My Top 10 Favorite Movie Moments

Moments ... some of the movies we re-watch the most are based entirely on moments. The scenes that make us respect the art of film making, the emotional moments that make us “feel”, and the excitement that transforms a film into an experience. Being a big movie guy, I can think of hundreds, maybe even thousands of memorable moments that always bring me back to the films I enjoy. Heck, even a bad movie can have its select moments that stick with me. This is a list of my own personal favorite movie moments that I can just never forget, and just love to experience time and time again.

   

“I Knew it ... he’s the One” from “The Matrix” (1999) 

I always looked at this film as the grand finally of the 90’s, and its aged fairly well with me. Of course “The Matrix” pioneered new ground breaking visual effects and unforgettable action scenes, but the stand out moment for me is when the films lead hero Neo discovers who he is, excepts what he’s become, and how his allies finally see him in a new perspective. Now this happens twice in the film, and for me, it’s the first scene just after Neo rescues his companions from the helicopter crash that really hits all the right notes. The shots, the angles, the music ... just everything building up to this characters epiphany is sensational. It’s a moment where I really felt myself cheering for the hero, and it’s always really satisfying to see a characters journey come to a satisfying close. I also love how after the dust settles in this moment, Neo’s mentor subtly reminds him about the difference between “learning the path ... and walking the path.” It’s just a great little scene that masterfully combined wisdom with adrenaline fueled action.    

  

“The Show Must Go On” from “Moulin Rouge” (2001)

When it comes to musicals, “Moulin Rouge” is one of the biggest, operatic musicals I’ve ever seen, with grand scale song numbers, and sensational visuals. The big stand out song for me is “The Show Must Go On”, which is obviously another big spectacle that’s beautifully shot, beautifully edited, and sung wonderfully, but there’s just enough substance at the center of this song that thrills me. At this moment in the musical, the female lead is forced to make a very difficult decision that will hurt someone she loves, but it needs to be done in order to prevent something even worse from happening. There’s something about the struggle of moving forward, and facing difficult situations that’s captured fairly well in this song, which is actually kind of inspiring. Also, I just love the way the music builds, and builds in song. It actually starts on a very somber note, and while it accelerates in melody, it still keeps that same tone hovering overhead. It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, it’s a big visual spectacle, and it’s personally my favorite song number I ever seen in a movie.  

  

“Closing Statement” from “To Kill A Mockingbird” (1962) 

This is one of those perfect films that’s just built on great characters, excellent weighting and several stand out moments. For me, the highlight that just gives me chills is when the character Atticus Finch delivers a big closing speech during a court case. When a colored man is on trial for crimes he didn’t commit, a racially in-sensitive town demands his head. However, the soft spoken Atticus Finch (who’s played brilliantly by Gregory Peck) comes to his defense and delivers one heck of an elegant speech to the court revolving around race, prejudice and the very definition of justice. While this isn’t exactly a “motivational” speech and more like a plea for innocence, this monologue is still very inspiring, powerful, and I always think of it as the definitive mic drop of speeches. It’s a moment where I felt the weight and power of every word spoken. It was well acted, well paced and will make you stand up in his support.

“Battling their Fate/ Darth Vader see’s the Light” from “Star Wars 6: Return of the Jedi” (1983) 

For me, this is the moment that just elevated “Star Wars” into one of my favorite franchises and “Return of the Jedi” as my favorite in the whole series. It’s this final three way confrontation between Luke Skywalker, The Emperor and Darth Vader that just hits all the right notes. It goes much deeper than a hero defeating a typical villain, this is Luke Skywalker battling his fate and concurring his own demons while also trying to save his father from himself. There’s also lots of visual symbolism that just adds to the quality of the scene. I love that image of Luke when he’s hiding, and half of his face is in shadows, while the other half is in the light, illustrating how he’s at the cross roads of destiny and needs to determine which path to take. The final light saber dual is very subtle and easily the best of the series because it trades over the top fighting choreography for a more human approach. There’s a hauntingly somber musical score that brings this conflict to life on a grand scale. Then the final scene in which Darth Vader sacrifices himself to save his son is one of my favorite moments in motion picture history. With zero dialog and no facial expressions you can just feel the turmoil going on in this character as he makes his choice to willingly give his life in order to save his son, and it just ends this series on such a perfect high note.

