Your assignment for the week is to create a blog at blogspot.com that has a name which will be easily recognized by me.
Please write something about one of the two films we've seen. All Quiet on the Western Front, or Citizen. Answering one of the questions from our worksheets in some detail would suffice, or, even better, a thoughtful essay on a topic of your own choosing would be even better.
I found Citizen Kane to be a little off-putting for the majority of the film. Although the thought put behind the filming of the scenes themselves, and the preciseness of the powerful/powerless scenes, was exquisite the content and storyline of the film itself wasn't so great. Again, this movie was an innovator in it's time and still beats half of today's movies. I just found that the synopsis of the script could have been written by my 10 year old brother. This class has showed me new light in viewing movies, and i will watch for the hints given by directors in every movie i watch from now on!
ReplyDeleteHmmm... Your brother must be very talented. However, your criticism is couched in thoughtul commentary, so I won't eviscerate you. Do I have a "Moe" in the class, though? And what "must he do?"
ReplyDeleteI have seen All Quiet on the Western Front many times. Usually in a history class in order to show what it was like to be a student during those times, or to better illustrate the tactics and life of trench warfare. However viewing it in this class with Mr. Bennett has shown this film in a whole different light. I was very interested to talk about the whole motif of the view coming through a window. I thought the last scene of the film was so powerful in that it didn't just involve a sniper and a butterfly but also the directers whole view behind war, that one boy can go through so much in such a little time that it can cause him to want it all to end. That is only my opinion, however I feel that noticing different things in movies is easier to find than you think, you just have to look.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you weren't bored going through it again. I agree with your last statement. Film is very accesible. You just have to look.
DeleteFor Citizen Kane, i felt that the film did a great job at portraying the idea that you can never really know someone. Although the reporter speaks to all of Kane's closest friends, he states that he did not really learn anything new on the character. It is amazing how all of these people were said to be so close to him and yet they never knew anything about his most prized possession, Rosebud.
ReplyDeleteOk. Not sure who Enzo is. The idea of living alone, despite numerous friends, is one I've found compelling, as well. Ultimately, I don't really accept it.
DeleteI really enjoyed Citizen Kane. I was kinda surprised by the amount of students that didn't find it very interesting. What I truly loved about the film is that, although everybody had these stories of Kane, the truth about him is fairly simple. He was lonely and looking for love. The love of somebody who truly cared for him. Once his parents gave him away, he tried to fill the void but his failed attempts proved that he would never find it. The only piece of the love that he had left was his sled. Rosebud.
ReplyDeleteGlad you liked it. As we were finishing it off, I happened to see a former student, (one who didn't take my film class) trashing CK as "boring, boring, boring." on Facebook. I was tempted to comment on her site, but I let it go.
DeleteOf the various themes in Citizen Kane, I found that both the plot and the director best conveyed the idea of power. Kane himself was destined to be a powerful man before he grew to even be a man, being sent off to the city with a new guardian as well as large inheritance as a child. As an adult he went into the newspaper business, increasing his popularity among the public and building up influence and power. With this wealth and power, he collected useless treasures--such as statues--but more importantly constructed his palace, Xanadu. However, Kane wasn't as powerful as he was wealthy. To convey him as a powerful, yet powerless man, the director films Kane in the grand rooms of Xanadu, but from a distance, making him appear small and less significant. This shot is actually reoccurring throughout the film, further suggesting Kane's true lack of true power in his life.
ReplyDeleteI'm so pleased to see that you saw the way Welles portrays Kane as being small, while living in a huge palace. There were many such contradictory images. Someone, (probably Wells) said you can figure out what's going on in CK without the sound, just by looking at the relationships betweeen the characters, as portrayed by their positioning within the frame.
DeleteI truly enjoyed All Quiet on the Western Front for two main reasons. One of the main reasons was the experience of seeing the war through a German soldier's eyes. The Germans, who are usually viewed as the enemy in American films, are given the chance through this film to act almost as protagonists, and the viewer is left feeling sympathy for a group of boys who were once written off as foes. The other reason I enjoyed the movie was the use of motifs and symbols, such as the windows/doorways, and the boots.
ReplyDeleteGlad you enjoyed it. The embracing of the "other" is certainly a powerful part of the film, an aspect that was not originally intended by Remarch when he wrote the book in German for a German audience. Glad too that you liked the motifs. I'd like some analysis of them next time, if you have the time.
