American Politics & Pop Culture

Citizen Kane is indeed a noteworthy and unique piece of American cinematography. Its position on the
'best films of all time" list is warranted in my opinion. I would rank it on my personal top ten movies, because I value the attention to creative detail, dramatic lighting, and important message that it delivers. What makes Citizen Kane exceptional is its depiction of how money can corrupt even the most obstinant of people. Kane began as an average man with a commitment to delivering honest, uncorrupted news to his fellow average man. As he was swept up into politics, affairs, and fortune, the movie slowly shows his evolving motives and values. For example, Kane's new found passion for collecting statues, exotic travels, and dwindling marital commitment signal his moral metamorphosis.

I don't think that Citizen Kane would have the same affect on today's audience as it did on the audience of its time. Modern movies often portray the dangers and evils that money and greed bring. Movies of Citizen Kane's time didn't expose reality to the degree that modern movies do in my opinion. Hollywood was heavily influenced by government censorship, and movies were often made to promote certain ideals and propaganda. Today's audience has been desensitized by modern innovations in movie making, and therefore may not appreciate the complexity in lighting and mood synthesized in Citizen Kane. For example, in the beginning when the man is investigating Kane's book to solve the mystery of the word "rosebud," the book is almost glowing with light on top of the stark table, representing the importance of Kane's life story. Similarly, as both of his wives are leaving him, they are also almost glowing with light as they retreat, symbolizing the goodness in his life leaving him.

Posted by joh03704 at 05:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Kane:

I enjoyed Citizen Kane quite a bit. Best movie of all time? I don't know. It's a very intriguing rag to riches story. It seems to me that Kane's intent is good all of the time. In the beginning he doesn't even seem to be interested in the money, all that he wants is the newspaper. One of my favorite lines in the movie is when Kane says, "If I hadn't been really rich, I would've been a really good man." I guess it just goes to show what a little bit of power and money can do to a person. The problem seemed to be that he had a lot of opinions and a very generous mind, but he only believed in himself. The people closest to him described him as being desperate for love but not having any to give in return. My favorite character in Citizen Kane is Jedediah. I couldn't help but giggle when he stumbles into the press and tells Kane exactly what's on his mind.

Overall, it's a really sad story about a really lonely man. He really doesn't have a genuine relationship throughout his entire life. I think that a lot of today's films goers would care about the message of Citizen Kane because the issues presented are still relevant. We've definitely all seen and experienced the effects that the media has on the society we are part of and a lot of us realize the "American Dream" is not all that is cracked up to be. This movie depicts the rise and fall of a very powerful man who, in most people's eyes, had it all. Things are not always as they seem. I think that the portrayal of Charles Foster Kane is pretty fair. It really doesn't show much of his point of view, but who would know him better than the people "closest" to him? It's fair because everybody has a right to their own interpretation. Welles was just exercising that right.

Posted by joh02296 at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Kane falls quite a bit short when talking about my all time favorites. I just can not get into black and white movies. Putting the absence of color aside this was a very well executed film. For the time and even today the use of lighting, aging make-up, and vast sets made this movie something to remember.

The idea of the American dream as being hollow does hold significance with film goers today. Due to the materialistic world we live in and my pessimistic outlook, the best I can do is say that people would like to think that they would choose real love over a material possession. Although I believe that most Americans today care more about money than anything else, I still think they would say otherwise, which leads me to believe they would realize the meaning of a hollow American dream.

“Citizen Kane is cited as a great film for its cinematography, symbolism, and message-all things that do not interest most film goers today. If you were to show Citizen Kane to a random bunch of people today, nobody would care.” This statement, sadly, holds great weight. Today’s movie goers watch movies not for the underlying meaning or symbolism, but rather for the story, to be entertained. No one would really care because no one would really understand. Even I got caught up in the story and the psychological factors of why Kane did the things he did, rather that realize the message of material things don’t make a person happy.

Comparing Citizen Kane to films of today I don’t really notice angle differences, but taking advantage of lighting is a huge part of this movie. Due to the film being in black and white the use of lighting was very important, where as today lighting is not as noticeable because we are distracted by colors.

I think today’s films jump scenes quite a bit more than Citizen Kane because they are so many more things happening that it is hard to stay at one scene for too long. It also has to do with keeping the audiences attention. People of today are fast pace and get bored easily so I don’t think the idea of long takes would work as well in today’s world.

It was a fair representation of Charles Foster Kane. He was a little boy taken from his parents at an early age to learn to be an adult and suddenly he had all of these rules to follow. So it is only expected that he would rebel against the norm off the time and not be interested in money. Also the fact that he felt unloved can explain why he is always trying to get people to love him. It also explains why he try’s to buy love, because money was put on a pedestal and he was never really exposed to real love so he didn’t know how else to get people to love him.

Posted by nels5175 at 02:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Kane is almost always at the top of “the best of all time” film lists. Why do think
that is, and would you put it on your own “all time” list?

I don't think I would go as far as to say that Citizen Kane is at the top of "the best of all time" list, but it was a pretty decent movie for its time.
Citizen Kane had many positive elements. For instance, the movie experimented with many different camera angles which made for a more interesting film. Storytelling is a strong aspect of the movie as well. Citizen Kane takes us through the life of one man; his accomplishments and failures, marriages and divorces. It shows everything Kane had to do to achieve the American dream. This made for a more realistic movie, showing how hard one man had to work to get to the top and how lonely it really is up there. I also really enjoyed the symbolism that took place in the movie. Having the viewer unaware of what 'rosebud' meant throughout the film keeps them in suspense until the end when the meaning of 'rosebud' is presented.
I wouldn't put this movie on my top list because even though it was a pretty good movie it was a little too slow moving for me and it was actually quite depressing.

