Like SaraJade was talking about I may have to watch this movie 40 more times to have it as one of the best let alone the best. With that in mind, I did a lot more thinking on this movie, having known it is "one of the best". And I have to say I did enjoy this movie. There are so many aspects of this movie that did shine through. Camera angles, shadows, certain sounds, and what impressed me i think the most was the acting was good. To take yourself back to this time when the movie was done is tough. Being so used to todays films, i have seen the same type of storyline in films of our day with more action, comedy, and suspense. I also do not think that this type of movie has the ability to appeal to everyone from all walks of life. this may come in the next 39 times I watch it though. Its tough to be able to say whether or not it belongs in the top spot of "best of all time", its tough to be able to judge any movie for that matter, but after I started to think about this movie, i realized how Genuine this movie really is.
I think the acting and directing in Citizen Cane was good. I also liked the way the story was told in the epic format. I know that Hitchcock always makes some kind of appearance in each of his movies and saw his silhouette in the dying scene at the beginning of the movie. I do think the story was long in coming and had a difficult time figuring out the arc of drama. In the class discussion, you told us that he climax was when he tore the room apart and I can see that now. Citizen Cane was a stubborn man who had a hard time finding love. This could relate back to his childhood when he was happy with his parents but then was made to move away where it seemed he became miserable. He had everything money could buy except the one thing he most wanted and that was love. I think this is why he tore the room apart because he then realized that he could not buy love no matter how hard he tried and how much he controlled things. During the opera, I could sympathize because I would fall asleep also. I liked when Leyland was tearing up the program during the opera, which made me laugh. I can see many of the contributions to the film industry like; the usage of sound, make-up, technically use of camera, shadows and double exposure of the film. Do I think this is the greatest movie of all time? I still need a lot of convincing. I wish the burning of the sled were easier to identify. I saw the name rosebud but could not identify what it was that was being placed in the fire. I can see why rosebud was his last words because it goes back to when he was the happiest in his life. Thinking back to the way things must have been in 1937 when this film was made, I would have to say this movie was progressive.
I agree with Anthony and Sara Jade...I would need to watch this movie a number of times to fully understand all the aspects and to deternine if it deserves to be in the number 1 spot of all time...There are SO many movies out there and since I am used to "today's technology," it is hard to say yes, it deserves to be in the number one spot. I did like that there were many different camera angles and different shots like the one Sara Jade showed us with the medicine being in "sharp" focus then blurry and then "sharp" again. The "hall of mirrors" image was pretty neat too. The movie was much better than the first two we have watched for me because I was able to follow this one with a little more ease.
Although I do not understand why this movie is #1, I agree! I really enjoyed this movie. I thought that it was very well produced. I liked how the movie explores the life of Mr. Kane. I found it interesting that although he had all the money that anyone could ever want, he still never reached a state of true happiness. I also enjoyed seeing how the quality of shots had improved in this movie. The first movie seemed to have a few scenes in which the background was drawn in, but it was quite different in this one. Another thing that I liked was how throughout the movie they were trying to figure out what "Rosebud" meant and in the end it was something so simple. I really can't say enough about this movie. I think that I will watch it again soon.
I agree with the others, in that I do not understand why this movie is #1 and has been that way for quite sometime. I would need to know more about the system in which they judging from and also seeing it 50 more times might help me to catch more because I know I missed a lot. I thought the use of the sharp focus was really interesting and also the infinity mirrors because not a single mic wire or camera was show which seems rather impossible. I like the feeling they created by trying to figure out what Rosebud could possibly mean, once found out that it was his childhood sled I thought it was quite the twist to make it so simple. I think it is foreshadowed in the movie a little when he is asked what would he had wanted to be and Citizen Kane responded "everything you hated." His childhood and the life he would have had seemed to be so hated because that was what he had to give up for the so called better life, which goes to show you can't buy happens.
It fascinated me how they were able to time line all of Kane's life while still keeping you attention. They had a impressive way of moving from story to story without missing to much, but leaving out the boring tidbits.
I was impressed with the way they used the camera to get some of the angles and the shots. I hadn't noticed in the suicide scene the difference in the blury versus clear shots until it was pointed out. That took a lot of determination and talent to pull that off. It made quite an effect. I varied from feeling sorry for him and then hating Kane.
I think to a certain degree this shadows an average person, because no matter what you have everyone seems to be unhappy and wanting something else or better. I think that's partly what makes this movie the number one is it's relation to anyone.
I did like the movie, but am still not convinced it's a number one movie of all time.
I also agree that I don't know why this movie deserves to be the #1 movie of all-time. Until Sara Jade showed the camera techniques of the suicide scene I never noticed that two elements were in focus, I thought that was extemely imaginative. I thought when they threw in things that didn't go in the movie was very odd an example was the bird that squaked for a second, didn't fit. I wasn't able to pick out the climax of the movie, It just seemed so monotonous, and slow. It took to long to get to the resolution. I thought the ending had a meaningful learning element to it, that everything he had, all the money didn't bring him happiness. The only thing was a simple pleasure of his sleigh riding days during his early childhood.
