Week 4 - "Rosebud..." [Dies]

We watched some short films in Screenwriting. They were interesting but nothing spectacular in my opinion. I tend to think of short films as being merely a stepping stone to making features, or for compiling a show reel, but I suppose when thinking about it they are a form in their own right. What makes it difficult is that there is less time to tell a story in a short and therefore they normally focus on character or symbolism or they just end up being purely abstract. I believe every film should say something but I think sometimes in shorts people try and say too much. Simple but powerful is the best combination I think.

Discussed demographics in Adam’s class. I don’t like generalising society into ‘classes’, it seems unrealistic, but I suppose it’s necessary. I certainly learned that it’s no easy task coming up with an idea for a programme that everyone will enjoy. We came to the conclusion that sit-coms were the best bet with Friends being an example of a programme that is relatively universal.

Tuesday was a good day. Camera and more camera. We finally got our hands on the kit and learnt how to set up and take down a tripod and camera. It was slightly monotonous and repetitive but I actually really enjoyed that. Yes I’m eager to get going and learn the finer skills but I learn best by doing things over and over again, until they become second nature, and therefore I am perfectly willing to spend as much time as necessary on perfecting the basics.

On Wednesday we watched Citizen Kane. The greatest film ever made; for it’s time, perhaps, but since then it has been surpassed. My expectations were so high, I suppose, that it would have been hard pressed to meet them and unfortunately it under-shot quite considerably. However, it shows that what it takes to really advance and revolutionise anything is for someone to be brave and carefree. Then again it is also a gamble; I think Welles got lucky.

For me ‘Rosebud’ represented a childhood memory that had emotional value for Kane particularly because it recalls the time when he last saw his mother. Kane spends the whole of his life trying to recreate that security and satisfaction but goes about it in entirely the wrong way. He holds onto that ‘Rosebud’ memory like a family relic until the very last and perhaps realises, at his death, that it is still of greatest value to him than everything else he has gained. Also I thought that the actual meaning of the word ‘Rosebud’ could have significance (besides the alleged rude metaphor). It could represent a picture of a flower that has not bloomed. Even at the end of his life Kane remained a bud, he had not opened to reveal the flower that he could have been. Roses are often referred to as the most beautiful flower of all and if the rosebud symbolises Kane then it suggests he had the potential to become a metaphorically beautiful person but never did.

What I really did like about the film is that it is ultimately a story of a man who is looking for love. It highlights the futility of worldly pursuits such as fame, success, power, popularity and shows that there are some things that money simply can not buy. This is Kane’s fatal flaw. He has all these things but he lacks love for – and from – others. This is the reason he never blooms and remains a ‘Rosebud’. In a way this film harks back to good old Macbeth. A tragic hero whose ambition causes him to gain everything that is fleeting, and lose everything that is important.

We watched Broadcast News (Albert Brooks was hilarious) which made me think how much we accept nowadays that presenters are chosen for their looks and also how much fiction is being dressed up as fact. It’s scary to think how passive we are about the whole situation when quite frankly it’s wrong; news should inform and it shouldn’t matter what the presenter looks like if they’re good at what they do. I talked to my dad about it and he said that he has seen a dramatic decline in the quality of the whole BBC over his lifetime.

Embarrassingly I slept in on Friday morning and ended up turning up ten minutes late for class. I felt rather annoyed with myself since this was my first offence and there was really no reason why I should have slept through my alarm. Thankfully Andy was merciful.