Posted by ruff0046 at 02:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I will admit that at first it was hard for me to focus and gain interest in the film Citizen Kane, partially because the films most of us engage in today are far more digitally enhanced and appealing to the eye; for example color vs. black and white. However, once I adjusted to this difference, I was able to see the film for its defiant strengths such as the story line, acting, connections with society, and creative filmmaking considering the limited resources and technology available at the time.
Although the movie was created years ago, it reflects on issues still relative to modern society. This allows people of today’s society the ability to make connections, which is usually an important aspect of films from a viewer’s perspective.
Citizen Kane reflects on the popular belief that having everything one could ever imagine does not always lead to true happiness. Implying that material worth is not what is most important. Americans, then and today, live for this story. It gives the less privileged hope and forces people to empathize and appreciate the non materialistic gifts life has to offer. Making connections and giving most people a better sense of worth.
The constant mystery of trying to figure out the meaning and significance of Charles Kane’s last word, “rosebud,” had me curious and intrigued throughout the entire movie. When the solution to the mystery is solved, revealing the symbolism of rosebud to the loss of Kane’s childhood, it implies that something as significant as one’s childhood is irreplaceable and no material worth can ever fill this void. This is always a popular storyline among modern society and never seems to get old.
I wouldn’t go as far to say that this is the greatest movie of all time. However, I would agree that this is a very excellent film that can still be appreciated today. The positive qualities found in the symbolism, connections, respectable acting, and creativity leave Citizen Kane a film quite deserving of a significant amount of credit.

Posted by munoz047 at 06:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I remember my grandfather saying once that Citizen Kane was the best movie of all times, and that Plan 9 from Outer Space was consistently voted the worst. Personally, I enjoy Plan 9 a lot more than Citizen Kane if only for the fact that it induces some serious laughter. So when I first saw Citizen Kane as a senior in high school, I was left wondering what all the fuss was about. I thought Orson Welles was a good actor and that he made a pretty solid movie but—the best movie of all time? I didn’t think so and I still don’t. However, I don’t agree with this comment (seemingly written by either an old man who is wondering where the good old days disappeared to or some sullen teenager):

“Citizen Kane is cited as a great film for its cinematography, symbolism, and message—all things that do not interest film-goers today. If you were to show Citizen Kane to a random bunch of people today, nobody would care.”

This I find to be very harsh (and also, if that’s all it takes to make a great film, I could make one tomorrow!). I would agree that people don’t care too much about Citizen Kane anymore as it is somewhat dated and a story that isn’t really relevant to your ordinary citizen as most of us aren’t multi-millionaires who can do whatever we want, but I don’t agree that the lack of interest is due to the fact that film-goers don’t care about cinematography, symbolism, or message. We do seem to care as the movies that get nominated to win Academy Awards tend to be fluent in all three of those categories. There’s even an award for best cinematography so someone must care.

Let’s look at the winner of the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2006. Personally I was very annoyed that Crash, a story about racism, won over Brokeback Mountain, a story about, well, you know, because I felt Brokeback Mountain was the better film and Crash was nothing new. But I guess the audiences and voters felt different and no doubt it was due to the message of the movie: that racism is still prevalent even if it’s not overt. Take a look at the leading-contender for Best Picture this year, No Country For Old Men, which is seeping with symbolism and has a powerful message of its own. Movie-goers do care about these things, just not so much in out-dated, 60 year old movies.

Posted by bergm150 at 03:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I wouldn’t list Citizen Kane as one of “the best of all time”. The appeal of the American Dream is not as relevant as it was back then, and I believe it’s just harder for the majority of the population to relate to this as the middle class families have been growing steadily. Although I enjoyed the movie to a certain extent because I do believe that there is much more to life than the American Dream. It is not about the quantity of materials, but the quality and significance of holding such materials, whether it is excessive or not. The difference in the adult’s (Kane’s parents) idea of what happiness is (wealth) compare to a child’s (Charles Foster Kane) idea of what happiness is (family), is significant in the movie as at the end on his deathbed when he mentions the name of his sledge, brings us back to the notion that all the wealth he acquired and the love he bought never filled the void of leaving his family and the simpler times during his childhood. As he acquires wealth and spends money ruthlessly throughout the movie, it is fairly apparent that he was becoming farther and farther from affections he desired. In his final home, his palace, the large fireplace was sparsely furnished, normal conversation was hard to hold (they were shouting in the grand hall or … living room?) and everybody was unhappy. It was ironic how Charles Kane thought wealth could buy back what lacked from him but at the end what mattered to him most was considered worthless when he died and was burnt. It was a good movie and the irony forces people to rethink the concept of the American Dream.

Posted by lungx009 at 08:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I would like to address several of the questions posed. First of all, as to Citizen Kane being considered the greatest movie of all time, I would have to disagree, although I do think that it was an amazing movie about what is important in life.