DeleteOut of Citizen Kane and All Quiet on the Western Front, I found All Quiet on the Western Front more moving. I was more attached to the group of friends and I felt myself grieving for those that lost their lives. Lewis Milestone does a great job showing what truly happens during war.
ReplyDeleteI preferred All Quiet on the Western Front over Citizen Kane because of the characters. I wasn't very engaged in Citizen Kane because I felt like you never truly understood Kane. As a result, I didn't really like Kane as a character. In All Quiet on the Western Front however, I felt that this was the opposite. I was quite interested in most characters, especially Paul and Kat. This translated over to me enjoying All Quiet on the Western Front a great deal more than Citizen Kane.
ReplyDeleteIn all quiet on the western front the motif that stands out is that of boots which appear constantly throughout the movie. The symbolism of boots works on so many levels, from the loss of innocence, to the never ending war that is life. Boots, something made innocently as apparel, see so much death, the death of the ones wearing it and of hose the wearer kills. In the movie, boots go from one person to another. One of the original boys gets the lots from his grandfather, then after he dies his friend takes them And so on and so forth. In the right sense the boots accurately represent war and life.
ReplyDeleteI know that All Quiet on the Western Front was meant to be an anti-war movie, but as you pointed out in class it can be seen to do the opposite of that and promote war. Anyone watching it can be moved by the relationships formed by the soldiers especially Kat and Paul. The scene right before Kat dies, when Paul tells him how differently people see things back home and how Kat is really all Paul has left, really works towards the idea of pro-war once you really look at it. You can see the lessons Paul took away from being at war for years, and how inhumane everyone at his home now seems. So a message that can be taken away from this movie is that while war can be gruesome and terrible, it also creates bonds like nothing else, and teaches people about real humanity. I found this really interesting and is why I thought this was a really good movie.
ReplyDeleteIn Citizen Kane, yes there are many ways the Director uses to portray Power and Powerless by depicting either the character's traits and roles or the use of the camera. When using the camera during Kane's speech he was portrayed as powerful when the camera was up close and personal, but zooming out further and further Kane became smaller and looked like an insect to the audience. With roles and traits, Kane was given power through his fortune and position in the movie as well as his confident and upfront nature.
ReplyDeleteEven thought I didn't like the movie Citizen Kane that much, I thought that the movie showed many "interesting" ways the director chose to film the movie in. I remember when you said that a hole was dug into the floor to place the camera in. This was very unique and new to me because I have never heard of a director going through such troubles just to portray Kane. Wouldn't the camera not being dug into the ground have the same effect?
ReplyDeleteI found it very interesting how the director of Citizen Kane managed to portray Kane as both powerful and powerless at the same time. To convey Kane as powerful, the camera was very close to him which gave an impression of Kane being very big and dominant. His success in the newspaper industry and his overwhelming wealth helped contribute to the characterization of Kane as being powerful. However, the director also managed to show kane as powerless. Despite being so wealthy and significant, Kane is shown as being alone and powerless. The theme of loneliness is wisely used by the director to show Kane's lack of power. From the opening scene where Kane is playing by himself to when his wife leaves him, loneliness continues to plague the protagonist. In addition, the director used camera shots from above to make it appear that Kane is smaller and less significant. In conclusion, I found it very inetersting how Kane is portayed as having so much power, yet as having very little power at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI judged citizen kane based on the overall impression it left, rather than the analyzing it thoroughly, and I was quiet impressed. I enjoyed watching a man become a great owner of a newspaper company and then seeing him fall. Although the movie becomes much better if you can actually analyze it and find all the small details, I think it still leaves a great impression on an inexperienced viewer. You said that you were considering not showing the film next year becuase it is considered "old" and "obsolete" by todays move standards, but I people can get something out of it, as long as they at least try to pay attention to the movie.
ReplyDeleteAlso, both films shocked me when you told us that the cameras were huge and they had to use rails to move them. Although you explained it very well, I still can't believe that they had to move those cameras the same way they move trains, or the fact that they had to dig holes in the ground just to get a "big" effect on actors.
