Every year 25 films are entered into the US National Film Registry for preservation.
Jennifer and Neil talk about the films they like and about the United States National Film Registry. Every year it adds about twenty-five titles to its list. The selected films are all of lasting cultural, historical and aesthetic importance.
This week's question: Taking into account inflation, which film has made more money than any other in the history of cinema? Is it:
a) Avatar
b) Gone with the Wind
c) Titanic
Listen out for the answer at the end of the programme!
Listen
US National Film Registry
End of Section
Vocabulary
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- a film buff
- a person who is very interested in films and knows a lot about them
- art-house
- films which are made by small companies and are not usually seen by a wide audience
- blockbuster
- a very successful film financially
- aesthetic
- concerned with beauty and art and the understanding of beautiful things
- orphaned
- made parentless through death
- grief
- a feeling of great sadness, especially when somebody dies
- for posterity
- for all the people who will live in the future
Transcript:
Neil:
Hello and welcome to 6 Minute English from BBC Learning English. I'm Neil and
with me today is Jennifer.
Jennifer:
Hi Neil.
Neil:
Now we're talking about films today. Are you a film buff, Jennifer?
Jennifer:
A buff is someone who's very interested in a certain subject and knows a lot
about it. I do like watching films both at the cinema and at home, but I
wouldn't really say I'm a film buff because I don't have a lot of knowledge.
What about you Neil?
Neil:
Likewise, I do enjoy the cinema; though Hollywood
movies aren't really my favourite. I do like a good art-house film though. The
movies we're talking about in today's programme aren't any old films. We're
talking about the United States National Film Registry. But before we get onto
that I have a quiz question for you,
Jennifer.
Are you ready?
Jennifer:
Go on then.
Neil:
Taking into account inflation, which is the amount money loses value over time,
which film has made more money than any other in the history of cinema? Is it:
a) Avatar
b) Gone with the Wind
c) Titanic
Jennifer:
That's a difficult one but I think it will be 'Titanic'. I remember it coming
out in the cinema around 1998 and everyone I knew would have to go and see it.
So I think it must be that one.
Neil:
Well, we'll find out the answer to that at the end of the programme. Now,
before that question, I was talking about the United States National Film
Registry. Every year it adds about twenty-five titles to its list.
Jennifer:
The films aren't always famous blockbusters and sometimes haven't been seen for
decades.
Neil:
That's true, the films aren't always famous blockbusters – a blockbuster is
usually an American film which makes lots of money.
Jennifer: But the films do have this in common: it's
been decided that they are all of lasting cultural, historical and aesthetic
importance.
Neil:
Yes, the US National Film Registry has decided that all the films are of
lasting cultural and historical importance for the United Stated. They're also
beautiful and artistic – so they're 'of aesthetic importance'. Here's more from
the BBC's Arts Reporter, Vincent Dowd
Vincent
Dowd, Arts Reporter, BBC
Seventy years on the US National Film Registry has
placed it on its list of historically important American films. The list's been
going since 1989 and around 25 titles are added annually. In part it's to
ensure they get the highest level of preservation: not really a problem with a
much rereleased Disney classic. But even well-known films sometimes need
securing for posterity.
Neil:
That was the BBC's Arts Reporter, Vincent Dowd. He was talking about 'Bambi'
which is seventy years old but it's just been added to the Registry's list,
although the list was started in about 1989. 'Bambi' is an animated film. You
know, Jennifer,
I think it was one of the first films my parents took
me to see – so for me anyway it's of historical importance!
Jennifer:
Do you remember what you thought of it at the time?
Neil:
Well for those listeners who haven't seen it, Bambi is a little deer who
becomes orphaned, meaning its parents died. I was tiny, but I loved it and
learned important lessons from it about grief, family and friends.
Jennifer:
Grief is a feeling of great sadness. Well, perhaps I'd better watch it.
Neil:
What, you mean you've never seen 'Bambi'?! I can't believe that! You've got to
go home and watch it immediately!
Jennifer:
OK I will, though it sounds like it might make me cry!
Neil:
I think there's no shame in crying about Bambi! Now luckily for you, Jennifer,
the
US National Film Registry helps to make such old films
available to future generations by looking after them in the best way possible.
As the reporter
Vincent Dowd said: films "get the highest level
of preservation"
Jennifer:
He says "even well-known films need securing for posterity".
Neil:
That's right, even famous films need to be made safe – or secure - for future
generations, or as the reporter said: "for posterity". And let's just
listen to that clip from the BBC's Arts Reporter Vincent Dowd once again:
Vincent
Dowd, Arts Reporter, BBC
...
Neil:
That was the BBC's Arts Reporter Vincent Dowd talking about the film 'Bambi'
Jennifer:
Well, we had a look at the list to find out which films were on it before the
latest 2011 additions.
Neil:
And Jennifer has a few titles for us, of films which caught her eye. Tell us
about an early film memory.
Jennifer:
Well, an early film memory for me is 'ET', which was made in 1982 and added to
the registry in 1994. It's about an alien which lands on earth and befriends a
young boy. I like it because it's a real heart-warming tale of friendship and
it's a great story.
Neil:
Anything else on the list you like?
Jennifer:
'The Sound of Music' from 1965. That was added to the registry in 2001. It's a
musical about a nun that looks after a family and it's great fun. And then as a
complete contrast there's 'Psycho' from 1960 which was added to the registry in
1992. It's a thriller and it's really scary.
Neil:
Yes it's absolutely terrifying, isn't it? Well, we've just got time now for the
answer to the quiz question I asked you at the beginning. It was: taking into
account inflation, which film has made more money than any other in the history
of cinema? Is it:
a) Avatar
b) Gone with the Wind
c) Titanic
Jennifer: Well I said, I thought it would be
'Titanic'.
Neil: And you were wrong, I'm afraid. The answer is
'Gone with the Wind', which didn't make as much money as 'Avatar', but if you
take into account inflation it has.
Thank you for joining us and listen to more 6 Minute
English from BBC Learning English. Bye!
Jennifer: Bye!
