The movie, the myth, the legend: Citizen Kane

The age-old debate is extending through conversations of everyday citizens: what is the greatest movie of all time? The younger generations might say Avatar or Inception. You might get a couple more people who will throw it back and say Titanic, The Shawshank Redemption, or maybe even going as far back as The Godfather. As far as personal favorites go, these are not wrong answers; no movie is a wrong answer. People can argue over what the best it until they are blue in the face. However, the general consensus in the cinematic universe, regardless of people's personal favorite, is that the greatest movie ever made is Citizen Kane. Everything that came before it could not touch it and everything that came after it was trying to be like it. Why is it the greatest though and why do film teachers still tell you its the best ever? The music was something out of a philharmonic. The cinematography is a spectacle. And the story is complex, yet simple. It blends mystery, romance, and tragedy into a one-of a kind-narrative. The controversial Orson Welles put together a masterpiece for the ages.
The music and the camera techniques can stand strong alone, but together they weave together to make their own character. The crescendos and movement of strings blend when Kane faces off Leland from low angle shots, portraying both men as giants with their own soundtrack. The two characters are similar, but are destined for a collision course the entire film until the final showdown in Chicago. The music when the characters are together is one voice, but as the tension increases each man gets his own sound. By the final confrontation, there is no longer any music because the former friends are too far gone to hear each other's melodies. This, of course, is the famous shot where Welles drilled a hole in the floor to the lower the camera to get the low angle shot. That might seem like a stupid reason in today's movie making, but back then they had the large, clunky cameras that could not be lowered in an effective way. This is just one example of the blend of camera and sound. Citizen Kane has really good montage sequences. The opening segment as they show off the Xanadu and other locations in the film follows the music heroic and tragic turns. And then, when Kane speaks his infamous words, "Rosebud," the montage that follows with slow zooms, fades, and orchestral movie all lead to the grand reveal when the audience discover the answer to the film's mystery.
As good as the music and the camera techniques are, the storytelling is what drives it to the greatest-ever status. Orson Welles was able to show an entire man's life in a two-hour time slot. The entirety of Kane's ups and downs were shown like the audience was dying and his life was flashing before their eyes. The story showed the downfall of the American Dream. Even to the most powerful men, who seem to have everything, the pursuit of success can destroy everything you thought you were fighting for. Kane was never happy. Welles makes that known in the first 10 minutes of the movie when he shows a young Kane being taken away from his parents. That was the last time he was happy. In the back of our minds, we know watching movie that that was most likely the last time he was happy, but we watch the whole movie hoping he finds that same feeling he had while riding on that sled in the very beginning of the picture. Speaking of the famous sled...I can't talk about Citizen Kane without saying more about rosebud. We know Kane's life by watching the newsreel right in the beginning. Why do we watch the whole movie then? Because we are trying to figure out why rosebud is so significant and we only get chunks of story to piece it together. Turns out that was his only bliss. In a similar, but more tragic fashion, to Pippin, Kane is just trying to find himself and he sadly never does. 1941. The best storytelling ever and Hollywood was just getting on its feet.
Citizen Kane is the greatest movie ever according to scholars. Is it everyone's favorite? Definitely not. Does anyone deny its significance? Go ahead and try.
    

The original Scarface

The 1932 version of Scarface was original in the sense that is provided something new for American audiences. It showed gunfights, death, and an anti-hero who moviegoers were rooting for. It was one of the first films to show the dark side of the American Dream. But, most of all, it was one of the first gangster movies. Mob movies would go on to become immensely popular in the future, with such movies as The Godfather, Goodfellas, and Scarface the remake. They are the top names in the genre now, but it was the 1932 version that paved the way with its dark themes and edgy content.
When I watched it, the film surprised me because I was entertained by it. I would casually watch it today if I had it on DVD on rainy day and I had nothing to do. The film dealt with techniques that some action movies, or movies in general, have trouble dealing with today. This movie got it right without many other role model productions to learn from. The car chases, for example, even though they are going much slower compared to today's big budget special FX flicks, were fun to watch, as the main character, Tony, ran away from assassins or his henchmen chased down targets with guns blasting out of the window. Another example is the surprisingly intense gunfights. The scene where Tony and company are getting shot at by the rival Irish gang in the café by Tommy guns sees bystanders go down, the café decimated, and the characters pinned down. It is very entertaining to watch.
Another thing the movie dealt with really well is the complexity of the narrative. The Depression was just starting and many citizens were firm believers of the American Dream; to achieve a high status and live the good life with endless money. This film showed the dark side of that dream. It showed audiences one way to achieve the dream is through crime, where you become powerful at the cost of your own soul being corrupted. Also, the lighted sign that continually appeared that said, "The world is yours," spoke to many Americans. However, by the end of the film, the world that Tony believed was his had been destroyed. While it must have been cool for audiences to look into the exaggerated gangster lifestyle, it also served as a grim reminder for the country's state of being.
The main character, Tony, was a complex character that added to the narrative. He was the anti-hero. He was the villain in most other movies. This film saw audiences rooting for the bad guy in his quest for power. His dialogue was clever and his persona exalted swagger and intimidation. He had literal scars from past encounters; the "X" scar on his face that parallel the other "X's" in the movie when he "Xed" them out of the picture. That's tough character to put on screen, no matter what the time period. Tony Camonte was ranked number 47 on AFI's 100 years...100 heroes and villains.
The 1932 Scarface stands the test of time because of the new ideas it perfected and brought to the table. It would inspire not just gangster movies, but action movies alike. Anyone can watch it today and say it is well-put together picture.

