Citizen Kane

[...o...k....]

I finally came around to see the movie. I don't get it. I thought the movie was extremely boring. I struggled staying with the movie about 30 minutes into it. How is this considered the best movie ever made? I just don't get it.

[miromi]

it's boring because movies now have copied and changed because of the film, so now all its innovations don't seem special. it takes a few viewings to get into though

[JeremyW]

What were all these innovations?

[shinolahead]

The out of sequence narrative (while not new, it was an extreme example for the time), the use of extreme camera angles (cutting holes many feet deep in some sets in order to get the cameras low enough) and the sophisticated frame composition. If you compare this to the typical movie from the age it's easier to see the innovation. I like the movie, but I think it has more importance to film students and critics than casual movie goers.

[DEVin]

Originally posted by shinolahead
The out of sequence narrative (while not new, it was an extreme example for the time), the use of extreme camera angles (cutting holes many feet deep in some sets in order to get the cameras low enough) and the sophisticated frame composition. If you compare this to the typical movie from the age it's easier to see the innovation. I like the movie, but I think it has more importance to film students and critics than casual movie goers.

Though I haven't seen it= I agree.

It was just new angles, etc, little things like that that made it so great.

[Akira X]

Shino's right, you have to take in context these days. I guess if you've seen a ton of old movies before seeing that, you'd get it right off the bat. And the film student thing too.

I love it, i think its so great. Its such a breath of fresh air, and its like 70 years old or some business. Movies these days just don't care to take innovative steps anymore, maybe except The Matrix and Fight Club, and other movies by the same directors. Thats how you can tell that someone gives a crap about a movie they're making. they have a scene and shoot it in a different and interesting way. Nowadays its all about finding the easiest and fastest way to force feed viewers their brainless entertainment so they dont have to think about what they're watching. That, and following the trajectory of spattered blood with a camera.


I guess I ranted. sorry. Computer, end rant.

[TheFightingFoetus]

Watch the movie without sound, and take in the fantastic visual storytelling. Without sound, you can follow the story near-flawlessly.

If you want to be a comic storyteller, or a director, there's more that you will learn watching Citizen Kane, then you could learn from any 10 of todays best movies combined.

Much like Kirby comics, they may not impress you next to many of today's comic styles, but you can learn so much more about storytelling, layout, composition, and dynamics than from most anything on the shelves today.

[miromi]

the first time i saw citizen kane i was what? 14? and i didn't get it. I refused to like it. but now, after seeing hundreds of more movies from different places, and after seeing a lot of movies from the 1940s and 30s, now I like it.

it's like, think of how you still get chills down your spine when you see the movie Akira, but more than ten years later it doesn't knock people's socks off as much as it did before.

ya don't have to agree with everything that film critics like, but they watch more films than most people so i appreciate their tastes.

[BenitoCereno]

Sometimes this board makes me feel so very, very old.

"Citizen Kane is boring."

"Watchmen is boring."

"The Sound and the Fury is boring."

Next I suppose someone will say It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back is boring.

Seriously. Turn of the Xbox and read a damn book.

I weep for our future.

[red7ine]

maybe if Rosebud had mag wheels and neon underlighting, and Orson Welles had to race against Vin Diesel in a no holds barred underground sled race to the death it would have been more interesting.

I just hope that the studios finally wiseup and letting McG or Brett Ratner do their planned remake of this pretty soon. Chances are Nic Cage will co-star with Cameron Diaz...