Citizen Kane

If you love watching confusing movies that beat around the bush, you will love Citizen Kane. This movie made in 1941 directed by Orson Welles is the most confusing, boring, and just plain weird movie I have ever seen. Many critics, however, claim Citizen Kane is one of the best, if not the best, movie ever made. Not to offend many of the critics, but handfuls of other movies deserve that prestigious title. Luckily, how critics view a movie has nothing to do with how the American public accepts the movie. Considering I have never heard of or watched the movie before, I say Americans have decided. Do I recommend this movie? No, Go Shovel Snow. Do not waste your day watching a movie about an old filthy-rich man that does not realize how privileged he is and the reporter's attempt to find out what Rosebud means.


The movie starts out with Charles Foster Kane, played by Orson Welles, being taken from his parents. Kane is playing outside in the snow with his beloved sled. His parents receive $50,000 a year, a minor fortune back then. Charles will spend the rest of his life in the lap of luxury with Thatcher, the guardian Charles never learned to appreciate played by George Coulouris. Charles grew up attending the best schools, wearing the finest of clothes, and knowing all the right people. After Kane's stint in prestigious universities, he decides to enter the paper business with his friend, Jedediah Leiland played by Joseph Cotton. However, one minor detail with this little paper business; it is not the most read paper in New York. This does not satisfy Charles, so he hires the complete staff of a competing paper to get the circulation numbers he needs. 


After Charles has conquered the paper business and has a wife, Emily Monroe Norton Kane played by Ruth Warrick, he decides to run for Governor. Kane is not satisfied with the love of his child, wife, or friends. He needs the love of the entire state. Kane runs against a con-man named Jim Gettys played by Ray Collins. However, Kane has an Achilles heel, he has an affair with a struggling "singer" named Susan Alexander played by Dorothy Comingore. This woman is a struggling singer for a good reason, she has a nasally voice, which Kane somehow finds amusing. Kane loses the race, divorces Emily, and marries Susan. All the while his friendship with Jed is suffering because Kane cannot get his head out from his you know where.


Kane and Susan live a "happy" life together at their castle dubbed Xanadu (I wish I was watching the Olivia Newton John movie instead). Susan's carrier "takes off" and she is performing all around the country with all the papers giving her rave reviews. Wonder how that happens? Finally, Susan is sick of making ears bleed and stops singing, to Kane's protest. The rest of this "classic" is played out in the fortress with fireplaces taller than men and stairs to rival those of Mayan ruins.


Xanadu


One thought about this movie...How can Kane be such an ignorant idiot? He complains constantly about his life and having massive amounts of money saying, "I always gagged on that silver spoon." Why does he complain about having such wealth. Does he not realize what money can do? I understand it cannot buy happiness or love. However, it can feed millions of starving children, help underprivileged children receive an education, or fund research for medical purposes. Kane is only concerned with his life, people loving him, and how much they love him.

If you are in the mood to watch a black and white movie about a self-obsessed man, this movie is for you. I do not care what the critics have to say about this movie, critics are a bunch of people who believe they are superior movie watchers. Luckily, critics do not make a movie classic or awful, the people do. Again, do not waste your precious time watching this movie. Jedediah Leiland had the right idea about ditching Kane. Wish I could have done the same when watching the "classic" Citizen Kane. 

Special thanks:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_kane
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/c/ce/Citizenkane.jpg/220px-Citizenkane.jpg
http://www.untimelythoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/2010.09.29.Xanadu.01.jpg

Gone With the Wind

   

Many teens now-a-days don't want to watch any movies unless there are drugs, sex, and rock-and-roll. However, while the youth is laughing to "classics" like Napoleon Dynamite, they are forgetting movies that set higher standards and moved at a slower rate. Gone with the Wind is one of the movies left behind. Although this movie is considered number one in box office revenue with inflation, it is not number one to thousands of teens. However, if anyone knows me, I am not like most teens.

I thought Gone with the Wind was a touching film that makes one think about the other side of the civil war and how the south lost a way of life. Do I recommend this film? Ya Sure You Betcha! This film has everything any good movie needs, action, romance, and humor.

   
Gone with the Wind is a film directed by Victor Flemming in 1939. It takes place in Georgia and begins before the civil war starts, and ends with the war over and the south rebuilding. The movie follows the triumphs and tragedies of a young lady named Scarlett O’Hara played by Vivien Leigh. Scarlett is born into a fabulously wealthy family that lives on a picturesque plantation named Tara. Scarlett’s mother, Mrs. Ellen O’Hara played by Barbara O’Neal, is the one who runs the daily operations of the plantation with her father, Gerald O’Hara played by Thomas Mitchell, being an Irish immigrant who loves riding his horse (foreshadowing his future). Scarlett is the typical southern belle, cooing over all the eligible gentlemen and flirting non-stop. Scarlett has her manipulative mind set on marrying Ashley Wilkes played by Leslie Howard. However, much to Scarlett’s dismay, Ashley wants to keep his wealth in the family and marries his distant cousin, Melanie Hamilton played by Olivia de Havilland. Ashley "rejects" Scarlett’s love and nothing angers the spoiled girl more. 

Scarlett in classic Southern Attire

Scarlett believes she is always the bell of the ball and how dare a man not fall to his knees and ask her hand in marriage. Scarlett confronts Ashley on his decision to marry kind-hearted Melanie, and that is where Rhett Butler, played by Clark Gable, comes into play. Immediately after the introduction of Rhett, any romantic-comedy connoisseur, can tell he and Scarlett will have a fling. Rhett is known as the bad-boy around town. He is a gun-runner and makes it known he loves a lost cause. While all the other slave owning men are talking about honor and how they are ready for the north to initiate war, Rhett sneers “All we have is cotton, slaves, and arrogance.” Rhett is not in favor of the war, changing his mind later. 
   
