Hardcore movie buffs after taking in a film generally seek another level to understand it, savour it. They like to analyse the movies’ merits, artistes’ performances, and so on.

Generally this means a freewheeling discussion with friends at the coffee-house. Some do it by rushing to their personal journals.

Ideally it would be great to interface with the people who made the film, right? But that’s a long shot. As an upshot many a fan’s enthusiasm and excitement curl up and die a horrible death for lack of opportunity or forum.

Not any more, though. This year the American Film Institute has invited cinephiles to offer their take on classic movies by participating in its opinion poll.

The AFI has put together a list of the 100 greatest American movies of all time from the views of a specially invited 1,500 member jury consisting of reputed actors, directors, screenwriters, critics, historians and other influential Hollywood heavyweights.       

On Wednesday June 20, 2007 AFI went on air in a three-hour CBS special 100 Years, 100 Movies, 10th Anniversary Edition, to announce the findings.

From that list, here’s how the top ten stack up:

1 Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane (1941) 
2 Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972) 
3 Michael Curtiz’ Casablanca (1942) 
4 Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull (1980)
5 Stanley Donovon’s Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
6 Victor Fleming’s Gone with the Wind (1939)
7 David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
8 Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List (1993)
9 Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo (1958) 
10 Victor Fleming’s The Wizard of Oz (1939)

At the presentation ceremony, host Morgan Freeman said, “AFI’s critically-acclaimed series has sparked national debate on what makes a great movie and why, ultimately driving people to discover-and re-discover-the classics of American film.”

The overwhelming popularity of DVD has spurred interest in silent era, and often neglected masterpieces. For instance Buster Keaton’s The General (1927), and that “milestone and landmark in cinematic history”, D W Griffith’s Intolerance (1916) are in the limelight thanks to new technology.

Meanwhile in the AFI list, Griffith’s Birth of a Nation, as also Lean’s Doctor Zhivago and Cukor’s My Fair Lady made an abrupt exit. Chaplin’s comedy romance in pantomime, City Lights moved up from 76 to 11. Once again technology and quality restoration, to DVD, have made old films appealing and relevant to today’s young viewers.

As is to be expected, not everyone sees eye-to-eye with the latest AFI list. Fans and critics have taken swipes at the listing. “I wonder what they were thinking, overlooking Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill?” writes a miffed fan.

"It is more of a glorification of video sales and rentals than great cinematic art,” points out author, Raymond Schroth. But luckily this year, the doors opened to movie-buffs to chip in comments, suggestions.

The AFI’s website, www.AFI.com and www.youtube.com/AFI remain open for on-line discussion. For the first time too, fans can view cinema clips, get Hollywood stars’ views, and offer their take.

This novel idea has been promoted by AFI, a non-profit organisation that has been pursuing excellence in the art of film since 1967.

Incidentally, the institute is highly valued for its collection and data that go back to1893 and days of the Lumiere brothers.

American media has been quick to cashing in on the AFI excitement. The Daily Herald, a Chicago newspaper, for one, has invited readers to nominate films to a best movies list. The publication will randomly pick 50 entries.

Each winner will be given two tickets for the opening of a 16-screen multiplex theatre in the city, and free popcorn!