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You'll forgive me if I take a breath when asked if Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time. Sure, sure, AFI says so - and that means we're faultered if we dare believe plausibility of opinion is relevant. But, no matter what number film you consider Citizen Kane to be, it is still cinema extraordinarie - a screen tour de force so brilliant, you wonder if Welles was posessed by a linear spirit of demise that enabled him to build a nearly flawless craft that would constantly challenge that merit of Hollywood reels. (Credit also should be given to Herman Manktewicz)
A plot outline is almost ludicrous, but in short, mogul Charles Kane (who shares similarities with Kahn-esque William Randolph Hearst, also a genuine charismatic of his time) is adopted by greed, thrown away to a "better life" and winds up running enough corporations to make him the imperfect god. A demonstrative path is made by his role models - but he challenges to become what they hate, only to crumble to their debility. Much of Kane is portentous, but all of it is exquisite and the directing by Welles is so fashionably beautiful, artistic and consummated I hope Welles was pompous enough to believe that even his later films could never match the perfection that drives Kane to a tower. A montage of moral lessons accompanies Kane's story, and in many ways it can be considered horiffic. The ending symbolizes integrity and the unending search for innocence and what cannot be reached. Make no mistake of Welles' intention - contrary to the film's constant approach, Kane is not one to be followed.
Oscar winner for the damn well deserved Best Screenplay.
In
a Thesaurus, most likely to be penned after "Great American Cinema".
Starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore. Dir: Orson
Welles.