As far as this movie not interesting your average movie goer today, I think it wouldn't interest many. The first 5 minutes of the movie where it shows the life of Kane documentary are somewhat annoying in my opinion. Once the regular dialog and characters came into place, the movie become much more interesting. I think the depiction of the "American Dream" not being all that it's cracked up to be is very critical, today probably more so than before. Here is a man who had all the wealth in the world, and the final thing he thinks about on his deathbed is a time when he was with his mother and had a sled. He didn't want to leave as a young child because he desired the love of his mother. Later in life, when he had "gained everything," he had really lost everything in my opinion. The most important thing in life is not the money and things we acquire, rather it is the people in your life. For me it doesn't matter where I am, what I'm doing, or whether or not I am rich or poor, if I am not surrounded with people who care about me. Nothing is more important than this, and oftentimes people forget this in their pursuit of money and power. It is a powerful message about life, and I enjoy the storytelling method where the reporter goes and talks to people who have interacted with Kane in their life. It reminds me of the style of the movie "It's a Wonderful Life" and has many parallels with it. Both old movies, well ahead of their time, filled with messages that are just as important today as they were in the 1940s.

Posted by marsh401 at 11:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At first I didn't see how this movie could be rated one of the best movies of all time. Now, I can see why this movie is classic. It has all the elements of the "rags to riches" story. Everyone loves to see the underdog make it. It makes good story because it correlates to people that want to be that person or strive to be that person from rags to riches.

The part that stuck out the most to me is his lost childhood. How he used money, power, and knowledge try to compensate for a childhood that he lost. He was never happy or satisfied with what he had in life, even though became wealthy and powerful. He used it to live his dreams through other people which in the end did him no good. It wasn’t self fulfilling because he was never satisfied. In the end all of things he acquired didn’t hold any value compared to his sled “Rosebud” did. His sled represented simplicity. It was a symbol of freedom and living in the present time.

I think this movie depicts people who get caught up in material possessions and living a lavish life that they forget the simple things in life that should be cherished and remembered. For example, parents who are so occupied working and forgetting that they need to be there for their kids. They don’t get to experience their child growing up and being a big part of their life because they are so occupied worrying about the future and forgetting what is important now.

-Hubert-

Posted by tuazo001 at 11:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The film “Citizen Kane” I must admit, was only mildly entertaining to me. However, I do feel that this movie conveyed an interesting message. The fact that Kane’s financial success was so unfulfilling to him is a message that continues to be a topic of interest today. This can be exemplified by the number of people who seek fame and financial success as an end to being happy. There are a number of recent movies based around the premise of wealth and success not necessarily producing happiness. I find it remarkable that Wells was the first person to present this message to audiences. Although this film was not the most entertaining movie I’ve ever viewed I believe that it does convey a message that is still appealing and holds some resonance with audiences today.

Posted by Martine Schroeder at 11:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had only seen clips of Citizen Kane before watching the entire movie in class last Wednesday. Yes, I still think that it can hold up in today’s world of film because of its very original story line. People in the 1940’s would have been more familiar with the parallel to William Randolph Hearst. That is lost on the generation today that maybe unfamiliar with him.

The plot and storytelling conveyed through the movie is still very compelling. Citizen Kane in comparison to other movies today stands out. Every scene with more than a minute of dialogue could be considered the climax of every other movie that I’ve seen in my opinion. That is why it is still considered the greatest movie of all time.
Another point I couldn’t help but notice was that the people Charles Foster Kane had the most intimate relationships with called him Charlie. His first wife, his best friend Jedediah Leland, and is second wife all called him Charlie. It could be said that perhaps if it had been a different time Kane would never have married his first wife. Maybe he would have been in an openly gay relationship with Jedediah. It was plain to me that originally that’s where Kane’s loyalty and affection lied. After all Kane asked Jed to go to Europe with him and when Jed asked to leave the New York office of the newspaper, Kane followed him to Chicago where he built his second wife a theater. Perhaps a grand gesture to distract from the real reason why he was there? I guess we’ll never know, but it is sure fun to speculate.
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Yes the hollow American Dream does have resonance with the modern film-goer. We’ve witnessed it in a different way. Modern day Charles Foster Kanes are the Ken Lays, Jeffrey Skillings and Enron CEO’s of our hollow American Dream. Instead of ruining one life at a time, our modern Kane’s have ruined thousands of people’s lives. Instead of deceiving a first wife about an affair, modern Kanes duped thousands of people by way of accounting fraud. While Charlie Kane was shown to have a heart in need of love and a yearning for a lost, innocent youth, the modern Kanes cared only for money.

Posted by byro0028 at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I've heard a lot of talk about this movie for most of my life, but going into class last Wednesday I honestly had no idea what this movie was about, much less what to expect. I particularly liked the way we learned about Kane through the stories and memories of those closest to him, but none of them knew him well enough to know what Rosebud actually meant. Kane is a tragic character, but brings the tragedy onto himself by succombing to tempatation of wealth and power, making it nearly impossible to sympathize with him.
Although the taste of moviegoers today has drastically changed since the time this movie came out, I don't agree that most people wouldn't care about the symbolism, message, etc, that this movie is based on. While the majority of us wouldn't put this movie in the top 5 list we just made, I believe most of us at least appreciate the differences between Citizen Kane and the dumb humor and redundant action movies that Hollywood wants us to watch. As a capitalist country, most people are concerned with acquiring as much wealth and power as possible, just like Kane does, but nobody really thinks about the consequences of having so much power in the palm of your hand. Therefore, this movie is still relevent in that respect, and probably will be for a long time...unless there is another communist uprising in the near future.

