Citizen Kane (1941) *****

As I'm sure many film buffs are doing, after watching David Fincher's Mank (2020) (my review here) on its release day, I decided to revisit Citizen Kane (1941) (one of my Top 100 Films—Top 10, actually), which continues to age well and remains as impressive, engaging, and relevant as ever.

I love the mystique and legend of CK's central character, Charles Foster Kane (mostly based on William Randolph Hearst), built up over the course of the film through flashbacks, interspersed with investigative present day (1941) scenes. I love the cast, which includes Orson Welles's Mercury players—himself, along with Joseph Cotten (charming and dashing as ever), Ray Collins (thoroughly despicable), Everett Sloane (the likable yes-man), Agnes Moorehead (intense as Hearst's mother), and more. And, of course, Gregg Toland's cinematography never ceases to amaze, Bernard Herrmann's score perfectly compliments the mystery, and the story by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles is still fascinating and nuanced. 

To paraphrase a friend, Citizen Kane—an almost 80-year-old film—has a better grip on American culture, ego, and politics (without "picking a side" and being on the nose, something Hollywood can't seem to avoid lately) than most films these days. On the other hand, Mank has a clear agenda (much that I actually agree with) but that already felt like old news by the time it was released. The Donald Trump parallels (sex scandals, voter "fraud") are impossible to miss when watching CK in 2020, but Hearst is no direct equivalent to our current president—he's much more intelligent, charismatic, and complex. WRH has many flaws but he's not an outright villain.

Is Citizen Kane the greatest film ever made? I’m not sure how that question can even be answered and how one would adequately attempt to equate such a thing. It seems like a foolish task. But there is no denying that it is one of the very greatest films ever made and there is no overstating its influence on cinema.

You can find my Orson Welles Feature Films Ranked list here.