My First Attempt to Watch Citizen Kane

[Lord Nikon]

SPOILERS ABOUT THE ENDING OF CITIZEN KANE.


Ugh. Where to start? I don't want to say this is a bad movie, because clearly everyone thinks its one of, if not the best of all time...so for me to say it was bad would have to be wrong. I gave it my best shot, I really did, I tried to watch the whole movie, but I just couldn't do it. 45 Minutes in and I was bored to tears. I was checking my watch every minute to try to see if this damn movie was going anywhere. And the answer was no it wasn’t. Now I don't want this to turn into the "Bash Lord Nikon" thread, but I would like to try to figure out if movie taste does have a lot to do with generations. I think it does, and I think Hannibal is one of the few younger persons who likes the old genre of movies. And I don't want anyone to give me the old, "Oh, there weren't explosions, no hot sex scenes, so you just have no attention span" garbage. I loved Shawshank Redemption, and you would be hard pressed to find someone to call that an action movie. I am here to say that I think movies are VERY GENERATIONAL. I have tried many a time to watch classic movies, and to me they just seem to move at the pace of a snail. It just never seems like anything is going to happen. Since everyone loves this movie I am just going to have to come to the conclusion that movies should be judged most based upon whatever generation the movie was made for when it came out, because I can hardly keep my eyes open while watching this bore fest, and most people older than me would disagree. What are you're thoughts, not on the movie, but about young people liking older movies, and even vice versa.

[El Bracamonti]

Yeah, I know where you're coming from. I just watched Citizen Kane for the first time in my video production class. While I tried my hardest to appreciate it, I was also kind of bored. However, for me to say I didn't like it would have to mean something's wrong with me, right?! It's so old! And such a "classic"!!!

Eh, I don't know how I feel about this whole thing...I like old movies, but a lot of the time I find msyself wondering what all the fuss is about...

[krazy drako]

I'd have to agree. I've watched some older movies and I would wonder what the hell is so great about these. To each there own though. :D

[Lord Nikon]

And 1 other thing I forgot to mention. What is with the ending? I skipped the last hour or so as to not torture myself further. I had already known the ending as had most people, but I am still confused. So what, his sled was named Rosebud, and that is the last thing he said before he died? Big fucking deal. I had a Teddy bear when I was 6 that I called Snuggles, you don't see me getting a movie.

[ilovemovies]

I acknowledge that it's a well made and well acted movie by giving it *** out of ****. But while it's an easy movie to admire, I do find it to be a hard movie to love. I didn't get emotionally invested and thus that's why it's a *** movie instead of anything higher. And it's DEFINATELY NOT the greatest movie ever made in my eyes as well.

And I've seen the movie twice.

[Hannibal21]

Originally posted by Lord Nikon
And 1 other thing I forgot to mention. What is with the ending? I skipped the last hour or so as to not torture myself further. I had already known the ending as had most people, but I am still confused. So what, his sled was named Rosebud, and that is the last thing he said before he died? Big fucking deal. I had a Teddy bear when I was 6 that I called Snuggles, you don't see me getting a movie.

1. Might want to put spoiler warnings up there, bud.

2. Yes, his sled was named "rosebud", and it was the last thing he said before he died. The way I see it, "rosebud" was the representation of the love and happiness Kane once had when he was a child, the only thing that the adult Kane truly yearned for, the one thing that was missing in his life. Kane might've been raised by a poor family as a child, but it was the only time in his life when he actually experienced genuine joy, and therefore, he was content despite the fact that he was poor. Over time, however, he sacrificed this 'happiness' for the American dream, for power and money, and in return paid the price of having to succumb to the bitterness of being alone and defeated with nothing and no one to comfort him, as he lost them all as a result of his lack of care for anyone but himself and what he might gain. That's why as the destroyed Kane died, he longed for the lost joy he could never possibly find again.

3. And, no. I don't think film is generational. Sure, most people I know in real life that are around my age wouldn't even bother to sit through any old film, but I also know of others that do have their share of appreciation, interest, and love for the classics, there are also many schmoes on this board of a young generation that have an adoration for some of the older films (Tayzlor, QUENTIN, MacReady, blankpage, bankholdup, to name a few).

[King of Depew]

I know what you're saying. It took me from watching "Kane" in film class from about 98 till 2003. I HATED it the first time I saw it. I probably was forced to see it about 4 times before it started to grow on me.

Because I'm a fuckin nerd, I read a lot about film and this movie came up constantly, plus in all my film class text books. The more I read, the more intrigued I became about William Randolph Hearst and the fight to get "Kane" made. I also realized what a nut Orson Welles was, really a fascinating guy. He made arguably the best film in the history of America at the age of 25.

