Revisiting the Movies of the 1940's: Citizen Kane (1941)

“I’m Charles Foster Kane!!!”

Perhaps best known for Kane’s ominous final words of “Rosebud”,  Citizen Kane was one of the most undervalued movies for years (hated when it was released) until it was reevaluated and promptly named the best film of all-time (a title it held until losing it to the awful Vertigo recently). Citizen Kane follows the story of a man who was raised by a banker only to reject that life and live voluptuously, doing what we dream of (including building a giant palace called Xanadu) while still struggling with what his life meant. He is a man who wants to be loved without having to truly give it, choosing to use presents and purchases as his form of love, and showing how meaningless that representation of love truly is.

This black and white classic revolutionized cinematic storytelling, using the entire contents of the film (seeming disjointed and disinteresting) to present Kane’s life, but then changing all of its meaning with the simple word “Rosebud” at the very end of the film. You at once understand everything that he misses, loves, regrets, and wishes he had done differently, as well as the meaning of his entire being. Orson Welles wrote, directed, and lead acted in this film and his talent is obvious, giving us one of the best films of all time. To say that I enjoy this film is a vast understatement, and it will always hold a special place in my heart for its masterful script and direction.

P.S. - Want to watch this masterpiece? Go to Amazon (or similar provider) and:

1) Rent digitally for $2.99
2) Buy on Blu-ray for $23.34
3) Buy digitally for $17.99