A great story that stands the test of time.

Rating: 7/10 (20 February 2016)

I was very glad that I knew almost nothing about this movie before watching it outside of its being very acclaimed. It's pretty clear why it's so well renowned due to it's great central character and driving question of "who or what is Rosebud?". Without giving any spoilers, I was totally shocked by the revelation of Rosebud at the end. It really ties in well to Kane's personality, because Rosebud reminds him of the only time in his life that he felt loved and wasn't just millions of dollars of inherited money.
Kane is a rather tragic figure. He is a nice guy that wants to do something good, but has that insatiable desire to be loved by people. This desire is the flaw that keeps him from relating to people and drives all of his actions. He tries several different ways to get people to love him, and most of these means seem positive on the surface. But somehow Kane just can't trust himself to fully commit to something. He "thinks it would be fun" to run a newspaper; he doesn't think it would be fulfilling or fruitful or a good experience. And while he puts a lot of effort into running the Inquirer, he has no sense of how to make profit with it. Part of his dilemma also takes root in his money. He recognizes that he has more money and time than he knows what to do with, so he throws his money away on whims like building an entire theater for his second wife Susan. He thinks that he can buy his friends, but his money can't buy their trust. His wives, though completely different in personality, both leave him because they feel unloved by Kane. By the end of the chronology, everyone close to Kane has abandoned him including his entire newspaper staff, two wives, and his parents.
The story is told through the eyes of the minor characters. Jedediah Leland is the most pessimistic and has little sympathy for Kane. Emily, Kane's first wife, is not given much screen time, but is the first example of how Kane hurts the people he comes in contact with and leaves them feeling bitter. Mr. Bernstein seems to have some more sympathy for Kane, but still sees his flaws. Susan remembers him with hatred for his the ignorance and materialism that Kane treated her with. I wish they could have gone a bit more in depth with the reporter researching Kane's life. In some ways it's his role to be an Everyman and giving him a personality might kind of tell the audience how to react rather than letting them react. Still, I can't remember ever seeing the reporter's face clearly or hearing any real emotion from him. It's interesting to see how all of Kane's old friends turn out later in life and how they remember him. He seems to have left a pretty notable impression on each of them, but none of them remember him fondly, or at least that isn't their primary memory of him.
As it was made some seventy years ago, it doesn't come off as very technically striking. But the directing is remarkably engaging for the time it was made. Some of the acting felt a little unrealistic, but for the most part the characters feel real. This is especially noteworthy considering that, as is stated in the credits, most of the actors had never been in anything else. Orson Wells is great as Kane with his intense expressions. The only time his acting felt off was when he trashes Susan's bedroom after she walks out on him. However, I would assume that scene was done in only one or two takes, so the acting is excusable. The script also kept the characters distinct and kept the story moving at a good pace. I especially liked how it hinted at some things that came later in Kane's life such as Susan and Xanadu.
If you're someone who mainly seeks entertainment from movies, this won't probably entertain you like modern movies. But if you are willing to watch with some thought and enjoy a deep story, you won't find many that are better than this. Anyone looking to write stories, whether for film or not, with strong characters should watch this. I would really recommend that you watch the whole thing through if only to learn the meaning of Rosebud. Overall Rating: 7.8/10.