Review of RKO 281 (1999) by Francisco B — 05 Mar 2004

[size=3]It is a supreme irony that a depiction of Orson Welles' struggle to produce [i]Citizen Kane[/i] should be so devoid of artistic invention. Welles' first film pushed the envelope: it refined a new style of photography, it drew on the German expressionism of the 1920s, and its subject matter dared to portray a media baron in an unfavourable light. Naturally, to expect the HBO-produced [i]RKO 281 [/i]to match Welles' own accomplishment would be ridiculous, but it is still something of a surprise that this film is so bland and timid. The movie portrays Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), and the production of his masterpiece [i]Citizen Kane[/i]. It follows the development of the project from the initial idea, hatched by Welles and Herman Mankiewicz (John Malkovich), to the script development stage, to production, and finally to the controversy that surrounded the film after it was completed. Most of what is presented is common knowledge to fans of Welles, [i]Citizen Kane[/i], or simply the cinema in general. For people not as familiar with the story, [i]RKO 281 [/i]may provide some worth as an educational piece about one of the most important films in cinema history. Yet despite its educational value, [i]RKO 281 [/i]is not particularly compelling drama. Schreiber is decent as Welles, but we get no sense of the inner conflict or artistic struggle in the young man's mind. To the film's credit, Welles is not painted as a tortured genius who no one understands...he is often portrayed as a rather selfish, egotistical man (which is, by all accounts, how the real Welles was). Schreiber also succeeds in capturing Welles' charisma and his ability to convince his cast and crew that they are making a great film. [i]RKO 281 [/i]is at its best when it is showing the development of the script: the discussion between Welles and Mankiewicz that leads to the creation of "Rosebud" is fascinating for all cinema fans. While most of [i]RKO 281[/i] plays like a "The Making of [i]Citizen[/i] [i]Kane[/i]" documentary, there is unexpected poignancy in the character of William Randolph Hearst. Wonderfully played by James Cromwell, Hearst is not painted as a controlling tycoon, but rather as a man who simply wants his privacy respected. The value of [i]RKO 281 [/i]may be that it does not portray the battle over [i]Citizen Kane [/i]as a simple good vs. evil struggle, but rather one of art undermining the power structure of the United States, and Hollywood in particular. Although [i]RKO 281 [/i]is not scintillating entertainment by any means, it has some mildly interesting insights into the making of one of the classic movies in American cinema. And perhaps more importantly, it might encourage viewers to see [i]Citizen Kane [/i]once again.[/size].

[size=3](BASIC)[/size].