AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies

{{short description|List of 100 milestones in American cinematic history}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}

{{AFI 100 Years... series}}

The first of the AFI 100 Years... series of cinematic milestones, AFI's 100 Years... 100 American Movies is a list of the 100 best American movies, as determined by the American Film Institute from a poll of more than 1,500 artists and leaders in the film industry who chose from a list of 400 nominated movies. The 100-best list American films was unveiled in 1998. AFI released an updated list in 2007.

Criteria

Films were judged according to the following criteria:

  1. Feature length: Narrative format, at least 60 minutes long.
  2. American film: English language, with significant creative and/or financial production elements from the United States. (Certain films, notably The Bridge on the River Kwai, 2001: A Space Odyssey and Lawrence of Arabia, were British-made but funded and distributed by American studios. The Lord of the Rings was New Zealand-made with American funding.)
  3. Critical recognition: Formal commendation in print.
  4. Major award winner: Recognition from competitive events including awards from organizations in the film community and major film festivals.
  5. Popularity over time: Including figures for box office adjusted for inflation, television broadcasts and syndication, and home video sales and rentals.
  6. Historical significance: A film's mark on the history of the moving image through technical innovation, visionary narrative devices or other groundbreaking achievements.
  7. Cultural impact: A film's mark on American society in matters of style and substance.

{{Cite web|url=https://www.filmsite.org/afi100films.html|title=100 Greatest American Movies by AFI - Film Series|website=www.filmsite.org}}

List

class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:1.00em; line-height:1.5em;"

! Film !! Release year !! Director !! Production companies !! 1998 Rank !! 2007 Rank

