MYST POST #2: Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane originally was released to mostly negative reviews due to its subtle political messages. However as the years went by this film became to be known as the best film ever made. This was mainly due to the film's history, how it was shot, and a mixture of many other things. I believe this film was a pretty darn good film for the time and was revolutionary. Even compared to films today this film still has some sort of special quality to it that makes it so great and fun to watch. The film's shots were its specialty. For example....

This is the scene where the reporters are discussing what the meaning is behind Kane's last words "Rosebud." The two projectors are lit from behind the scene giving an interesting yet ominous shadow effect. Due to this effect we are rarely ever to make out Thompon's actual face. Many other character's faces in this scene are also shaded out by the lighting in the room. This was done to help symbolize that they are not exactly the important characters in the story. Heck, most of the characters we see in this scene we never see again. In the particular shot above, Ralston's character is shown higher than Thompson's to show Ralston's authority over the matter. While very simplistic with its message this scene has gained fame for mainly how this subtle message was told rather than the message itself.

Also I should mention this scene, despite it being brief. This scene always disturbed me due to the loud noise and creepy look of the parrot. I mean look at that!! Why would such an odd thing be in this scene? It doesn't seem to add much symbolism. I think Roger Ebert said it best....

The Eyeless Cockatoo. Yes, you can see right through the eyeball of the shrieking cocatoo, in the scene before the big fight between Kane and Susan. It's a mistake.

So even the possibly best film ever does indeed have a mistake. So why would a film with mistakes still possibly be good? Well, many other very famous films also have also had mistakes too, such as Star Wars and Jurassic Park. The reason these films are still loved is because the mistakes clearly have no effect on the plot(unless they're plot holes). The film can still be consistent with or without the mistakes.  

In 1925 one of the most famous books ever written was released. This book is simply known as The Great Gatsby. This book was about a guy who was aimlessly searching for the American Dream of getting the girl he loved using all the money he had. Later on, he learns that she will never live up to the dreams he has had of her for years. Not long after she leaves him, in which he still hopes that she will come back to him. He then unfortunately dies from being shot by an upset husband.
In 1945 Citizen Kane came out and became one of the most famous and well known and respected films in cinema history. This movie was about a guy who was aimlessly searching for the American Dream by getting all the american people to love him using all the money he had. Later on, he learns that he will never be able to get the people to love him because he never understand how to get them to love him. Not long after another guy releases evidence Kane is cheating on his wife the people no longer love him yet he still hopes that they will come back to him. He then unfortunately dies and repeats his famous line "Rosebud."
The similarities between the book and the movie are endless. In fact many people have brought up the suggestion that Kane is similar to that of Gatsby due to the way their lives play out. They both want to achieve love one way or another, but are pushed aside and eventually killed. The character of Daisy can relate to that of the American People. They are both very easily manipulated.
Many film adaptions of the Great Gatsby have also came out since the release of the book. Yet no matter how many film adaptions come out of The Great Gatsby, Citizen Kane always seems to be the superior film. This is because the film only had a similar plot to the book and wasn't based off of it. It had complete freedom.

All in all, I can see how huge and inspiration-ally awesome this film really is. It truly is one of the best films ever made! But the best film ever made? I do not believe in such nonsense. Just as Charles Kane said "I don't think there's one word that can describe a mans life," I don't think there's one movie that can describe cinema.

Sources:
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTSktIXJLvDBaJ8LGlafoUD1jbr3YsIL2-jO60U1dLzX1wi2xG4dmZ1g5SSAbQvkRp8JptKlXUxSPBhCEDyfs08nR7Z8UE3pSWB7OEp3g83pPy178j8vYCC7friOzaOxXUD9Bmcl-7-qw/s1600/Poster+-+Citizen+Kane_02.jpg
http://lyoung101.qwriting.qc.cuny.edu/2011/10/09/analysis-project-1-shot-by-shot-breakdown-of-a-scene/
http://www.rogerebert.com/rogers-journal/a-viewers-companion-to-citizen-kane
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOij9fn7TftbBiXh0HdzvWTnxLzD4ao1CJ3OUK7k7V6cYIhx7xyRXmgkgCZ7phGkHf30ZGKO0i7XThw9qZJI9EIdfB4ev1SGTdNmTmBf_7xa8PB4mNwvgKzkKHTIwZ1-mOrIG_x514fw/s1600/Citizen+Kane_20131123234239.JPG
http://dcairns.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/vlcsnap-2013-11-13-19h35m01s199.png

MYST POST #1: Zero Dark Thirty

I always wanted to watch this movie ever since it was released last year. The film, which was based on a true story, surrounds a CIA operative who spends over 10 years of her life hunting down the terrorist leader Osama Bin Laden. The obvious highlight of the film is when Seal Team 6 arrives to take down Bin Laden.Immediately upon watching the film it became another classic. The end scene was just shot so beautifully. I also enjoy the scene at Area 51 because this is one of the first films to show the place without any aliens! The film provides a more realistic view on exactly what happened while hunting down Bin Laden.

The specific scene I should mention is the end scene when the actual killing of Osama Bin Laden takes place. The scene was shot with first person views through the night vision goggles and interesting views of the soldiers taking out the prey in the building. It may as well be one of the best directed modern war-type scenes since the director's other film, "The Hurt Locker". The lighting was in a tone of greyish-black that gave you enough detail to see what was happening, but also made the scene a bit more ominous and serious. Most war films now in days resemble that of a video game, filled with mindless violence, but this one did not and instead gave us a more realistic view of the Navy Seals in action.

If this film is not your cup of tea there is always that other Bin Laden film with Seal Team 6 called "Seal Team Six: The Raid on Osama Bin Laden" Which focuses more on the Seals rather than the CIA agent. However keep in mind that this film has been better reviewed by critics and focuses more on the story as a whole, but does have a little more focus on one character. The character that just happens to appear through most of the story is the CIA operative who does a great job in her leading role.