1. Orson Welles - Citizen Kane
I'm not going to waste time trying to convince you to see Citizen Kane. Instead, I'm going to assume, since you're in the film section of WhatCulture, that you're film-literate and that you've either seen Citizen Kane or that it's on your must-see list. After all, it's hard to say anything about the film that hasn't already been said. Orson Welles' 1941 film is considered a cinematic masterpiece by just about every film historian, film critic, and film fan there's ever been. What makes the quality of Citizen Kane even more astounding is the fact that it was the first time that Welles had ever directed, written (co-written, that is), or acted in a feature-length film. Welles brought the strong sense of innovation that he had honed on stage and radio to his first feature film, presenting us with a non-linear plot, new filming techniques, and a moody style more accustomed to gothic horror movies than to a drama revolving around a newspaper magnate, Charles Foster Kane by name. However, for all of the film's ground-breaking work in story and technical aspects, it's the performances that make the movie great, particularly Welles as Kane. Welles steals every scene. It's impossible not to feel the intensity that Welles brings to his portrayal of Kane. Welles intended Kane to be a ruthless man who doesn't hesitate to destroy anyone who stands between him and success, and Welles gets that aspect of Kane's personality across perfectly. Welles also excels at showing us Kane in the later stages of his life, as Kane reaps the bitter fruit that results when one uses and abuses other people. The intensity of Welles' performance should have been enough to cinch the award for Welles. Unfortunately, the award went to Gary Cooper for his portrayal of Alvin York in Sergeant York. I don't blame Cooper for his bland performance; rather, I blame the writers, who took an interesting historical figure and turned him into a boring, one-note good guy. Cooper did as well as he could with the material; it just wasn't worthy of an Academy Award. Welles should have won the award, hands down. However, maybe that's only hindsight speaking; innovative films (or any innovative work in any medium) are rarely appreciated in their own time. Now, let me hasten to say that the Academy awards Oscars to the right people more often than not. However, the Academy, being composed of imperfect people, is bound to make mistakes once in a while. This list has been made up of what I consider to be some of the Academy's biggest mistakes. Your list is bound to be different (let us know about it in the comments below). Sometimes it can be painful to watch Oscars go to films, actors, directors, etc. that we feel are undeserving. However, since we can't add our votes to the Oscar race, all we can do is praise the Academy when they get things right and champion those who were robbed, doing our part to make sure that they get the respect they deserve.
Like this article? Let us know in the comments section below.