Library of Congress Adds 25 Films to National Film Registry

Librarian of Congress
James H. Billington
(Image: loc.gov)

The Library of Congress announced its 2013 additions to the National Film Registry (NFR). According to a Washington Post story on the NFR, the movie selections are made by a committee of one: the Librarian of Congress James H. Billington. His goal is to choose movies that somehow represent the American cultural zeitgeist, at least as depicted on celluloid or digital capture. To that end, the NFR is not a "best of" collection, as those critically anointed films don't always tell an insightful story about the culture that spawned them.

On the other hand, Billington chose some films that very few people have seen. Some are clearly generated by the art world and its chosen few. Some come from the silent era (any effort in that area deserves praise and respect). Some contemporary movies slip into the mix, although choices such as Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf strike me as an older generation's fascination.

For all its flaws, the NFR serves a useful purpose. Films are notorious for disappearing or surviving in some disfigured way. The latter issue is no joke. A stunning number of post-World War II movies are visually diminished, a consequence of film stock being a poor preservation medium. To save our nation's legacy, the NFR works hard to preserve the powerful, lyrical, or just plain silly films that reflect American myths and the reality underpinning them. The preservation of our heritage is one reason to pay federal taxes -- and smile.