I felt that All Quiet on The Western Front was more moving because I kinda felt a connection to the students and was pretty heartbroken when they all started to die. When watching the movie I didnt really take into account that they were "the enemy" and watching their hardships was very moving because they seemed young and innnocent. Slowly throughout the movie we saw them mature due to the war and see how they progressed and changed to bigger men. You see the inhumane hardships they had to face as young adults, that scared them. I have to honestly say that Paul dying was the saddest because he was the last and most shown throughout the movie.
ReplyDeleteGoing into Citizen Kane I was given the impression that it was a great murder mystery film. I was disappointed to find out it was just a film about a miserable rich guy who didn't know how to spend money. I feel he was very unjustly miserable. What i was given as the point of the movie , im probable way off here but anyway, that you can't get what you want with all the money in the world. Really? In the Film Midnight Cowboy if you gave those two all the money in the world they would be plenty happy.In most situations were the character is miserable is were they got stuck in a unfortunate situation and try to get out. not this guy. he use's all his money to build this grand mansion and keeps himself isolated with the annoying lady he can't stand that caused him to flee and lose his wife and the election. O but you say he wanted to be loved and all his fake friend's just loved him for his money... just hide your money get a new identity and start a new life were people like you for you come on. He may have been powerless to what other's think but he had the money to do as he pleased and do anything he wanted.
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane was a very moving story because it truly highlighted how the people that we see as most powerful, in essence tend to be powerless. In this movie, Kane was considered one of the richest men of the time. He could buy anything he wanted in the world, yet the things he wanted most were not for sale. Although we may envy the rich, they tend to lack the most signficant and satisfying aspects of life. You cannot buy love or happiness, which were the things Kane desired most. His obsession with "buying" the people in his life, rather than truly forming relationships led to his downfall. His heart longed for true romance and passion but his personality and actions intimidated and harmed the people closest to him. His wealth and reputation may be perceived as power, but he could never attain what he truly longed for in life, rendering him powerless and miserable.
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane really grabbed my interest in how it was filmed, especially the various angles and subtle hints. As you said, everything was carefully planned to the smallest detail and portrayed Kane as both a powerful man, and at the same time, a powerless one. I felt All Quiet on the Western Front was more moving from watching these young men, go down one by one. What really got me was when Kat died, at the end, right after Paul says "You're the only one I got left." The ending was fitting as well. If I imagined it any other way, where Paul goes home and goes on with life, it would feel weird.
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane was enjoyable to watch when thinking about the many aspects the director put into the film. Some people might not consider Citizen Kane as a masterpiece because they forget and compare it to the films today where technology is more advanced than the past. Citizen Kane uses camera angles specific placements and movements to enhance the themes in the film. When the camera angle was on the floor looking up at Kane it exhibited the theme of power particularly when Kane was standing over Susan with his shadow shrouding her completely. Kane's powerlessness and loneliness was shown through his clumsy movements when he was destroying Susan's room after she left him. Using such techniques and camera angles were fascinating even with their lack of modern equipments.
ReplyDeleteWhen you told us we were going to be watching Citizen Kane as our second movie, I wasn't too excited to be honest. I've never really liked any black and white movie before so i guess i was a little biased. But as the class watched it, I enjoyed it more and more because I understood the messages it was portraying. This movie also made me analyze movies and not just watch them. Whenever i watch movies outside of film class, I find myself thinking of all the different camera angles that the director uses and what that means to the film. Citizen Kane was a movie that changed the way I watch other movies and I encourage you to show it in your future classes.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Citizen Kane in another Film class, I wasn't expecting to take any new ideas away from it. I felt that I had a basic understanding of the plot and themes. Watching it a second time made me focus less on Kane's character traits, and more of the character traits of the people explaining his life. They all had their own individual feelings towards Kane, and they portray him in slightly biased ways. I noticed some of the smaller details that the director added to the film to show some of the ironic traits. For example, one of the characters was calling Kane greedy, while he was busy checking information on stocks. I also never noticed the fade of Foster's picture into Kane's picture. These smaller details added by the director help to further explain the themes and messages of the film. I feel that if I were to watch the movie again, that I would come away with even more of an understanding of the film, and notice even more clever images. Citizen Kane sticks out to me because there is a very simple story line, yet the film is more complex than most other movies I've seen. The director's ability to twist a simple story into an in depth film is interesting to me.