align="left" | Citizen Kane1941{{sort|Welles|Orson Welles}}RKO Radio Pictures11
align="left" | Casablanca1942{{sort|Curtiz|Michael Curtiz}}Warner Bros. Pictures23
align="left" | {{sort|Godfather|The Godfather}}1972{{sort|Coppola|Francis Ford Coppola}}Paramount Pictures, Alfran Productions32
align="left" | Gone with the Wind1939{{sort|Fleming|Victor Fleming}}Selznick International Pictures46
align="left" | Lawrence of Arabia1962{{sort|Lean|David Lean}}Horizon Pictures57
align="left" | {{sort|Wizard of Oz|The Wizard of Oz}}1939{{sort|Fleming|Victor Fleming}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer610
align="left" | {{sort|Graduate|The Graduate}}1967{{sort|Nichols|Mike Nichols}}Lawrence Turman717
align="left" | On the Waterfront1954{{sort|Kazan|Elia Kazan}}Horizon-American Pictures819
align="left" | Schindler's List1993{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Amblin Entertainment98
align="left" | Singin' in the Rain1952{{sort|Kelly|Gene Kelly}}, Stanley DonenMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer105
align="left" | It's a Wonderful Life1946{{sort|Capra|Frank Capra}}Liberty Pictures1120
align="left" | Sunset Boulevard1950{{sort|Wilder|Billy Wilder}}Paramount Pictures1216
align="left" | {{sort|Bridge on the River Kwai|The Bridge on the River Kwai}}1957{{sort|Lean|David Lean}}Horizon-American Pictures1336
align="left" | Some Like It Hot1959{{sort|Wilder|Billy Wilder}}Ashton Productions, The Mirisch Company1422
align="left" | Star Wars1977{{sort|Lucas|George Lucas}}Lucasfilm1513
align="left" | All About Eve1950{{sort|Mankiewicz|Joseph L. Mankiewicz}}20th Century-Fox1628
align="left" | {{sort|African Queen|The African Queen}}1951{{sort|Huston|John Huston}}Horizon Enterprises, Romulus Films1765
align="left" | Psycho1960{{sort|Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock}}Shamley Productions1814
align="left" | Chinatown1974{{sort|Polanski|Roman Polanski}}Long Road Productions1921
align="left" | One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest1975{{sort|Forman|Miloš Forman}}Fantasy Films2033
align="left" | {{sort|Grapes of Wrath|The Grapes of Wrath}}1940{{sort|Ford|John Ford}}20th Century-Fox2123
align="left" | 2001: A Space Odyssey1968{{sort|Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer2215
align="left" | {{sort|Maltese Falcon|The Maltese Falcon}}1941{{sort|Huston|John Huston}}Warner Bros. Pictures2331
align="left" | Raging Bull1980{{sort|Scorsese|Martin Scorsese}}Chartoff-Winkler Productions244
align="left" | E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial1982{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment2524
align="left" | Dr. Strangelove1964{{sort|Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick}}Hawk Films, Polaris Productions2639
align="left" | Bonnie and Clyde1967{{sort|Penn|Arthur Penn}}Tatira-Hiller Productions2742
align="left" | Apocalypse Now1979{{sort|Coppola|Francis Ford Coppola}}Omni Zoetrope2830
align="left" | Mr. Smith Goes to Washington1939{{sort|Capra|Frank Capra}}Columbia Pictures2926
align="left" | {{sort|Treasure of the Sierra Madre|The Treasure of the Sierra Madre}}1948{{sort|Huston|John Huston}}Warner Bros. Pictures3038
align="left" | Annie Hall1977{{sort|Allen|Woody Allen}}United Artists3135
align="left" | {{sort|Godfather Part II|The Godfather Part II}}1974{{sort|Coppola|Francis Ford Coppola}}The Coppola Company3232
align="left" | High Noon1952{{sort|Zinnemann|Fred Zinnemann}}Stanley Kramer Productions3327
align="left" | To Kill a Mockingbird1962{{sort|Mulligan|Robert Mulligan}}Pakula-Mulligan Productions, Brentwood Productions3425
align="left" | It Happened One Night1934{{sort|Capra|Frank Capra}}Columbia Pictures3546
align="left" | Midnight Cowboy1969{{sort|Schlesinger|John Schlesinger}}Jerome Hellman Productions3643
align="left" | {{sort|Best Years of Our Lives|The Best Years of Our Lives}}1946{{sort|Wyler|William Wyler}}Samuel Goldwyn Productions3737
align="left" | Double Indemnity1944{{sort|Wilder|Billy Wilder}}Paramount Pictures3829
align="left" | Doctor Zhivago1965{{sort|Lean|David Lean}}Carlo Ponti Productions39{{sort|101
}}
align="left" | North by Northwest1959{{sort|Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer4055
align="left" | West Side Story1961{{sort|Wise|Robert Wise}}, Jerome RobbinsBeta Productions, The Mirisch Company, Seven Arts Productions, B & P Enterprises4151
align="left" | Rear Window1954{{sort|Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock}}Paramount Pictures, Patron4248
align="left" | King Kong1933{{sort|Cooper|Merian C. Cooper}}RKO Radio Pictures4341
