What’s your favorite film of all time? Many critics and directors will say the GREATEST film ever made is Citizen Kane. Orson Welles (co-writer, director and star of Kane) was only 24 years old when he made Kane. Even more impressive, this is Welles’ first film. Upon first viewing some said that he should quit Hollywood because he “would never top it.” What makes Kane so great?
It was released in 1941 but I felt the relevance of its story today. Kane was the FIRST to do many techniques. It starts with Charles Foster Kane (Welles), the media mogul of his generation, dying as an old man holding a snow globe and uttering the word “Rosebud.” Reporter Jerry Thompson (actor William Alland) is tasked with discovering the meaning of Kane’s last word. Thompson interviews anyone still alive from Kane’s life.
Through “flashbacks” that make up most of the film: we see the entire story unfold. Charles Foster Kane spent his childhood in poverty in Colorado. However, during a gold rush, his mothers land is bought out and he is sent away to receive an education with his banker. At 25, he gains control of his possessions that total 100 million dollars.
He enters the newspaper industry because “he thinks it would be fun to run a newspaper.” The Inquirer, it’s called. He creates a “Declaration of Principles” that gain him wide acclaim. His best friend Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotton) grows weary of Kane as his “honesty” fades. Cotton does an excellent job playing Leland, first adoring Kane then despising him. The entire cast plays young and old very well despite most of them being first timers to the screen; as Welles himself was a radio personality. Maybe that’s what makes them so convincing, they had a lot to prove.
Kane marries Emily Monroe Norton (Ruth Warrick), runs for governor of New York against Jim W. Gettys (actor Ray Collins) and begins a disastrous affair with Susan Alexander (portrayed by Dorothy Comingore). Collins’ small part as Gettys is one of my favorites. He does not want to destroy Kane. But as Gettys’ says, “I’m not just fighting for my political life, I’m fighting for my life.”
The plot is not what makes the film topical, it’s little moments with characters and dialogue that made my head scream with joy. Like when Thompson recounts that, “Kane was a man who got everything that he wanted, and then lost it.” At the heart of this story is the dark part of America. We have all seen it, and we can all identify with it. The cinematography is unique, old shots fade out while new shots fade in.
In one scene with Leland and Kane the camera works from the floor while at a tilt, which makes both men seem larger than life. It also gives an uneasy feeling that something is off. Orson Welles didn’t just make a movie; he made a stepping stool for cinema itself. He had the guts to make a film about real world problems. Its themes still register today. From the beginning you know Kane is not a good man, or at least not well liked. Yet the audience can empathize with him, in a scene he states, “If I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really great man.”
Interesting to note, Kane is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. Hearst built a media empire in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. He also ran for office and had a crazy childhood. Hearst wanted this movie to be halted from coming out. Welles made sure it came out, going head to head with a force of nature in Hearst. At only 25 upon the films release, that was nothing short of ballsy. I recommend this film to anybody that has struggled with their identity, relationships, or career. Or even if you just love to watch characters in engaging situations. Basically everyone should give it a try. It may not be for you, but I love Citizen Kane.
REVIEW SCORE = 10/10
Screen Judge 