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 | 1 |
2 |
The Godfather. R. 1972. DVD Drama | 3 |
3 |
Casablanca. PG. 1942. DVD Drama and VHS Drama | 2 |
4 |
Raging Bull. R. 1980. DVD Drama | 24 |
5 |
Singin’ in the Rain. G. 1952. DVD Musical | 10 |
6 |
Gone with the Wind. G. 1939. DVD Drama and VHS Drama | 4 |
7 |
Lawrence of Arabia. PG. 1962. DVD Action/Adventure | 5 |
8 |
Schindler’s List. R. 1993. DVD Drama and VHS Drama | 9 |
9 |
Vertigo. PG. 1958. DVD Drama and VHS Drama | 61 |
10 |
The Wizard of Oz. G. 1939. DVD Musical and Youth VHS |
6 |
11 |
City Lights. G. 1931. DVD Comedy and VHS Comedy |
76 |
12 |
The Searchers. Not rated. 1956. DVD Western | 96 |
13 |
Star Wars. PG. 1977. DVD SF/Fantasy and VHS SF/Fantasy | 15 |
14 |
Psycho. R. 1960. DVD Horror | 18 |
15 |
2001: A Space Odyssey. G. 1968. DVD 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 S | New |
19 |
On the Waterfront. Not rated. 1954. DVD Drama and VHS Drama |
8 |
20 |
It’s a Wonderful Life. Not rated. 1946. DVD Drama | 11 |
21 |
Chinatown. R. 1974. DVD Drama | 19 |
22 |
Some Like it Hot. PG. 1959. DVD Comedy and VHS Comedy | 14 |
23 |
The Grapes of Wrath. Not rated. 1940. DVD Drama | 21 |
24 |
E.T. The Extra Terrestrial. PG. 1982. DVD SF/Fantasy and VHS SF/Fantasy |
25 |
25 |
To Kill a Mockingbird. Not rated. 1962. DVD Drama and VHS Drama |
34 |
26 |
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Not rated. 1939. DVD Drama and VHS Drama |
29 |
27 |
High Noon. Not rated. 1952. DVD Western | 33 |
28 |
All About Eve. Not rated. 1950. DVD Drama | 16 |
29 |
Double Indemnity. Not rated. 1944. DVD Drama | 38 |
30 |
Apocalypse Now. R. 1979. DVD Drama | 28 |
31 |
The Maltese Falcon. Not rated. 1941. DVD Drama | 23 |
32 |
The Godfather, Part II. R. 1974. DVD Drama | 32 |
33 |
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. R. 1975. DVD Drama and VHS Drama |
20 |
34 |
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. G. 1937. Youth DVD and Youth VHS |
49 |
35 |
Annie Hall. PG. 1977. DVD Comedy | 31 |
36 |
The Bridge on the River Kwai. PG. 1957. DVD 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 and VHS Action/Adventure |
30 |
39 |
Dr. Strangelove. PG. 1964. DVD Comedy | 26 |
40 |
The Sound of Music. G. 1965. DVD Musical | 55 |
41 |
King Kong. Not rated. 1933. DVD Horror | 43 |
42 |
Bonnie and Clyde. R. 1967. DVD 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 and VHS Drama |
45 |
48 |
Rear Window. PG. 1954. DVD Drama and VHS 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 |
New |
51 |
West Side Story. Not rated. 1961. DVD Musical and VHS Musical | 41 |
52 |
Taxi Driver. R. 1976. DVD 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 | 40 |
56 |
Jaws. PG. 1975. DVD Horror and VHS Horror | 48 |
57 |
Rocky. PG. 1976. DVD Drama | 78 |
58 |
The Gold Rush. Not rated. 1925. DVD Comedy and VHS Comedy | 74 |
59 |
Nashville. R. 1975. DVD Drama | New |
60 |
Duck Soup. Not rated. 1933. DVD Comedy and VHS 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 VHS Action/Adventure |
17 |
66 |
Indian Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark. PG. 1981. DVD Action/Adventure and VHS 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 and VHS SF/Fantasy |
46 |
71 |
Saving Private Ryan. R. 1998. DVD Action/Adventure | New |
72 |
The Shawshank Redemption. R. 1994. DVD Drama | New |
73 |
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. PG. 1969. DVD Western | 50 |
74 |
The Silence of the Lambs. R. 1991. DVD Drama | 65 |
75 |
In the Heat of the Night. PG. 1967. DVD Drama | New |
76 |
Forrest Gump. PG-13. 1994. DVD Drama | 71 |
77 |
All the President’s Men. PG. 1976. DVD Drama | New |
78 |
Modern Times. Not rated. 1936. DVD Comedy and VHS Comedy | 81 |
79 |
The Wild Bunch. R. 1969. DVD 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. VHS Drama | New |
83 |
Titanic. PG-13. 1997. DVD 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 and VHS 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 | 94 |
93 |
The French Connection. R. 1971. DVD Action/Adventure | 70 |
94 |
Pulp Fiction. R. 1994. DVD 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 | New |
98 |
Yankee Doodle Dandy. Not rated. 1942. DVD Musical | 100 |
99 |
Toy Story. G. 1995. Youth DVD and Youth VHS | New |
100 |
Ben-Hur. G. 1959. DVD Drama and VHS 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 and VHS Drama |
53 |
Amadeus. PG. 1984. DVD Drama |
54 |
All Quiet on the Western Front. Not rated. 1930. DVD Action/Adventure and VHS Action/Adventure |
57 |
The Third Man. Not rated. 1949. DVD Action/Adventure |
58 |
Fantasia. G. 1940. Youth VHS |
59 |
Rebel Without a Cause. Not rated. 1955. DVD Drama and VHS 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 and VHS Musical |
73 |
Wuthering Heights. Not rated. 1939. VHS 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 |
92 |
A Place in the Sun. Not rated. 1951. DVD Drama |
99 |
Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. Not rated. 1967. DVD Drama |