. Wattstax (1973)

13.Grease (1978)

14. The Blues Brothers (1980)

15. Losing Ground (1982)

16.Illusions (1982)

17.The Joy Luck Club (1993)

18.The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)

19.Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

20. The Ground (1993-2001)

21. Shrek (2001)

22.Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)

23.The Hurt Locker (2008)

24. The Dark Knight (2008)

25. Freedom Riders (2010)