Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by RGA (A) on March 15, 2004 at 17:02:05

In Reply to: Re: How about a specialty forum for American or English language films? posted by rico on March 15, 2004 at 11:39:24:

Seven Samurai is Lear well not quite. I'm not insulting Seven Samurai it's in my top 100 films...a masterful work. And I am behind on my Kurosowa...I still need to see his other works.

Citizen Kane is a strong one. I'm surprised people found Rosebud the least bit surprising or climatic. This film perhaps Americans can appreciate more than me. Each person brings their own background into the film as a life baggage. I preferred Death of a Salesman as a pseudo tragedy to Citizen Kane. Unlike film schools which beat into the heads of students the surrounding and history of the time Kane was made - I try to look at the film for the film's merit alone. I don't care if it was "difficult" to make or Randolf Hurst was trying to get it stopped.

I have seen Kane 3 times and I liked it better on time 3. In the end it doesn't work for me at a gut level. Certainly it holds up well and is technically well made...just doesn't work for me to move beyond a high calibur 4 out of 5 to 5 out of 5 masterpiece. I have read a great deal of reasons why it's considered a great film...I have the conclusion that it's probably better suited to the American mind-set of the American Dream. I personally think it's handled better in Dustin Hoffman's Death of a Salesman(I never saw the original however). This was made for tv film based off of one of the great American Novels. It doesn't have the tragic fall of the great man of power. However, my problem with Kane and even Shakespeare is that I don't hold someone as being great because they have money or power. Willy Loman is an average Joe who bought into the propaganda of the American Dream and couldn't realize that there was anything else but the shirt and tie life of sales. His life amounted to nothing because of this false belief. SO it's a pseudo tragedy that he never figured it out and neither did Happy. Happy's brother Bif however did.

Again I understand why people like Kane...it just doesn't move me. and 75% of my rating of film has to have me engage with the story in the gut. No amount of technical prowess on any level can make up for it nor the history surrounding the film. Kane is in my second 100 list however so it is a very fine movie to me. Perhaps when I watch again in ten years my views might change.

A Clockwork Orange went from one of the worst pieces of garbage I had ever seen to my top 5 all time. Some films needed to grow on me after several views.

I recently watched a film called Talk to Her by Almodovar. I thoroughly was entertained moved and I can't seem to place a finger on why. The story is over the top bordering on ridiculous...black comedy of sorts I suppose but it's heart warming melodrama at the same time. It's probably the best film I saw of 2002...but I simply need to see it again. People don't even consider it to be one of his better films.

As for Wells I personally preferred the Third Man to Kane. If the Third Man could completely gut the scoring(one of the worst I have ever heard in any film) it would be one my true greats. As it is it's in my top 100.