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Post by cineclassics on Feb 26, 2023 12:31:18 GMT
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Post by cineclassics on Feb 26, 2023 12:45:03 GMT
The most lauded film of all-time against arguably Lubitsch's best film and one of the great political satires.
Kane was revolutionary and it still feels fresh and modern over 80 years since its release. The deep focus cinematography, the flashback structure, the multiple narrative perspectives, and an unlikable protagonist, all coalesce to create an influential masterwork. And Welles would never quite reach this stratosphere again, whether due to studio interference or the curse of having created a masterpiece as his directorial debut.
To Be or Not to Be, was so brazen when released during WWII, that many critics at the time, and some still do, feel the jokes (particularly the one about the Poles), were distasteful. But its brilliance cannot be denied. It is Jack Benny's finest hour on screen, it is one of Lombard's best performances, and also her last before her untimely death, and To Be or Not to Be is perhaps THE film that highlights Art triumphing over evil.
My head tells me that Kane is the objectively more important film to the medium, but my heart says To Be or Not to Be is just as impressive in its own right.
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Post by topbilled on Feb 26, 2023 14:35:09 GMT
I still find it interesting that HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY was chosen Best Picture over KANE.
Also, John Ford won over Orson Welles. Lubitsch was not even nominated for TO BE OR NOT TO BE.
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Post by dianedebuda on Feb 26, 2023 15:40:13 GMT
I can appreciate many of the innovations and performances in Kane, but the film itself drags to me.
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Post by cineclassics on Feb 27, 2023 17:22:25 GMT
I'm pushing this back up in hopes a few more people may want to vote. As of this post, only 1 vote separated the two! If Kane were to lose in the first that would be a major upset!
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Post by dianedebuda on Feb 27, 2023 17:45:09 GMT
I'm pushing this back up in hopes a few more people may want to vote. As of this post, only 1 vote separated the two! If Kane were to lose in the first that would be a major upset! Gee maybe I should recruit some members to make it so. 🤣
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Post by starliteyes on Feb 28, 2023 5:53:50 GMT
I just voted for To Be or Not To Be.
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Post by sagebrush on Feb 28, 2023 12:06:28 GMT
I love both of these films. If I could only watch one, however, I would want it to be TO BE OR NOT TO BE.
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Post by BingFan on Mar 1, 2023 2:29:20 GMT
For me, every moment of Citizen Kane is compelling, not just because of the story, but also because every shot is crafted in an outstandingly creative way. And each and every actor gives exactly the performance that’s needed at that moment in the movie.
I love To Be Or Not To Be, too (just re-watched it a couple weeks ago). I always enjoy it. But I think The Shop Around The Corner is Lubitsch’s best. Now if that had been up against Citizen Kane...
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Post by cineclassics on Mar 1, 2023 2:53:21 GMT
For me, every moment of Citizen Kane is compelling, not just because of the story, but also because every shot is crafted in an outstandingly creative way. And each and every actor gives exactly the performance that’s needed at that moment in the movie.
I love To Be Or Not To Be, too (just re-watched it a couple weeks ago). I always enjoy it. But I think The Shop Around The Corner is Lubitsch’s best. Now if that had been up against Citizen Kane... I think The Shop Around the Corner and To Be or Not to Be have been the two Lubitsch pictures with the most staying power. However, I believe that Trouble in Paradise and Heaven Can Wait are masterpieces as well. There are plenty of Lubitsch films I still need to see, including some of his early musicals and silent era films. For someone as revered as Lubitsch was by his peers, it's sad that his name isn't more well known today.
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Post by BingFan on Mar 1, 2023 3:14:36 GMT
For me, every moment of Citizen Kane is compelling, not just because of the story, but also because every shot is crafted in an outstandingly creative way. And each and every actor gives exactly the performance that’s needed at that moment in the movie.
I love To Be Or Not To Be, too (just re-watched it a couple weeks ago). I always enjoy it. But I think The Shop Around The Corner is Lubitsch’s best. Now if that had been up against Citizen Kane... I think The Shop Around the Corner and To Be or Not to Be have been the two Lubitsch pictures with the most staying power. However, I believe that Trouble in Paradise and Heaven Can Wait are masterpieces as well. There are plenty of Lubitsch films I still need to see, including some of his early musicals and silent era films. For someone as revered as Lubitsch was by his peers, it's sad that his name isn't more well known today. Yes, Lubitsch deserves to be remembered just as much as Hitchcock and Capra, who are probably the only directors from the golden age who are known to at least some modern folks. (Well, maybe John Ford, too. That he worked so much with John Wayne, who’s still well known, probably helps Ford’s modern reputation, although Ford really shouldn’t need the help.)
I’d put To Be Or Not To Be right behind Shop. And you’re right that Trouble In Paradise and Heaven Can Wait are right up there, too. Although it’s not quite as good, I've always loved Design For Living as well — partly because my wife and I saw it on our first date, at a university repertory theatre.
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Post by BunnyWhit on Mar 1, 2023 5:53:36 GMT
Both Citizen Kane and To Be or Not to Be contain brilliant acting, direction, and supporting work, but for this vote, I think I have to go with To Be or Not to Be. While both films take on serious subject matter, I find Lubitsch's film to be the more daring of the two.
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Post by sepiatone on Mar 1, 2023 16:51:23 GMT
I voted for KANE mostly for the impact it had on me, and the cinematic advances it afforded the industry. As a photographer, I can appreciate look, lighting and angles Welles used in his movie along with the deft hand and skill of Toland, who helped get the lenses and film made that were necessary to achieve that look. And while I like To Be Or Not To Be as relaxing escapism, the cinematography is routinely static and pedestrian.
Sepiatone
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Post by topbilled on Mar 2, 2023 14:29:23 GMT
So we have another tie with this one?
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Post by Fading Fast on Mar 2, 2023 15:38:50 GMT
So we have another tie with this one? Maybe the tie breaker should be whichever movie's lead actor weighs more.
Even though I happened to vote for "Citizen Kane," I believe this is a completely objective method.
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