The US Library of Congress maintains the National Film Registry, into which is admitted any film considered to be culturally, historically or aesthetically significant. Despite those criteria being very much in the eye of the beholder, few would question the wisdom of the decision to add Jonathan Demme’s imperious 1990 chiller, The Silence of the Lambs, to the Registry.
25 new additions have been made, including somewhat obvious choices such as Forrest Gump and welcome left-field inclusions like Robert Rodriguez’s debut El Mariachi. James H Billington, who has been librarian of the Library of Congress for the best part of quarter of a century, had this to say:-
“These films are selected because of their enduring significance to American culture. Our film heritage must be protected because these cinematic treasures document our history and culture and reflect our hopes and dreams.”
Critically lauded and adored by film-fans, The Silence of the Lambs is an absolute gem of a film, menacing, atmospheric, disturbing and compelling. But does it belong in a treasury of culturally or historically significant films? So far, Forrest Gump is the newest film to be included, but are there other more recent films that deserve to be added, or are there films already added that have no place there? You can see 2011’s new additions here and the full list of films in the archive here. Please feel free to comment below.