align="left" | {{sort|Birth of a Nation|The Birth of a Nation}}1915{{sort|Griffith|D.W. Griffith}}David W. Griffith Corp.44{{sort|102
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Streetcar Named Desire|A Streetcar Named Desire}}1951{{sort|Kazan|Elia Kazan}}Warner Bros. Pictures, Charles K. Feldman Productions4547
align="left" | {{sort|Clockwork Orange|A Clockwork Orange}}1971{{sort|Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick}}Polaris Productions, Hawk Films4670
align="left" | Taxi Driver1976{{sort|Scorsese|Martin Scorsese}}B & P Enterprises, Italo-Judeo4752
align="left" | Jaws1975{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Universal Pictures, Zanuck/Brown Company4856
align="left" | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs1937{{sort|Hand|David Hand, et al.}}Walt Disney Productions4934
align="left" | Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid1969{{sort|Hill|George Roy Hill}}Campanile Productions5073
align="left" | {{sort|Philadelphia Story|The Philadelphia Story}}1940{{sort|Cukor|George Cukor}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer5144
align="left" | From Here to Eternity1953{{sort|Zinnemann|Fred Zinnemann}}Columbia Pictures52{{sort|103
}}
align="left" | Amadeus1984{{sort|Forman|Miloš Forman}}The Saul Zaentz Company53{{sort|104
}}
align="left" | All Quiet on the Western Front1930{{sort|Milestone|Lewis Milestone}}Universal Pictures54{{sort|105
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Sound of Music|The Sound of Music}}1965{{sort|Wise|Robert Wise}}Argyle Enterprises, 20th Century-Fox5540
align="left" | M*A*S*H1970{{sort|Altman|Robert Altman}}Aspen Productions5654
align="left" | {{sort|Third Man|The Third Man}}1949{{sort|Reed|Carol Reed}}London Film Productions57{{sort|106
}}
align="left" | Fantasia1940{{sort|Disney|Walt Disney}}Walt Disney Productions58{{sort|107
}}
align="left" | Rebel Without a Cause1955{{sort|Ray|Nicholas Ray}}Warner Bros. Pictures59{{sort|108
}}
align="left" | Raiders of the Lost Ark1981{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Lucasfilm6066
align="left" | Vertigo1958{{sort|Hitchcock|Alfred Hitchcock}}Alfred J. Hitchcock Productions, Paramount Pictures619
align="left" | Tootsie1982{{sort|Pollack|Sydney Pollack}}Mirage Enterprises, Punch Productions, Columbia Pictures, Delphi Productions6269
align="left" | Stagecoach1939{{sort|Ford|John Ford}}Walter Wanger Productions63{{sort|109
}}
align="left" | Close Encounters of the Third Kind1977{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Columbia Pictures, EMI64{{sort|110
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Silence|The Silence of the Lambs}}1991{{sort|Demme|Jonathan Demme}}Strong Heart Productions6574
align="left" | Network1976{{sort|Lumet|Sidney Lumet}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, United Artists6664
align="left" | {{sort|Manchurian Candidate|The Manchurian Candidate}}1962{{sort|Frankenheimer|John Frankenheimer}}M. C. Productions67{{sort|111
}}
align="left" | An American in Paris1951{{sort|Minnelli|Vincente Minnelli}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer68{{sort|112
}}
align="left" | Shane1953{{sort|Stevens|George Stevens}}Paramount Pictures6945
align="left" | {{sort|French Connection|The French Connection}}1971{{sort|Friedkin|William Friedkin}}D'Antoni Productions7093
align="left" | Forrest Gump1994{{sort|Zemeckis|Robert Zemeckis}}The Tisch Company7176
align="left" | Ben-Hur1959{{sort|Wyler|William Wyler}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer72100
align="left" | Wuthering Heights1939{{sort|Wyler|William Wyler}}Samuel Goldwyn Productions73{{sort|113
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Gold Rush|The Gold Rush}}1925{{sort|Chaplin|Charlie Chaplin}}Charles Chaplin Productions7458
align="left" | Dances with Wolves1990{{sort|Costner|Kevin Costner}}TIG Productions, Majestic Films International75{{sort|114
}}
align="left" | City Lights1931{{sort|Chaplin|Charlie Chaplin}}Charles Chaplin Productions7611
align="left" | American Graffiti1973{{sort|Lucas|George Lucas}}Coppola Co., Lucasfilm7762
align="left" | Rocky1976{{sort|Avildsen|John G. Avildsen}}Chartoff-Winkler Productions7857
align="left" | {{sort|Deer Hunter|The Deer Hunter}}1978{{sort|Cimino|Michael Cimino}}EMI7953
align="left" | {{sort|Wild Bunch|The Wild Bunch}}1969{{sort|Peckinpah|Sam Peckinpah}}Phil Feldman Productions, Warner Bros.-Seven Arts8079
align="left" | Modern Times1936{{sort|Chaplin|Charlie Chaplin}}Charles Chaplin Film Corp.8178
align="left" | Giant1956{{sort|Stevens|George Stevens}}Warner Bros. Pictures82{{sort|115