I enjoyed Citizen Kane very much and could see how it is the number one film of all time. This is my second time to see this film and that there is so many ground breaking things that have been done. I.E. it was an epic film, the acting for that time and today was superb, the lighting was great, the use of camera angles was fantastic especially at the end with the mirrors. One of the things too that I also liked was that the politics of yesteryear are the same today people doing whatver is necessary to keep themselves in power even if they are corrupt. There are so many aspects of daily human life that were touched upon during the movie and up until citizen kane were never done so well. The fact that the film did a lot of firsts and just did other things so well is what qualifies it for the number one spot I believe.
It's definately a work of art, but I am still not convinced that this movie alone is the number one movie of all time. I did like the story and how they put it together though. With the multiple perspectives from the various people that were close to him, each one of them cast Kane in a different light. The first guy (The old bald guy, shot in his office) portrayed him as a good man, charming and funny. The second old guy (the one in the nursing home) cast Kane in a light that was not so flattering. Throughout the entire movie, you never really knew who Kane actually was, except for a lonely old man at the end.
it was a great movie, but not the best in my book, and far from it lol. but i did really like this movie. i thought they had some amazing camera angles, and it was a really cool story. i felt like you really got to know kane as it switched from story to story person to person. you got to see different sides of this character who seemed to have everything but could never find true happiness. he always seemed to want something more. i thought it was a true masterpiece for the type of film they were going for and can definatly see why people like it so much.
I supose that I should jump on the bandwagon and say something about this movie being the best of all time. Part of me thinks that another movie taking its spot at this point in time is not likely of happening. Not that I think it was that great, or that I am even close to being qualified to judge it, but I think that it may be "the unattainable white whale" just because it has been judged the best for so long. From what I do know of film and this period, I do think the directing was quite good. I wish I knew what had been acomplished in the industry/art prior to making this film. I did notice the use of different angles, ect...like the reflection in the globe that was dropped at the start of the movie. Also showing various fences and gates at the start, I thought that was good. I also noticed a lot of play on light, like where light was coming into that dark smoky room (through the window) where the men were talking near the beginning. I also liked where the photo of the top newspaper guys "morphed" into them all sitting together in the Kane group. I should mention that even though the film was in a way...the quest to find what rosebud...the search never build any intensity for me. After discussing the scene with the morphine bottle and the focus, It really helped me look at film more as an art form, not just an entertainment venue. I guess that I could say that I found the ending cathardic, it showed me that the story was in essence, about a man who spent his entire life trying to find love, never growing out of being the small boy who felt rejected, and only had one thing in his life which truly gave him joy...rosebud.
This is one movie that I didn't really enjoy watching. Granted, it had a good message about how rich you can be but that it doesn't give you true happiness. The thing that Kane wanted at the very end of his life, and missed the most, was a simple sled. I'm not quite sure why I didn't like this film, it seemed to move slow to me although that was how the movies were back then. The story also didn't really catch my full attention, it was pretty predictable to me and I was rarely surprised. The camera shots were pretty cool though, it was nice seeing it move around a little and how the director actually put thoughts into the shots They did
My first impression watching Citizen Kane was that i thought it was very creative. The opening was a unique way to imply what the movie was about. It started with the announcement of a man that had died and what his life seemed like until then. Stating that the movie was going to be about this man's life. I felt like the movie was surrounded by implications about what we the audience should feel about each person and event with the use of camera angles and lighting. One example is when Kane was fighting with his wife about being an opera singer every angle on him was from below and every angle of her was from above implying that he had all the power. There is a pending question, should Citizen Kane be considered one of the greatest movies of all time? I can see why it would be considered that. The overall film was done very well. The lighting, camera angles, acting. script, were all very supportive of the point that was trying to be made. I thought the movie was very entertaining but there are so many fantastic movies I’m not sure I could just choose one to be the best.
I appreciated what this movie did for essentially everything to follow. I loved seeing classic moments that we have all seen recreated and referenced throughout the last 50 or so years, but I do not think this is the greatest movie of all time. I feel the best movie of all time would need to encompass all genre's with a great plot and no dragging or boredom from a single audience member. While I do appreciate what they did for cinematography, I don't feel that merits an over all "best film ever" award slapped onto it. I love innovation, and honestly this film screams innovation. I loved the story, I loved learning about how meticulous they were with every scene, every shot. But that doesn't change my mind. While Citizen Kane was a good movie, even a great movie. I can not say it is the best movie of all time.
