Citizen Kane Blog

Film Blog 4- Citizen Kane

            “Citizen Kane” is a 1941 film directed by and starring Orson Welles. This film is considered a classic for a multitude of different reasons and is noted for its exceptional development of cinematography, music, and narrative structure. In addition to these traditional production-based innovations, “Citizen Kane” is considered to be revolutionary by its fans and it consistently makes the list of the top 100 films produced according to the American Film Institution. Moreover, according to its fans, “Citizen Kane” is often considered the greatest film ever produced and was voted “Greatest film of all time” for five years consecutively in “Sight’s and Sounds polls of critics.”

            Some of the reason for “Citizen Kane” achieving so much notoriety is because the film was very daring and unconcerned with any repercussions in its message. One of the characters was very thinly disguised to be a caricature of a famous publishing mogul, William Randolph Hearst. Caricatures like these, even loosely based, were definitively unheard of in the realm of film until the production of “Citizen Kane.”

            Aside from this caricature though, “Citizen Kane” is brilliant and revolutionary as a motion picture. The film is one of the very first to be considered “circular” rather than “linear” in its storyline, meaning the end of the story starts at the beginning and there are unusual transitions throughout the film for different aspects of the plot. In addition, the film uses very dramatic lighting and many previously unconventional angles and deep focus shots for added depth.

            There is no doubt that “Citizen Kane” can be considered a classic due simply to its notoriety and popularity. The film received 9 Oscar nominations, yet only one was for screenplay. The other awards and popularity surrounding the film are undoubtedly due to its brilliant, yet simultaneously convoluted message. Critics have often asked if “Citizen Kane” was some sort of attack on capitalism, or a portrait of a modern, yet faithless man. Others claim “Citizen Kane is simply an American story which embodies the traditionally American ideology of seizing opportunity. Still others have hypothesized that “Citizen Kane” was a study of psychology and selfishness.

            Although the exact message of the storyline of the film is unclear, this is perhaps wherein lies its brilliance and therefore its place in both classic film infamy and the hearts and minds of many. “Citizen Kane” was absolutely before its time in many of the themes and ideas to which it alluded. In my opinion, “Citizen Kane” simply changed the entire understanding and aim of the motion picture industry. The focus of a film did not have to necessarily amaze and amuse the audience, but perhaps make them think about their lives and personal values differently.

            “Citizen Kane” is without a doubt a classic in the film industry due to its psychological innovations, complex storylines, and unconventional filming techniques. The combination of all these new additions to the motion picture industry essentially changed the entire game for future filmmakers, and beyond this point “Citizen Kane” had remained a point of comparison for future films. This is why “Citizen Kane” directed and starring Orson Welles was, and very much still is a classic.

Scarface Blog

Film Blog 3- Scarface

            The 1932 film “Scarface,” directed by Howard Hawks and Richard Rosson was the earliest feature-length “gangster” film produced in the United States and is considered a classic for its graphic depictions of the gangster world, police intervention, and crime glorification. “Scarface” was also the first film in a series of similar films that followed suit in making notable the same sort of seedy gang underworld, including the Brian De Palma 1983 film of the same name starring Al Pacino.

            The film, adapted primarily by Ben Hecht is loosely based on the 1929 novel, “Scarface.” In addition to being loosely based on the 1929 novel “Scarface,” the film is based on the life of notorious gangster, Al Capone. Two of Capone’s men actually paid a visit to Hecht to be sure the film was not about his life. Hecht reassured the men that the film was fictitious.

            More than its production values or technological advances, this film is a classic because of its notoriety and controversy. “Scarface” is undoubtedly the first film to show the criminal world in this context, and the film was finished in 1931, but could not be released until 1932 due to the various attempts at censorship. There were concerns that the film was too violent and that it promoted crime and glorified the gangster lifestyle. One of the methods of censorship may have stemmed directly from D.W. Griffiths film “Birth of a Nation,” because censors completely juxtaposed that title in regard to “Scarface” by including “Shame of a Nation” in the subtitles of the film before its 1932 release.

            During the same time period, two other gangster films were released, “Little Caesar” and “The Public Enemy,” yet neither gained the type of notoriety held by “Scarface. The way that “Birth of a Nation” paved the way for a different level of freedom of expression the film industry, Howard Hawks took that to a different level with the release of “Scarface.”

            Howard Hawks had to release a separate version of the film, had to change the name from “Scarface” to “The Scar,” had to add a beginning text regarding the content, and modify the ending before even being able to release his film, and still faced difficulties in doing so with the New York Censors. Hawks’ level of determination in creating a classic like “Scarface” changed the overall understanding of appropriateness and censorship, and allowed for later directors to develop their films without fear of controversy repercussions.

            “Scarface” arguably was the first film of a new genre involving the glorification of crime. Since its release, there have been countless films that feature the criminals as the heroes and protagonists and police intervention as the villain. “Scarface” pushed the earliest established limits of censorship in order to make itself a renowned classic that would be appreciated for years and spark the creation of a number of similar films and reproductions.

            This film was not without technological developments in its production, but the true reason it is considered a classic lies in its style and controversy and ability to change our understanding of the film industry. “Scarface” left a legacy in the United States National Film Registry by being considered “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” and considered the sixth best gangster film by the American Film Institute. “Scarface” is a classic for not being afraid to offend and to push the limits of censorship. It is renowned in its storyline for being the first film to send the message that it sent and created a new genre of film, never before considered.

