Vatican's list of films
In 1995, the Pontifical Council for Social Communications released Alcuni film importanti, a list of 45 films divided into the categories of religion, values, and art. These films were recommended for viewing by Pope John Paul II and John Patrick Foley.
Compilation
The Pontifical Council for Social Communications released a list of 45 films to mark the centennial of Auguste and Louis Lumière's display of their films. These 45 films were divided into the categories of religion, values, and art. This list was released under the title Alcuni film importanti. President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications John Patrick Foley, president of the Vatican Film Library Enrique Planas, and twelve experts on film, movie librarians, and academics compiled the list. Pope John Paul II recommended that these films be watched.Analysis
Foley stated that this list showed that great films could be made without pandering to violent or pornographic elements. He stated that the Church wanted viewers to be more critical of films rather than passively consuming them.The list features films that contain elements critical of religion and the Catholic Church. The Mission features missionaries being undermined by a church leader. Franco Zeffirelli was critical of the list for not including any of his films.
Florent Cardon, writing for Aleteia, proposed that the Vatican should update the list for 2025, and include films like A Hidden Life and Of Gods and Men.
List
| Title | Year | Category | - | - | - | - | |
| Title | Year | Category | 2001: A Space Odyssey | 1968 | Art | ||
| 8½ | 1963 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Andrei Rublev | 1966 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Au revoir les enfants | 1987 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Ben-Hur | 1959 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Babette's Feast | 1987 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| The Burmese Harp | 1956 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Bicycle Thieves | 1948 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Chariots of Fire | 1981 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Citizen Kane | 1941 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Dekalog | 1989 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Dersu Uzala | 1975 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Fantasia | 1940 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| The Flowers of St. Francis | 1950 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Francesco | 1989 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Gandhi | 1982 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| The Gospel According to St. Matthew | 1964 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| La Grande Illusion | 1937 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Intolerance | 1916 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| It's a Wonderful Life | 1946 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| The Lavender Hill Mob | 1951 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| The Leopard | 1963 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Little Women | 1933 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| A Man for All Seasons | 1966 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Metropolis | 1927 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| The Mission | 1986 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Modern Times | 1936 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Monsieur Vincent | 1947 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Napoléon | 1927 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Nazarín | 1959 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Nosferatu | 1922 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| On the Waterfront | 1954 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Ordet | 1955 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| The Passion of Joan of Arc | 1928 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Rome, Open City | 1945 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| The Sacrifice | 1986 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Schindler's List | 1993 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| The Seventh Seal | 1957 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Stagecoach | 1939 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| La Strada | 1954 | Art | - | - | - | - | |
| Thérèse | 1986 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| The Tree of Wooden Clogs | 1978 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| Vie et Passion du Christ | 1903 | Religion | - | - | - | - | |
| Wild Strawberries | 1957 | Values | - | - | - | - | |
| The Wizard of Oz | 1939 | Art | - | - | - | - |