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Originally posted by PalynkaI used to really dislike Beethoven's 9th symphony, until Gerard Schwartz of the Seattle Symphony explained what was going on and I had an appreciation of it that I didn't have before. It's still not my favorite but it's not the drivel that it was before.
Citizen Kane.
Same with Citizen Kane - I don't think anyone can appreciate the movie without knowing about William Randolf Hearst, Jr. In the absence of that awareness then the movie is drivel. I think the movie is genius on a lot of levels. Best movie ever? Probably not on my list but it would be in the top 5 or 10.
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Originally posted by BadwaterI know what in your saying, but......I saw a documentary on the making of Citizen Kane on PBS. It was so interesting I watched the movie.
I used to really dislike Beethoven's 9th symphony, until Gerard Schwartz of the Seattle Symphony explained what was going on and I had an appreciation of it that I didn't have before. It's still not my favorite but it's not the drivel that it was before.
Same with Citizen Kane - I don't think anyone can appreciate the movie without knowing about William ...[text shortened]... lot of levels. Best movie ever? Probably not on my list but it would be in the top 5 or 10.
The documentary was much better. Kane makes the top of almost every critics "greatest movie of all time" list. I just don't see it. Maybe I'm missing something but the whole Rosebud thing just comes off as silly.
Still, you have a point. A study of art really helps when they explain what to look (listen) for. I would have loved to hear the explanation of Beethoven's 9th.
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Sorry I mistakenly referred to Hearst as Jr, it was the father.
So, let me give a couple of examples on Citizen Kane:
- Rosebud was what Hearst called the clitoris of his mistress, Marion Davies. Now tell me you'll think of Rosebud the same way. (Did PBS mention that? 😛)
- There's a scene when he's in his office and the set is raised so that the camera looks up at Orson Welles from floor level. It's a very clever shot and the first of its kind, where visually you have a sense of the largesse of Hearst. Also note that Sergio Leone borrows this kind of shot in his Eastwood westerns; during the gunfight you have a closeup of a boot at ground level with the opponent in the distance of the shot. Artistically it's doing different things but still borrowing the same technique from Citizen Kane.
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Originally posted by BadwaterThey certainly did NOT mention that!
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- Rosebud was what Hearst called the clitoris of his mistress, Marion Davies. Now tell me you'll think of Rosebud the same way. (Did PBS mention that? 😛)
They did talk about the camera angles and the lighting quite a bit. It was a good piece on the film.
Still, I just didn't think it was as great of a movie as everyone else seems to. But I DID say I might be missing something. Perhaps there's more.