Posted by ross0426 at 11:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

“If I wasn’t rich I might have been a good man.” Does wealth corrupt good people? I don't think so, but this movie brings up the idea that the quest for money and wealth has the power to turn good people bad. Kane is essentially alone when he dies. He is surrounded by material things that he has purchased in a house empty of family or friends. Sure he has a butler, but everyone in his life at this point, is paid to be in his life. I think that this movie is relevant to our society because so many people do strive for financial success, which is alright, but lose sight of more important things in the process. One problem this movie may have connecting with today's audience is that it was a little slow. Society has become more impatient over time and this could prevent it from being enjoyed by many people. Overall I found it entertaining enough with a refreshing message that money won't solve all problems and that maybe this American Dream that so many strive for is a little overrated.

Posted by Alicia Bjork at 11:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

When I read the syllabus and noted that we would be screening “Citizen Kane” in class, I had mixed feelings. I knew it was an iconic film, a masterpiece, listed as one of the best, as one of those films you just need to see. My initial hesitancy was that it would be boring, slow, cheesy, and would not live up to all the hype. I have been proven wrong when it comes to classic movies, as “Rebel without a Cause” is one of my favorites, but nonetheless, I was not expecting to like the film. I was even more surprised when I found myself quite captivated by it.

While Kane was certainly flawed, perhaps even despicable, he is also pitiable. I found myself, more than disliking his character, actually feeling bad for him. As we come to learn in the end, that the meaning behind his last utterance, “rosebud,” is a reference to his beloved sled, a relic from his childhood, it shows us how traumatic his separation from his mother, and essentially, his childhood, was. He knew a true kind of love before he was taken away, something he was never able to replicate through domineering behavior or bought affections. Kane died with wealth, but was empty and alone; the adage “money doesn’t buy happiness” certainly rings true in this case.

I do think that the idea of a less idealized depiction of the American Dream does resonate with people in this time. While this comparison is quite possibly sacrilegious, I think there are many similarities between Kane and the “starlets” and “socialites” of today, for instance Britney Spears. Her childhood was, essentially, lost to fame; she grew up quickly with the constant scrutiny of the public. Now, in her mid-twenties, she’s rich, spending some obscene amount of money monthly, and has the attention of the world, but (as we’re constantly reminded) she is in decline. Her career is all but dead, she lost her kids, and she may be battling some addiction/mental health issues. Again, “money doesn’t buy happiness;” she has everything, but nothing, as did Kane.

Posted by palaz012 at 11:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Kane is one of the best movies of all time because it has various aspects that continue to appeal to many movie goers. The most apparent evidence is observing how the students were willing to spend 10 more minutes to finish the movie. It was captivating because the “Rosebud” word mystery continued throughout the movie. It is human nature to be curious and understand the unknown. Therefore most audiences that saw the movie since the 1940s, -no matter whether the genre of Citizen Kane appealed to them or not- wanted to figure out what Charles Foster Kane was thinking when he chose “Rosebud” as his last word. Citizen Kane is also one of my “all time” list because I too demand explanation for the word.

I do not think that Citizen Kane’s depiction of the American dream resonates with today’s film goers. Not very many people would wish to use their wealth and power the way Charles did. Many people, including the audience of the movie, would probably choose to stay happy while living a regular life than trading wealth for happiness.

I do not fully agree with the statement that nobody would care if I were to show the movie to a random audience because even though the movie is very dated, it still has the curiosity aspect that will continue to captivate its viewers.

Comparing Citizen Kane to movies I see today, there isn’t much angle differences that stand out. However a few differences did show. It seems like there was always a camera zoom in one’s face in order to make one's expression really stand out. Another difference was that none of the characters seemed casual. Everyone was always uptight. The men all wore a suit and the women wore formal dresses.

I think that the portrayal of Charles was fair because it showed that no human being has power over everything no matter how rich they are. Charles was a decent man but he couldn’t use his wealth and power to make his abusive relationship workout with his partner .

Posted by onon0006 at 10:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Cane was a thought provoking movie. The movie never came out and specifically spelled out what I the concepts the movie conveys, but instead subtly alluded to them throughout the entire movie. This caused me to inadvertently think far more about this movie and the meanings behind it than any other movie I have ever watched. This is a large part of the reason why Citizen Cane often appears on the top of the best movies of all time lists. Critics watch hundreds of movies, so a movie that does not let them stop thinking about it obviously appear high in their lists. Also although it is an old and black and white movie the acting as well as the story line was exemplary even if they do not meet up to current standards.
The first major theme was that the American Dream is not necessarily what it is made up to be. Cane as a child had everything that he wanted in his sled and his family. His parents were not able to realize this and so sent him off to a place he could live the American Dream and in so doing took away everything he really wanted. Following in his live Cane gained power and respect which are what many people strive for, yet all he wanted in the end was love and acceptance, things he was never able to buy. Cane never realized this as even when he had a woman who was willing to love him as he continued to try to buy her affection; instead of earning it by the way he acted toward her. In saying rosebud when she left I believe that he realized what he had done by treating her as he did. He had done the same thing to her in buying her everything and removing her from the life that she knew as his parents had to him when they sent him off to live with the well educated man for a better upbringing.
Another theme was how mass media is able to influence public opinion and beliefs.

