Read Roger Ebert’s review of “Citizen Kane” and respond to one or two
things he says about the film. Be specific when you mention Ebert’s ideas and
agree or disagree (say why you do) with him. Write you answer in a paragraph
and post it to the blog before coming to class next week.
Roger Ebert says that “Citizen Kane” is “filled with bravura visual moments,” many of which I share with him. A personal favourite of mine, like Ebert, is the one of poor Susan Alexander, hopelessly trying to sing, while the camera rises to the stagehand’s one-handed review. To that one, I would add the desperate vocal coach, Matiste, his arms waving in his hidden box at the front of the stage, his face prompting Susan’s performance without success, and then, in a bit of comedy, his hand bashing against the ceiling. It could even be a sly visual metaphor: when we overreach ourselves, we end up hurting something! I also love the dancing girls he brings in to celebrate his newspaper’s success. There is something decidedly weird about it, stilted even, with Charlie Kane urging the girls on and the forced jollity on the parts of his employees. It is only Jedidiah Leland who sees through it all and I remember his expression, too, of supreme jadedness in his face. I have now seen the film five times and, visually, it gets more and more memorable with each viewing. To Ebert I would say, “bravura” indeed!—195 words
ReplyDeleteThe movie “Citizen Kane” is an enigmatic film for me. Even though I have watched it twice, I still don’t know why Charles Roster Kane holds the crystal globe and mumbles “Rosebud”. When watching "Citizen Kane" the second time, I wondered if I would understand the meaning of his final word, Rosebud. “Citizen Kane” uses flashbacks to reveal the story of Charles Roster Kane's life. The story is also told through a reporter's interviews with Kane’s mistress, friends, and colleagues as he attempts to look for the mysterious answer to rosebud. Throughout the film, the reporter never finds out the meaning of rosebud. At the end of the film, a worker tossed a sled into the furnace. Suddenly, I saw the word “Rosebud” written on the sled. Roger Ebert says that “Citizen Kane” knows the sled is not the answer.” “The film’s construction shows how our lives, after we are gone, survive only in the memories of others, and those memories butt up against the walls we erect and the roles we play.” Life is a big stage. I just play some roles that are suitable and meaningful for me, my family or the whole humanity. I can still be my own director. Also, Ebert says that “The movie is filled with bravura moments: … the boy is playing in the snow in the background as his parents determine his future.” When I watched this scene, it deeply touched my heart. The helpless parent arguing with a man, as the boy is playing joyfully in the snow with the sled. It stirred up my emotions. What a bravura film!—269 words
ReplyDeleteA man always seems the same size to himself, because he does not stand where we stand to look at him.(Rodger Ebert). Not only do I agree with Mr Ebert but I can see this statement prevalent in the character Charles Foster Kane. Spending his life searching for the things he loves and cherish ,trying so desperately to hold onto what he needs most he finds himself gathering statues that mean nothing. It was a clever way to keep the suspense going searching for Rosebud, I was sure that when it was finally revealed the findings would somehow put this movie into a clearer prospective and clear my confused mind. However it did not in fact I was kind of irritated that Rosebud was a sled from his child hood after all at the start of the movie when it showed him playing I saw no great connection that this was the one item Charles Kane loved the most (other than him using it as a weapon). I personally failed to make a connection with the movie "Citizen Kane", more so the movie and characters failed to make me want to connect to them, especially the character Susan Alexander who I found very utterly irritating and wished that she was not in the movie. I do not see why this movie is widely know as one of the best ever, for this movie goer I can think of ten classic movies that I personally think are much better of course this is just my opinion.
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