It is always a lot harder to see an old movie if you have only been, like me, a movie fanatic for the past ten years. It demands a certain surrendering and adjustment to really appreciate a classic movie, because the pace and standards are so different compared to modern day films. I decided to set aside all knowledge of modern films (say: films released in the past thirty years) and dive into the classics I heard so much about, without actually having seen them. In my quest, I shall concentrate (though some may call this a serious restriction) on classic American cinema. I will try to discuss one work of the rich classic American cinema pallet each month.

What better way to start this series about Classic American Cinema, than with the magnus opus of my *cough* namesake Orson Welles: Citizen Kane? This 1941 black and white movie is a remarkable achievement, considering the impact the film had on modern storytelling and editing. Even more amazing is that this film, which many modern film critics regard as the best film ever made, was co-written and directed by Welles at the age of 25. Throughout the story, which is loaded with flash-backs, the history, live and loves of Charles Forrester Kane are unveiled.

The story for Citizen Kane is loosely based on the story of newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who tried to do everything in his extensive power to prevent the movie from being released. In fact, because of Hearst’s anti-campaign, Citizen Kane wasn’t that successful when it was released, due to bad promotion and media exposure.

The film starts with the death of Kane (played by Welles) and with his final (famous) word ‘Rosebud’. After that, we get to see a quick and smoothly edited (and rather hilarious because of the narrator’s voice) summary of the history of Kane, that sets the tone and pace for the rest of the film. The one and a half hour remnant of Citizen Kane deals with the research of a newspaper reporter into what Kane meant with ‘Rosebud’, which he tries to find out by questioning Kane’s business relatives and lovers. Between the conversations with the people concerned, we get to see flashes of Kane’s rich past: how he gets taken away from his father and ice-cold mother, how he takes over the newspaper The Inquirer, how he becomes one of America’s biggest newspaper magnates and how he meets his two wives (the second being a mediocre opera singer, whom Kane forces to pursue a professional singing career).

What becomes clear from its narrative structure, is that Citizen Kane never ceases to lose its audience’s attention. The structure is varied, but also demands a certain concentration and therefore increases the involvement of the viewer. The fast-paced editing, however, gets poisoned by modern day films, in which such editing is rather common, but when you look at Citizen Kane in historical perspective it set the standard for modern twentieth century film-making in more than one way. What is also amazing, is how Welles managed to crawl into the skin of Kane, as we see him in several stages of his life. The maturity with which the then 25-year-old Welles portrays a man throughout the stages of his life is as admirable as it is striking. And so is the make-up used to make Kane look older. Add to this the classic (duh) score by Bernard Herrmann and the excellent performances of the rather (at the time) unknown cast and there you have the recipe for a classic.

I could elaborate for hours, but the best way to experience the beauty and well-consideredness of Citizen Kane is by watching it and translating what you see to the 1940’s. I do not dare to disagree with those movie critics claiming Citizen Kane to be (one of) the best films ever made, but after finally having seen it, I wholeheartedly admit they were, in fact, right.

Directed by: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotton, Everett Sloane, George Coulouris, William Allard, Dorothy Comingore
Runtime: 119’
Release dates: US: 1 May 1941

Dvd info: Citizen Kane is available on DVD and VHS. The re-released DVD comes in two versions: a one disc and a two disc version (both with really ugly colored DVD menus). I bought the Dutch 2-disc version, that unfortunately doesn’t allow you to turn off the Dutch subtitles, so try to get your hands on an English version if you can. The two disc version contains the two-hour Golden Globe and Emmy nominated and awarded 1997 documentary about Citizen Kane, William Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles, entitled: RKO 281: The Battle over Citizen Kane, directed by Benjamin Ross.