Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, makes me so happy! Dang, Jimmy, not a huge actor yet, totally tore it up. Corruption in the government, one small simple man against a an army. Jimmy Stewart's character, Jefferson Smith, makes me feel good about being just a regular fellow, and he makes me feel I can accomplish great things.
- Sooo, did you like the movie? Why or why not?
- It was hugely successful in America in 1939, we hadn't gone to war yet, but things were heating up in Europe. The Great Depression was still ongoing in the USA, people were still suffering, still hungry, still looking for work, still wondering where their next pay-check would be coming from. Do you think that might have affected this movie's appeal? Why?
Then, WWII happened... people came back scarred. They came back depressed. They came back dealing with their inner-demons, shell-shocked, having seen and done the worst of things. And, films in America began taking a darker tone... Film Noir.
Double Indemnity (1944) is full of darkness, both in theme and in visual appearance. Murder, double crossing, lies, affairs. Dark shots, harsh lighting. Man, this movie is awesome. Film Noir is awesome. And, its affects have lasted until today. So many current filmmakers utilize elements from this genre (Chris Nolan being one of them, that dude loves Noir).- Did you like this movie? Why or why not?
- Did knowing a little history behind how the Film Noir genre came to be add to the experience?
- Would you recommend this movie to someone else? Someone who hasn't seen a Film Noir before, who hasn't watched a black & white movie before - how would you recommend it to them?
Citizen Kane (1941)
The American Film Institute says this is the number one film of all time. Its story telling structure was completely unique at the time, even if we see movies like it now - know this one was the first. It used the camera to say things, low angles, high angles, wide shots, close ups, THE CAMERA was almost a character. It used lighting, like no film ever before, to say things. The Internet Movie Database gives it an 8.5 out of 10 (that's huge), Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 100% fresh.Well, now you've seen it. Congratulations! I think it's important everyone who claims to love films sees this movie in their life time. Now, the question:
- Did you like Citizen Kane? Why or why not?
- And, do you think it is the masterpiece so many claim it to be? Give a thoughtful response as to why or why not?
I did like Mr. Smith goes to Hollywood. I thought it was a really cool political drama, and I’m guessing one of the first of it’s time? And from my understanding, it was a lot like his start in film. I don’t think the great depression and living paycheck to paycheck increased the interest in this movie because I don’t think people were wanting to spend time watching a political drama. I’m probably wrong, however that’s what I believe.
ReplyDeleteI really loved Double Indemnity. It was a really pretty movie and I really like Noir. This was one of the first out of the silent films that had me invested all the way through. I actually watched it again the weekend we saw it. It was just so good! I already knew quite a bit about Film Noir before the lesson and before watching the movies because of previous interest in understanding the dark style behind Batman: The Animated Series and Watchmen. I don’t think that not having that information would have bettered my viewing experience though. If anything it deterred it, because I knew that Phyllis was going to screw Walter in the end. Or try to, at least. I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes thrillers. I would just kind of be like “Hey yo, go check this out. It’s amazing.”
I didn’t like Citizen Kane. I can appreciate it, but I found it boring and I accidentally nodded off at a couple parts. Maybe I’ll try watching it again someday, but for my attention span and taste as of right now, it’s not for me. I do think it’s a masterpiece though. It was the first to change the timeline of a story and some of the things they did with lighting are beautiful. I think anyone who can keep in mind this was before some of the movies who perfected that storytelling, such as Pulp Fiction, they’ll agree. ~Brennan Hanks
Yes I liked the movie, I normally don't watch many courtroom dramas, but this one was well thought out and well made. All in all Mr. Smith Goes to Washington was an awesome movie, and Stewart did a phenomenal job playing the 1 versus the everyone, and really made the character's point.
ReplyDeleteAs for Double Indemnity, an awesome noir film! I was kept on my toes through the whole thing. For knowing the background of film noir, it definitely got me to pay attention at the beginning, but as the film progressed, it mattered less and less. I would recommend this to anyone who really likes a crafty film. As for anyone who hasn't seen a black and white film before or has never seen a noir film, I would still do the same.