“A Vision of Hope” from “X-Men: Days of Future Past” (2014)

This is yet another scene from an action packed comic book movie, but it feels like something that belongs in a bigger Oscar winning picture. Now “X-Men Days of Future Past” is one of those summer blockbusters that’s full of big action spectacles, a crazy plot involving time travel, alternate realities and is mostly built on entertainment. However, there’s one select moment that instantly stood out to me as one of the most powerful and beautiful things I’ve experienced in a super hero film. Just when our hero’s lose everything and our lead hero Professor X feels the weight and pain of the whole world on his shoulder, he’s granted a vision from his older self who begins to council him. This scene is just beautifully shot, and the performances from both actors are fantastic. Best of all is seeing this older man guide his younger self, and teach him why it’s important to bare pain, and how to grow in great strength through the most human of powers, which is none other than hope. Searching for hope during the darkest of times is a message that’s always stood out to me, and it’s captured beautifully in this moment. While the movie as a whole is a typical summer action romp done very well, I think this little scene alone is deserving of its own Oscar.  

“Evening Flight” from “How to Train Your Dragon” (2010) 

Only a year after “Avatar” hit theaters, I never thought another movie could provide a flight scene as spectacular as the one in that film, but then “How to Train Your Dragon” came out and completely knocked “Avatar” out of the park. This is an animated fantasy movie that revolves around a boy who’s teaching a pet dragon obedience, as well as learning how to fly him. Mid way through the film, we come to a scene when the boy masters his flying and shares it with another close friend. This is one of those cases where it’s all about the experience, and being submersed in a lot of atmosphere and visual beauty. When these characters go flying through the sky or through a cannon, you feel like your right there on the back of that dragon. The 3D flying sequences in this film are true spectacles, and the scenes themselves are just beautiful to look at. Not only is the cinematography breathtaking but the lighting is especially good, ranging from warm sun sets to cool nights full of glittering stars. Best of all, this is a moment where our two main human characters really connect to a monstrous animal that all the other characters have been terrified off. With such a warm connection made between the characters, it makes this flight feel all the more powerful, rather than just an impressive looking spectacle. “How to Train Your Dragon” is obviously one of my favorite movies of all time with lots of credible things to offer, and this flight scene alone might just be my favorite moment from any animated movie I’ve ever seen.  

“Discovering the Value of Human Life” from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991) 

One of the stand out emotional moments for any film is when the hero makes a noble sacrifice by either giving up something personal or their own lives from something of great importance. There are lots of memorable ones, but the one that always sticks with me is the ending from “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” when Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator gives his life for the good of man kind’s future. In the beginning, the T-800 had only one mission in life, and that was to mercilessly assassinate anyone that was a threat to his future. Then in this land mark sequel, he not only becomes a hero, he also goes on a journey observing the human condition and discovers the value of life. His sacrifice at the end is a very human decision, and not a part of his programming. Plus, his good bye to his comrades is just perfect, it’s not overly poetic or syrupy, all it needs is that one moments when the terminator looks at his closest human friend and quietly says “I know now why you cry ... and is something that I cannot do”. The music is subtle, yet effective, the closing line carries lots of substance without being preachy, and it just leaves me with chills. When the credits start rolling, I’m always left in a little trance, like ... wow, what a powerful little ending to a great movie. 

    

“Merry Christmas George Bailey” from “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) 

Okay, who doesn’t watch this movie every year during the holiday season? Even though this is a movie that has very little to do with the holiday, it’s the message about the beauty of life that’s just so powerful and keeps bringing us back every year. This is the story of one man’s life and how it affects the life of others, which is already just as heartwarming, as it is influential and thought provoking. However, the moment that always sticks with me is the ending, when our hero accepts his life and all the beauty that comes with it. I think the best part of this ending that just ties it all together is when Georges brother gives him a toast and claims that he’s “The Luckiest Guy on Earth”. This statement is aimed at a man who never went on to fame, fortune and just had a quiet life with a terrific family. It further highlights how beautiful the little things are which everyone else takes for granted. It’s a moment that I try to capture so often in real life, to be surrounded by family, loved ones and to just take that second to respect how precious the gift of life really is.

