LogFAQs > #938403362

I never understand what people mean when they say that about Citizen Kane in particular - it's largely considered one of the masterpieces of cinema due to its black and white cinematography and use of shadows. Judging it by "today's standards" doesn't make sense when most modern films don't even follow the same trajectory as what led to it. If it was driven by some other technical aspect that has been replicated a thousand times since, sure, but I honestly struggle to think of a movie that does what Citizen Kane does better besides The Rules of the Game, which is even earlier.

A lot of the other stuff I can think of is merely preferential - some people might like the pacing of modern movies more, etc. But what modern movie uses shadows more effectively than this and the film noir classics?

Like, the jump to color isn't a vertical leap - people still shoot in black and white now and then because it offers visual possibilities that cannot work in color. What standards are you using, exactly?

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