Citizen Kane
{4.5/5} “That’s all he ever wanted out of life… was love. That’s the tragedy of Charles Foster Kane. You see, he just didn’t have any to give.”
Charles was taken away from his mother and father when he was a young boy — on the other hand, he was rich. When he turned 25 and could do what he wanted with his money, he decided to run a newspaper. He wanted to print the truth and help the common man. Later he ran for governor. On the eve of success his affair with a young woman became public — and he lost.
Citizen Kane was released in 1941. I managed to catch it on the big screen. This is the second time I’ve seen it.
It’s often called the greatest movie ever made. Even if you don’t usually like old movies, you should really watch this one.
Orson Welles made this movie when he was only 25. His gradual transformation into an old man is very convincing.
It’s told in flashbacks. A reporter is trying to find out the meaning of the last word Kane uttered before he died.
The mysterious music is by Bernard Herrmann (Psycho).
Orson Welles (Touch of Evil) plays Kane. Agnes Moorehead (Samantha’s mother in the TV show Bewitched) has a small role as Kane’s mother.
The movie was directed by Orson Welles (The Magnificent Ambersons).
The documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane is also fascinating. The character of Kane is based on William Randolph Hearst, and Hearst did not appreciate the movie. With his control over a newspaper empire, Hearst tried to ruin Welles’ career — and succeeded to some extent.