I ALWAYS GAGGED ON THE SILVER SPOON ----Orson Welles
Last Thursday, I was flipping through the TV channels and I saw that Citizen Kane was on AMC. Fantastic! I had never seen this movie and I've heard so much about it: that it is considered by most film critics to be the best American movie ever made, that there are some crazy plot twists that blow your mind, that it's based loosely on the life of William Hearst. I needed to see this movie! How have I not seen it already? I LOVE movies. And I loved Hearst Castle when I visited it.
I fully expected to love this movie. After all, I'm not only a movie buff, but a fairly intelligent person with an appreciation for culture. I like museums and literature and I totally get all those hidden inside jokes in The Simpsons. So how come 15 minutes into this movie all I could think was: "Wow. This is really boring. I might switch over to Dodgeball."
Maybe it was because I wasn't in good movie watching mode: cuddled up on the sofa with a blanket and a bowl of popcorn. Instead, I was checking email on the computer with a bowl of lentil soup balanced on my lap. Maybe it was because I had brought some work home and I was intimidated by the sheer legnth of the movie. Maybe it was because the rotten weather had gotten me down and I just needed a comedy.
Or maybe it's because I'm not as smart and cultured with as good taste as I thought! Afterall, I do prefer beer to wine. I don't like caviar. I think designer clothing is a waste of money. And I consider Jack Black a comic genius. Am I as trite and unsophisticated as Eliza Doolitte?
Or then again, have I just answered my own question with that question?
Maybe I'll just put it on my netflix list and try again.
3 comments:
jack black is a comedic genius. and you have to get at least an hour into Citizen Kane before it really gets good. I didn't see it until just a few years ago, but I can totally understand why it's considered an all time great.
and i have the same expectations for year one.
I definitely say to try it again. Watched start to finish, it's quite an intriguing film. Just remember that it's much like Lawrence of Arabia: it's less about the story and more an analysis of character.
You know, some distant memory is telling me they showed this in film class. I don't remember though because I fell asleep.
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