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| Courtesy of Warner Bros. |
Since 2008, I’ve occasionally used this space for a series
called Catching Up on the Classics. That’s when I take advantage of a slow
weekend at the multiplex to write about iconic films that I either haven’t seen
or I’ve been dying to write about for a while.
Over the years, I’ve discussed some of my all-time
favorites, including The Apartment, Vertigo, It Happened One Night, Do
the Right Thing and It’s a Wonderful Life. But this week, we tackle what
might be the biggest classic of all: Orson Welles’ 1941 masterpiece Citizen
Kane, considered by many critics and scholars to be the greatest film ever
made.
The way it’s talked about in hushed, reverent tones, a lot
of people avoid seeing the movie because it feels like homework; however, you
might be surprised to learn it’s a fun watch. True, it’s ultimately a tragic
tale about a rich man’s futile search for love and meaning. But it’s also
funny, poignant and endlessly intriguing.
I’ve probably seen the film a dozen times, but I’m always
surprised how fast it moves – two hours are over in a blink – and how many new things
I notice about the narrative, the characters and the innovative filmmaking
techniques. It’s practically a new movie every time I watch it.
The basic story of Citizen Kane, including one of the most
famous reveals in cinema history, is so embedded in modern culture that even people
who haven’t seen it still get the winks and references in other works. A select
few may also know it’s a rough jab at publishing mogul William Randolph Hearst.
But even if you somehow know almost nothing about it, the
movie’s still a fascinating experience. In fact, I envy you for getting to watch
it with no outside influences weighing on your opinion. I’m genuinely curious
what that would be like.
The film opens with the death of newspaper tycoon Charles
Foster Kane (Welles), who utters the word “Rosebud” with his final breath. A
reporter attempts to uncover the meaning of the mysterious term and interviews
those who were closest to the difficult man. He gets multiple perspectives on
Kane from his business manager, Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane); his former best
friend, Jed Leland (Joseph Cotton); his ex-wife, Susan Alexander (Dorothy
Comingore); and the memoirs of his childhood caretaker Walter Parks Thatcher (George
Coulouris).
As the information he learns – presented to viewers through
multiple flashbacks – merges into a single narrative, we witness Kane’s
compelling rise to fame and fortune. However, we also discover how quickly
those envious traits can be squandered when they serve as a substitute for what
really matters in life.
Many people who watch Citizen Kane for the first time tend
to walk away disappointed because of the unrealistic expectations that come
with titles like “greatest movie of all time.” I know when I saw it as a
teenager, my immediate reaction was “That’s it? What’s the big deal?”
But I didn’t understand how groundbreaking it was because
the countless filmmaking techniques that Welles pioneered became routine over
the next several decades. Creative elements that we now take for granted, such
as flashbacks, montages, and multiple narrators, were downright revolutionary at
the time.
It’s hard to process that kind of genius from a present-day
perspective. You have to put yourself in the mind of a 1941 moviegoer to
understand how many heads must’ve exploded in theaters all over the country.
Scratch that. Citizen Kane was initially perceived as a
box office bomb – primarily because of the controversy surrounding the movie
and Hearst’s refusal to run ads for it in his papers – so its genius wasn’t
widely recognized until the mid-1950s. That’s why multiple viewings of films
are so important; they change over time just like people do.
I try to revisit Welles’ masterpiece every couple of years
because the sheer number of complex themes and characters make it impossible to
fully appreciate the first time around. Honestly, it’s why I’ve been putting
off this entry in Catching Up on the Classics for eight years; I knew it would
be a struggle, and it has been. Citizen Kane is the kind of movie you write a
doctoral thesis about, not a 950-word article.
But I love talking about my favorite parts of the film. Some
are obvious, like Welles’ astounding performance; the 25-year-old actor
portrays Kane along his journey from young, idealistic dreamer to bitter, soulless
old man and makes it seem effortless. Or Cotton’s less obvious, but equally
affecting work as the best friend Kane slowly loses as the millionaire grows
more cynical and calculated.
Still other brilliant elements reveal themselves only with
repeated viewings: the intricate special effects that are often more astonishing
than modern CGI, or the powerful breakfast montage that communicates the collapse
of Kane’s first marriage. And that’s not even getting into how Welles angles
his shots to subtly manipulate the audience’s perception of certain characters –
notice how the audience constantly looks up at Kane and Leland, but down on
weaker characters like Susan.
Even the last-second answer to the “Rosebud” mystery provokes
all kinds of debates. Is it a McGuffin, simply there to move the plot forward?
Or is it a metaphor that sums up why Kane led such a miserable existence? There
are convincing arguments for both viewpoints.
If you haven’t seen Citizen Kane (or haven’t seen it in a
while), you’re in luck. The film is scheduled to air Tuesday, March 1 at 5 a.m.
on Turner Classic Movies. Set your DVR accordingly; it’s a prime example of appointment
viewing. If this will be your first experience with it, use the contact info
below to send me your own review. I’d love to hear what you think.
Citizen Kane is not rated.
Grade: A+
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