Classics (1 Viewer)

[Jason Co]

I finally watched my first movie that would be deemed a true classic. I watched Citizen Kane for the first time. It took me a while to actually sit down and watch it. I have to admit I am an action junkie. My rule of thumb is usually if the sub doesn't kick on I don't wanna watch it..lol. I questioned at first why this movie gets such rave reviews and is ranked number one on many peoples all time greats list.

To my surprise I really enjoyed the movie. I understand now that classics are much more character driven. These movies don't rely on amazing special effects to carry the film. I also really enjoyed the hidden meanings throughout the story. I have to admit, I wanted to know what Rosebud was in the worst way. At the end, I actually had to sit there for a few minutes and let it soak in. When I realized what Rosebud was and what it meant to Charles Kane...I was pretty much blown away. I look forward to seeing more classic films, and if anyone has any suggestions I would appreciate it.

Jason

 

[george kaplan]

Jason,

I'm sure you'll get tons of suggestions. You can find some of mine by clicking on the link in my signature.

 

[Matt Stone]

Here's a thread with some good classic film info...

http://www.hometheaterforum.com/htfo...hreadid=143786

 

[Peter Kline]

Jason, there's a world of wonder awaiting you!

 

[Seth Paxton]

I have to admit, I wanted to know what Rosebud was in the worst way. At the end, I actually had to sit there for a few minutes and let it soak in. When I realized what Rosebud was and what it meant to Charles Kane...I was pretty much blown away.

I'm thrilled to hear that you were able to experience this film properly the first time. The film has been spoiled so bad by this point that it's hard to do. My first viewing years ago was like yours and I was also blown away. In fact at the time I didn't even know about Hearst and thought Wells had dreamed up such an incredible life. Imagine my shock to find out someone lived such a life (roughly).

It is an incredible character piece.

I don't think all classics have to be great character pieces though, at least in the terms I think you mean here in which we examine in detail the emotions and motivations of an individual(s).

Some classics have more shallow character investigations but really great characters. You don't really need to learn a lot about what makes them tick if they simply say and do very interesting things. For example, The Maltese Falcon. In that case it is the story itself, the colorful assortment of characters, and the great dialog that make the film a classic.

Certainly in a well written or acted film we can always infer some character investigation, but with Kane the very point of the film is to investigate Kane and to understand him, which we come to do in the end even if the other characters don't.


If you haven't seen Casablanca, that's definately another one to put right at the top of the list. It's another that might sound like just that dry old love story you "need" to see, but the film is really amazing. It's just great storytelling in the vein of Raiders of the Lost Ark, taking you to this far off world of danger and intrigue. It's got great characters, great plot twists, and probably the very best dialog ever written for a film. It is EXTREMELY entertaining which is why it's a classic.


One of my personal faves is Ben-Hur. Now I'm very non-religious and I don't care for the heavy-handed religious book-ending to the film, but in between those opening and closing minutes is one of the greatest tales of adventure and revenge there ever was. If you liked seeing Kane drive himself in a hopeless attempt to force his world to be different, to control his world, then you will also love seeing Judah do the same. And if you love action, this film has some of the best ever. Even the ship scenes, whose backlot effects might seem silly today, still has great action scripting. The film also has one of the best villans ever and some outstanding dialog at times.

Watch Ben-Hur and see real stuntmen doing real stunts that can still make you gasp. And you can watch and see where a guy gets killed during the filming...or did he? (A friend pointed a moment out to me and said "see, right there". Then I showed it to him in slow motion and showed him why he was wrong.)

I won't dump a whole list on you. Those are two older films that sometimes get passed over as being "classic" simply because they are old, when in fact people have been making feature films that are highly entertaining for almost 100 years now. Its funny to me that we just assume other generations didn't understand entertainment or were somehow more easily entertained. If anything it is modern audiences who are the pushovers.

Anyway, enjoy your journey with classics. I'm sure you will see a few that you disagree with but I think its safe to say that you will see more that you end up loving.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Jason. just to add a bit to what the others have written, welcome to a larger world. The fact that I love the classics does not keep me from enjoying plenty of action-oriented film that draw big crowds (for example I really thought that The Matrix was an outstanding film—though I don’t care if I never see the sequel again).

