The American Film Institute (AFI) is an organization that has dedicated itself to the preservation of film. The organization began in 1967. According to the AFI’s website its mission is to “preserve the heritage of the motion picture, to honor the artists and their work and to educate the next generation of storytellers.”
Did you know that the American Film Institute has a list of 100 of the best movies of all time? You can see a full list of the films by clicking here.
The Aurora Public Library District is proud to offer many of these movies to our patrons. There is a display of these movies located in the DVD section in the Aurora Public Library lower level. The display is located near the new release DVD section.
Here are the first 10 movies from the AFI’s List:
Citizen Kane has consistently made the AFI’s list over the past decade taking the #1 spot. The film tells the story of how a wealthy businessman is remembered after his death.
This movie is based on Mario Puzo’s novel “The Godfather.” The movie and the book both follow the Italian American Mafia boss Don Vito Corleone and his family. Vito’s youngest son Michael tries to escape the family business only to find himself being drawn deeper into it.
The movie takes place during World War II. Rick Blaine who is played by Humphrey Bogart struggles with helping the woman he loves and her husband flee Nazi occupied Europe.
This movie is about Boxer Jake La Motta’s self-destructive behavior and the consequences these choices had on his career and his relationships.
This film is set in Hollywood in the 1920’s just as movies are making the transition from being silent films to talkie films. Three stars are having a difficult time making this transition.
This movie is based on Margaret Mitchell’s novel “Gone With The Wind.” Both the novel and the movie are set in the south during the American Civil War and tells the tale of the romance between Rhett Butler and Scarlet O’Hara.
This movie tells the story of the life of T.E. Lawrence. It is set during World War I
This move is based on the novel “Schindler’s List” by Thomas Keneally. Set during World War II, the movie tells the story of a business man who saves the lives of over a thousand Jewish refugee’s during the Holocaust.
This is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s classic films and regarded by many film critics as an important piece of Hitchcock’s work. The film tells the story of a police detective who is forced into an early retirement because he has developed an intense fear of heights after an incident while on duty.
This 1939 classic film is based on L. Frank Baum’s book “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.” Dorothy visists the land of Oz after a Tornado transports her there. She must seek the wizards help to return to her home in Kansas.