I have to say while the list is not perfect, that at least it will generate some interesting conversations. My quibbles are that it does not include any of David Lynch’s films, no John Sayles and is not representative of women or minorities who have been influential on the American film scene. That being said, I have to agree that Citizen Kane is by far the most important American film ever made. From its use of technique a’ la the deep focus cinematography of Gregg Toland to its biting political edge, it is easily one of the “great” films ever made globally.
The really impressive thing about this film is that it allows the viewer to have a new experience and interpretation with each viewing and not all films are crafted for such a purpose. In addition it could be argued that the film was responsible for everything that follows in American cinema: film noir, the political films of the 1970s, the belief that the director can in fact have vision and craft art. It is the film that has inspired countless directors and lead many scholars to want to write and think about film in a serious fashion and for these and many more reasons, it is one of America’s most important films.