“The Under Dog Rises” from “Rocky” (1976) 

This classic sports drama is the story of a small time Boxer who takes a shot at the heavy weight title. It’s a very simple story, even predictable, but it’s done so well, and is chalk full of terrific moments. The overall theme of the movie is rising up to the challenge, and building yourself up to accomplish the impossible. The moment that just sums that up in one unforgettable image is during the training montage when Rocky runs up the stairs of the Philadelphia art museum, turns to a rising sun and raises his hands up in triumph. Obviously it’s symbolic of his status, going from the top to the bottom, and every day you can see people in Philadelphia running up those same steps and raising their arms up in the air just to capture that same triumphant feeling that Rocky demonstrated to us. It’s one of those select moments that always springs into my subconscious whenever I accomplish something that seemed impossible. The song “Gonna Fly Now” is the perfect musical fit to go along with this moment, which could have easily been my favorite movie scene, had it not been for the next one.  

  

Before I reveal my #1 favorite, here are some Honorable Mentions –

·        

“Together again in Death” from “Titanic” (1997)

·         “What we Leave Behind” from “Star Trek Generations” (1994)

·         “Last Cry for Freedom” from “Braveheart” (1995)

·         “The Story of Her Life” from “When Marnie Was There” (2015)

·         “There’s No Place Like Home” from “The Wizard of Oz” (1939)

·         “Perseus finds His Destiny” from “Clash of the Titans” (1981) 

“Taking a Leap of Faith” from “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” (1989) 

The Indiana Jones movies have always been about big action spectacles and no shortage of high stake adventure. However, at the close of the trilogy, we are given one select moment that’s so simple, yet so profound that it’s always stood out to me as arguably my all time favorite movie moment. While Indian’s father is dying after getting shot by a villain, our hero ventures through the dangerous catacombs to find the Holy Grail which will save his father. As he approaches his destination, he finds himself at the edge of a bottomless cannon with no visible way of getting across. With time running short, Indiana makes a daring leap of faith, and through his actions finds an invisible bridge that takes him safely to the other side. Not only is this scene beautifully shot and acted, but it’s always stood out to me as something with moral subtext. First off all, I think a lot of people can relate to this on either a spiritual or personal level. We’ve all had those moments in life when we encounter these invisible roads where we don’t know what direction we should take. It’s at moments like this when we just need to take one big brave step forward, and solely based on our collected faith that in the end ... we’ll arrive at that destination which first seemed impossible to reach. It’s a scene that’s inspired me, challenged me, and it’s always been my favorite select movie moment.

               The End

Rear Window (1954) (Movie Review)

  Alfred Hitchcock was one of the first motion picture directors to receive as much notoriety and popularity as the stars he directed, and even decades after his passing, he still remains one of the most celebrated names in the industry. His biggest contribution was spear-heading the Mystery and Thriller genera, which was already taking shape in the early 40’s, but it was Hitchcock who really breathed life into the genera, and molded it into its common perception today. Because of this, I feel the definitive Alfred Hitchcock picture is 1954’s “Rear Window”, which stands strong today as both a favored picture in cinema, and one of the great classic staples of the crime and mystery genera. While I wouldn’t call “Rear Window” my absolute favorite of his movies, I still feel it best highlights the strengths of his craft, as well as his signature style that characterizes his pictures.  

   Based on a short story by Cornell Woolrich titled “It had to be Murder”, this film takes the formula of suspected murder, and interweaves it with some of Hitchcock’s own original elements, giving it a distinct voice and personality. Jimmy Stewart plays a professional photographer named Jeff, who just broke his leg, and is now stuck in his apartment building until he fully recovers. He's so bored that he spends his time starring out his apartments rear window, which overlooks the local courtyard, and he observes the life styles of all his neighbors. It starts off as an innocent case of voyeurism, but it soon takes a dark turn when he begins to suspect one of his neighbors named Thorwald, may have murdered his own wife. He tries to warn the officials, but they think he’s just hallucinating due to cabin fever. Now, it’s up to him to solve this mystery, with the aid of his visiting nurse played by Thelma Ritter, as well as his beautiful girl friend Lisa, played by Grace Kelly, and together, they might be able to expose the killer.

