The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. - J.S. Mill
If anything it’s underrated. People seem to think it’s rated as the best simply due to the numerous innovations it made in the medium, but it’s a story and execution that has yet to be matched by any filmmaker since.
The acting is far less melodramatic and more realistic than anything else from its period, particularly Welles’ performance, which was more true to life than anything until Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. The story is rather brilliant because it anticipated much of the opinion of the movie through its demonstration that most people will try to sum up a complicated man with a simple explanation, like Rosebud. People who complain that There Will Be Blood lacked a “Rosebud” element explaining the reasons for Daniel Plainview’s less admirable traits missed precisely this point. Citizen Kane shows that finding one object or moment from someone’s past that explains their eventual outcome as a person is impossible.
One thing’s for sure: the song and dance sequence is freaking awesome.
Chosing greatness based on era is irrelevant. If you use time period as a determining factor then you are dismissing other movies by a factor out the filmmaker’s control.
The movie is less brilliant than you say because you are applying meaning after the fact. It’s nice to say that “it anticipated much of the opinion of the movie through its demonstration that most people will try to sum up a complicated man with a simple explanation” but that has no empirical reality.
And yes it “shows that finding one object or moment from someone’s past that explains their eventual outcome as a person is impossible” but he isn’t subtle in explaining that whatsoever. Instead he has Thompson say that exact thing. A clunky and pedestrian conclusion.
The song and dance routine was one of the weakest elements of the film.
Definitely not.
Comment by Darren R. — June 16, 2008 @ 5:10 pm
Oh it certainly is. I’m not aruging it’s a bad film, indeed I think it’s a good film. Merely that it’s overrated, which is undoubtably true.
Comment by Robert S. Porter — June 16, 2008 @ 6:04 pm
If anything it’s underrated. People seem to think it’s rated as the best simply due to the numerous innovations it made in the medium, but it’s a story and execution that has yet to be matched by any filmmaker since.
Comment by Darren R. — June 16, 2008 @ 7:28 pm
The acting is melodramatic and the story is pedestrian. ROSEBUD!!!!!!1one
Comment by Robert S. Porter — June 16, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
The acting is far less melodramatic and more realistic than anything else from its period, particularly Welles’ performance, which was more true to life than anything until Brando in A Streetcar Named Desire. The story is rather brilliant because it anticipated much of the opinion of the movie through its demonstration that most people will try to sum up a complicated man with a simple explanation, like Rosebud. People who complain that There Will Be Blood lacked a “Rosebud” element explaining the reasons for Daniel Plainview’s less admirable traits missed precisely this point. Citizen Kane shows that finding one object or moment from someone’s past that explains their eventual outcome as a person is impossible.
One thing’s for sure: the song and dance sequence is freaking awesome.
Comment by Darren R. — June 16, 2008 @ 10:24 pm
Chosing greatness based on era is irrelevant. If you use time period as a determining factor then you are dismissing other movies by a factor out the filmmaker’s control.
The movie is less brilliant than you say because you are applying meaning after the fact. It’s nice to say that “it anticipated much of the opinion of the movie through its demonstration that most people will try to sum up a complicated man with a simple explanation” but that has no empirical reality.
And yes it “shows that finding one object or moment from someone’s past that explains their eventual outcome as a person is impossible” but he isn’t subtle in explaining that whatsoever. Instead he has Thompson say that exact thing. A clunky and pedestrian conclusion.
The song and dance routine was one of the weakest elements of the film.
Comment by Robert S. Porter — June 17, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
[…] AFI tried to answer that question. But Citizen Cane? Really? It was his stupid […]
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