Posted by andre368 at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Considered one of the greatest films of all-time, Citizen Kane certainly does many things well. First, the film exemplifies that, for some, money simply can't buy happiness. I believe this is a view that resonates with many modern film-goers. Living in a society in which they are exposed to corporate scandal, greed by professional athletes and celebrity vanity on a daily basis, I truly believe that the greater theme of Citizen Kane would ring true for many of today's film-goers. Second, I would have to disagree with the comment posted on the assignment page that no one today would appreciate the magnificence of Kane's cinematography, symbolism and its message. I would argue that while the modern trend in movies is to go bigger and better with visual effects, true film-makers and film-goers are just as concerned with a film's content (cinematography, symbolism and its message) as they are with surface-driven action sequences. Third, there is a stark contrast between Welles' shooting methods with those of today's filmmakers. In Kane, one can observe the long takes imposed by Welles. Often times, a scene will stretch the limits of dialogue or emotion before cutting to another scene. This couldn't be further from the methods of today's producers. Short, concise sequences full of visual stimuli have replaced the longer takes of older films such as Kane. Whether this is a positive or a negative is, in my opinion, still up for debate. Last, I wish to comment on the status of the film as one of the greatest of all-time. For me, Kane is a very good film. It breaks the boundaries of genre, as it could be seen as a mystery, drama or tragedy. Welles deviated from the norms of film-making, as he was among the first artists to depict the affluent lifestyle in a negative manner. In doing so, he took a risk and produced a classic film that stands the test of time. Although I wouldn't put Citizen Kane in my top five films, I can certainly see why others have.

Posted by stap0069 at 09:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What first strikes you in the film Citizen Kane is just the absolute massive scope of everything. From the towering Xanadu to the close ups of the imposing characters, this is a film that really turns a critical eye on the grandeur of the object, and in so doing the American obsession with over indulgence.
While the film could have easily started with Charles Kane as a boy on the streets, it instead starts with a time line of the man's life at his death. Doing this allows Orson Welles to forefront the image, as the opening montage becomes of series of grand structures and scenes. One after the other, each of a more and more massive scale. From the towering Xanadu, to the birds eye shot of the union square as literally a sea of people, Welles puts the idea of the American dream on display from the very beginning. This effect is achieved due to the often used low angle shots to show us the buildings giving each place not only a stature to it, but also a dark, foreboding aspect to it as well. Welles’ heavy use of shadows also add to this the opening is at times very reminiscent of the early German expressionist films (the way the buildings are sculpted with the light reminds me of Cabinet of Dr. Caligari). As the film progresses and the characters are introduced, we often see them in close up, and very frequently from low angles. Again this is a technique used with success throughout the film to really situate the people as men of power. In this way Welles really turns the camera on what Americans generally equate with success. By making the standard objects of power so immense and sinister he really forces the viewer to analyze what it means to be successful and if our view isn’t itself a little warped and twisted

Posted by hobb0041 at 09:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

While I would not go so far as to say that Citizen Kane is one of my favorite movies of all time, I can appreciate what it brought to American cinema during the 1940’s. Welles’ message of wealth and life in the limelight causing such personal turmoil was one unfamiliar to people during that time. I feel that this message is relevant today, but it has lost the punch it once had because of the countless films since Wells' exposing the same pitfalls of trying to achieve the “American Dream”. In an age of computer graphics and high demand for bigger and better special effects and camera angles, it is no surprise that the typical American cannot appreciate what progress Citizen Kane represented in cinematography. Perhaps only those who have a deep appreciation and understanding of the art of film might consider this to be one of the greatest movies ever. Even though I was slightly let down by the film, one part of the movie that I enjoyed was when Welles is talking about how if had he stayed poor, he may have been a good man. You see his struggle throughout the course of the movie when he attempts to “buy love” and never really lets anyone in close enough to impact his life and his heart. It is sad to see his life slowly falling apart piece by piece and a part of me felt bad for him. Overall, I feel the movie is worth watching; however, I was disappointed that it did not live up to its hype.

Posted by colb0086 at 09:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Overall I enjoyed the film, but I believe that the film is severly overrated. I see that the film set the standard for films in which the main character is completely miserable due to his or her own actions. The acting left something to be desired, the characters in the film are very specific, but the portrayals of the characters are shallow. However, I did enjoy the film's style and how the audience learns more about Charles Foster Kane. The concept of releasing details to the viewer through detective work after the man's death in order to understand what his dying words meant was a clever way of progressing the plot and telling Kane's story. The story's development effectively built up my desire to comprehend "rosebud". I appreciated how the film came to a close with the cathartic burning of Kane's beloved possession from the only time period he was truly happy.

Posted by sore0344 at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

In the film Citizen Kane, it became evident that the American Dream was “hollow” for Charles Kane, and I do think this somewhat has resonance in today’s moviegoers. As people are still understanding of the original idea and purpose of the American Dream, it becomes almost necessary by today’s standards for some people to behave as Kane did do achieve such status, especially financially. We exist in the “me generation”—one that somewhat mirrors Kane’s desire in the film to attain everything for himself before others. It is after Kane establishes himself financially that he pursues the more real things of life, such as companionship and world travels, which also corresponds to our latest generational trends, for the most part. Even then, at the end of the day the only love Kane has is for himself.

