Well, here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for. I'm finally reviewing Citizen Kane. I have to say, I loved, loved, loved this movie. I think it's one of my favorites so far and I can completely see why it made number 1 on AFI's top 100 list.
Okay, here's what I loved about it:
The dark and mysterious opening. I can see why it is one of the most famous cinematic moments in film history.
Great camera work and transitions between the present and the past. I think one of my favorites scenes as far as camera work goes is the one toward the end of the film when Susan is leaving Kane. The camera angles and all the other cinema magic that goes into a scene like that were very effective in making Kane look like his imposing, over bearing self when entering the room and small and weak after Susan walks out of the room.
The sets - awesomely designed and again very effective for setting the mood of the movie, particularly in the later years of his time with Susan when they are in the huge, cold mansion and have grown apart from each other.
The acting - This was the first Orson Wells movie I've ever seen (although I have heard his Mercury theatre dramatization of War of the Worlds. I highly reccomend that one too, especially if you can find an authentic sounding copy and listen with the lights off. It is genuinely creepy, but I digress). I have to say, he really brought Charles Kane to life and made him a character you love to hate, or feel sympathy for. Oh and how could I leave out the music? This movie has a great score.
Then of course there is the big mystery surrounding his dying word, "Rosebud." I admit I already knew the answer to that question before I saw the movie, but final scenes were still really moving for me. As you can probably already guess, I give this one a definite thumbs up. My husband...he gave it a thumbs sideways and said it wasn't a compelling story for him. Ah well.
Next on the list is The Maltese Falcon, but don't hold your breath. It's been sitting on our entertainment center for three weeks already and I can't renew from the library anymore. It has to go back. Keep checking back here, though. You never know what I might post in the meantime.
Cheers,
Juli
Okay, here's what I loved about it:
The dark and mysterious opening. I can see why it is one of the most famous cinematic moments in film history.
Great camera work and transitions between the present and the past. I think one of my favorites scenes as far as camera work goes is the one toward the end of the film when Susan is leaving Kane. The camera angles and all the other cinema magic that goes into a scene like that were very effective in making Kane look like his imposing, over bearing self when entering the room and small and weak after Susan walks out of the room.
The sets - awesomely designed and again very effective for setting the mood of the movie, particularly in the later years of his time with Susan when they are in the huge, cold mansion and have grown apart from each other.
The acting - This was the first Orson Wells movie I've ever seen (although I have heard his Mercury theatre dramatization of War of the Worlds. I highly reccomend that one too, especially if you can find an authentic sounding copy and listen with the lights off. It is genuinely creepy, but I digress). I have to say, he really brought Charles Kane to life and made him a character you love to hate, or feel sympathy for. Oh and how could I leave out the music? This movie has a great score.
Then of course there is the big mystery surrounding his dying word, "Rosebud." I admit I already knew the answer to that question before I saw the movie, but final scenes were still really moving for me. As you can probably already guess, I give this one a definite thumbs up. My husband...he gave it a thumbs sideways and said it wasn't a compelling story for him. Ah well.
Next on the list is The Maltese Falcon, but don't hold your breath. It's been sitting on our entertainment center for three weeks already and I can't renew from the library anymore. It has to go back. Keep checking back here, though. You never know what I might post in the meantime.
Cheers,
Juli
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