Plus reading all the technical details and how every single shot and just about every single goddamn thing that appears in the frame was mulled upon for hours before shooting, I started to get a real appreciation and was able to watch it on 2 levels, the narrative side and the technical side. If you know anyone who has the re-release DVD, watch the whole featurette on Welles vs Hearst, it's fucking awesome and might allow you to like the film more. It also helps to smoke copious amounts of weed and then watch it as well, but you didn't hear that from me.

"Our home is here, Susan."

[Digifruitella]

Originally posted by Lord Nikon
45 Minutes in and I was bored to tears.

Thank goodness I am not alone! I tried watching this from the VERY beginning, and I felt the same exact way as you did. matter of fact? I dont even think I got to 45 minutes mark. I was so dang bored I had to stop. Lame.

[Raging Bull080]

I don't think it is generational thing at all. I understand what you're saying because I am surrounded by friends that don't really like old movies, but at the same time I think that alot of the younger people interested in the history of film find Citizen Kane amazing. Not liking this film is one thing (even though I think this film is anything but boring) but I just don't understand why people say old movies in general are boring. Some are, the great ones aren't. I am in my early twenties and I love old films (the good ones obviously) and I think that the average flick made today is boring. I am constantly trying to see more classic films, and the more of them I see the more I despise most of the movies made today. I love Citizen Kane, I think it is a facinating film, and one worthy of all of it's praises.

[Asokan]

Originally posted by Lord Nikon
[BI am here to say that I think movies are VERY GENERATIONAL. I have tried many a time to watch classic movies, and to me they just seem to move at the pace of a snail. It just never seems like anything is going to happen. [/B]

That is partly the point I made in that thread of mine called "What makes a film 'good' or 'bad'?" The thing is, a whole lot of your opinion about a film depends on who you are and what your culturally engrained ideas of good storytelling are. Now, if you had been brought up watching the understated, very demanding likes of Bergman, Visconti, Ray, Dreyer et al. you'd probably dislike the empty spectacles of Brett Ratner or Michael Bay. And vice versa.

Woody Allen loves Bergman and all those old fellows and it shows in most of his serious pictures. Scorsese loved, among other things, the crime flicks and the Italian neorealist films of the 30s to 50s, and it appears combined in his work. Quentin Tarantino loved exploitation movies, spaghetti westerns and samurai flicks, and that really is unavoidable in his KILL BILL movies. Would they have been raised on other times and places, they would have developed other tastes.

Many new movies move at a faster space than the old ones and TV shows especially cause a short attention span. Storytelling techniques change, Lord Nikon, and judging from your favourite movies you like more intricately plotted, twisted flicks. I myself couldn't sit through Ray'S PATHAR PANCHALI recently, and that, too, is considered to be one of the greatest films of world cinema. It was just too observational without a structure to give any sort of larger point.

CITIZEN KANE doesn't need to be liked, since it's a pretty dark and pessimistic film about a person nobody would want to know about, like Robert Murdoch today, except if you wanted to know how wealth corrupts man. The same with PATHAR PANCHALI which was about a poor family in a Indian village. Truffaut walked out, cause who wants to see a film about these people? Some do, others don't. I love to see flicks about gangsters, dysfunctional families and father-son-stories (hence my favourite film being THE GODFATHER).

[MrScissorhands]

I really like Citizen Kane.
I do tend to get somehow bored near the ending, when he's an old fart living in Xanadu. Never was too crazy about those bits.

I don't think movies are generational, but it has mucho to do with the pacing like Asokan said. Same with contemporary films. I might find a slow-paced, small-scale, intimate drama like Dogville a better film than, let's say, Hellboy, but it takes me a lot more courage to put Dogville in my DVD player than it does to give Hellboy another go.

I also have Citizen Kane on DVD, and although I think it's an equally good film, I don't play it as much as old thrillers like North by Northwest, or comedies like Some Like it Hot.

A good film doesn't necessarily have to be a fun ride, and very few of the old classics are just that.

[Lord Nikon]

What everyone has said is basically why I say films can be very generational. The older movies are more slow-paced for the most part, and I don't think people would question it. And the fact that they are slow paced makes it very hard to enjoy because you are sitting there and asking yourself "When the fuck is something going to happen!" So while it might not always be true that younger people don't like older movies I think for the most part it is true. Ask most 20 year olds or so and my guess is many of them wouldn’t even know what Citizen Kane was. And if they did they definitely never saw it. Keep in mind, people on this board normally have a better appreciation for movies than most of the viewing public, and that is why they are on this site to begin with. You have to remember, the people on this site of the age of 20 represent the very few movie goer's who "appreciate" these films. So if you look outside of the realm of this site, I really think you will see the generational gap more.

And by the way. One of my favorite movies of all time is Shawshank Redemption. That movie was slower, and yet I loved it. But Shawshank was much more in my generation (I'm 18) then Kane was. Which is why I definately think its generational.

p.s. I dont think I need spoilers Hannibal. If you have heard about the ending to Citizen Kane it pretty much means you don't care about movies at all, and then never really plan on seeing it. Ill put 1 up anyway.

