Citizen Kane

The Hubris, The Ego or Swamp Ass: The Movie For the past seven days, I've been melting in my apartment without any AC. Of course, I decided to be proactive and fix the problem myself because I'm in the pipe fitting union and I've never met an electrician with "je ne sais quoi." Someone I could admire and respect. The problem seemed like an easy enough fix, the connection between the panel and ventilation duct needed to be reworked. So I entrenched myself in the coils and wires thinking I had the problem figured out. But alas, my grand hubris, my benevolent ego nothing worked. I sit here waiting for the electrician to arrive tomorrow morning. I put my mind at ease with familiarity: a film, no. No. THE FILM. A film that redefined everything from criticism to the mechanics of filmmaking (storytelling, performance, lighting, cinematography, anything you name it). Criticism of film would now become a discuss between everyone, not simply filmmakers. What did the culture learn? What did it distill? In the beginning, everyone defines a film in three simple terms: context, subtext, and meaning. Context: What is happening in the scene? Subtext: What is the underlying meaning or theme? Meaning: What does this mean to me? Many critics went further with differing postulations. The main idea that made film criticism possible for anyone to understand was, "does the film contain one of these three elements: culturally significant, historically important, or aesthetically pleasing." It's a great accomplishment for any film to encompass one element. Simply put, Citizen Kane accomplishes all three. Historically, the film continues to influence new filmmakers. The film is a distillation of everything from previous films (silent cinema, experimental, talkies, to films of that era). Therefore, the film is a magnet for filmmakers to come together and as time continues for critics and the general public to discuss as well. Culturally, the film is still lauded as the greatest film of all time. "The story itself is somewhat complex, but simple. It's based on the old biblical idea: 'For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?' No film illustrates that better (AFI, William Friedkin on Citizen Kane)." Aesthetically, the film has so many influences from the opening shot, the use of deep focus and split screen, to the baroque lighting, to Bernard Herrmann's score. It's pretty easy to become jaded over a film like Citizen Kane. The hype and overaturation on the internet make the film almost impossible to recommend. Additionally, Citizen Kane is boring. So then why should I see it? After the first viewing, Citizen Kane becomes more engrossing as time goes on. The hyperbole behind the film drones out and the film stands on its own merit.