Comments on: 5 Overrated Classics

By: avi

avi — Tue, 13 Mar 2018 00:00:00 +0000

“Not to mention the main reason “Citizen Kane” is considered a classic is that people seem to think it invented symbolism with the iconic “Rosebud” sled.”

What an idiotic claim. The sled isn’t even a particularly important part of the movie; the movie goes out of its way to highlight the absurdity of expecting a single word like “Rosebud” to tell you anything meaningful about a man’s life. Citizen Kane revolutionized the art of film, on both a technical and narrative level, in ways that no movie has before or since. THAT is why it’s a classic. I don’t think it’s *quite* the best movie ever made, but it’s undoubtedly the most influential.

By: Jcro

Jcro — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 03:26:00 +0000

assume you’re being contrary for the pure joy of being contrary. you seem to not enjoy the story, but not appreciate the cinematic innovation, bravado and the time these films were made. perhaps as ‘movies/ they might seem dated and/or boring …but as works of art, and films, they all remain brilliant examples of moving the art form forward

By: wendell ottley

wendell ottley — Sat, 25 Jun 2016 17:27:00 +0000

I agree with three of these. On top of it having that whole “White Savior” thing going, I find it incredibly bloated, and yes, boring. I’m fully with your reasoning on Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Gone With the Wind.

I sort of agree with you on Frankenstein, but I’m okay with calling it a classic. It is an excellent film and still is the definitive Frankenstein flick, even if it does “bastardize” the novel. That said, I don’t think it’s the best Frankenstein flick. I think that title belongs to Bride of Frankenstein.

Citizen Kane is the one I really disagree with you. I don’t think people think it invented symbolism, or at least I haven’t heard that. People do seem to think it invented non-linear storytelling. That aside, it really did pioneer lots of film-making techniques. More than that, I found to be an absorbing film that works on every level.

Some other classics I find to be woefully overrated:

2001: A Space Odyssey
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (a pattern, maybe?)
Breathless
Blade Runner