Review of RKO 281 (1999) by Lee M — 30 Apr 2016

RKO 281 gives a great account of the times, and the way that Hollywood worked in the 30s and 40s. While the details of the demise of Randolf Hearst may be a bit off and some details about Hollywood, the film covers the way things worked and how powers interacted pretty well.

My family was very close to the Hearst family and I know more details about the demise of the Hearsts than I'll ever tell. I can say the film got the important parts correct, without delving into the animosity between Hearst and the State of California.

Liev Schrieber doesn't look like Orson Welles - but so what? That is irrelevant. He captures the arrogance of Welles very well. It's a slow film by today's standards, but that gives you time to take in the theme, and the moral ambiguity, and think while you're watching.