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I understand that to a point - it depends on what you are comparing though. In my English Literature days I would not give extra bonus credit for writers because they happened to be first at something. A first car might be a wonderful thing that set the standard for what came next but the best car in 2019 beats the ever loving crap out of the first Henry Ford model and in every single possible way. Yet often in film the extra added credit goes to older films while newer films are slagged for not being an original. I actually find the camera work in films like Citizen Kane annoying. I respect it as film art and what it did to inspire film makers but again with a modern eye - it is distracting to me. And I wonder if it comes down to the age of the viewer and what they saw first and perhaps to your point of being able to see past the difference in the era whether it be special effects or acting style. Modern realism - where actors seem like actual people instead of someone who is reading lines. Even Shakespeare's most respected tragedies aren't as "tragic" in a time and place without kings. The high born King falling for grace just isn't tragic to a modern audience in the same way it was at the time. Arguably the comedies hold up better to a modern eye. Or perhaps Death of a Salesman has broader appeal due it to it largely being a tragedy about the American Dream falling. I mean my favorite comedy when I was 10 was Young Frankenstein - but I have to say that is awfully hard to sit through today. What was utter hilarity then - I just don't think a person under 20 years old would find it all that great. The Exorcist which is often ranked as one of the scariest films made - just doesn't hold up and BluRay actually wrecks it because you can see the make-up too well and it looks like crap - having the older rougher print greatly helps. Then the interminable pacing of older films that often seems they needed to add 30 minutes of filler to get people to buy popcorn at the drive-ins or something. Even popular films have trouble. Raiders of the Lost Ark a slam bang action thrill ride of non serious pulp is today a slow moving drama. Of course modern films are made for the smartphone attention span. The marvel movies and transformers movies are wall to wall noise of epic ADHD proportions - I swear if anyone has 1 solid minute of dialog the writer and or editor would get fired. Something needs to explode every 3 minutes in a Michael Bay flick or the producers will panic. I always wanted to be a film critic - problem is 90% of everything sucks and you have to sit through it all to find something good. Too many hours lost and not enough pay.
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