Citizen Kane

Citizen Kane. A 1941 American drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Orson Welles, it is frequently cited as one of the greatest films ever made. Its narrative follows a newspaper reporter investigating the life and legacy of publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, whose enigmatic final word, "Rosebud," drives the plot. The film is renowned for its innovative narrative structure, deep-focus cinematography, and groundbreaking use of sound and mise-en-scène.

Plot

Following the death of media magnate Charles Foster Kane, newsreel reporter Jerry Thompson is tasked by his editor, Mr. Rawlston, with discovering the meaning of Kane's last word, "Rosebud." Thompson interviews five key figures from Kane's life: his second wife, Susan Alexander Kane; his estranged business manager, Mr. Bernstein; his best friend, Jedediah Leland; his guardian, Walter Parks Thatcher; and his butler, Raymond. Through these nonlinear, often conflicting flashbacks, the film depicts Kane's rise from a modest childhood in Colorado to a powerful newspaper publisher in New York City, his political ambitions, his failed marriages, and his final years in isolated grandeur at his vast estate, Xanadu. The film concludes with the revelation of "Rosebud's" significance, unknown to the characters but shown to the audience.

Production

The project originated from a contract between RKO Pictures and the 24-year-old Orson Welles, following the success of his Mercury Theatre radio productions, most notably the *The War of the Worlds* broadcast. Welles collaborated with screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz, with whom he shared the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Cinematographer Gregg Toland was instrumental in realizing the film's visual style, employing techniques like deep focus and low-angle shots. The film was shot largely on the RKO Pictures lot, with the expansive sets for Xanadu built in its studios. The innovative soundtrack was composed by Bernard Herrmann, marking his first film score. Robert Wise, who would later direct *The Sound of Music*, served as the film's editor.

Style and analysis

The film is a landmark in cinematic technique, pioneering the use of deep-focus cinematography, which allows both foreground and background elements to remain in sharp focus simultaneously, as seen in the famous childhood sequence at the Kane boarding house. Its complex, nonlinear narrative structure, told through multiple, subjective flashbacks, influenced countless later films. The use of low-angle shots to emphasize power and ceilings built on sets to enhance realism were highly innovative. Thematically, it explores the corruption of the American Dream, the nature of memory and truth, and the impossibility of truly knowing another person. Its critique of media power and personal isolation is often linked to the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, whose empire attempted to suppress the film's release.

Reception and legacy

Upon its release, the film received critical acclaim for its technical brilliance, with Bosley Crowther of The New York Times praising its "surprising and filmically exciting" qualities. However, it was a commercial failure, due in part to a boycott orchestrated by the Hearst Corporation. It was nominated for nine Academy Awards, including Best Picture, but won only for Best Original Screenplay. Its reputation grew enormously in subsequent decades, particularly after its 1956 re-release. It consistently tops polls such as those by the British Film Institute and the American Film Institute, which named it the greatest American film of all time in 1998 and again in 2007. The film's techniques and narrative structure have profoundly influenced directors like Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, and Martin Scorsese.

Cast

* Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane * Joseph Cotten as Jedediah Leland * Dorothy Comingore as Susan Alexander Kane * Agnes Moorehead as Mary Kane * Ruth Warrick as Emily Monroe Norton Kane * Ray Collins as James W. Gettys * Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein * William Alland as Jerry Thompson * Paul Stewart as Raymond * George Coulouris as Walter Parks Thatcher * Fortunio Bonanova as Matiste * Gus Schilling as the Headwaiter * Philip Van Zandt as Mr. Rawlston * Erskine Sanford as Herbert Carter

Category:1941 films Category:American drama films Category:Films directed by Orson Welles