Hearing everyone's take on Citizen Kane definitely helped me to realize why I liked it. I also realized some things that I didn't like.
First of all, earlier I mentioned that I like the choppiness of the film. I realized that I also like the fast-paced-ness...we basically saw Kane's entire life within a two hour time frame. Grace pointed out a particular scene that I loved - when we saw Kane and his first wife Emily go through what seems like years of meeting for breakfast (umm, dinner?). I thought that that was really neat because it showed the decline of their marriage as well as Kane's transformation into a workaholic of sorts within a few short minutes. I like when things 'get to the point,' so to speak, so that's why I really enjoyed that scene.
A lot of people mentioned that they didn't like Kane's character...especially towards the end of the film. I still can't say how pleased I am with the character development. On one hand, it was interesting to see his decline without a specific reason given. It left me asking "what the heck happened that made him this way?" And sometimes I like when a movie makes me think like that. On the other hand, it kind of irks me that no reason was given for his decline! Like, what was the theme of the film? What was the point?! I think it was Lee that brought this up, and I have to agree with him in a sense. It was also brought up how the movie doesn't really make sense unless the viewer has an understanding of the historical context, and that is a good point. If I didn't have background information than I probably would have hated the film...
During class I realized another thing that I didn't like about Citizen Kane...it was all textuality and no presence. Not once did I feel emotionally moved or drawn to any of the characters. Maybe this is what Welle's intended - especially with his cold portrayal of Kane toward the end of his life. Maybe he didn't want us to have sympathy. Still, I would like to have felt at least some emotional pull. For me, that is (generally) crucial when it comes to whether or not I like a film.
However, I've still got to say that Citizen Kane is a great film. I appreciated it, and I can understand why it continues to be recognized as one of the greatest films of all time. I mean, movie buffs and critics tend to think they're more legit for liking bizarre films, so I'll give them this one!
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Citizen Kane
I went into this movie thinking....no, knowing that I would hate it. I didn't think I would be able to even appreciate it, let alone be entertained by it. However, to my surprise, I actually really enjoyed Citizen Kane.
The best word I can think of to describe Citizen Kane is fun. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. The choppiness of the film made it exciting and fascinating. I really appreciated the fact that Welles had no concept of the typical Hollywood film because it made for a very new and thrilling experience. I loved the opening "news flash" (or whatever it was) about Kane's life. It totally threw me off and left me guessing how the rest of the film was going to flow.
My favorite part of the film was definitely the architecture. I've always had some weird obsession with large and elaborate buildings/palaces, and the influx of this in the film really caught my attention from the onset. Xanadu made my eyes happy, to say the least!
Welles did a magnificent job as Kane. His development as a character was especially intriguing to watch. The way he portrayed Kane was so precise that it makes it seem though he didn't trust anyone other than himself to take on the role.
And then there's rosebud. I really didn't think that we were going to find out what rosebud meant, so towards the end of the film I was itching to come home and google the possible meanings!! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was the sled (which was very clever!) but at the same time I was kind of hoping for a little bit of mystery to hold on to.
Overall, I really did enjoy Citizen Kane. I kind of still can't believe it because I was so set on hating it! I guess I must have a good taste in movies after all :)
The best word I can think of to describe Citizen Kane is fun. I genuinely enjoyed watching it. The choppiness of the film made it exciting and fascinating. I really appreciated the fact that Welles had no concept of the typical Hollywood film because it made for a very new and thrilling experience. I loved the opening "news flash" (or whatever it was) about Kane's life. It totally threw me off and left me guessing how the rest of the film was going to flow.
My favorite part of the film was definitely the architecture. I've always had some weird obsession with large and elaborate buildings/palaces, and the influx of this in the film really caught my attention from the onset. Xanadu made my eyes happy, to say the least!
Welles did a magnificent job as Kane. His development as a character was especially intriguing to watch. The way he portrayed Kane was so precise that it makes it seem though he didn't trust anyone other than himself to take on the role.
And then there's rosebud. I really didn't think that we were going to find out what rosebud meant, so towards the end of the film I was itching to come home and google the possible meanings!! I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it was the sled (which was very clever!) but at the same time I was kind of hoping for a little bit of mystery to hold on to.
Overall, I really did enjoy Citizen Kane. I kind of still can't believe it because I was so set on hating it! I guess I must have a good taste in movies after all :)
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