Like SaraJade was talking about I may have to watch this movie 40 more times to have it as one of the best let alone the best. With that in mind, I did a lot more thinking on this movie, having known it is "one of the best". And I have to say I did enjoy this movie. There are so many aspects of this movie that did shine through. Camera angles, shadows, certain sounds, and what impressed me i think the most was the acting was good.
ReplyDeleteTo take yourself back to this time when the movie was done is tough. Being so used to todays films, i have seen the same type of storyline in films of our day with more action, comedy, and suspense. I also do not think that this type of movie has the ability to appeal to everyone from all walks of life. this may come in the next 39 times I watch it though. Its tough to be able to say whether or not it belongs in the top spot of "best of all time", its tough to be able to judge any movie for that matter, but after I started to think about this movie, i realized how Genuine this movie really is.
I think the acting and directing in Citizen Cane was good. I also liked the way the story was told in the epic format. I know that Hitchcock always makes some kind of appearance in each of his movies and saw his silhouette in the dying scene at the beginning of the movie. I do think the story was long in coming and had a difficult time figuring out the arc of drama. In the class discussion, you told us that he climax was when he tore the room apart and I can see that now. Citizen Cane was a stubborn man who had a hard time finding love. This could relate back to his childhood when he was happy with his parents but then was made to move away where it seemed he became miserable. He had everything money could buy except the one thing he most wanted and that was love. I think this is why he tore the room apart because he then realized that he could not buy love no matter how hard he tried and how much he controlled things. During the opera, I could sympathize because I would fall asleep also. I liked when Leyland was tearing up the program during the opera, which made me laugh. I can see many of the contributions to the film industry like; the usage of sound, make-up, technically use of camera, shadows and double exposure of the film. Do I think this is the greatest movie of all time? I still need a lot of convincing. I wish the burning of the sled were easier to identify. I saw the name rosebud but could not identify what it was that was being placed in the fire. I can see why rosebud was his last words because it goes back to when he was the happiest in his life. Thinking back to the way things must have been in 1937 when this film was made, I would have to say this movie was progressive.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anthony and Sara Jade...I would need to watch this movie a number of times to fully understand all the aspects and to deternine if it deserves to be in the number 1 spot of all time...There are SO many movies out there and since I am used to "today's technology," it is hard to say yes, it deserves to be in the number one spot. I did like that there were many different camera angles and different shots like the one Sara Jade showed us with the medicine being in "sharp" focus then blurry and then "sharp" again. The "hall of mirrors" image was pretty neat too. The movie was much better than the first two we have watched for me because I was able to follow this one with a little more ease.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I do not understand why this movie is #1, I agree! I really enjoyed this movie. I thought that it was very well produced. I liked how the movie explores the life of Mr. Kane. I found it interesting that although he had all the money that anyone could ever want, he still never reached a state of true happiness. I also enjoyed seeing how the quality of shots had improved in this movie. The first movie seemed to have a few scenes in which the background was drawn in, but it was quite different in this one.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that I liked was how throughout the movie they were trying to figure out what "Rosebud" meant and in the end it was something so simple. I really can't say enough about this movie. I think that I will watch it again soon.
I agree with the others, in that I do not understand why this movie is #1 and has been that way for quite sometime. I would need to know more about the system in which they judging from and also seeing it 50 more times might help me to catch more because I know I missed a lot.
ReplyDeleteI thought the use of the sharp focus was really interesting and also the infinity mirrors because not a single mic wire or camera was show which seems rather impossible.
I like the feeling they created by trying to figure out what Rosebud could possibly mean, once found out that it was his childhood sled I thought it was quite the twist to make it so simple. I think it is foreshadowed in the movie a little when he is asked what would he had wanted to be and Citizen Kane responded "everything you hated." His childhood and the life he would have had seemed to be so hated because that was what he had to give up for the so called better life, which goes to show you can't buy happens.
It fascinated me how they were able to time line all of Kane's life while still keeping you attention. They had a impressive way of moving from story to story without missing to much, but leaving out the boring tidbits.
ReplyDeleteI was impressed with the way they used the camera to get some of the angles and the shots. I hadn't noticed in the suicide scene the difference in the blury versus clear shots until it was pointed out. That took a lot of determination and talent to pull that off. It made quite an effect. I varied from feeling sorry for him and then hating Kane.
I think to a certain degree this shadows an average person, because no matter what you have everyone seems to be unhappy and wanting something else or better. I think that's partly what makes this movie the number one is it's relation to anyone.
I did like the movie, but am still not convinced it's a number one movie of all time.
I also agree that I don't know why this movie deserves to be the #1 movie of all-time. Until Sara Jade showed the camera techniques of the suicide scene I never noticed that two elements were in focus, I thought that was extemely imaginative. I thought when they threw in things that didn't go in the movie was very odd an example was the bird that squaked for a second, didn't fit.
