The final statement from the journalist on how Kane's life and the search for Rosebud was all a jigsaw puzzle is a perfect analogy for the way the movie was arranged. The flashbacks were not in chronological order making the story a puzzle to figure out. The short montage at the beginning of the film gave the viewers a timeline of his life to be able to place the flashbacks. This left no confussion on where the story was headed.
The acting in the movie was impressive for the era; realistic, believable, and not over the top. The transitioins between scenes were also very artisitcally done; it was not just snapping from one scene to the next. There were elements of fading, focusing, and zooming. That catorgory of the movie was the most intriguring for me. The film was done in a time period where special effects were limited, and is still amazing to watch. I now understand why it deserves a place in American Film Institutes, Best American Movies.
With that being said, my one critique is the ending of the movie. The feeling of depression set in knowing that the unveiling of "Rosebud" would be forever lost to a fire. I hate sad endings.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Wizard of Oz
"Toto, I've a feeling were not in Kansas anymore." This quote from the movie The Wizard of Oz, along with many others, has always struck a nostalgic tune for many. It drives them straight back to the first time they encountered this Technicolor masterpiece.
The whimsical music storyboard and over-the-top visuals are what make this movie stand out in a crowd of musicals. The music in the movie is easy to hum along too even after only seeing the movie once. The most memorable song "Somewhere over the Rainbow," is repeated eight times throughout with different tempos. This type of repetition makes a song very hard to forget. The reoccurrence of a melody happens again with the "Witch's Song," which appears every time she does, inevitably to invoke the suspense of the protagonist.
The dialogue is spoken at a very fast rhythm for the majority the movie with sing-song undertone. A person would have to be much focused to understand every word spoken. Even with the fast paced dialogue the storyline is easily conveyed through the emotions of the actors and the music.
There was also multiple times when foreshadowing gave viewers a preview to the movie. The situation that stands out the most is when the audience is first introduced to Dorothy’s uncles. They all give tag lines to their characters they play in the Land of Oz. The final observation was that Professor Marvel actually plays four roles in the Land of Oz; the original door keep, the carriage driver, the guard, and finally the Wizard of Oz. The staffing on set must have been lacking that day of filming.
This movie is a legend that will continue to be remembered for generations to come.
The whimsical music storyboard and over-the-top visuals are what make this movie stand out in a crowd of musicals. The music in the movie is easy to hum along too even after only seeing the movie once. The most memorable song "Somewhere over the Rainbow," is repeated eight times throughout with different tempos. This type of repetition makes a song very hard to forget. The reoccurrence of a melody happens again with the "Witch's Song," which appears every time she does, inevitably to invoke the suspense of the protagonist.
The dialogue is spoken at a very fast rhythm for the majority the movie with sing-song undertone. A person would have to be much focused to understand every word spoken. Even with the fast paced dialogue the storyline is easily conveyed through the emotions of the actors and the music.
There was also multiple times when foreshadowing gave viewers a preview to the movie. The situation that stands out the most is when the audience is first introduced to Dorothy’s uncles. They all give tag lines to their characters they play in the Land of Oz. The final observation was that Professor Marvel actually plays four roles in the Land of Oz; the original door keep, the carriage driver, the guard, and finally the Wizard of Oz. The staffing on set must have been lacking that day of filming.
This movie is a legend that will continue to be remembered for generations to come.
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