Citizen Kane

When Matt asked me to participate in a movie blog, I was flattered. I’m crazy about movies and was thrilled someone would actually be interested in reading my thoughts on the subject. The first movie Matt reviewed, The Holiday, was one I hadn’t watched (I’m not big on chick flicks) so I couldn’t participate in that review. I asked Matt if he would like me to review my favorite movie, Citizen Kane, and he agreed it would be a good place for me to start. Not only is Citizen Kane my favorite movie, but it is widely regarded as one of the best, if not THE best, movies of all time.

So with that kind of critical adoration, you might be asking what new information I can add to the mix. In truth, nothing I have to say about this movie is earth-shatteringly new. I’m sure any insight I provide could be found by professional critics with more skills and status than I. I only hope I can persuade someone who hasn’t watched Citizen Kane to pick it up and experience it for the first time.

The movie begins with an eccentric old man muttering his last word, “Rosebud.” Normally, this would not be news, but Charles Foster Kane is a celebrity. We are a bit jaded by the concept of celebrity since everyone is capable of achieving their 15 minutes of fame (thanks, Andy Warhol) via reality TV. But it’s important to remember the movie takes place in a time without cell phones, the internet or cable TV. A man had to be really important to be a nationally known figure; Kane qualifies.

Reporters begin following the threads of Kane’s life to determine what Rosebud means. Kane is a man who lived a glamorous, albeit scandalous life, so the journey is complex. The viewer is shown the important eras/events of Kane’s life. He was sent away from home as a child, was raised by his banker, thrown out of a variety of schools, built a newspaper empire and was twice married. If you are anything like me, you will begin to have a love/hate relationship with Kane. When he’s good, he’s very impressive; when he’s bad, he can be crushingly cruel. Most importantly, all the characters in Citizen Kane are so richly drawn that they make you FEEL something. It might be pity or disgust, laughter or tears, but you feel. When is the last time a movie touched you this way?

In the end, everyone abandons Kane and he dies alone. The reporters never discover the mystery of Rosebud, but the viewer learns it was a connection to his lost childhood. The loss of which changed him so profoundly he was unable to allow himself to truly love and be loved in return. The thing he most craved was the thing he never had.

To me, this theme is timeless. It doesn’t matter that the film is made in 1941. The loss of a fulfilling childhood will always leave scars. Until all parents learn to love and embrace their children, damaged souls will walk amongst us.

I give this movie a solid five stars. The writing is crisp and satisfying, the acting is impeccable, and it is shot and directed to perfection (I could write a whole review on the direction alone). If you are feeling adventurous, and are willing to watch a classic (some folks hate black and white movies), please consider Citizen Kane. I can’t imagine you would be disappointed in the experience.

Michelle D. Kieffaber