Citizen Kane Movie Review

Citizen Kane (1941)

Rent Citizen Kane on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Herman J. Mankiewicz & Orson Welles (original screen play), Roger Q. Denny, John Houseman, Mollie Kent (contributing writer, uncredited)
Directed by: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane, Ray Collins, William Alland
Rated: PG
Watch the trailer

Plot
Following the death of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, reporters scramble to uncover the meaning of his final utterance: "Rosebud."

Verdict
It's a highly regarded and very influential film, and that makes it worth a watch from a historical perspective. The core of the story is a man that has it all but never feels complete. We see him chase fortune, accolades, even women, but it's not enough. Framed with a mystery, the final scene answers the question while illustrating that Kane's pursuit of riches couldn't overcome his longing. Money isn't everything, and that's a powerful message that remains ever relevant. You have to remember when this came out. It was ground breaking at the time from the camera work to a story with twists and reveals. It's easy to see why this film left such a mark, though it may not seem as groundbreaking if you compare it to modern films.
Watch It.

Review
It's frequently cited as the greatest film ever. For the time period it was a giant leap forward in cinema from a technical and narrative standpoint. The film was inspired by media mogul William Randolph Hearst. In turn, Hearst wouldn't let any of his newspapers mention the movie. He definitely curtailed viewership of the film, which enjoyed a renewed interest when it was re-released in the 1950s.

Opening with a man in an opulent house passing away in bed, he drops the snow globe in his hand whispering "rosebud." We soon learn the man was Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), as a news reel recaps his life and accomplishments. The tycoon created a newspaper and radio empire, even running for office. Reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) is tasked with finding the meaning of Kane's final word, "rosebud." Thompson begins by researching the man, going back to the beginning.

Orson Welles plays Charles Foster Kane

Kane was adopted, only because his parents wanted him to have a better life. They became quickly rich, nearly by a fluke, but his mother felt she didn't have the education or standing to raise him as part of the upper class which he would eventually be. She gave Kane to a banker to act as his guardian. Due to shrewd investing of the family's wealth, the banker made Kane incredibly rich by the time he reached adulthood.

Kane bought a newspaper, unconcerned about whether it made a profit. He focused on salacious headlines. While it was a departure from the newspaper's previous focus, it increased subscribers exponentially. This is when he begins his collection of statues and artifacts from Europe.

The next challenge Kane sought was political office. He runs for governor, seeking to represent the under privileged, en route to more important offices. Kane's bid ends short when his opponent capitalizes on Kane's affair with a singer.

Orson Welles plays Charles Foster Kane

We watch the spread of Kane's influence and power, but it seems like he's chasing control. He wants to succeed and it propels him far. When he loses out on the power of politics, he forces his girlfriend into an opera career for which she's ill suited. It's another attempt to build something, much like Kane built the newspaper and tried to build a political career. She wants to quit, but he forces her to continue, concerned about his own image more than hers. He names his estate Xanadu, but it's far from a paradise.

Even though a butler relates some importance the snow globe holds, we still don't know the origin of "rosebud." While Thompson never finds the answer, we do as Kane's staff  sort through his collections in the basement. It's not the first movie with a twist, but it very well might be the most famous twist.

SPOILERS

The sled's manufacturer was Rosebud. It's the sled he was riding the moment his life changed and he was adopted. The snow globe reminded him of the sled and his youth. It wasn't just nostalgia, it was a time where his family was complete and he was happy. As a rich adult he chased the next thing, trying to fill this void in his life. He sought happiness and validation. The message when he was a boy was that love and happiness isn't enough. His mission was to discover something that would be enough. Money, success, and power never did it. He had a basement full of artifacts that he never enjoyed. He hoped the acclaim of the collection would be fullfilling. Despite his riches, money, and accoloades, he could never obtain happiness.