I will type the one for Citizen Kane when I have watched it.
i liked mr smith cuz of the way to show the true of the corruption in the government system and yet no other movie did this in its time. yes it must have did a little bit .i liked Double Indemnity for it has a dark hero and there is not happy ending there cuz we are so use to happy endings. yes know the history help understand why they make a movie like this . yes i would but only to those who don't mind a dark movie .Citizen Kane yes i liked it for it is the fist to have the story chaged up for the straight line we were use too . no i don't think this movie is the best i feel like this cuz i did not grow up with this movie and i feel like the best would be predator 1989 or terminator 2 1991 or Jurassic park 1993 . i feel that way cuz i grow up with this movies and i feel like they should be the best~ film is ageless a good movie is not based on its age or effects tis base on the story and charters in it ~ yami gaia
ReplyDeleteI really liked Mr Smith goes to Washington it was entertaining even with the political-ness. I think and this might sound like a conspiracy. But...I think they enjoyed it due to the fact they were getting fed up like being treaded like they had been. They were desperate for answers for why their life was such trash. And along came this movie and it fit with their mindset that something has to be corrupt within the higher authority. And not only it was something that they could relate to it was their initial thoughts and confusion that made this movie so successful it was the closest thing to having an answer.
ReplyDeleteIt was sad to go to the orthodontist the day we watched this because I wanted to finish this so badly so I went home and I looked it up and watched it. So yeah, I did enjoy this movie I just think these movies are so different and awesome because they are that different. The lighting the mood, the way they talk its so cool! And having a bit of history only influenced that opinion. Heck yes I'd recommend this movie to someone! I'd be like "Hey do you wanna see an awesome classic film noir that is so genuine to the genre that it almost hurts? "Ah, don't mind if its black and white that only adds to the art of the whole experience.
Citizen Kane.
Man oh man. This movie was well, I actually wouldn't call it the best movie ever now but for its time there is no question, there wasn't a movie close to it. People praise it for being, Original, innovative and revolutionary and as I agree on these I would add for its time.
I feel like even its a good film I feel like people will call it the best movie ever because it left that affect on them. Like a girl who gave them such a good time in their relationship that they won't even care if there is another girl there somewhere out there. Its a bit ignorant at least I like to think so. Sure its a good movie for its time but standing against modern times I just think its...well it definitely would fit in even after all of those years. And maybe that's why critics worship this movie so much. But does it really stand as it did compared to today. I don't think so and hypocritically I think its because I just have so many other movies in my mind that may make my argument completely ignorant. Its a dang good and special movie but against today's titans? I don't think so.
Yes, I liked Mr. Smith goes to Washington, I thought it was definitely a great movie and it had some really great points. My favorite part would have to be towards the end when he's fighting all the big time corrupt politicians trying to get the boy rangers camp ground. It had good meaning to it, Mr. Smith was just a wonderful character. His character made this movie how it was, he was just so kind and considerate, he just wanted the right thing. But of course the corrupt politicians stood in his way, wanting to build a dam where the camp ground was going to be, lying and just being smug bastards. He fought like hell and he finally had won in the end, making one of the guys snap and just freak out and confess to the house after Smith collapsed from exhaustion. It was great, and I enjoyed the movie very much. I'm also glad that he got the girl, he deserved it. I can see why he's such a good actor, he's wonderful. I'm sure the great depression did influence and affected the film, because at the time that was a huge influence in cinema and just everything. In the movie you can see how bad and rude a lot of the people were.
ReplyDeleteYes, I loved Double identity, it was such a fun and great watch, glad we saw it. The lighting was great, I just love how dark film noirs are, definitely adds to the mysteriousness of it. The story was great, agency agent gets caught up in a scandal to kill a dames husband so they can get money and be together. But in the end everything goes wrong, his friend is catching on to the whole thing and they're gonna go down together. Then it turns out that the girl was going to betray him and didn't love him, and the guy was going to get himself out of the picture by killing her, but he did love her, they both get terrible fates. He confesses the whole thing. Yes, always knowing the history behind a film always adds to the experience and honestly makes it a lot better. I would indeed recommend this movie to someone, mostly because of how much I liked it and it's just really good. Well I would try explaining how great it was and hopefully it would get them excited.
