You’ve probably heard of “Citizen Kane.” It has been voted the greatest film of all time by the American Film Institute twice and has a 100 percent fresh rating from Rotten Tomatoes.
The excessively high level of praise is not misplaced. “Citizen Kane” is an amazing movie that still feels innovative seven decades later.
“Citizen Kane” follows reporter Jerry Thompson as he seeks to find the meaning behind the last word of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane: “Rosebud.”
Thompson interviews all of Kane’s old friends and lovers. Their stories lead to flashbacks showing the rise and fall of this great American figure, who acquired power and material objects in a vain attempt to fill the hole in his heart.
What may surprise you when you first watch “Citizen Kane” is how lively it can be. Several sequences deal with 25-year-old Kane building his newspaper empire; they are infused with humor and hum with the thrill of being young and trying to make something great.
Those scenes might work well for another reason. Orson Welles, co-writer, director and star of “Citizen Kane,” was 25 when it was made. But the film also captures the regret and loneliness that can come with aging.
“Citizen Kane” is loaded with technical innovations, including quick montages and the camera moving through solid glass. Welles cuts together some sequences by having different characters finish each other’s sentences.
You can’t tell if Welles is doing this to improve the film or if he can’t resist showing his technical skills. Either way, it makes for a memorable film.
The dialogue is just as good as the visual style. One particular line stands out: “If the headline is big enough, it makes the news big enough.” It says everything about how the media can manipulate events, and is still relevant today.
Welles’s performance as Kane anchors the film. He plays him from youth to middle age to old age, and he’s convincing in every scene. Even as Kane’s desires make him increasingly unlikable, Welles never lets us forget the tiny spark of good that makes Kane a tragic, three-dimensional character.
The supporting actors are also excellent, with performances from Joseph Cotten and Dorothy Comingore.
“Citizen Kane” is a film everyone should see. It covers a wide swath of the human experience and does so with energy, empathy and wit. It still holds up after 74 years.
@jessepasternack
