Among superhero movie fans, there is almost unanimous consensus that The Dark Knight is one of the most influential films in its genre. Christopher Nolan’s film didn’t just make history when it debuted, becoming the highest-grossing superhero film at the time and helping relaunch the genre. But it appears that 2008’s blockbuster has transcended the genre’s limits and acquired a place in cinematography history itself. Now, the Library of Congress has announced that the movie has been selected to enter the National Film Registry.
“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,” said Nolan in a press release.
The Dark Knight is among this year’s selection for 25 titles of America’s most influential motion pictures. The list also includes iconic works like Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, Shrek, The Blues Brothers, Grease, and many more.
RELATED: The Dark Knight Returns Batman and Robin Get Their Best Figures Yet
The official description by the Library of Congress reads:
“Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s dark, enduring creation first flew onto the screen in a 1943 B-movie serial and would return to theaters several times in treatments both camp and action-oriented. But Christopher Nolan’s evocative 2008 work reinvented the already vast Batman mythos thanks in no small part to its two intense, now legendary, lead performances: Christian Bale as the titular character and Heath Ledger, in a remarkable, Oscar-winning take on Bat super-villain The Joker. Set in a dark, modern-day Gotham City, The Dark Knight is a visual feast of memorable set pieces, screenwriting flair, and characters and situations imbued with a soul and a conscience. […] The theme of a world turned upside down by fear and dystopian chaos resonates eerily well in the pandemic havoc of 2020.”
The full list includes:
Suspense (1913)
Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914)
Bread (1918)
The Battle of the Century (1927)
With Car and Camera Around the World (1929)
Cabin in the Sky (1943)
Outrage (1950)
The Man with the Golden Arm (1955)
Lilies of the Field (1963)
A Clockwork Orange (1971)
Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song (1971)
Wattstax (1973)
Grease (1978)
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Losing Ground (1982)
Illusions (1982)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
The Devil Never Sleeps (1994)
Buena Vista Social Club (1999)
The Ground (1993-2001)
Shrek (2001)
Mauna Kea: Temple Under Siege (2006)
The Hurt Locker (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008)
Freedom Riders (2010)
Are you happy with the choice? Would you have chosen another superhero-related movie? Let us know in the comments section below.
Recommended Reading: Batman: The Long Halloween