I believe that if people were shown this film today, they would at least be understanding of its meaning, even if they didn’t care. True, this film would not be the most intriguing at first glance, or be the top seller at the box office, but the symbols and messages in Citizen Kane are still well applicable in today’s society, and I think everyone who watched it today would be appreciative. For example, the monopolization of public media and use of it to sway opinions is still an issue today (although it is not always readily evident) as it was when Kane controlled newspapers countrywide in the film. The thing that could be asked of people today after viewing Citizen Kane is at least to take a second thought at how they are being influenced in their every day lives by surrounding media.

As far as the cinematography of this film goes, it was a little too different from current films for my liking. I felt that some scenes, both significant and not, were awkwardly lingered upon during the filming, and certain visual or audio effects were too overdone for their purpose. Thankfully, these things were not a great hindrance to the plot.

Posted by joh02361 at 09:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

As a regular film watcher and have never seen Citizen Kane before, I found it to be rather dull and boring. I'm a person who loves the tear jerker films and this one I was just in disgust of how he used his life for very little good. He's a man of great power, especially through all his relationships he had with people, but instead of using them to create common good he only thought about himself. It disgusted me, because you can see this view of powerful people throughout society today.

Besides the story of the life of Charles Kane himself though, the film had awesome cinematography. Sure it's only in black and white, but if you take a look at it hard you can see how many shadows and lighting characteristics it has that it would only degrade the film if it were in color. When watching the film I did notice the same scowl on his aging face from the beginning to the end of the plot as if he has been trying to get at everyone that has helped him succeed. It was as if Charlie had always strived to get back to the life he had before; with Rosebud, his sled. Other than how well Orson Welles directed the movie with it's symbolism, message and cinematography I would say it's a movie that portrays how our society is today and it's horrible. I will never watch this movie again.

Posted by carr0445 at 09:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Having never watched Citizen Kane before I did not know what to expect from a Film directed in the 1940’s. Personally I would not put it at the top of my all time favorite list because I found it to slow to understand and do not like many old films. I also do not like black and white films as the lack of color makes it harder for me to follow. However that being said I do understand the greatness of this film due to the lighting and camera work for a film directed in the 1940s. If this film was directed with today’s modern techniques to move faster and become easier to understand I do believe it would be a very successful film and possibly on me all time favorite movies

Citizen Kane used the mysterious word “Rosebud” to examine the American Dream. Kane used his money and power to buy love and make others as miserable as possible. However what Rosebud really reveals to us is his lost happiness from his childhood. In his early childhood Kane was brought up poor but was still happy, when his mother sent him away he lost all his happiness, becoming rich and greedy turning Kane’s palace into his own prison, a tragedy that greed and wealth can bring to many people who do not know what to do with it all.

I agree with the following statement “Citizen Kane is cited as a great film for its
cinematography, symbolism, and message, all things that do not interest most film goers
today. If you were to show Citizen Kane to a random bunch of people today, nobody
would care.” Most people today watch films for the excitement, a good story line, and great acting not for the likes of cinematography, symbolism and the message.

I do believe that the portrayal of Charles Foster Kane was fair. The director does cover Kane’s life from all aspects expressing this through several different characters that viewed his life differently to find out his true personality.

Overall I believe if I watched the film again I would understand the concepts of the film easier now that I know the meaning of “Rosebud” and can follow the importance of it throughout the film.

Posted by campb503 at 09:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thought the film Citizen Kane was enjoyable and a very good story. It is not a kind of film that I would normally watch and to be honest I had never heard of it before this class.
One thing that I really enjoyed about the making of this film was the way that we got to see Charles Foster Kane's full life. From this we got to know what he went through then ultimately know what he meant by his dying word "rosebud"
The cinematography of the film was very good for a 1941 film. Compared to other films that I have seen from that era it was miles ahead of its time. This is why this film is considered one of the greatest films of all time!! I personally wouldn't class it as my greatest film of all time but from an American point of view it coincides with the American dream extremely well. When this film came out the American Dream was a huge part of people lives. This film contradicted the American Dream in a way as shows that money does not bring you happiness. The theme of "Rosebud" was very good for the movie. It almost acts as a new American dream because Rosebud represents Kane's childhood, or lack of it. It suggests that a new American Dream would be to have a good fun childhood then go on to have a good life which Kane did not have.

Posted by culve018 at 09:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Chris Lewis: Citzen Kane" »

Posted by Chris Lewis at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Continue reading "Chris Lewis: Citzen Kane" »

Posted by Chris Lewis at 08:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have watched this movie several times before class and been impressed with the fantastic cinematography, the use of light and shadow to great affect, the acting, and the editing. However what struck me most this time was the way in which Welles ordered his plot. He begins the movie with the end, then uses that great newsreel footage to detail exactly what he is going to show the audience throughout the movie. As we move from viewpoint to viewpoint along with the reporter, the life of Kane is fleshed out more and more, and we get a character that is extremely complex but readily understood. It would be easy for an audience to dismiss or grow bored with the plot since it is already laid out. Instead the mystery of Kane's death only allows the viewer to become more engaged with the life he lead and the great drama and tragedy in it.

