Martin Scorsese on taking risks

The other day I saw Martin Scorsese’s “Hugo,” which I think is a stunning achievement–shamelessly old-fashioned, lush, with superb performances from the two kids, and yes, a tad self-indulgent if you’re not into the history of film. Fortunately, I am.

Anyway, it made me more interested to read (and watch) Fast Company’s interview with him about some of the outstanding fictional and real characters in the cinema’s past. Here is what he says about Orson Welles and risk-taking:

By the way, a while back I spoke with a high school student who had recently seen “Citizen Kane.” He said, “I don’t get it. There’s nothing in there I haven’t seen in a dozen other movies.” I had to point out to him that they’d all been made after “Citizen Kane”. He pondered this for a split-second, then his face lit up. “Hey, I guess it’s pretty good after all.” Yep, pretty good.

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