The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari

   

The German expressionist film has stood the test of time. When I watched it for the first time, I was surprised at how unnerved I was over such an old, silent film. It is not so much that the film had shock moments or jump-in-your-seats reveals, but it was unsettling watching the somnambulist, Caesare, carry Jane through the bizarre set designs accompanied by creepy music. The film being in black and white only enhanced the uncomfortable feelings I experienced. The reason why the film has stood the test of time is because it is still scary today. Without it, horror movies and artistic ideas would not have progressed in the same way.
As I watched The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, I thought of four fathers of modern movies that would also go on to influence the industry. The first one that immediately came to mind was Stephen King and The Shining. The insanity that was layered into the story was similar to the way it was in Caligari. As Jack walks through the hotel on the cold, stormy night, the events are terrifying in the sense that they are unsettling to the eye. For example, the quick flashes of blood going through the hallways, the twins standing at the end of a never-ending corridor, and the old woman in the bath tub are all disturbing moments, in the same way as certain moments in Caligari. Another thing was that in Caligari, the background was a character itself as it twisted and turned in unnatural ways. In movies from Hitchcock and Vincent Price, the set pieces are characters too. They are dead, simple backgrounds, but the ominous appearance brings life to the horror element. For example, Bates house from Psycho that loomed behind the motel was always watching and the house in House on Haunted Hill provided its own set of surprises. The last thing is the dark look that characters brought to their faces in Caligari that made the movie even creepier. Caesare showed no emotion and had a zombie-like appearance. That same look can be seen in Romero's Night of the Living Dead on all the zombie faces, and all the zombie faces to come in the future.
Put aside the influence it had on horror movies alone, and look at the movement The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari shadowed in expressionist ideas around the world. Expressionism originated in Germany and it reflected German emotions that the people were feeling post World War 1. Siegfried Kracauer, author of From Caligari to Hitler, argues that the character of Caligari represents a tyrannical figure, to whom the only alternative is social chaos. As history would have it, Germany would choose to follow a tyrant. Hitler's rise to power was a horror movie in itself. Italy was experiencing the same thing as Germany. America chose to reject expressionism originally because it frightened them. They did not want to have to fight another war or worry about social chaos; so they ignored it and hypnotized themselves into the carefree Roaring 20's. Move to Japan, where the people chose a balance of a tyrant and social chaos by closing their boarders. While the movie is not relevant to such important historical events, the idea behind it impacted the world.
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari has moved audiences in an unsettling way for years. It continues to entertain and provoke the minds of the modern world today. It remains a classic because of the impact it left.

The Importance of Metropolis

If I am going to watch a silent film, it really has to be invigorating and have cinematic value; I can't say I would watch one for fun on a rainy day. The movie Metropolis kept me enticed despite its lengthy narrative and lack of dialogue. As I watched it, I started to realize that this had to be one, if not, the first blockbuster movie to ever exist. It had all the qualities that make up one; a strange setting, chase and action sequences, and a huge story. It was even the most expensive film ever released up to that point. Like Avatar or Harry Potter or Avengers, this was the movie that everyone had to see back in the day. Metropolis invented blockbuster movie-making.
The first thing that stuck out to me was the special effects because they were impressive for the time. The use of miniature cities used for the set was a recently new technique that the film perfected. It also used a camera on a swing. Many extravagant movies today use cameras on swings, or cranes. And it also used Schufftan Process, which used mirrors to create the illusion that actors are occupying miniature sets. This same process was later used by Alfred Hitchcock. The creation of the robot Hel, despite its blocky appearance, prefaces Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still. The film was also edited well. The action and movement between scenes flowed, and was not forced; it felt natural. Musical fades along with actual fades were almost poetic. While other directors back then struggled to figure out film techniques, director Fritz Lang made it look like he had been doing it for years.
The film advanced special effects and editing, but it's narrative is what sold me. It is about an upper class man who realizes that while he enjoys life to the fullest, the people below him are suffering. The film speaks heavy themes about the haves and the have-nots. It shadowed the coming Great Depression. The movie is similar to an allegory for events in history. Similarities can be drawn between the rise of Communism in Russia, the French Revolution, and even the separation of classes America is dealing with today. It was a landmark in science fiction filmmaking. Audience today love it when there is dystopian society, a hero who revolts, and a revolution that follows. Modern day science-fiction movies, like The Hunger Games and Elysium, are still following Metropolis' basic plot.
For me, the film is everlasting. I am learning in my American Government course right now that the top 1% of the richest people in America own more than 60 percent of the nations wealth. Then I go watch Metropolis. A feeling rises in me. I suddenly want to change the world, and stand up for the little guy. Plus, I love super-heroes, fighting for people's rights, so that just adds fuel to my fire to fight injustice. The words "the mediator between the head and the hands must be the heart," is something politicians and common voters should remember today because despite our difference, we live under the same flag. But to me, the words are more personal than that; my head tells me all the things I can do, my hands tell me what I want to do, but my hearts tells me what I should do.
Everyone can learn from the film. Teachers are still showing it to aspiring film students today. It created the blockbuster film, but it can still entertain and inspire people after 86 years. It is a classic. In spite of a completely silent narrative, Metropolis speaks louder than many other movies that came after it.