   One of the key elements to a great mystery is never revealing too much, nor directly explaining things to the audience. This is where Hitchcock’s direction really shines, as he lets things play out before us, and it’s a great showcase of visual story telling. There really aren’t any big twists or turns in the narrative, but it’s through Hitchcock’s unique presentation that it remains such an engaging, and still original experience, which hasn’t really been replicated. 

The camera never once leaves the apartment, we never cut-away to anything outside Jeff’s line of vision, and it puts us directly in the eyes of our main character. This is how you take an admittedly predictable set-up, and make it compelling mystery, as you feel like you’re in his shoes, spying on the neighbor, and coming to the same deductions as he does. The shot composition, editing, and cinematography is all brilliantly assembled. Also, despite being restricted to one spot, the view from Jeff’s balcony still acts like a figurative gateway into a larger world outside, and we see so much activity on display, to the point where the courtyard becomes a character in of itself. Despite only getting these little glimpses of the neighbors, each one feels like a fleshed-out character, with their own intriguing stories to tell, and it’s easy to see why our lead Jeff is so fixated on watching them. As usual, we see Alfred Hitchcock himself making his traditional cameo as a guy in the window of an apartment, and he seems to be winding a clock.    

    The cast naturally is top-tier, and manages to keep the film engaging during the non-suspenseful segments of the film. Jimmy Stewart, who was a regular in Hitchcock’s movies, delivers what might just be my favorite performance of his. Once again, he’s very natural, and full of nervus energy, but he’s also charismatic as hell, and holds your attention with ease, despite being stuck in a wheelchair for the whole picture. 

His relationship with the girl friend Lisa is also one of the bright spots of the film. The two are at odds with one another, as he’s into excitement and adventure, while she’s into the world of fashion and glamor. Despite their differences, they’re still drawn to one another, and are able to subtle things, all while trying to solve this murder mystery. As stated above, Grace Kelly is a knock-out on screen, but there’s more to her then just a pretty face. She delivers equal charisma as Jimmy Stewart, and also doubles as Jeffs legs, daring to do the excitement that he can’t while in his condition. It’s brilliant writing, and the two have excellent chemistry on screen. Lastly, I can’t glance over Thelma Ritter, who provides a lot of levity and amusement as the visiting nurse. For any other actor, this could have been a rather thankless role, but she really shines in the part, and makes for another engaging screen presence.     

   The killer himself is only observed throughout the film, and we don’t really meet him until the end of the picture. Regardless, actor Raymond Burr, famous for playing “Perry Mason”, as well as staring in the 1956 cut of “Godzilla: King of the Monsters”, still manages to leave a disturbing impression. I like that he isn’t this one-note mad-man, in fact, when we finally meet him, he acts rather civil, which suggests his killing was out of blind rage and emotion. It makes him feel more real, and it always had me second guessing seemingly ordinary people. No joke, when I first saw this movie as a teen, it really opened my eyes to the idea of … just what goes on behind closed doors, windows, and are these everyday looking people in my neighborhood always what they appear to be on the surface. In 2007, there was a little movie called “Disturbia”, which followed a similar formula of a murderer next door, and while it was mostly a fine film, the villain to me just felt too much like a stalk-cliché, and just didn’t feel as grounded … and by extent as suspenseful … as in “Rear Window”.

    Much to my surprise, this film didn’t win any trophies at the Academy Awards, although it was at least nominated for four Oscars, including Best Writing, Best Cinematography, Best Sound Design, and naturally Alfred Hitchcock was nominated for Best Director. In the end, I feel “Rear Window” has aged masterfully, still offers a lot of genuine suspense, great performances, and without question is one of Alfred Hitchcock’s finest films. While I generally prefer both “Psycho” and “North by North West” as my two favorites of Hitchcock’s, I still view “Rear Window” as the movie that best defines his trademark vision, style, and dark sense of romantic hummer. If your curious about the talent, and aren’t sure where to begin with his catalog of 50 plus movies … I’d say this is the movie to start with. I genuinely hope modern movie goers don’t pass it up, because it’s still exciting, suspenseful, and stands as a staple of how to make a great mystery thriller.

Thanks for reading my review of the 1954 Mystery & Suspense classic “Rear Window” … and continue to enjoy the movies you Love!  

