Compulsory was probably not the appropriate term to use, but it is probably fair to say that that film is widely studied for it’s historical significance (in terms of modern filmmaking as opposed to it’s viewpoint). In a vein not too dissimilar from English students studying Chaucer and how his works influenced the development of modern English language and literature.
I’d recommend studying the films of Roger Corman and later New World Pictures (LA film students and grads working for Roger’s production company) to learn the economy of film making (getting the maximum results with minimal resources at hand). How to focus on character and dialogue driven narratives. How to focus on staging a scene.
Martin Scorcese said he probably learned more by watching a bad movie than a good one.