}}
align="left" | Platoon1986{{sort|Stone|Oliver Stone}}Hemdale Film Corporation8386
align="left" | Fargo1996{{sort|Coen|Joel Coen}}Working Title Films84{{sort|116
}}
align="left" | Duck Soup1933{{sort|McCarey|Leo McCarey}}Paramount Productions8560
align="left" | Mutiny on the Bounty1935{{sort|Lloyd|Frank Lloyd}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer86{{sort|117
}}
align="left" | Frankenstein1931{{sort|Whale|James Whale}}Universal Pictures87{{sort|118
}}
align="left" | Easy Rider1969{{sort|Hopper|Dennis Hopper}}The Pando Company, Raybert Productions8884
align="left" | Patton1970{{sort|Schaffner|Franklin J. Schaffner}}20th Century-Fox89{{sort|119
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Jazz Singer|The Jazz Singer}}1927{{sort|Crosland|Alan Crosland}}Warner Bros. Pictures, The Vitaphone Corp.90{{sort|120
}}
align="left" | My Fair Lady1964{{sort|Cukor|George Cukor}}Warner Bros. Pictures91{{sort|121
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Place in the Sun|A Place in the Sun}}1951{{sort|Stevens|George Stevens}}Paramount Pictures92{{sort|122
}}
align="left" | {{sort|Apartment|The Apartment}}1960{{sort|Wilder|Billy Wilder}}The Mirisch Company9380
align="left" | Goodfellas1990{{sort|Scorsese|Martin Scorsese}}Warner Bros. Pictures, Irwin Winkler Productions9492
align="left" | Pulp Fiction1994{{sort|Tarantino|Quentin Tarantino}}A Band Apart, Jersey Films9594
align="left" | {{sort|Searchers|The Searchers}}1956{{sort|Ford|John Ford}}C.V. Whitney Pictures9612
align="left" | Bringing Up Baby1938{{sort|Hawks|Howard Hawks}}RKO Radio Pictures9788
align="left" | Unforgiven1992{{sort|Eastwood|Clint Eastwood}}The Malpaso Company9868
align="left" | Guess Who's Coming to Dinner1967{{sort|Kramer|Stanley Kramer}}Columbia Pictures99{{sort|123
}}
align="left" | Yankee Doodle Dandy1942{{sort|Curtiz|Michael Curtiz}}Warner Bros. Pictures10098
align="left" | {{sort|General|The General}}1926{{sort|Keaton|Buster Keaton}}Buster Keaton Productions, Joseph M. Schenck Productions{{sort|101
}}18
align="left" | Intolerance1916{{sort|Griffith|D.W. Griffith}}Reliance-Majestic Studios{{sort|102
}}49
align="left" | {{sort|Fellowship of the Ring|The Fellowship of the Ring}}2001{{sort|Jackson|Peter Jackson}}New Line Cinema, WingNut Films{{sort|103
}}50
align="left" | Nashville1975{{sort|Altman|Robert Altman}}ABC Motion Pictures{{sort|104
}}59
align="left" | Sullivan's Travels1941{{sort|Sturges|Preston Sturges}}Paramount Pictures{{sort|105
}}61
align="left" | Cabaret1972{{sort|Fosse|Bob Fosse}}ABC Pictures, Allied Artists{{sort|106
}}63
align="left" | Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?1966{{sort|Nichols|Mike Nichols}}Warner Bros.{{sort|107
}}67
align="left" | Saving Private Ryan1998{{sort|Spielberg|Steven Spielberg}}Amblin Entertainment, DreamWorks Pictures{{sort|108
}}71
align="left" | {{sort|Shawshank Redemption|The Shawshank Redemption}}1994{{sort|Darabont|Frank Darabont}}Castle Rock Entertainment{{sort|109
}}72
align="left" | In the Heat of the Night1967{{sort|Jewison|Norman Jewison}}The Mirisch Corporation{{sort|110
}}75
align="left" | All the President's Men1976{{sort|Pakula|Alan J. Pakula}}Wildwood Enterprises{{sort|111
}}77
align="left" | Spartacus1960{{sort|Kubrick|Stanley Kubrick}}Bryna Productions{{sort|112
}}81
align="left" | Sunrise1927{{sort|Murnau|F.W. Murnau}}Fox Film Corporation{{sort|113
}}82
align="left" | Titanic1997{{sort|Cameron|James Cameron}}Lightstorm Entertainment, Paramount Pictures{{sort|114
}}83
align="left" | {{sort|Night at the Opera|A Night at the Opera}}1935{{sort|Wood|Sam Wood}}Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer{{sort|115
}}85
align="left" | {{sort|Twelve Angry Men|12 Angry Men}}1957{{sort|Lumet|Sidney Lumet}}Orion-Nova Productions{{sort|116
}}87
align="left" | {{sort|Sixth Sense|The Sixth Sense}}1999{{sort|Shyamalan|M. Night Shyamalan}}Hollywood Pictures{{sort|117
}}89
align="left" | Swing Time1936{{sort|Stevens|George Stevens}}RKO Radio Pictures{{sort|118
}}90
align="left" | Sophie's Choice1982{{sort|Pakula|Alan J. Pakula}}ITC Entertainment{{sort|119
}}91
align="left" | {{sort|Last Picture Show|The Last Picture Show}}1971{{sort|Bogdanovich|Peter Bogdanovich}}BBS Productions{{sort|120
}}95
align="left" | Do the Right Thing1989{{sort|Lee|Spike Lee}}40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks{{sort|121
}}96
align="left" | Blade Runner1982{{sort|Scott|Ridley Scott}}The Ladd Company, Shaw Brothers{{sort|122
}}97
align="left" | Toy Story1995{{sort|Lasseter|John Lasseter}}Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios{{sort|123
}}99