Lamb to the Slaughter (TV movie Review)

     

      Alfred Hitchcock is well known as the great master of suspense, mystery and psychological thrillers, delivering us some of the most influential films of all time including “Vertigo”, “North by North West” and “Shadow of a Doubt”. Midway in his career, he aired “The Alfred Hitchcock Hour”, which ran from 1962 through 1965. This show was a dramatic anthology series that aired hour long episodes in the same great style of an Alfred Hitchcock motion picture. For the most part, this show was quiet good and the episodes would often have the viewer’s strung along with the story, never knowing which way the final twist would turn. However, there was one particular episode titled “Lamb to the Slaughter” that triggered a huge knee-jerking reaction out of me that I feel I need to share because this story is as far removed from a proper mystery, suspense, thriller as you can possibly get. 

       The story plays out as follows, a woman named Marry learns that her husband has been cheating on her, secretly going out with another woman. Filled with rage, she picks up a big leg of lamb that was meant to be their dinner and whacks him on the head with it, killing him. She then calls the police and makes up a story about an armed robber interring the house and murdering her husband. The cops investigate, find no clear evidence that she killed her husband and after discovering the leg of lamb cooked, they eat it and the woman gets away free with murder, the end. Immediately, I asked myself, what was the point, we know that the wife was the killer and the film tries to make it exciting whenever the police get close to discovering the truth. But the problem is, we want the wife to get caught, sure the husband was a jerk, but still that didn’t give her the right to just kill him and if she’s not even going to get caught in the end, what’s the point of having us watch this?

        There are two things that could have made this story work, first it should have started with the cops coming in to investigate the murder, with we the audience not knowing what transpierced earlier, then let the mystery unfold. Second, how interesting would it have been if the shock of killing her husband traumatizes her to such an extent that she honestly begins to think that someone else did kill him. This wouldn’t excuse what she did but it would make her look more vulnerable and it would have made for a far more powerful ending in the cops found out what happened with her refusing that she could have done something like that. Unfortunately, neither of these two things happen and where just left with this empty murder mystery which isn’t a mystery at all. I know this film was based on the short story of the same name, wrote by the twisted author Roland Dahl and his dark stories do make good ideas for Hitchcock to adapt into film but I just feel that this episode could have been so much better. For an example of a great Alfred Hitchcock murder mystery film, join me in my next review of “Rear Window”. As for “Lamb to the Slaughter”, it stands as one of the worst crime-dramas I’ve ever seen. I give “Lamb to the Slaughter” 1 ½ stars.

The Legacy of Orson Welles

    Every once in a while, there’s a visionary artist whose dreams and ambitions re-shape the way we view art, especially in the world of electronic media. It was David Sarnoff’s vision to invent a black box that would eliminate static, and thanks to his idea, we now have FM radio. Stanly Kubrick is another individual that added a newly stylized and artistic approach to directing movies. But one such individual that transcended the quality of both radio and film is Orson Welles. Even as a child, he showed a lot of talented potential but he never imagined himself becoming one of the most respected film makers of all time. He was just a man with a creative vision and as Orson Welles would say onto others, visions are worth fighting for.

  Born on May sixth, 1915, in Kenosha, Wisconsin, George Orson Welles was raised by a caring and sophisticated mother and father. They encouraged their son to explore interests or ideas outside of just his Wisconsin homeland. Unfortunately, child hood was not easy for Orson Welles, his parents divorced when he was very young and by the time he was thirteen, they both had tragically passed away. Fortunately, he was a boy who already showed creativity and artistic qualities. His current guardian was aware of his creative talents and enrolled him at Todd School in Woodstock, Illinois. It was here that Orson Welles began his first career as a stage actor. Welles had a passion for the theater and would go on to captivate audiences, including his on stage production of “Jew Suss” at the Gate Theatre in Dublin, Ireland. He would do further stage productions that wowed audiences. The one that seemed to change everything was his Broadway debut in the role of Tybalt in Shakespears “Romeo and Juliet”. As you’d expect, it was a big hit but more importantly, it got the attention of director John Houseman, who formed an important partnership with Welles in a Federal Theater project. The two men formed the Mercury Theater together, beginning with a production of “Julius Caesar”, which turned out to be a huge success. Several other successful theater productions followed including a version of Shakespears “Macbeth” which had a cast that was all black. Keep in mind that this was 1937, the idea of two white guys producing a play with an all-black cast was un-herd of at the time.

