American Film Institute: 100 Years... 100 Movies
10th anniversary edition
The American Film Institute (AFI) works to advance and preserve
“the art of the moving image.” To this end they have produced lists, such as 100 Years… 100 Movies, highlighting some of the greatest American movies.
AFI first issued 100 Years... 100 Movies in 1997 and revised and updated it ten years later.
Movies that fell off the list in 2007 can be found at the bottom of the page.
Rank in 2007 |
Film |
Rank in 1997 |
1 |
Citizen Kane. Not rated. 1941. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 1 |
2 |
The Godfather. R. 1972. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 3 |
3 |
Casablanca. PG. 1942. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 2 |
4 |
Raging Bull. R. 1980. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 24 |
5 |
Singin’ in the Rain. G. 1952. DVD Musical and. Blu-ray Musical | 10 |
6 |
Gone with the Wind. G. 1939. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 4 |
7 |
Lawrence of Arabia. PG. 1962. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
5 |
8 |
Schindler’s List. R. 1993. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 9 |
9 |
Vertigo. PG. 1958.DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 61 |
10 |
The Wizard of Oz. G. 1939. DVD Musical and Blu-ray Musical | 6 |
11 |
City Lights. G. 1931. DVD Comedy | 76 |
12 |
The Searchers. Not rated. 1956. DVD Western and Blu-ray Western | 96 |
13 |
Star Wars. PG. 1977. DVD SF/Fantasy and Blu-ray SF/Fantasy | 15 |
14 |
Psycho. R. 1960. DVD Horror and Blu-ray Horror | 18 |
15 |
2001: A Space Odyssey. G. 1968. DVD SF/Fantasy and Blu-ray SF/Fantasy |
22 |
16 |
Sunset Blvd. Not rated. 1950. DVD Drama | 12 |
17 |
The Graduate. PG. 1967. DVD Drama | 7 |
18 |
The General. Not rated. 1927. DVD 791.43617 | New |
19 |
On the Waterfront. Not rated. 1954. DVD Drama | 8 |
20 |
It’s a Wonderful Life. Not rated. 1946. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
11 |
21 |
Chinatown. R. 1974. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 19 |
22 |
Some Like it Hot. PG. 1959. DVD Comedy and Blu-ray Comedy | 14 |
23 |
The Grapes of Wrath. Not rated. 1940. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
21 |
24 |
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. PG. 1982. DVD SF/Fantasy and Blu-ray SF/Fantasy |
25 |
25 |
To Kill a Mockingbird. Not rated. 1962. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
34 |
26 |
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Not rated. 1939. DVD Drama | 29 |
27 |
High Noon. Not rated. 1952. DVD Western | 33 |
28 |
All About Eve. Not rated. 1950. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 16 |
29 |
Double Indemnity. Not rated. 1944. DVD Drama | 38 |
30 |
Apocalypse Now. R. 1979. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 28 |
31 |
The Maltese Falcon. Not rated. 1941. DVD Drama | 23 |
32 |
The Godfather, Part II. R. 1974. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 32 |
33 |
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. R. 1975. DVD Drama | 20 |
34 |
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. G. 1937. Youth DVD and Youth Blu-ray |
49 |
35 |
Annie Hall. PG. 1977. DVD Comedy and Blu-ray Comedy | 31 |
36 |
The Bridge on the River Kwai. PG. 1957. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
13 |
37 |
The Best Years of Our Lives. Not rated. 1946. DVD Drama | 37 |
38 |
The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. Not rated. 1948. DVD Action/Adventure |
30 |
39 |
Dr. Strangelove. PG. 1964. DVD Comedy and Blu-ray Comedy | 26 |
40 |
The Sound of Music. G. 1965. DVD Musical and Blu-ray Musical | 55 |
41 |
King Kong. Not rated. 1933. DVD Horror | 43 |
42 |
Bonnie and Clyde. R. 1967. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 27 |
43 |
Midnight Cowboy. R. 1969. DVD Drama | 36 |
44 |
The Philadelphia Story. Not rated. 1940. DVD Comedy | 51 |
45 |
Shane. Not rated. 1953. DVD Western | 69 |
46 |
It Happened One Night. Not rated. 1934. DVD Comedy | 35 |
47 |
A Streetcar Named Desire. PG. 1951. DVD Drama | 45 |
48 |
Rear Window. PG. 1954.DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 42 |
49 |
Intolerance. Not rated. 1916. DVD Drama | New |
50 |
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. PG-13. 2001. DVD SF/Fantasy and Blu-ray SF/Fantasy |
New |
51 |
West Side Story. Not rated. 1961. DVD Musical and Blu-ray Musical | 41 |
52 |
Taxi Driver. R. 1976. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 47 |
53 |
