Orson Welles’ first feature film and acting debut is as iconic as any other. Citizen Kane took the academy award for best original screenplay in 1941, but failed to win in any of the other eight categories. It is a crying shame that this astounding piece of film was not honoured in all of its nominated categories. Its loss to How Green Is My Valley is still considered a tragedy, but it’s easy to understand when put into context.
Citizen Kane follows the life of Charles Foster Kane, a wealthy newspaper tycoon who dies at the beginning of the film. Kane’s character is based in part upon the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, who did not take too kindly to that fact. He condemned the picture, banned all mentioning, advertising and reviewing of it in his newspapers and even banned some theatres from showing the picture. Out of fear, many theatres decided not to show it anyway. To be fair, I’d be pretty pissed if a film was based loosely on my life and showed what an absolute arsehole I was. The film itself, is concerned with finding out the meaning of Kane’s last word, that we hear in the first scene. That word is “Rosebud.” Now, according to an essay written by Gord Vidal, “Rosebud” was Hearst’s pet name for his wife’s clitoris. Make of that what you will.
So it seems that Hearst not only managed to constrict the showing of Citizen Kane, but also proved the film to be correct – he is an arsehole. But pettiness aside, this film is fantastic. From the story to the acting, the score to the directing, everything shines. Well as much as black and white can shine. For Welles to not only direct this 2 hour-long drama, but to also star in it as the lead, is rather impressive.
Personally, I think the directing takes 1st prize for what makes this film work. We jump from flashback to the present to flashback as we go on a journey through Kane’s life, eventually discovering just what “Rosebud” is, and no, it is not a clitoris. Whilst the answer may seem anti-climactic, even non-sensical, it comes to mean more and more each time you think about it. It is the whole driving force of the film and has almost nothing to do with it. Anyway, the directing. Despite the at first confusing jumps between past and present, we get used to it pretty quickly, allowing us to follow the film not only simply but happily. From Kane’s childhood to his afterlife, everything revolves around his life.
I think a special mention goes to Welle’s use of silhouette too. We never get a full view of the journalist’s face (The journalist is trying to uncover the secret behind “Rosebud”) and almost every character that brings a bad vibe lurks in the shadows, even when they are right in the middle of the shot. Now that takes skill, and it really came off. The theme of corruption runs just beneath the surface throughout, as well as trust, and when you can’t see who is speaking it’s difficult to trust anybody.
It’s hard to say exactly what the theme is in the film. It could be love or how work consumes our lives, it could even be clitoris’! Okay maybe not the last one, but certainly the first two. For me, the film’s theme is loss, and in particular the loss of something you love and thought you would have all your life, something which affects all of us as we grow up. It’s amazing just how relevant this film is and always will be.
The relevance exhibited in the film itself, like the things we see and hear, match perfectly. From sound outside of the narrative, such as the score, to sound used within narrative, like the operatic sequence; it all has a magnificent correlation that brings a deeper layer to every scene. If you closed your eyes and laid back whilst listening to the film, you would know exactly what is happening and what is going to happen. It’s sad that the film did not get a nod at the Academy Awards for its soundtrack and use of sound in general. Its sad that the film didn’t get a nod from every category! Damn you, William Randolph Hearst!
Citizen Kane will be a classic film for all eternity, and with good reason. The directing, the story and controversy surrounding it (It was booed every time its name was read out at the Academy Awards) has brought a popularity that is only matched by Charles Foster Kane’s. But unlike Kane, that popularity will not crumble around it. Hundreds of critics still maintain that it is the greatest film of all time, and I find it difficult to argue with them.
Proof that this film will live forever and is still relevant today… On the right are stills from the original film: On the left, a Simpsons episode…
Prepare to be Bloggled! 