Cinematic and Storytelling raw excellence

Rating: 10/10 (27 April 2016)

This film by Orson Welles shows the end of the film first, but without explanation. The ensuring story, is about that explanation. It fills in the pieces of it as it goes along from various angles and viewpoints from those who knew him in some way in some point and time, or the few that actually managed to have a close relationship with Mr. Kane, such as his best friend Leland. This film capitalized it's black and white color base, use of low and high camera angles to show the power dynamic, and lighting most heavily to relay this story (outside of the ever clear use of diction in this, and many other, films). The film plays in a staggered time-wave while remaining logically chronological. It progresses with giving flashback moments of a forward moving story that we as the audience know from the opening scene, him dying alone saying "Rosebud" with his final breaths. The film makes great use of being filmed in black and white, to have stark shadow contrast, and of light 3-point lighting. Low key lighting is made dominant, but high key is used as well. Just as in life, there are happy times and there are not so happy, dark, fearful, stressful, depressed times. It is an autobiographical representation of real world William Randolph Hearst. Hearst hated the film and fought to keep it out of theaters, away from eyes that would view it and stick to it as truth of the extremely powerful man, how always has an air of a low camera angle following his life. Kane, becomes just as powerful, but the dark side to all of his success, and all of his and those close to him, such as his wife. The Welles rendition both shows the extravagance and aired out the dirty laundry of it all. He kept the fact that Hearst was a hard working man with the drive and ambition, dedication to success and charm, that helped bring him to the top. But he added in the bad, which was distasteful and unacceptable to Hearst. Still this film remains in circulation, and the cinematic prowess with which this story is told remains one of the many great American film classics.