Citizen Kane
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.