Amazing to think of all the stars that aligned for a young man to create such a work of genius. All the influences within Welles that he was probably not even conscious of, they just flowed together in this story that seized his imagination. Its one of the creative wonders of the twentieth century and because cinema is a great art form, one of the great works of art.
I had a similar feeling 20 or so years ago -- I assumed it must be overrated, and I thought -- "Give me Casablanca! Give me Some Like it Hot! Give me 2001! Give me all of Hitchcock!" Then I gave in and watched Citizen Kane (on TV, alas.) And I was awed. I think for me above all it was the ... I don't have the vocabulary: staging? framing? cinematography? -- the way some shots simply amaze, and also have real meaning.
(Mind you, I'll keep Casablanca, Some Like it Hot, and 2001 as well!)
Another movie that I ignored for years, and which was a revelation when I saw it (just a couple of years ago) is The Apartment. Not as technically innovative as Citizen Kane, but as emotionally powerful. (And, yes, I think among many great directors, Billy Wilder may be my favorite.)
My venture into mature filmmaking, films that seemed like the world of the novel or the short story, began at the age of 18, when my then girlfriend took me to see Cabaret. Yes, Citizen Kane is fabulous.
How different a viewing experience I had, first watching it at 20 and thinking Kane had made the wrong choices, and watching it again over 30 years later and then thinking what limited choices he had. The end scene - where he tries to destroy things after his wife leaves him, and then his staff silently watches him walk by - was devastating the second time around.
Saving a masterpiece for middle age might be the best argument going for having been a philistine. And that ending only lands because the film spends two hours letting everyone around him get it wrong. I'll stop there, for the novices. Amazing article. Thanks for posting it.
Funny, coming as this did after Harry Kane’s arresting performance on the football pitch I thought Henry , what’s going on; have even you been infected by World Cup Fever? I was relieved to find you were in another tack !
Isn't it amazing? I went to see it yesterday too, and though I had seen it before, I was still picking up new things. And I was startled to see how much power the ending still has even after multiple viewings.
I saw CK in my early teens and the sheer sweep of the narrative was thrilling. It was viewing it as a mature adult that I was moved by the human frailties it exposed. One of my favourite films after The Third Man.
Amazing to think of all the stars that aligned for a young man to create such a work of genius. All the influences within Welles that he was probably not even conscious of, they just flowed together in this story that seized his imagination. Its one of the creative wonders of the twentieth century and because cinema is a great art form, one of the great works of art.
I had a similar feeling 20 or so years ago -- I assumed it must be overrated, and I thought -- "Give me Casablanca! Give me Some Like it Hot! Give me 2001! Give me all of Hitchcock!" Then I gave in and watched Citizen Kane (on TV, alas.) And I was awed. I think for me above all it was the ... I don't have the vocabulary: staging? framing? cinematography? -- the way some shots simply amaze, and also have real meaning.
(Mind you, I'll keep Casablanca, Some Like it Hot, and 2001 as well!)
Another movie that I ignored for years, and which was a revelation when I saw it (just a couple of years ago) is The Apartment. Not as technically innovative as Citizen Kane, but as emotionally powerful. (And, yes, I think among many great directors, Billy Wilder may be my favorite.)
I love The Apartment so much
Who hears him say “rosebud”?
The butler must have been somewhere out of frame.
No one is in the room. No one except the audience of the film hears him say “rosebud”.
Watch it again.
I did, yesterday!
And imagining a butler is the best you can do?
What's your theory?
No theory. No one in the film hears him say it.
Loved this Henry!
My venture into mature filmmaking, films that seemed like the world of the novel or the short story, began at the age of 18, when my then girlfriend took me to see Cabaret. Yes, Citizen Kane is fabulous.
Wait until you learn about the editing!
How different a viewing experience I had, first watching it at 20 and thinking Kane had made the wrong choices, and watching it again over 30 years later and then thinking what limited choices he had. The end scene - where he tries to destroy things after his wife leaves him, and then his staff silently watches him walk by - was devastating the second time around.
Saving a masterpiece for middle age might be the best argument going for having been a philistine. And that ending only lands because the film spends two hours letting everyone around him get it wrong. I'll stop there, for the novices. Amazing article. Thanks for posting it.
Funny, coming as this did after Harry Kane’s arresting performance on the football pitch I thought Henry , what’s going on; have even you been infected by World Cup Fever? I was relieved to find you were in another tack !
I was infected by it last night yes!
Isn't it amazing? I went to see it yesterday too, and though I had seen it before, I was still picking up new things. And I was startled to see how much power the ending still has even after multiple viewings.
All I want to say is, I am so happy for you, Henry!
I saw CK in my early teens and the sheer sweep of the narrative was thrilling. It was viewing it as a mature adult that I was moved by the human frailties it exposed. One of my favourite films after The Third Man.
“Who could think of this as being primarily political when it is so human, so full of failure. So sad. So damn sad.”