Posted by drey0022 at 08:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

At first, I thought Citizen Kane was really boring and a waste of valuable class time. But as I watched it further, I realized that there was a deeper meaning to the movie.
First, I found it interesting that the main character, Charles Foster Kane, started as an innocent little boy with honest goals and remained a noble man for as long as he did. However, as soon as he realized the extent of his wealth and power, Kane became the person he never said he would. I predicted that Kane would become miserable with his own life, however, I was surprised that he became such a monster to the people around him. I think the theme of the movie is an important lesson opposing the American Dream.
In addition, I also liked the quote from the Blog Assignment page regarding Citizen Kane as a notable movie from it's time. I agree with the idea that today's movie-goers would not find the technical aspects of the film interesting. Most people today view movies as an easy-going activity where deep thinking is not favorable. Even as I watched the film, I was immediately bored with the plot and the acting. I had to remind myself that I was looking for symbolism and focusing on the themes. Once I got into an analytical mindset, I found the film much more interesting.
Another interesting thing I noticed was the lighting in the film. The lighting in the movie was generally dark and full of shadows; however, as the film went on, the lighting gradually got darker. I think Orson Welles did this as an interesting way to portray the character's personality transition. The more Charles Foster Kane grew miserable, and the more he dealt with inner struggles, the darker the lighting got. Lighting in today's films is much brighter regardless of the type of film; however, movies with darker meanings usually have darker lighting. I just don't think it's as obvious now.
So, overall, I would definitely not put this movie on my top five list, but it is an important movie in American history. The film has great symbolism and I think everybody should see it, but this type of film is not appealing for movie-goers today. I think Citizen Kane is more educational than anything.

Posted by Courtney Marlow at 08:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I thoroughly enjoyed Citizen Kane...though I have seen it before when I was much younger and way less capable of comprehending the granditude of its complexity. It makes an enormous amount of sense that CK would be on the best movies of all time list. The cinemetography is striking and presents the viewer with stark images that conveys the intensity of Kane's own character and his imminent doom...which is foreshadowed beautifully in the beginning Xanadu newsreel scene. That is actually one of my favorite segments of the film, when the newreel cuts out and you are suddenly caught off guard by the actual start of the film: a bunch of men sitting around in a screening room feverishly smoking cigarettes and theres a beatiful light from the projector room streaming down through the smoke. The interview scenes with the flashbacks are a brilliant way to pace the movie and as the story unravels the veiwer is allowed to grow to understand Kane's plight as a lonely, lost human being. Vs movies today Citizen Kane seems equally as thought-provoking and groundbreaking. Most films today seem to follow a prescribed outline in order to become box office hits with the occasional indie film...an even those have their own set of rules. CK is in the vein of the films of today that are equally as shocking: films that question the American Dream and the ideologies that we, as a consumer culture live by...and I dont believe there are too many of these films being made...so thats why this movie stands up to the test of time. It is equally as poignant as it was when it was first introduced...if not more considering our current state of being.

Posted by tapol001 at 08:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

"Citizen Kane is cited as a great film for its cinematography, symbolism, and message-all things that do not interest most film-goers today". I agree that at the time Citizen Kane was made the cinematography, symbolism, and message were great. As a movie-goer myself, I love the way movies are put together and I enjoy movies that portray a message and allow viewers to ponder a greater question. However, in todays society I feel the need to have a movie be action packed with adrenaline, mystery, and special effects. Citizen Kane simply did not satisfy that need for me. The symbolism with the sled and Kane's childhood was fantastic and unexpected. On his death bed Kane went back to a time when he was free of the burden of wealth, to a simpler time where he felt he was loved. Even amid the symbolism and the progressing story line, I sometimes felt like the progression through the movie was too slow, methodical, and even predictable. I feel like these aspects are things that disinterest movie-watchers. For these reasons I think Citizen Kane would not make the top ten of many people's lists and does not make my list either.

Posted by zabor005 at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I believe Citizen Kane is the best film of all time. While it is not my personal favorite film of all time, I understand why it normally tops the list. Its cinematography was groundbreaking (literally) for the time. A viewer with a keen eye realizes every angle, shadow, point of view and scene transition was deliberate and thought through. Welles had a hole cut into the floor for some scenes to make the actors appear extremely tall and show their “large way of life.” Welles’ shadow in the film covers other actors to show his hold and power over them. While we may be used to seeing this today, at the time of Citizen Kane’s release this was not often employed. Even still, many recent movies are more concerned with special effects and action than symbolism through cinematography.

Ideas of the American Dream are heavy-laden throughout the film. Kane evinces what every citizen is told he or she can do; as a child he has hardly anything, but he grows up to be one of the most powerful people in the country. Kane supposedly is concerned about the working man yet is truly more concerned about himself. He wants everyone to like him and tries to accrue this through buying love. Dystopia of the American Dream was not presented to the public in the manner of a film during the ‘40s before Citizen Kane. Questions concerning post-war life and pre-Cold War times were not centered on the possibility of not realizing or achieving a good job, plenty of money and a nuclear family. I believe this is one of the reasons the film was not a commercial success at its release.

As for today’s movie audiences, the emphasis of this film may be completely lost simply because it was made in 1941. Though at the same time, watching the film today may again bring into question the truths of the American Dream, wealth and class, and the meaning of love. I believe it is important for society to see this film in hopes of possibly regaining concern for symbolism, cinematography and social messages.

