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What's the deal with this "List" from the AFI?

A "blue ribbon panel" was artists, executives, and public member of AFI  selected & ranked the movies based on these criteria: 

  • Feature-Length Fiction Film   (Narrative format typically over 60 minutes in length)
  • American Film  (English language film with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States)
  • Critical Recognition  (Formal commendation in print)
  • Major Award Winner  (Recognition from competitive events)
  • Popularity Over Time  (Including $$ from box office [adjusted for inflation], television broadcasts and syndication, and home video sales and rentals)
  • Historical Significance  (A film's mark on the history of the moving image through technical innovation, visionary narrative devices or other groundbreaking achievements)
  • Cultural Impact  (A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance)

 

Here's some interesting facts about the list:  

  • The films span from 1915 (THE BIRTH OF A NATION) to 1996 (FARGO).
  • Charlie Chaplin is the most celebrated actor/director on the list, with three films.
  • James Stewart and Robert DeNiro are the most represented actors in a starring role, each with five films in the top 100.
  • Katharine Hepburn is the most represented leading actress, with four films. She is followed by Natalie Wood, Diane Keaton and Faye Dunaway, with three films each.
  • A majority of the 100 great films are classifed as dramas
    • 48 dramas
    • 11 comedies
    •   8 musicals
    •   9 war films
    •   8 westerns
    •   4 science fiction films
    •   4 horror films
    •   4 animated films
    •   4 silent films
  • The top ten includes movies from every decade, from the 1930s to the 1990s, with the exception of the 1980s. The first film on the 100 list from the 1980s is Martin Scorsese's RAGING BULL, at number 24.
  • The 1950s is the most represented decade on the list, with 20 films.
  • The year 1939, which remains the most celebrated year in the history of film, has five films in the top 100—GONE WITH THE WIND, THE WIZARD OF OZ, STAGECOACH, WUTHERING HEIGHTS and MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON.
  • THE GODFATHER, PART II is the only sequel represented on the list.

Get more information about AFI from their website or more about the top 100 from the AFI's top 100 page

Or look for their sticker on movies at your local video store!   Here's the sticker:  afi4.gif (14384 bytes)

 


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