      After three years of successful, on stage productions, the Mercury theature moved into radio and produced a new weekly program titled “The Mercury Theatre on the Air”. This show aired on CBS and ran from 1938 to 1940, it re-aired again in 1946. Orson Welles was now 23 years old and was about the make a huge name for himself with their first big radio production of “War of the Worlds” in 1938. It was the night before Halloween and it was broadcasted in the style of a real news bulletin, so everyone who tuned in thought that this alien invasion was really happening and it caused mass hysteria. People were barricading themselves in their bunkers, evacuating their homes and in New Jersey, citizens fired live rounds at a water tower, fearing it to be alien war machines. Welles provided a chilling narration from the perspective of a man witnessing the invasion unfolding before him. He also used very unique sound effects that sounded very startling and alien to common audiences. Radio was still a powerful new medium and at the time it was used primarily for delivering braking news stories. Shortly after the broadcast wrapped up, Orson Welles stated that it was all just a show and a way for us radio announcers to properly say “Happy Halloween”!

       At first people were furious with him for having been so deceiving, but after a while audiences paid more attention to the brilliance of this broadcast. To this day, Orson Welles radio presentation of “War of the Worlds” is still regarded as one of the most famous and maybe even greatest radio broadcasts of all time. Never before had a single form of entertainment triggered such a huge, public reaction and it’s an event that will probably never occur again. This is when audiences discovered the thrill of escaping from the real world and submersing themselves into the technically brilliant world of radio and entertainment in general. On a side note, it made this famous alien invasion story a definitive classic all over again. 

     Shortly after the radio broadcasting of “War of the Worlds”, a nice little mini miracle occurred that’s certainly worth mentioning. H. G. Wells, the author of the original “War of the Worlds” novel was driving through San Antonio, Texas and was a little lost. When he pulled over to ask for directions, he bumped into non-other than Orson Welles himself. The two titans that introduced the world to this classic story had unexpectedly discovered one another and they got along with each other very well. Despite sharing the same last name (although spelled differently), the two men are not related, in fact ones American while the other is European. After sharing a day together, the two men shared a live radio interview with each other, in which H. G. Wells stated that the biggest highlight of visiting America was meeting another Welles that continued the legacy of his classic story (this recording can be found on You Tube titled “Orson Welles meets H. G. Wells”). 

       His radio career was a short three years but it was successful none the less. It’s a good thing he had a very deep and commanding voice to go along with all his other talents. His voice became one of the most well know and recognizable in the radio industry. George Lucas had even planed for Welles to supply the voice of Darth Vader in his “Star Wars” series but then thought his voice would be too recognizable and that it would distract from the character. Of course Welles broadcast of “War of the Worlds” cemented him as a genius but his media career (as well as his influence on media) was only just beginning. Soon Hollywood found his talents fascinating and then in 1940 he signed a contract with a small studio called RKO. The deal was that Orson Welles would write, direct and produce two movies for the studio in exchange for $225’000, which was a lot of money  back then. But the money didn’t matter to him because this was his big dream to show case his inventive techniques in film and he was only twenty four years old at this time. His first movie project was titled “Heart of Darkness” and was meant to be an adaption off of a novel of the same name by author Joseph Conrad. However, it was his next daring film project that would go on to become one of the most successful and influential movies ever made.

     In 1941, Orson Welles directed, produced and starred in the motion picture classic titled “Citizen Kane”. This single film has developed a huge reputation for being labeled the greatest movie of all time and while that may be up for debate, there’s certainly no denying that it’s one of the biggest, landmark achievements in film. This is the movie that changed everything in terms of moviemaking and would be the influence for countless filmmakers to follow. In many respects, this film alone earned Orson Welles to be titled the father of modern filmmaking. It’s just an epic story about a publishing tycoons rise to power and his inevitable fall from grace. There was even a fake news real, which was another new trend. The film is loosely based on real life newspaper publisher, William Randolph Hearst, who was furious with this production and refused for it to be mentioned in any of his papers, which only helped bring down the films already small box-office numbers. Even though it wasn’t a hit upon its initial airing, it didn’t take long for the genius of “Citizen Kane” to be discovered and appreciated. Welles developed a number of pioneer, filmmaking techniques for the film including a heavy use of shadows that compliment the mood that the film and its characters create. Right from the beginning, this film grabs your attention with its heavy atmosphere, gothic angles, unique sound effects and incandescent lighting. There’s a lot of deep-focus cinematography, which presented all objects in sharp detail, making things feel alienating. Another technical achievement that’s usually associated with this film is the low angle shot, this made the character of Charles Foster Kane to seem larger than life, abusive and powerful. Even by today’s standards, every single shot in this film is just incredible to look at.