Posted by Candice Dehnbostel at 08:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Citizen Kane:
At first, I thought that the "flashback" aspect of the movie was going to be hard to follow. However, once the movie got going, it became apparent that this was the best way to go about filming. Since the main purpose of the movie was to figure out what the meaning is behind the word "rosebud," it makes sense to start at Kane's death and travel back in time.
Another repetitive theme of the movie i noticed was the way in which different individuals referred to Kane. First of all, his Kane's name in general is mentioned so much during the movie. Every time his name can be put into the script, it is. Also, it seems that his two main friends, Bernstein and Leland refer to him in two different ways. From what I remember, Leland almost always calls him Charlie, while Bernstein seems to usually call him Mr. Kane or Kane. I never really figured out why this is, but one idea that came to mind is that Leland might not be intimidated by Kane like everyone else is. This can be shown when he attempts to write a negative review of Kane's wife after her opera performance. Even though it is not a successful attempt, it shows that he is not afraid of the power Kane displays. While he may be jealous, he is certainly not intimidated. Overall, the movie was a good example of how power does not necessarily equal happiness. I agree that it is one of the better movies of all time (especially because it has stood the test of time) but I would probably not rank it in my number 1 slot, like I mentioned above, I am pretty partial to the Godfather.

Posted by cloy0004 at 07:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

The film Citizen Kane is critical of American culture. The film critiques how American culture lost its democratic nature in three ways; through the media, capitalism, and individualism. Orson Welles ties these three things together in a story to act as a reflection of what's happened to America. First Orson Welles owns a newspapers company and he is ridiculing and mocking an actual event called "yellow journalism." And in particular the infamous event of newspapers in America reporting a lie that the Spanish armada had attacked the American navy in the gulf around Cuba in the late 19th century. Mr Thatcher says"'Enemy Armada Off Jersey Coast you know you haven't the slightest proof that this - this armada - is off the Jersey Coast." Mr. Kane says "Can you prove it isn't?" Mr. Berntein recieves a telegram reporting from Cuba by Mr. Wheeler "I could send you some prose poems about palm trees and sunrises...there's no war here." Mr. Kane responds "You provide the prose poems, I'll provide the war." Mr. Kane is openly engaging in ridiculous and blatant forms of yellow journalism to satirize it.
Capitalism is another avenue of deterioration of American culture reflected in the film. Kane explains to Thatcher "it is also my pleasure - to see to it that decent, hard-working people of this city are not robbed blind by a group of money-mad pirates because, God help them, they have no one to look after their interests!...If I don't defend the interests of the underprivileged, somebody else will - maybe somebody without any money or any property and that would be too bad." Here he is just mocking the idealism of rich helping the poor. It seems like a deliberate, sarcastic joke. Kane lived in the world largest estate next to Disneyworld? Film calls it Xanadu. He seemed to be a boy with too much money and not enough responsibillity. Throughout the film he wasted money on frivolous things. He commented "I can't help that i don't own every statue in Europe, they've been making statues for two thousand years," or something of the like. In the end as evidenced by the film, he was quite unhappy with all his wealth, and what he really wanted was just his happy childhood.
His happy childhood leads into the final element of Welles critique of American culture in Citizen Kane which is individualism. Kane showed an utter disregard for what his readers knew and didn't know. His wife tries to educate him about being unscrupulous. "People will think..." He finishes her sentence "What I tell them to think." He later had an affair and left the same wife and their child for another woman. He later alienated her from himself too. He showed an inability to live in a social family setting or even a long term relationship. Also in the opening montage after the screening of "news on the march" we see a reporter asking several people who knew Charles Foster Kane in his lifetime questions about him and their stories were like a pastiche, incoherent, disjuctive. And in the end, the reporter couldn't find out the answer to the question what does "rosebud" mean? It seems that everyone was just looking out for themselves and no one really gave a damn about the other from the singer who yelled at him to "get out" to the concierge who tried to sell the reporter some information. Additionally, what Kane really wanted was his happy and poor childhood back that he had been alienated from to have an oversaturated overstimulated life away from his family and parents. It seems to be the message of the film. The film seems to be a statement on the narcissicm of American culture and what it has become because of capitalism, media, and individualism.

Posted by dahme012 at 07:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I had never seen Citizen Kane before. I have to say that I did not like this movie very much. I often find older movies to slow and uninteresting for my personal taste. There were also several scenes throughout the movie that I thought would belong on an episode of MST3K; not in a cinema masterpiece. I do, although, understand why in its day it was considered one of the greatest movies of all time. It uses innovative camera techniques and an unusual story telling method that at the time set it apart from other films.

One thing I did enjoy about the movie was the way that the character of Kane is developed. In the beginning, we see him as a great man, fighting for the working mans rights and living the American dream. But, as each new person tells their story we see a slightly different person until we reach the end of the movie where we see him as a lonely old man. The things we learned about him earlier in the movie are put in a completely new light. His actions we not noble or kind, he was simply trying to selfishly win peoples hearts any way he could. Once he lost the election, he felt he had lost the peoples love so; he desperately clings to Susan and tries to make people love her by forcing to do something she does not want. When that doesn’t work all he does is try to keep Susan with him by spending money on her, not by actually loving and caring for her.

While the story was shown in a very interesting way, I still found it to slow for my tastes. I understand why this is an influential movie but, I personally do not believe this is one of the greatest movies of all time.

Posted by will1920 at 07:25 PM | Permalink |