Look for the Sight & Sound thread. This has a list of 341 films that a good many critics, experts and just plain film lovers consider great—though not everyone agrees with all the choices. The same with the AFI Challenge thread and the 30s Challenge thread (all these are in the Movies area).

You will find some discussion on this films, sometimes spirited, but never mean. For example Seth and I disagree quite substantially on Birth of a Nation and D.W. Griffith and I think that Ben-Hur consists three hours of boring tripe with a few very well done scenes. But we agree on far, far more films.

Have fun—I envy you in your ability to see some of these great films for the first time.

 

[Angelo.M]

Jason:

First, don't let anyone tell you what you ought to like. It doesn't matter if I think it's a classic if you can't sit through it.

Second, a handy way to sample films which many folks label as "classics" is to take advantage of cable channels like AMC and Turner Classics.

Happy hunting.

 

[Jeff Gatie]

Definately watch "Casablanca". You will have the joy of raising goosebumps on your skin every time you think of the words "Play Le Marseilles".

 

[Brian W.]

I wanted to know what Rosebud was in the worst way.

By the way, Jason, I've got to recommend Gone With the Wind. Classics don't get any bigger or more entertaining than that.

 

[SteveP]

Just to clarify--no stuntmen were killed during the production of the 1959 version of BEN-HUR.

 

[Jason Co]

It is definitely interesting to see people's differnet ideas of classics. I figure I am going to check out the following:
Casablanca
Ben Hur
Maltese Falcon
Gone With the Wind

I'll see where those take me.

Jason

 

[Garrett Lundy]

These movies don't rely on amazing special effects to carry the film.

I'll just chime-in to tell you that Citizen Kane had more special photography-effects than any film until Star Wars: Episode 4, but I'm sure you learned that from Kane's most excellant commentary track.

Anyway, I present my list of Must-See Classics!

1. Seven Samurai. Argueably the most important film in international cinema history. One of the best, if not the best, action/adventure films from the B&W era. Sets the template of a good movie that todays big-name directors still follow.

2. Fight Club. Modern. Violent. Gritty. Surreal. In todays jaded world, with todays jaded audiences, the film can strike a nerve. It inspired vandalism. It makes you want to take a shower after you watch it. It makes you want to fight your boss.

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

I'll just chime-in to tell you that Citizen Kane had more special photography-effects than any film until Star Wars: Episode 4, but I'm sure you learned that from Kane's most excellant commentary track.

You're both right. Kane did have an astonishing amount of effects shots, but the film was not carried by the FX but by the awesome storytelling talent of Welles.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

As you start to appreciate the classics more, you may actually find yourself going even further back into cinema and discovering some true gems. Some might even be (*gasp*) silent!

A couple recommendations:

Modern Times (Charlie Chaplin)

The Passion of Joan of Arc (directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer)

Of course, there is this other "little" movie you might want to consider seeing if you haven't already: Lawrence of Arabia!

 

[Chad A Wright]

I'll second the suggestion of Lawrence of Arabia. Also check out some of what I consider to be classics:

Bridge on the River Kwai (this took me a couple of viewings to really love)
The Hidden Fortress
Seven Samurai
Goldfinger
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Jaws (my personal favorite)

 

[Allen Hirsch]

My favorite classics (most have already been mentioned, but what the heck...):

The Big Sleep
Casablanca
Citizen Kane
Gone with the Wind
Lawrence of Arabia
Key Largo
The Maltese Falcon
North by Northwest
Singin' in the Rain
The Third Man
To Kill a Mockingbird
Vertigo
West Side Story

 

[ChuckSolo]

Being a Sci-Fi/Horror fan I would submit these as "classics" of those genres:

Them
The Omen
The Exorcist
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Night of the Living Dead (1968)
The Time Machine
The War of The Worlds
Day of the Triffids
Not of This Earth (Paul Birch)
The Beast With Five Fingers
Godzilla (1956?)
King Kong (1936?)
I was a Teenage Werewolf
Jason and the Argonauts
Dracula (Bela Lugosi)
Frankenstein (Boris Karloff)

 

[Andy_G]

Just about anything Hitchcock. Start with Rear Window or North by Northwest.