Kane the General Public

Rating: Null/10 (5 February 2003)

The fact that most Hollywood films of today live for 'profits' and 'success' before sacrificing for great direction and narration doesn't surprise me that we have films in this era that will never (NEVER) reside on the same plane as 'Citizen Kane'. Films are getting worse from where they started. I'm not saying that all films are bad coming out now, I'm simply saying for every one good film coming out in 2003 80 weak films (The Twin Towers happily falls into this category) only worth the advertising money that was spent on them to get all of us flocking like sheep to go see them are making me want to think twice the next time I attempt to relinquish my cherished time to set foot into today's movie theatre. What gets me is how so many films worth their weight in gold aren't being showcased at all (Good films don't need to be showcased as much as bad films ((history proves that)), word of mouth still precedes over the most flamboyant advertising campaign out there). I simply hold that if these great films like 'Citizen Kane' were showcased like the films of today they wouldn't be any worse to look at than how they were when you had to go out of your way to dig them up and watch them at a library. I believe the genius would still last in them and make us a more learned,skeptical society when it came to cheesy films coming to theatres every week asking for our viewing (more so our money). We don't know the equation (if there ever could be one) on how to make a film=masterpiece. I know for sure after seeing 'Citizen Kane' that Orson Welles' came pretty close to this equation. Many foreign film makers before Well's time (and even today...France,Italy,Germany,Mexico,Iran:Color of Paradise (1999)) have also succeeded in approaching this 'perfect equation' as happily and unknowingly as most of will be able sit through a 'great' movie at awe and soak in all of its genius practically for granted.
I already expect that from foreign film-German film literally brought Hollywood to level that it reigns at today. Shockingly enough Orson Welles was an American director and made a 'great film'...very hard to do in 1941 if you were an American film maker who usually had to stick with creating the stereotyped 'box office hits' of that time. Say what you like about how 'overrated' and 'over estimated' 'Citizen Kane' seemed to be. Then again you can focus on watching 'Friends' every Thurdsay night for some sense of trying to diminish the fact that you contain the personality of a brick when it comes to comprising your social life. My main grudge with the youth of today is they aren't watching these 'great films', they don't know how far movies have come let alone where they originated from. Hollywood is using this ignorant youth as the main entity who go and pay to see such films that are supposedly 'geared' for them.
The next time you hear about films (especially worthless ones i.e. teenieBop, feminazi,teeniehorrorBop,epic thriller, etc.) that were made for a specific audience/generation in that specific 'time/era/period' think about the time when you didn't study for a test and decided to cheat in order to pass it. You may have passed it and gotten away single handedly with cheating but in the end all you have to speak for of that class you cheated on is the piece of paper that shows your passing grade. You'll stop caring why you took the class in the first place let alone why your going to school: (in a politically correct world) to learn and gain more knowledge. Therefore you either look down upon that certain subject until your able to go back and maybe ascertain it or give that certain subject total lack of respect whether it be Math, Economics etc. As long as films like 'Citizen Kane' are being showcased as 'washed up' and 'great in its time' we mine as well cheat for everything in life. Focus on the 'cool' and care less about the movies that make you contemplate and consider, expand your thoughts like school is supposed to do. Hollywood may obtain a foothold on the film industry as of now but if they continue on the path their headed they may just end up crying 'RoseBud' in the end.