Rosebud

#1—Citizen Kane

There are many films in this world that have influence on young filmmakers. When I was young, Raiders of the Lost Ark had a major impact on me for the fact that it was the first true adventure film I had seen. Though Raiders may not have been the most influential film for other filmmakers, American Film Institute’s #1 film has made an impression on filmmakers such as Martian Scorsese and even Steven Spielburg.

Citizen Kane follows a young news reporter in search for the meaning of the last words of a newspaper baron, Charles Foster Kane. The news reporter, Thompson, has conversations with Kane’s closest friends and family to get more insight to what Kane’s final words might be. What Thompson receives is more insight to who Kane really was.

I can say that I really enjoyed this film from all aspects. Orson Welles portrays Kane, who does an admirable job. He shows Kane’s fall from a happy aspiring news editor to a miserable old man with no one but himself. The beginning of the film Kane is all smiles and jokes, however at the end of the film the ‘grumpy’ has set in. Another actor who does a great job is Dorothy Comingore who plays Kane’s second wife Susan Alexander. Comingore also show her digression seamlessly. She starts off as a young nieve girl to a singer who would rather end her life than sing another note.

Kane’s influence is not through its cast and their performances, but through its visuals and directing. Citizen Kane revolutionized the way directors used the camera and editing techniques. Fading in and out were used more than any other film of its time. Many directors now use some of the same camera angles and editing techniques that Welles uses in this film.

I would suggest this film to anyone. The story and acting are all really good and like Van Gough, Welles’ film career was not appreciated in his own time. So to really see how modern films are produced, give this film a view.

Verdict: Worth Your Time.