Of course I liked this movie, it's historic, the top film for the AFI, and the story was told like no other. How the movie was made added greatly to the liking of the film. The acting, lighting, you know, and all that good jazz. It was definitely mysterious, them trying to find out what rosebud meant, and then, in the end, you finally find out that it was his childhood sled from before he got all super rich. I like how it started with the flashbacks from his whole entire life. It was great and interesting, I love stories that do that. You get to see how he became, what happened and went on. His life started out great, he was young, the head of several big news paper businesses and it all slowly started to get worse when he married his first wife. I kind feel bad for the poor old chap. Yeah, I think this was a masterpiece. It was extremely unique for when it first came out, it did things that others didn't do. The way they made it, how they did the lighting and told the story, it was a masterpiece. So good, and it got all four of the AFI film requirements to get to the list, most of them only got few. This one stood out and I can definitely see why it's the first on the list.
Mr. Smith is goes to Washington- This one is very interesting. I like James Stewart he's a great actor, I love watching him in Alfred Hitchcock movies. It's nice to see him in something different. I'm not a fan of politics so for the most part I didn't really understand what was going on that's my only problem with the movie. I loved the end how intense it gets. James puts so much effort at the end you really do feel for the character. The great depression does makes this appeal to people be because it's more of a up beat movie it makes you feel good because the character is mostly happy through out the movie. Overall very good movie didn't understand the politics but the acting and cinematography is great
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Double Indemnity- I like noir, it's a fascinating genre. Pretty good movie (during that day I wasn't paying attention that much because I had a bad day back then but I'll try my best to remember.) I loved the lighting for the most part. Noir films loves using lighting to add mystery which gives it a gothic feel. I would pretty much recommend it for people who would love the style, but for stories I don't know. Overall cool movie I'll need to watch it again when I'm in a right mood but for now I like it.
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Citizen Kane- I can see why this would be #1 movie ever made. I would consider it as a favorite but I do have a top 10 list of the most important films as my #1. I can see this as a masterpiece. I loved how it starts at the end and you get to hear backstories on Kane's life. The acting was great, the lighting is amazing, and the best part is the cinematography so many good shots. Overall I love this I want to get this on Blu Ray so good.
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PART 1:
ReplyDelete(once again I typed more than the 4,096 character limit so that the blog wouldn't accept my full post, so once again I have posted my comment in two parts)
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington:
I liked this movie, not quite as much as you (Will) said you liked it but I did like it quite a bit. I really liked the character of Mr. Smith, he was just a simple guy thrown into the middle of this intensity and he was very determined to prove his innocence. Jimmy's acting was very great. I liked the film, as you had said earlier, as more of a David vs. Goliath kind of story, and not so much for its political-ness. It was really cool to see all the monuments and stuff in D.C. in that one montage, I've pretty much seen all the stuff he went to in real life when I went to D.C. The film really pulled me in, I was very into it, when Mr. S wouldn't sit down or stop talking, it was very intense and exciting. I really liked this film. I think that because it was so intense, and because Mr. Smith was so relatable, people in the depression really liked this film because it could take them away from the sad world, and with Mr. Smith as their guide, wrap them up in those thick clouds of intensity and excitement, which would shield their thoughts from returning to the sadness of their real lives.
Double Indemnity:
I liked this movie, too. I like noir films, like this one, because of the dark tone and the stylistic camera angles. This film was grade A noir, it had an extremely dark tone and extremely stylistic camera angles. This one had really snappy dialogue, so much so that I felt like I was watching a Tarantino film, except it was one made in the 40's or 50's, and I liked this dialogue. I liked the twists and the deep characters a lot, which were also both things that pretty much represent the noir genre. Knowing that people made these kinds of films because they were all depressed and had these dark feelings because of the war didn't really add to the experience of the film itself, but was an interesting bit of information, indeed. I would recommend this film to others, and people who had never seen noirs before because it is a great introduction to the genre, it has everything in it that a noir should have, and it is also just a really great film, altogether. I would recommend it them by telling them simply that it is a great film, a great genre, and films don't need to be color to be good, that you will stop thinking about how its black and white once you get into the story.