=2007 changes=

Twenty-three films were replaced in the 2007 tenth anniversary list. Doctor Zhivago, previously ranked #39, was the highest-ranked film to be dropped from the updated list, while The General at #18 was the highest-ranked new entry.

Broadcast history

= Presentation broadcast on CBS =

A 145-minute presentation of the 100 films aired on CBS on June 16, 1998.

= Presentation broadcast on TNT =

A 460-minute version aired as a 10-part series on TNT, narrated by James Woods and hosted by American talents as follows:

= Presentation broadcast on TNT UK =

Another version of the same 460-minute program was produced by Monique De Villiers and John Heyman from A World Production company to British television and market featuring different interviews and each segment being hosted by British talents in the following order:

Criticisms

As with awards, the list of those who vote and the final vote tally are not released to the public, nor the criteria for how the 400 nominated films have been selected.

On June 26, 1998, the Chicago Reader published an article by film critic Jonathan Rosenbaum which offers a detailed response to the movies in the AFI list, as well as criticism of the AFI's appropriation of British films, such as Lawrence of Arabia (albeit with aforementioned American funding) and The Third Man. Rosenbaum also produced an alternative list of 100 American movies that he felt had been overlooked by the AFI.{{cite news | last=Rosenbaum | first =Jonathan | title= List-o-Mania: Or, How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love American Movies | url= http://www.chicagoreader.com/movies/100best.html | publisher=Chicago Reader | date =June 26, 1998 | access-date= 2008-06-03}} Rosenbaum chose to present this alternative list alphabetically since to rank them according to merit would be "tantamount to ranking oranges over apples or declaring cherries superior to grapes."

The AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies (10th Anniversary Edition) list includes five films from Rosenbaum's list (including the provocatively titled Do the Right Thing),{{Cite web|url=https://nofilmschool.com/what-are-afi-top-100-movies-all-time|title=What Are the AFI Top 100 Movies of All Time?|date=July 13, 2020|website=No Film School}} and the accompanying promotional poster lists the titles in alphabetical order.

See also

References

{{reflist}}