[Nachokoolaid]

Also consider that you have seen so many films after KANE that have copied some of it's techniques that you now take them for granted. Someone mentioned the technical side of it, and that was very true. KANE was a very technical film, and that's why many consider it so great. Some of the camera moves/tricks were never done before KANE, but have been done in nearly every movie after.

Example, how many long tracking shots have you seen that zoom into a window or something. I'm just thinking of perhaps Frodo laying on the floor of after he has been captured by the orcs. There are many others. Well, the opening shot of KANE that zooms all the way into the window and such, that was an AMAZING shot for it's time, but the casual movie goer will have seen something like that a thousand times by now, so it is nothing special to them. So, in conclusion, I think you have to definitely consider when it was made and the "goundbreaking" factor.

[Tony D'Amato]

The way I understand it and I have only watch the movie once and the thing with Kane is that.






SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!















When he was about 6 or so he was as I understand it sold to that rich guy so that he had someone to take over his empier and Kane didn't what to leav his mother because he loved his home with the snow and his slead Rosebud and his dad wanted the money so he got the mom to "sell" him to that millionare.
And that's the thing wiht Rosebud is that he keep his slead problebly because he had plans to go back but he never got to and he says that he don't want the money and he probleby would have given it back to go back to his home.










END SPOILER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ted Pikul]

Citizen Kane revolutionised film making especially with regard to cinematography.

It has dated somewhat but historically it's one of the most important films ever made.

Maybe that's how it should be regarded as more of a historical document.

You wouldn't criticise the Declaration of Independence as being of little relevance in the 21st Century.

That's what Citizen Kane is. Cinema's declaration of independence.

[morricone]

Boring? How could you find it boring? I was thouroughly engaged throughout the entire picture.

[Brando @$$ Fat]

Citizen Kane is a very good movie, it inspired so many other movies like it. It's hard to believe that the #1 movie on AFI's top 100 list didn't even win Best Picture, this is a true revelation of how some films fail the test of time while others succeed.

[Duke Nukem]

Lord Nikon, I think your theory about about films being generational sums it up perfectly. Until now, I've had a hard time figuring out why some older "classic" are so dull and boring. And, I'm not part of the zero attention span MTV Generation either. I can take modern epic films, but some older films that are outdated and not up to today's technical standards are just plain boring to sit through. "Gone With The Wind"? ZZZzzzzzz...

[Mr. Fred Krueger]

I had to watch this in my Motion pictures class last quarter. On a technological level it's a good film, but story wise, meh.

Highly overrated.

[Lord Nikon]

Originally posted by morricone
Boring? How could you find it boring? I was thouroughly engaged throughout the entire picture.

While I was watching my eyes kept closing and I had to punch myself to keep them open. Maybe I wasen't bored, just tired of watching paint dry, I mean Citizen Kane.

[LordSimen]

Im right there with you, budd, I acknoledge that it's a great and well done film but It's just one that I myself can't get into.

[Nachokoolaid]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul


That's what Citizen Kane is. Cinema's declaration of independence.

Nice!

I never thought of it like that. Good analogy.

[Scarface98.9]

When I originally saw it, I remember asking myself what the fuss was about. But watch the Roger Ebert commentary with the movie. He's very good at explaining why the movie is so lauded and why he considers it one of the most important movies hes ever seen.

2. Yes, his sled was named "rosebud", and it was the last thing he said before he died. The way I see it, "rosebud" was the representation of the love and happiness Kane once had when he was a child, the only thing that the adult Kane truly yearned for, the one thing that was missing in his life. Kane might've been raised by a poor family as a child, but it was the only time in his life when he actually experienced genuine joy, and therefore, he was content despite the fact that he was poor. Over time, however, he sacrificed this 'happiness' for the American dream, for power and money, and in return paid the price of having to succumb to the bitterness of being alone and defeated with nothing and no one to comfort him, as he lost them all as a result of his lack of care for anyone but himself and what he might gain. That's why as the destroyed Kane died, he longed for the lost joy he could never possibly find again.

This is my impression of it. See, you wouldn't understand this since you skipped a whole hour of the movie

[Raging Bull080]

Originally posted by Ted Pikul
Citizen Kane revolutionised film making especially with regard to cinematography.

It has dated somewhat but historically it's one of the most important films ever made.

Maybe that's how it should be regarded as more of a historical document.

You wouldn't criticise the Declaration of Independence as being of little relevance in the 21st Century.

That's what Citizen Kane is. Cinema's declaration of independence.


Love it or hate it I don't think that Citizen Kane has dated at all. If it has, than every old film has dated. That is what amazes me about this movie, it feels so much fresher and newer than other great classics.