ReplyDeleteMidnight Cowboy has to be one of my favorite movies so far. The subliminal messages in the movie are amazing, and only add to what I think is wonderful acting and a great plot. The character development is also superb. I actually enjoy Rico's development a little bit more. I've always enjoyed Dustin Hoffman (in the Focker series, Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events, Finding Neverland, Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium, and my favorite of his movies; Hook), and I think that he plays each character perfectly. In Rico's daydreams we get a glimpse into what he wants in life, and what he dreams of becoming. When his daydreams are juxtaposed with his real-life situation it only highlights the terrible life he ended up in. Joe Buck's flashbacks are very similar to Rico's daydreams because of this. He remember the terrible events he went through, and imagines new events happening in strange ways.
ReplyDeleteAnd to comment on the homo-erotic subtext of the movie.
I feel like the director and/or writer of Midnight Cowboy was very very careful in how they brought homosexuality into this movie. They created a character (Rico) that the audience would fall in love with,and feel bad for. At the same time they created a very homo-erotic "bromance" between Rico and Joe. It is quite possible that Rico is gay, and that is why he is very warm toward Joe despite the circumstances, and is very hostile toward the idea of "fags". (I am very against this word, especially in a derogatory sense.) For the time period, this was an extremely temperamental subject (it's around the same time as the Stonewall Riots).
May I suggest Donnie Darko as a movie that we watch in class?
Very interesting post, but annoying because I haven't seen any of the films you reference, except Donnie Darko, which loads of students have recommended to me, but I didn't like enough to finish. Good analysis of homoeroticism in MC. One point, though. The character's name is Ratso, whether he likes it or not. OFten students use "Rico" in essays, but for the purposes of analytical essays, not to mention ordinary discourse, he is Ratso.
DeleteI felt like to would only be nice to him, because his last real wish before he died was that he would be called Rico, not just in his house, but on the beaches and everywhere.
DeleteI highly recommend all movies listed in my post, mainly Hook and Finding Neverland. Both of which are interesting takes on Peter Pan.
I found that of the two films you showed, "All Quiet on the Western Front," was more appealing. While, "Citizen Kane," is hailed by many critics as the greatest movie in history, beyond your in-class analysis, I thought it was just alright. All Quiet on the Western Front struck out to me as more relevant, as warfare is still in practice today, turning many young children into cold-blooded killers. The struggle is evident in our modern day world and in my opinion, has precedence over the emotional issues that a wealthy newspaper owner confronts. All Quiet on the Western Front had nice usage of windows and doors, symbolizing the beginning of new chapters in the lives of all the young soldiers. The butterfly and other bits of humanity that remain intact in the midst of the war put a human touch to the story, and really reach out to viewers who know that it could have very well been them in that same situation. All Quiet on the Western Front is a testament to how powerful spoken and written word are as the young men were influenced to the point that they would die for their country. But as the soldiers learned the hard way, war is a largely glorified concept.
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane was the film that grabbed my interest the most. After watching it, I realized there’s more to a movie than just the plot. For example, there were multiple themes associated with Citizen Kane: power/ powerlessness, materialism, loss of innocence and isolation. The director of the film portrays these through the work of the camera-something I never took notice in, till we analyzed it in class. Power was a significant theme in this film and it was interesting to see how it was symbolized. A major technique used was either filming the character from high above to make them look miniscule, showing powerlessness or filming them from below, showing power. Although this class just started I already learned a lot about the art of film! I know that I can use the knowledge I learned here someday to depict future movies that I will watch.
ReplyDeleteAll Quiet on the Western Front. This movie was a good way to start our movie class, It's an American film made in 1930- that was during the Pre-code era. It also shows a lot of doorways and archways, as a leitmotif. This movie is historically significant, it's a realistic story of War comrades; Not only does it portray the horrors of war, but the camaraderie of soldiers that risk life together. It also is a critic of the German leaders or "old men", which maybe why the film was banned in Nazi Germany.
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane. Okay, I've seen this movie before. You kinda have to be interested in Hearst, or at least his influence to get into the movie. It came out 1941- and what we should take into account is that Hearst did everything in his power to destroy the movie. In fact, a biography was written about Hearst called "Citizen Hearst". Anyway, on to the movie itself... Watching this again through the eyes of a conscious movie watcher, i can see that a lot of planning was done for every shot. The lighting, and camera angles were interesting. I think the overall message was that although Hearst was a fascist who used his power to control what people think, he's still human, who has suffered and has a childhood he looks back on.