ReplyDeleteI wasn't able to pick out the climax of the movie, It just seemed so monotonous, and slow. It took to long to get to the resolution. I thought the ending had a meaningful learning element to it, that everything he had, all the money didn't bring him happiness. The only thing was a simple pleasure of his sleigh riding days during his early childhood.
I enjoyed Citizen Kane very much and could see how it is the number one film of all time. This is my second time to see this film and that there is so many ground breaking things that have been done. I.E. it was an epic film, the acting for that time and today was superb, the lighting was great, the use of camera angles was fantastic especially at the end with the mirrors.
ReplyDeleteOne of the things too that I also liked was that the politics of yesteryear are the same today people doing whatver is necessary to keep themselves in power even if they are corrupt. There are so many aspects of daily human life that were touched upon during the movie and up until citizen kane were never done so well. The fact that the film did a lot of firsts and just did other things so well is what qualifies it for the number one spot I believe.
It's definately a work of art, but I am still not convinced that this movie alone is the number one movie of all time. I did like the story and how they put it together though. With the multiple perspectives from the various people that were close to him, each one of them cast Kane in a different light. The first guy (The old bald guy, shot in his office) portrayed him as a good man, charming and funny. The second old guy (the one in the nursing home) cast Kane in a light that was not so flattering. Throughout the entire movie, you never really knew who Kane actually was, except for a lonely old man at the end.
ReplyDeleteit was a great movie, but not the best in my book, and far from it lol. but i did really like this movie. i thought they had some amazing camera angles, and it was a really cool story. i felt like you really got to know kane as it switched from story to story person to person. you got to see different sides of this character who seemed to have everything but could never find true happiness. he always seemed to want something more. i thought it was a true masterpiece for the type of film they were going for and can definatly see why people like it so much.
ReplyDeleteI supose that I should jump on the bandwagon and say something about this movie being the best of all time. Part of me thinks that another movie taking its spot at this point in time is not likely of happening. Not that I think it was that great, or that I am even close to being qualified to judge it, but I think that it may be "the unattainable white whale" just because it has been judged the best for so long. From what I do know of film and this period, I do think the directing was quite good. I wish I knew what had been acomplished in the industry/art prior to making this film.
ReplyDeleteI did notice the use of different angles, ect...like the reflection in the globe that was dropped at the start of the movie. Also showing various fences and gates at the start, I thought that was good. I also noticed a lot of play on light, like where light was coming into that dark smoky room (through the window) where the men were talking near the beginning. I also liked where the photo of the top newspaper guys "morphed" into them all sitting together in the Kane group.
I should mention that even though the film was in a way...the quest to find what rosebud...the search never build any intensity for me.
After discussing the scene with the morphine bottle and the focus, It really helped me look at film more as an art form, not just an entertainment venue.
I guess that I could say that I found the ending cathardic, it showed me that the story was in essence, about a man who spent his entire life trying to find love, never growing out of being the small boy who felt rejected, and only had one thing in his life which truly gave him joy...rosebud.
This is one movie that I didn't really enjoy watching. Granted, it had a good message about how rich you can be but that it doesn't give you true happiness. The thing that Kane wanted at the very end of his life, and missed the most, was a simple sled.
ReplyDeleteI'm not quite sure why I didn't like this film, it seemed to move slow to me although that was how the movies were back then. The story also didn't really catch my full attention, it was pretty predictable to me and I was rarely surprised.
The camera shots were pretty cool though, it was nice seeing it move around a little and how the director actually put thoughts into the shots
They did
My first impression watching Citizen Kane was that i thought it was very creative. The opening was a unique way to imply what the movie was about. It started with the announcement of a man that had died and what his life seemed like until then. Stating that the movie was going to be about this man's life. I felt like the movie was surrounded by implications about what we the audience should feel about each person and event with the use of camera angles and lighting. One example is when Kane was fighting with his wife about being an opera singer every angle on him was from below and every angle of her was from above implying that he had all the power.
ReplyDeleteThere is a pending question, should Citizen Kane be considered one of the greatest movies of all time?
I can see why it would be considered that. The overall film was done very well. The lighting, camera angles, acting. script, were all very supportive of the point that was trying to be made.
I thought the movie was very entertaining but there are so many fantastic movies I’m not sure I could just choose one to be the best.
I appreciated what this movie did for essentially everything to follow. I loved seeing classic moments that we have all seen recreated and referenced throughout the last 50 or so years, but I do not think this is the greatest movie of all time. I feel the best movie of all time would need to encompass all genre's with a great plot and no dragging or boredom from a single audience member. While I do appreciate what they did for cinematography, I don't feel that merits an over all "best film ever" award slapped onto it. I love innovation, and honestly this film screams innovation. I loved the story, I loved learning about how meticulous they were with every scene, every shot. But that doesn't change my mind. While Citizen Kane was a good movie, even a great movie. I can not say it is the best movie of all time.
ReplyDelete