Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Rosebud.
I'm really not sure how long I'll keep adding to this list of movies I've yet to see. But, for now, I'll keep going. I've never seen Citizen Kane. I know it's a classic. I've never watched an Orson Welles film, period, actually. I don't care for Orson Welles. I realize this is perfectly ridiculous to say as I've never seen his films but he just rubs me the wrong way. He seems really arrogant and that puts me off. He also made Rita Hayworth pretty heartbroken and I love Rita Hayworth. Seriously, how could you cheat on a woman that beautiful? So, I haven't been exactly jumping at the chance to watch his films. Eventually, maybe.
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Oh - I think it's cool not to watch a film though everyone says it's a classic. Though I have no grave problem with Orson Welles - I am also more into "Team Rita" (if I may use that phrase here..)
ReplyDeleteIn general: I hate this "you must see this" or "you must do that" stuff.. And why should you spent one single moment of your life with a person (even if it is "just" in a film) you don't like if you do have another choice? As far as I know no one had a shorter or worse life just because NOT watching a certain film..
I guess we all have such "rubbing one the wrong way" actors..
So: yay for you, Sally! Fill your days left with films you actually WANT to see!
I saw just because it's a classic and I remember thinking "meh" at the end of it. I don't get why people thought it was so awesome. Of course, maybe if I didn't know what Rosebud was before I saw it, I would have thought it totally awesome. Or maybe not . . .
ReplyDeleteDon't feel obligated to watch it just because it's a classic. Besides, saying something is a classic is really just another way of saying something is popular. If something is older and still popular, that obviously means it's got something good going for it, but it's still basically the same thing.
ReplyDeleteAnd as for knowing without seeing? I've never read any of the books or seen any of the movies in the Twilight series, but I know I don't like them. And life's too short to watch movies you don't want to see.
Okay so I'm going to go against the grain here. I agree that you shouldn't give in to people saying you should see any particular movie...but...as a big Citizen Kane fan, I think you should at least put it on your "To Be Seen" list. I can see why people would go "meh" over it, after all it has SUCH a reputation among cinephiles - how could it live up to such a reputation? But if you look at it purely in terms of the art of cinematography, each shot is composed like a masterpiece. And when you appreciate the wider context of what Welles was trying to say (remember, he lived in a world whose media was dominated by William Randolph Hearst) I think he makes his point cleverly, intelligently, and masterfully. Unfort'ly, Welles peaked with his first movie, so if ever you're going to see an Orson Welles movie, make it "Citizen Kane."
ReplyDeleteWell I find myself torn as to what to tell you. I actually am not one of those people who thinks Orson walked on water, but I do feel his contributions to the cinematic world are important and worth watching. I personally have watched hundreds of movies that I didn't want to see just so that I can say "No, I really don't like that movie." Perhaps thats just a waste of time, but I also have found several movies that I thought I would hate that I did in fact enjoy. Perhaps the best way to go with Orson Welles is to start slowly with something he directed but didn't act in (Magnificent Ambersons). Or something he has acted in without directing (The Third Man). You can work your way up from there. I won't tell you that you have to see Citizen Kane, but there is something about Touch Of Evil that I love to share with everyone. (Maybe its just Marlene Dietrich, who knows). Worst things worst, check out Orson's voice over on the Transformers cartoons and then you can tell everyone you gave him a try and it just didn't work out.
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