    “Citizen Kane” won the academy award for best original screen play and had eight other nominations, including best picture. In 1943, Orson Welles married Rita Hayworth, whose best known from the TV show “The Love Goddess”. Marriage life was great for him, however life in Hollywood would get more and more complicated over the years. He later cut his connection with RKO studios and left Hollywood for ten years. But he eventually returned to Hollywood and continued to direct, produce, write and star in a number of successful films, including “The Stranger” in 1943, “The Third Man” in 1949 and even his own film rendition of “Macbeth” in 1948. His 1958 film titled “Touch of Evil” (while still a critical success) was the lowest grossing movie that he screen-wrote, so for the next few years he would just act in hit films including “A Man for all Seasons” in 1966. Welles played the lead character in the 1959 crime drama titled “Compulsion”, which was his second most successful part in a lead role next to his performance of Charles Foster Kane. The lowest point of his film career was playing a character called Le Chiffre in the 1967 stinker titled “Casino Royale”, which was a spoof on the famous James Bond Character. (I could list a few more of his films but that would take all day.)

     At last in 1974, Orson Welles wrote and directed one last film titled “F for Fake”. Unlike “Citizen Kane”, this movie was filmed as a documentary with a focus on the topic of trickery and establishing how some things are faked. The basic idea that Orson Welles had going into this project was to argue that there is an extremely close relationship between art and lying, even citing instances from his own career to prove this point, most notably his own “War of the Worlds” broadcast. At times, this documentary would offer something interesting, especially when analyzing real people like Elmyr de Hory, who was extremely skillful with making forgeries of famous paintings which caused unrest amongst expert art collectors. Other times this film would discuss how someone faked a biography on Howard Hughes and while all this was interesting, it didn’t quiet connect with the original message that Orson Welles was trying to convey. In the end, this film came off as less of a documentary and more of an editing experiment, in fact this movie has influenced filmmakers on how to cleverly and artistically edit a film, so it has its significance. “F for Fake” turned out to be a modest success, however it’s far more valuable to students in film school as opposed to the general public and for that, Orson Welles regrettably didn’t end his filming career on the same high note that he started.  

      While “F for Fake” was the last movie Orson Welles would write and direct, his movie career wasn’t over just yet, he would still continue to act in films like “Voyage of the Damned” and the Mel Brooks comedy “History of the World Part 1”. In 1986, there was an animated motion picture titled “Transformers: The Movie”, adapted from the hit TV show of the same name. In this film, Orson Welles supplied the voice of the movies lead villain named Unicron. According to the film’s director, Welles accepted the role only for his admiration to animated movies. However, he had no interest in the actual series, he didn’t even bother to remember the name of his character and even stated that he spent the day doing voice work for a toy that destroys other toys. Never the less, he put his all into the voice acting and supplied this character with one of the most fascinating and sinister villain voices ever. At this time, his voice was getting very week and his health was really declining. The voice recording was completed a year before the movie’s release and tragically this would be the last thing he did before dying of a heart attack on October 10^th 1985 at the age of 70. Five days earlier, he did one last interview on “The Merv Griffin Show”, making it his last public appearance and ending his great legacy.

      To this day Orson Welles is still one of the most famous and respected film makers, as well as actor and radio personality. Orson Welles was more than just a creative visionist, he was an architect that re-defined art in electronic media, even giving birth to a new era of film. Over the years, many other filmmakers have drawn influence from his filming techniques, including Stanley Kubrick, Terry Gilliam and just about any other filmmaker has been inspired by Welles in some way. If more people followed his example of filming, then the world of electronic media can be taken to new, brilliant places that we can’t even imagine. If one were pursuing a career in the world of electronic media, then you can draw inspiration from Orson Welles and how he set a perfect example that visions are worth fighting for and that a little creative vision can go a long way.  

                                            Orson Welles, Born May 6th 1959, Died October 10th 1985.