While the men of Georgia are preparing for war, Scarlett is still brooding over Ashley. Once she finally realizes he is not available. She marries Mr. Hamilton in spite of Ashley. Lucky for Scarlett, in the bloody battles of the war, Mr. Hamilton dies and Scarlett is free to once again throw herself at Ashley, with Ashley doing nothing to stop her intense emotions. Scarlett moves to Atlanta to continue her “grieving” process with their house slave, Mammy played by Hattie McDaniel, knowing what Scarlett is really up to. Scarlett wants to leave so the grieving process won’t “hurt” her social reputation and she can still attend all the socials. One of my favorite parts of this movie is the dancing scene in Atlanta where the women are being “auctioned” to raise money for the cause. Watching the women in their over-the-top beautiful dresses and hats and the men in high-wasted trousers dance the night away made me want to jump in a dance with them. It was like watching a good episode of Dancing with the Stars. Who can go wrong with hoop-skirts, over-sized hats, and waltzes? Throw in a promenade and you have a fantastic scene. 

Dancing Scene. Notice the ladies garments.



  

The movie continues and the Yankees are invading Georgia. With mass hysteria breaking out, Melanie gives birth. Melanie, Scarlett, and the house-slave Prissy escape Atlanta and head towards Tara (as if that can solve all problems). The journey wasn’t an easy one, along the way seeing the destruction war causes. Once beautiful plantations burned to the ground and everything ransacked.
Scarlett comes home to find her mother, Mrs. O’Hara, dead and her father insane. Not long after the return, Mr. O’Hara dies on a horse while trying to defend his once graceful plantation. Scarlett keeps her promise and does everything in her power to make money and feed the family with the war over. 
   
Once Scarlett realizes she cannot make money on her own, she marries Mr. Kennedy, knowing her sister wanted to marry him (classic Scarlett). She starts a lumber mill and expands Mr. Kennedy’s existing general store. Ashley returns form war and Scarlett once again throws herself at him; with Ashley loving every minute of it. Following Scarlett’s former husband’s path, Mr. Kennedy dies while defending his wife’s honor, and Scarlett is again on the market. 
   
Scarlett marries Rhett and they build a beautiful house and have a child named Bonnie Blue. The marriage is on the rocks. Rhett and Scarlett are constantly feuding while the child is being raised by Mammy. Finally, Rhett realizes Scarlett will never stop passionately loving Ashley.    

This movie is number one in box-office revenue for a reason. When watching, one may consider this film an early chick-flick. This movie gives an insight into the human condition. It reveals the hardships of love, war, and death. The director clearly portrays the evils of war, the sorrows of death, and the intense emotions of love. This movie does not have drugs and rock-and-roll, however, it has everything else a classic needs; characters one hates to love and other characters one loves to hate.

Special thanks to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gone_with_the_Wind_(film)?utm_source=lasindias.info
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517PS80V2PL._SL500_AA300_.jpg 
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsDszuifleikFOtBBn9to63nuBjsU-p2PZZX1-CJ-LQvIx5VKrm_NWKlnX5RiULcNJ486mWb8VwpunNuyBw53IIujorB0kUkUfbAvfaOyZ4_ql9DRcc3T18o4vEY8Fmyf4y4QziQt3pag/s1600/scarlett2.jpg
http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Gone+with+the+wind+dancing&start=111&um=1&hl=en&safe=active&biw=1280&bih=929&tbm=isch&tbnid=RBEgan6z4Hv7sM:&imgrefurl=http://www.twotaketwo.com/2011/11/gone-with-wind-marathon.html&docid=SA5yv6bNijMXTM&imgurl=https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6UMlb5_yOgOJEDM_IF7VGdCQHHCKbWbrD8dChXY2xw4Bx3S2v53zv06gO_Z-YL-ybvYm71I47GiFMLwgR-nr3zggzDit2lVJMnBAaOfJfQZmSZ24-o1oNYpvGtOKraphyphenhyphenQGq3R6GaB5s/s1600/dancing.png&w=1600&h=826&ei=HI1nT6e-KaaqsQK_jLW2Dw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=338&vpy=316&dur=1468&hovh=161&hovw=313&tx=128&ty=80&sig=116151212541212511037&page=4&tbnh=91&tbnw=176&ndsp=37&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:111&surl=1

Rating Scale

All movies reviewed by the Minnesota Movie Maverick will be rated on a scale as follows:

 1. Ya Sure You Betcha! - This means the film went above and beyond the average Hollywood production. If I give a film this rating, I highly recommend it to all audiences.

 2. Ya Sure. - If a film receives a Ya Sure, it means the movie met my expectations. I was not enthralled by the film. However, it is worth watching with a few good scenes.

3. Perhaps on a Snow Day. - This means if you are snowed in and have nothing to do, you may as well watch the film. A movie receiving this rating is not fabulous, does not hold my attention, but gives me something to do.

4. Go Shovel Snow. - If a film receives this rating, I recommend you shovel snow over watching the movie. Movies with this rating are fairly terrible. The movie does not hold my attention or make me think about society.

 5. Call Crazy Aunt Gerty. - If a film receives this rating, I recommend you call your crazy aunt no one wants to speak with and listen to her ramble on about butter prices for an hour. Do not waste your time watching the movie, waste your time talking to annoying relatives; besides, you have to tell her eventually you're not taking her to the VFW pancake breakfast.