The Dark Knight famously wasn’t nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars, but on Monday, it received an equally prestigious honor. The superhero film was one of 25 movies added to the Library of Congress’ National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically” significant. The other titles include Cabin in the Sky, Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song, The Joy Lock Club, The Blues Brothers, and Shrek. Hey now, you’re in the National Film Regi-stray, get your game on, go play.
“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,” director Christopher Nolan said in a statement. As the New York Times points out, “films must be at least 10 years old” to be considered for the Registry, so I look forward to The Lego Batman Movie being added in 2027:
A place on the list — always made up of 25 films — guarantees the film will be preserved under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act… Monday’s selections bring the total to 800. This year’s selections include records of nine films directed by women and seven directed by filmmakers of color.
Here’s the complete list for 2020.
1. Suspense (1913)
2. Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
3. Bread (1918)
4. The Battle of the Century (1927)
5. With Cara 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 Baadasssss 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)
(Via New York Times)