‘Dark Knight,’ ‘Grease’ Among 25 Films Added to National Film Registry

The Library of Congress has announced its 2020 slate of films added to its National Film Registry for preservation.

The 25 films added this year were chosen for their “cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to the nation’s film heritage,” Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden announced.

Among the diverse films on this year’s list are the 1913 silent film Suspense, which was co-directed by a woman; 1963’s Lilies of the Field, which featured Sidney Poitier’s Oscar-winning performance; the 1978 musical Grease, the 1980 musical comedy The Blues Brothers, and Christopher Nolan’s 2008 Batman movie The Dark Knight.

“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 in a statement.

“The National Film Registry is an important record of American history, culture and creativity, captured through one of the great American artforms, our cinematic experience,” Hayden said. “With the inclusion of diverse filmmakers, we are not trying to set records but rather to set the record straight by spotlighting the astonishing contributions women and people of color have made to American cinema, despite facing often-overwhelming hurdles.”

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will host a special on Tuesday, Dec. 15, starting at 8 p.m. ET to screen some of te movies named to the registry this year. Hayden will join TCM host and film historian Jacqueline Stewart to discuss the films.

The 25 films selected for the registry are:

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)

Post your thoughts in the comments section below on the movies selected for the National Film Registry. In addition, share this on social media.