Review of Citizen Kane (1941) by Cj W — 19 Mar 2014

Citizen Kane is a film that deserves all the acclaim it has gotten, and I cannot argue with anyone who says it is the greatest film of all time. This is a film unlike any other to come out before it, and unlike most everything after it; Citizen Kane doesn't confine itself to a single genre, it's a drama with high emotional and intellectual intensity, but it's also quite funny at times, and has a mystery/thriller element to it as well.

Everything about this film is near perfect, and incredibly ambitious, from the direction and camerawork to the unique nonlinear and psychological screenplay. Charles Foster Kane is probably the most complex and morally ambiguous character ever to be put the screen until this point.

He begins as a man who is merely trying to give the people what he thinks they deserve, which is the truth, but when these people refuse to give him their love, he responds by trying to force them to love him.

He uses manipulative media tactics to "gain" their love, obviously it doesn't work, and he then tries to force his wife to love him. Kane gives Susan Alexander everything she ever wants, but it doesn't win her love.

If Kane is greedy, it is not for money or things, it is greed for love, the only reason he has pursued money and power is because he thought this would make people love him. His only desire is to be loved, yet no one will love him, and it is saddening to see a man torn down by his loveless life, but it is also infuriating to see his overbearing and vindictive actions.

Kane is a character that we feel both pity and angst towards, and this is a product of one of the greatest screenplays ever written. However, the script is not all there is to be praised, Welles' in his debut shows more audacity with the camera, lighting, and character arrangement than has ever been put to the screen until this point.

He uses various angles and character distancing techniques to portray the relationship of the characters visually, which is something the cinema had never seen before. Welles' also gives an amazing performance as Charles Foster Kane, as does Joseph Cotten as Jed Leland, they perfectly capture the essence of their characters.

Citizen Kane is a stunning achievement in the world of filmmaking, and is about as entertaining and intelligent as any film can aspire to be. Show me someone who doesn't like Citizen Kane, and I'll show you a person who hates life.