Review of Citizen Kane (1941) by Chandan C — 15 May 2016

Charles Foster Kane (played by Orson Welles), media mogul, dies at his isolated palatial estate, Xanadu. A virtual recluse, his only company was his large retinue of servants and his collection of priceless artifacts. A news outlet sets out to reveal the man behind the legend, going through articles and books on Kane, interviewing his friends, associates and ex-wife. They see his rise to power and fortune, his marriages, his attempts at politics. Moreover, they are striving to discover the meaning of his dying utterance - Rosebud.

A masterpiece in every way. Superb plot, written by Orson Welles and Herman J Mankiewicz. Covers some very powerful themes, all of which are still relevant today: the corruption of innocence and ideals by power, wealth and greed; the power, manipulation and deceitfulness of the media, the yearning for simpler times and how earthly fortunes mean nothing in the end.

Brilliant direction by Welles - this movie set a new benchmark in the field and even today would be difficult to surpass. His camera work and cinematography are exquisite: the use of light and dark (especially), the camera angles, panning shots. Just watching it you know you are watching a master craftsman at work - every shot is carefully planned and deliberately aimed to create a certain effect. It feels like art.

Solid performances all round, with Welles to the fore again. Even the makeup is in another league - witness the transformations of Kane from 25 years old to 30-something, to 50-something all the way to his final days at 70-something.

Probably the biggest travesty in all of cinema is that Citizen Kane did not win the 1942 Best Picture Oscar. It was nominated in nine categories, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actor and Best Original Screenplay, but only one won Oscar - Best Original Screenplay. Best Picture went to How Green Was My Valley, a good movie but not in Citizen Kane's league.

The reason for this may well have been a campaign by media tycoon William Randolph Hearst to discredit the movie and prevent it from being released. The movie was loosely based on the life of Hearst.