Films Added to National Film Registry, 2010

I’d wanted to comment on this. This year the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress added 25 films:

1. AIRPLANE! (1980)
2. ALL THE PRESIDENT’S MEN (1976)
3. BARGAIN, THE (1914)
4. CRY OF JAZZ (1959)
5. ELECTRONIC LABYRINTH: THX 1138 4EB (1967)
6. EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, THE (1980)
7. EXORCIST, THE (1973)
8. FRONT PAGE, THE (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. TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN, A (1945)
25. TRIP DOWN MARKET STREET, A (1906)

The one’s I’ve tagged in green are those on the list that I haven’t seen. I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that I’ve seen all of the rest. Some of them, e.g. Make Way For Tomorrow, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I found affecting in the extreme, shocking in the case of Let There Be Light. Make Way for Tomorrow would make a stone cry. Some of them, e.g. Grey Gardens, I’m glad to have seen (especially before seeing the feature film based on it) but I wouldn’t care to see again. Some of them, e.g. It’s a Gift, I could see over and over again.

The list does bring one thing to mind: how hard it is to make a really important feature film about truly important real events.

I’d be interested in the comments of anyone who’s seen any of the highlighted pictures. I suspect that the older ones are documentaries, probably very short. Actually, I’d be interested in comments on any of the pictures in the list.

I suspect that most of you haven’t seen The Bargain. What can I say? I love silents and I’m a William S. Hart fan.