Citizen Kane can be called a film with an outstanding reputation, and in addition fifteen years older than me. So I feel somewhat embarrassed that I did not watch the film before last month. This is even more so, since the political genre is my favorite. Now, after having done my duty, there is the mission to write an original critique. Hopefully at least my loyal followers will pardon this stale addition to the plethora of reviews. Actually the climax of Citizen Kane happens right at the beginning. A boy lives with his simple parents. Although the couple is not really degenerate, there is a hint that the father is a somewhat violent educator. Anyway, the mother is glad when a benevolent Maecenas offers to adopt the boy. Thus Kane is separated from his elderly home, which causes a mild shock. Nevertheless, he succeeds in making an excellent career for himself as a newspaper tycoon. His stories are dynamite (take a flea out to dinner; do you still enjoy my review?). The pen is mightier than the sword, and considerably easier to write with. But the love that he receives from other people can not fill the emptiness due to his lost childhood. He lives in a conspicuous wealth, but this fails to bring meaning to his life. He becomes adamant (the very first insect). But why continue to dilate (= live long)? In the end the bitterness has grown upon him, and he dies in total isolation. Thus the film is quite melodramatic. Maybe in those days the film producers still had a knack for theatrical techniques. Or perhaps some years after the great Depression, that is so thrillingly portrayed in The grapes of wrath, there really was a class society with appalling differences. True capitalism is survival of the fattest. And of course Orson Welles is a giant, the man who said: "There is one thing worse than celibacy: marriage". Don't forget to leave comments. I love it.
Review of Citizen Kane
