Citizen Kane (1941) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Orson Welles
Written by: Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, George Coulouris, Agnes Moorehead, Paul Stewart, Ruth Warrick, Erskine Sanford, William Alland
Runtime: 119 min
Synopsis: When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's (Orson Welles) dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane's friend and colleague Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), and his mistress, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), shed fragments of light on Kane's life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man's final word, "Rosebud."
The "greatest film of all-time", everyone declares. I've been revisiting David Fincher's career this last week (Se7en, Fight Club, Zodiac, The Social Network, Gone Girl) since he's in charge of directing the upcoming Mank, which premise approaches the story behind Citizen Kane's screenplay credit controversy back in 1941. Herman J. Mankiewicz unquestionably helped Orson Welles writing the script for this movie, but if that contribution was enough to warrant his name on the film's credits, well… Apparently, it was settled that Mankiewicz (known as Mank) did indeed deserve that recognition since I just had to write his name on the "written by" section above. Nevertheless, this review doesn't concern that external issue, but yes, the most globally acclaimed movie in cinema's history.
I always defend that someone's opinion about a film is as valid as everyone else's. Unless the arguments used are disrespectful, reductive comments such as the cliche "it's just boring" or the externally influenced "I don't like that actor in real life, hence the movie is awful", I'm always ready to discuss a film with anyone who shows respect for the respective flick. There's an interesting question people keep asking me: "should I watch this old movie that everyone talks about? It's just that…" and usually they linger around here. Probably, afraid of saying something like "it's still in black-and-white" or "its visuals are so old-fashioned". This is a pretty common behavior in the entertainment realm that is film watching.
I always reply back with another question: "if you love movies, why wouldn't you want to watch such a highly acclaimed film, no matter how old it is?" And, again, people hesitate because they've never asked themselves this. They're afraid that their "discrimination" against old movies might affect their overall opinion about them, and then be in that complicated position that is being in a very small minority. If there's something time didn't change is that people still don't know how to behave when they're part of a little group with an unpopular opinion. Some follow the offense route, attacking anyone who disagrees with them. Others create conspiracy theories, saying that most people think otherwise because they followed the herd, not possessing a genuine, personal opinion.
If you love the art of filmmaking, if you enjoy going to the film theater, then watching older movies will only improve upon that passion. However, there's a certain responsibility that the viewer should always have. As a spectator, we must always be able to place ourselves in the adequate period. We can't watch a 1941's film with the cultural, technological, social rules, and mentality of 2020. It would be extremely unfair to these movies since our enjoyment will be affected by modern political views, religious perspectives, and historical differences. We will look at a film like Citizen Kane, and deceivingly think: "I don't see anything remotely new or innovative in any shape or form".
This leads me to a suggestion I always give every movie lover like me. It doesn't matter too much if you do this before or after the actual viewing of an "old film", but do a quick research on its impact on filmmaking and our culture. Understand why or what makes the movie so special. Learn what to look out for when watching the film, and adjust your knowledge of everything to the year of release. Try imagining yourself as a person living in that year, leaving home to go to the closest movie theater, and sitting in your favorite spot to watch a new motion picture. If you're able to do all of this, then there's absolutely no way of not acknowledging the unprecedented, groundbreaking, historically impactful Citizen Kane.
Still to this day, film critics get that childish, ignorant judgment of "critics don't know how to have fun, they only value artsy stuff that no one cares about". I'm not going to enter a debate about this, otherwise, I'd have to write an essay, but I will address that last part. The "artsy stuff" is what movies are made of. Without the artists behind each technical component, we wouldn't evolve to the point of getting the visually mind-blowing films we receive every month. Well, Citizen Kane impacted every single piece of cinema and shaped the filmmaking industry. People complain about directors not being able to share their original vision in 2020? Try making a movie 80 years ago, where studios were always responsible for the final cut.
Orson Welles changed that process, and much, much more. From the original marketing campaign (it was the first time a trailer didn't contain a single shot from the actual film) to the inventive storytelling structure, there's no denying that the groundbreaking technical aspects transformed filmmaking forever. At the time, ceilings weren't shown, hand-held cameras were unheard of, the lighting had strict rules, and unconventional angles weren't used. Gregg Toland's cinematography changed all of that and tremendously influenced how movies are made today. His experimental methods gave rise to the imaginative use of "deep focus", where the camera shows the foreground, background, and everything in between, all in sharp focus.
Toland was so crucial for the success of Citizen Kane that Welles decided to share the credits spotlight with him. Vernon L. Walker, as the VFX supervisor, employed techniques so impressive that just a few months ago, we had the famous Corridor Crew VFX team breakdown a particular sequence, and most of them didn't know how Walker did it. The latter was a pioneer in shooting massive crowds and wide interior places. Robert Wise's editing is the main component in the famous breakfast montage, by creating a sequence in the exact same location while the actors change their clothes and make-up between cuts, giving the feel of time passing by even though the set design is still the same.
In every other technical component, innovation is the keyword. Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart employed rarely used radio techniques to simulate crowd noise and singing. Bernard Herrmann composed an unconventional score due to its pauses and short bits of soundtrack, something utterly different from the typical non-stop music of Hollywood films. Finally, Mankiewicz and Welles' screenplay. Its structure based on flashbacks and a nonlinear timeline was unique at the time. It's probably why the movie doesn't feel as old as other films when watching it today. Citizen Kane is decades ahead of its time, technically and story-wise. And its ending… still as powerful and jaw-dropping as in the first time I saw it.
It became the most influential movie in the history of cinema. It's constantly at the top of many "best films of all-time" lists, and it's still the number one movie for several critics. Orson Welles' film is probably the movie with the most amount of hype one ever got, to the point of making people afraid of even saying that "it's fine", let alone dislike it. If you think Citizen Kane is a bit boring or that the actors aren't that good or even if you weren't surprised by anything... you're far from being alone. People talk about this film like it's a once-in-a-lifetime experience, a movie that will take people to Mars or to another galaxy. It's understandable if many viewers simply don't find any of the phenomenal qualities that everyone talks about.
The fact that most of the film is astonishingly innovative doesn't take away the other fact that it's still a movie from 1941. If it was released today (with all the natural modifications), most people would find it a very well-directed film, technically exceptional, and possessing a quite remarkable character-study. It doesn't mean it has to resonate with everyone. There's no movie in history loved or hated by everyone, and there will never be one. I don't ask you to learn to love Citizen Kane. I ask you to comprehend its legacy, background, and undeniable impact on filmmaking and our culture. Almost every film we see on massive IMAXs today, we owe that to Orson Welles and his visionary production.
Final Thoughts
80 years after its release, Citizen Kane continues to be addressed by many as "the greatest movie ever made". It became the most popular film of all-time, one that went through decades of in-depth essays. Everything that needed to be said about it has already been stated, recorded, and written. No movie warrants higher expectations from its viewers, but this massive hype makes it a dangerous film. People fear being judged for not understanding the worldwide acclaim or simply disliking it. Is it a tad boring? Are some actors flat? Is the story not as mesmerizing and memorable as you'd expect? Don't be afraid to say "yes" because all of these opinions are entirely reasonable. None of this contradicts the indisputable influence it had on filmmaking and in the history of cinema. Everything about this movie's production and origin, the precedent-setting technical aspects, and the innovative storytelling all prove that Orson Welles was a perfectionist filmmaker far ahead of its time. Is it the best film ever? That's a never-ending debate I don't wish to be a part of. But it's undeniably one of the most magnificent masterpieces of cinema, one that every movie lover must watch.