The Deer Hunter. R. 1978. DVD Drama | 79 |
54 |
M*A*S*H. R. 1970. DVD Comedy | 56 |
55 |
North by Northwest. Not rated. 1959. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
40 |
56 |
Jaws. PG. 1975. DVD Horror and Blu-ray Horror | 48 |
57 |
Rocky. PG. 1976. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 78 |
58 |
The Gold Rush. Not rated. 1925. DVD Comedy | 74 |
59 |
Nashville. R. 1975. DVD Drama | New |
60 |
Duck Soup. Not rated. 1933. DVD Comedy | 85 |
61 |
Sullivan’s Travels. Not rated. 1941. DVD Comedy | New |
62 |
American Graffiti. PG. 1973. DVD Drama | 77 |
63 |
Cabaret. PG. 1972. DVD Musical | New |
64 |
Network. R. 1976. DVD Drama | 66 |
65 |
The African Queen. Not rated. 1951. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
17 |
66 |
Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. PG. 1981. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
60 |
67 |
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Not rated. 1966. DVD Drama | New |
68 |
Unforgiven. R. 1992. DVD Western | 98 |
69 |
Tootsie. PG. 1982. DVD Comedy | 62 |
70 |
A Clockwork Orange. R. 1971. DVD SF/Fantasy | 46 |
71 |
Saving Private Ryan. R. 1998. DVD Action/Adventure | New |
72 |
The Shawshank Redemption. R. 1994. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
New |
73 |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. PG. 1969. DVD Western | 50 |
74 |
The Silence of the Lambs. R. 1991. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
65 |
75 |
In the Heat of the Night. PG. 1967. DVD Drama | New |
76 |
Forrest Gump. PG-13. 1994. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 71 |
77 |
All the President’s Men. PG. 1976. DVD Drama | New |
78 |
Modern Times. Not rated. 1936. DVD Comedy | 81 |
79 |
The Wild Bunch. R. 1969. DVD Western and Blu-ray Western | 80 |
80 |
The Apartment. Not rated. 1960. DVD Comedy | 93 |
81 |
Spartacus. PG-13. 1960. DVD Action/Adventure | New |
82 |
Sunrise. Not rated. 1926. DVD Drama | New |
83 |
Titanic. PG-13. 1997. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | New |
84 |
Easy Rider. R. 1969. DVD Action/Adventure | 88 |
85 |
A Night at the Opera. Not rated. 1935. DVD Comedy | New |
86 |
Platoon. R. 1986. DVD Drama | 83 |
87 |
12 Angry Men. Not rated. 1957. DVD Drama | New |
88 |
Bringing Up Baby. Not rated. 1938. DVD Comedy | 97 |
89 |
The Sixth Sense. PG-13. 1999. DVD Drama | New |
90 |
Swing Time. Not rated. 1936. DVD Musical | New |
91 |
Sophie’s Choice. R. 1982. DVD Drama | New |
92 |
Goodfellas. R. 1990. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 94 |
93 |
The French Connection. R. 1971. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
70 |
94 |
Pulp Fiction. R. 1994. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 95 |
95 |
The Last Picture Show. R. 1971. DVD Drama | New |
96 |
Do the Right Thing. R. 1989. DVD Drama | New |
97 |
Blade Runner. R. 1982. DVD SF/Fantasy and Blu-ray SF/Fantasy | New |
98 |
Yankee Doodle Dandy. Not rated. 1942. DVD Musical | 100 |
99 |
Toy Story. G. 1995.Youth DVD and Youth Blu-Ray | New |
100 |
Ben-Hur. G. 1959.DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama | 72 |
Films ranked on the 1997 list but not included on the 2007 list
Rank in 1997 |
Film |
39 |
Doctor Zhivago. PG-13. 1965. DVD Drama |
44 |
The Birth of a Nation. Not rated. 1915. DVD Drama |
52 |
From Here to Eternity. Not rated. 1953. DVD Drama |
53 |
Amadeus. PG. 1984. DVD Drama and Blu-ray Drama |
54 |
All Quiet on the Western Front. Not rated. 1930. DVD Action/Adventure and Blu-ray Action/Adventure |
57 |
The Third Man. Not rated. 1949. DVD Action/Adventure |
58 |
Fantasia. G. 1940. Youth DVD |
59 |
Rebel Without a Cause. Not rated. 1955. DVD Drama |
63 |
Stagecoach. Not rated. 1939. DVD Western |
64 |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind. PG. 1977. DVD SF/Fantasy |
67 |
The Manchurian Candidate. PG-13. 1962. DVD Drama |
68 |
An American in Paris. Not rated. 1951. DVD Musical |
73 |
Wuthering Heights. Not rated. 1939. DVD Drama |
75 |
Dances with Wolves. PG-13. 1990. DVD Drama |
82 |
Giant. G. 1956. DVD Drama |
84 |
Fargo. R. 1996. DVD Drama |
86 |
Mutiny on the Bounty. Not rated. 1935. DVD Action/Adventure |
87 |
Frankenstein. Not rated. 1931. DVD Horror |
89 |
Patton. PG. 1970. DVD Drama |
90 |
The Jazz Singer. Not rated. 1927. DVD Drama |
91 |
My Fair Lady. G. 1964. DVD Musical and Blu-ray Musical |
92 |
A Place in the Sun. Not rated. 1951. DVD Drama |
99 |
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Not rated. 1967. DVD Drama |