Birth of a Nation Blog

Film Blog 2- Birth of a Nation

            The D.W. Griffith directed film “Birth of a Nation,” is considered a classic by critics for a number of different reasons. This film, directed and produced in 1914, was one of the earliest feature length films in the United States. This film also used many different advanced camera techniques never before seen in any film, let alone of film of its length and design.

            Despite the fact that “Birth of a Nation” is a silent film, D.W. Griffith utilized a number of different innovative narrative techniques never before seen to draw the audience in on a much more captivated level. “Birth of a Nation” is considered to be the very first Blockbuster film in the United States, and prior to the release of “Birth of a Nation,” films had been less than an hour long, which is specifically why this film is considered to be one of the earliest of “feature length.”

            “Birth of a Nation” is likely the first film to be met with the level of criticism that it was. The film was originally entitled “The Clansman,” and it depicted southern, pre-civil war slavery in semi-positive, nonthreatening light, while simultaneously depicting the Ku Klux Klan as heroic. The film is later subject to much criticism for exacerbating the ideologies of slavery and racism. As an aside, however, this criticism had little effect of the box office success of the film. In one interview regarding the financial prosperity of “Birth of a Nation,” Lillian Gish, lead actress of the film remarked, “They lost track of the money it made.”

            Whether or not the aim of D.W. Griffith with “Birth of a Nation” was to outright perpetuate racism and prejudice is highly debatable. The ideologies portrayed in this film were shared by many at the time, and this portrayal may have been more of a depiction of common American understanding and behavior more than it was a hate film.

            Regardless of the intention of the film through its intolerant undertones, the film was met by an immense amount of criticism from a number of different groups including the NAACP. The NAACP tried to have the cease the showing of this film, and were successful in some cities. No matter the level of criticism, however, this film is widely renowned and successful for its impact on the film industry.

            In the spirit of a true artist, D.W. Griffith combated the criticism of his work not with words in a series of interviews, but a second film. In 1916, Griffith released a film entitled “Intolerance,” where it is understood that he is responding to the criticism surrounding “Birth of a Nation.” In this film, considered one of the greatest masterpieces in silent film, Griffith shows the effects of Intolerance from four simultaneous subplots within “Intolerance.” The interpretations of its message are vast, but Griffith is essentially illustrating the effects Intolerance can have from any direction, and that it’s foolish to be so one-sighted.

            “Birth of a Nation” was the first Blockbuster, one of the very first feature-length films, and produced a huge amount of money in the box office. This film was also perhaps the earliest source of controversy in the film industry, and paved the way for more directors to speak their minds and get their messages across in their films, regardless of the consequences. The technological advancements combined with the unprecedented magnitude and length of this film along with the introduction of “pushing the envelope” socially, are what make “Birth of a Nation by D.W. Griffith a classic.

The Great Train Robbery Blog

Film Blog 1- The Great Train Robbery

            “The Great Train Robbery” is a silent film released in 1904 by director Edwin Stanton Porter. This is a silent film that is twelve minutes in length, and utilized many new techniques in the early art of film.

            Edwin Stanton Porter, a pioneer of early film and a director with Thomas Edison’s company had developed a number of different short films prior to “The Great Train Robbery,” yet this film is so renowned and remains a classic to this day due to the number of different technological breakthroughs and dramatic adaptations that had not yet been witnessed by a regular audience.

            The film, at twelve minutes long in running time was shot on twenty separate shots on a single reel. The film utilized the revolutionary technique of “cross-cutting” in its production, which allotted for the addition of as many as ten separate indoor and outdoor scenes and the ability to show simultaneous action at several different locations.

            Aside from the technological advancements illustrated in “The Great Train Robbery,” this film was the first to depict Western civilization in this context. Never before had an audience had the opportunity to see what we now all know and love as “The Wild West.” This new addition to the story combined with the advancements in technology never before seen in any film are what made this film both immediately and immensely popular in America.

            This film was the first one of its time period to have the flow and storytelling that it had. Prior to “The Great Train Robbery,” most films were still in their earliest, experimental stage where the primary goal was not necessarily to tell a story, but to simply let people awe in the wonder of technology that was film. This is why previously many films were simply “Man Sneezing” or “Man Running” or simplistic ideas of similarly moderate magnitude. People were satisfied with simply witnessing something they had not before.

            “The Great Train Robbery” was the first film to combine the element of amazement prevalent in the earliest films with a new, exciting storyline. And in addition to the storyline, this film offered a completely new outlook on the American West, along with new special effects that had never been released in any film previously. These new adaptations in film were absolutely groundbreaking and “The Great Train Robbery” had automatically set a completely new standard for filmmakers.

            Prior to “The Great Train Robbery,” film was more of an idea than a form of entertainment. People were curious about it, and amazed by its potential. Not until the release of this film was there any set expectation about what a “good” or “bad” film consists of, because the entire art form was still very much in the experimental and developmental stages. It is often attested that “The Great Train Robbery,” due to its innovation and immediate success, singlehandedly established motion pictures as a form of commercial entertainment in the United States. The combination of innovation, technology, storyline, and simply being the first to do what it did, are what make “The Great Train Robbery” by Edwin Porter very much a classic.