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PART 2:
ReplyDeleteCitizen Kane:
I love Citizen Kane. I originally saw it when I was very young, many years ago (cue Citizen Kane style flashback), I had to have been 8 years old, and my whole family was really disappointed by it, they had no idea why it was so widely considered the greatest film ever made, but me, I thought it was great. I always have and I still do now, it is definitely in my top 15 films, I really like it, but there are several other films that I like more than it (koff-kof! Kubrick. koff-koff!), it is not my number one, but hey, it still is there in my top 15 (maybe it's number 11) of all time, and this is why: The story is so complex and detailed (and great), and it jumps around a lot, and then theres the twist at the end. I love the twist, and to me it means that Kane was searching for his youth or childhood. When he was taken away from his birth family he was straight to work like an adult and had all these responsibilities and he was rich and everything, he never got a full childhood, and the only time in his life he could be completely care free and non-working was the very short time he had with his birth parents, and it sounded like even then his father was really abusive, so truly he never got to really be a kid completely. He had huge responsibility his whole life, and he had lots of pain because of the crushing weight for much of these responsibilities was too much. He never got to be a kid. Also, I liked this movie for it's great directing style, the camera angles and movements and stuff. Being a Stanley Kubrick fan, I really like unique direction and this film has incredibly unique direction. The camera moves so much and everything is shot so differently, then theres the fantastic lighting. Orson Welles may be in my top 5 directors. Maybe at number 4. Orson's acting as Kane is great, too. There are so many reasons I love this movie (some have been stated, some can't because I would be adding even more to this incredibly long post), I think it is the masterpiece people make it out to be. While it isn't the number 1 greatest film of all time, it is one of the greatest films of all time. It does almost everything a great movie should do greatly, using the camera to tell the story, an incredible and complicated story with an ending twist that could shock anyone, in a strange directing style in which the camera moves around a lot and in weird ways. It is indeed a masterpiece in filmmaking, a masterpiece in a masterful medium. I love Citizen Kane, and I should probably see some more Orson Welles films. I love film.
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MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON
ReplyDeleteI liked Mr. Smith Goes to Washington because it shows what one little person can do to change the world (or something like that).
I don't think the great depression really affected this movie's appeal.
DOUBLE INDEMNITY
I honestly don't remember watching this movie, so there's not much I can really say about it :(
CITIZEN KANE
I liked Citizen Kane, and I thought it was a good movie, because there wasn't really any other movie like it and it was original. I would like to add That I did find myself falling asleep at some parts of the movie, but it was still good.
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I honestly did not enjoy Mr.Smith goes to Washington. I ended up watching it out of class and it did not really click with me I honestly kind of found it boring. I can appreciate its place in film history but if i were to have the option to watch it again I probably would not watch it again. I believe though with all the building tension that it helped install hope to many people. It showed them a man that kept getting pushed down over and over but he never stopped getting up and it really inspired people because when everyone felt like they were being pushed down over and over so if he can get back up so can I.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely loved Double Indemnity! I thought it was extremely clever and well written. It has to be one of my favorite film noirs besides Citizen Kane. I loved how the actual entire story is told as someone confessing the crime and a flashback sort of way. Knowing a little about film noir kind of help deepen the appreciation for this moving, knowing how hard they worked to decide every shot giving each one the maximum amount of potential that they could. I would definately recommend this movie to someone even if they hadn’t seen any black and white movies. Getting them to actually watch it would definitely be a little difficult but I believe if I just give them a quick little synopsis (because the movie is that good) they would at least give it a shot.
Like Double Indemnity, I absolutely was engrossed by Citizen Kane. I believed it was the first movie to completely mess with you. It didn't mess with head like the movie “Shutter Island” did were everything in it changed at one moment and you had to rethink everything over it again. It messed with your head in a more subtle way. It gave you almost all the variables you needed to solve the problem and figure it out but they left just one variable, one last piece to the puzzle but without that piece you can’t see what the puzzle creates. The best it gives you is a piece from a different puzzle and you are left to just guess and piece together the options but you may never know. So in the long run, yes i believe it does earn its place as a masterpiece.