The Movie Journal

  Citizen Kane (1941) It took me a long time to finally watch Orson Welles’s Citizen Kane . I mean, it has the reputation as the greatest movie ever made. I did not want to ruin my perceived notion about this classic. I finally caved in, and I remember my thoughts as I watched the film and when it immediately ended. I was like, “this is good, but seriously the best movie ever?” Here is the thing. The movie kept replaying in my head for some time afterwards. I found myself thinking about how the film innovated cinema with its unique story structure, experimental cinematography, and strong performances from a cast that has never been in a motion picture before. The movie may not seem like a big deal to younger generations, but it was a huge deal in 1941. It paved a path for future filmmakers. When people like Steven Spielberg or Martin Scorsese or practically everyone who directed a film, they will always circle to Welles’s first Hollywood picture. In the end, my thoughts kept circli...

  The Maltese Falcon (1941) John Huston’s The Maltese Falcon is a masterpiece. This film is essentially a series of brilliant conversations interrupted by some violent interludes. You think for a second, ‘Uh oh, a talkative film…how boring!” Be prepared to change your way of thinking because its anything but. The flow and apt characterization are just some of the many things that hold this masterpiece together. The cast, starting with the fantastic Humphrey Bogart and brilliant Mary Astor, are exceptional. On the technical side of things, cinematographer Arthur Edeson and composer Adolph Deutsch prove how skilled they are with their respective crafts. The story itself is not the most original (as it is basically about trying to obtain a precious and rare object), but the three-dimensional characters, the excellent direction, and the editing/camerawork/score elevate that story into one of the best mystery thrillers of all time. Some film historians call this film the very first fi...