It deserves the hype.

Rating: 10/10 (11 July 2002)

Everyone knows the hype. Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made. Some people agree completely with the hype, others acknowledge Kane as a masterpiece but not necessarily the greatest ever made, and then there are those that just don't understand the hype at all. I recently saw Citizen Kane for the first time, and I'm going to have to put myself in the first group. It does deserve the hype.
I understand why some people find the classics boring and wonder how they could enjoy Citizen Kane. I enjoy watching the classics because I'm interested in cinema history and film technique, but when I put historical considerations aside and just look at the films themselves, I often find them to be rather tedious. Citizen Kane is not like the other classics. It is still fresh and entertaining, and I recommend it to everyone, film buff or not. You should keep in mind, however, that Kane was made in 1941. To avoid disappointment, don't expect an action movie with flashy special effects, a tear-jerking drama, a laugh-out-loud comedy, a suspenseful thriller, or a mind-bending story with deep thoughts about the universe, plot twists, or amazing shocks that will blow you out of your seat.

What you can expect is the simple yet fascinating story of the fictitious publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane, a story told with such cleverness and skill that it is a joy to watch. Much has already been said about Kane's dramatic and technical achievements, and I agree with the praise. I especially love the circular narrative structure, the brief montage that encapsulates the gradual disintegration of Kane's first marriage in only two minutes, and the scene in which the elderly Kane rips up his second wife's room. Welles' performance is mesmerizing as he lurches through his furious rampage. If you are interested in film technique, I highly recommend the DVD version of the film with its excellent commentary tracks (especially the one by Roger Ebert).
If you watch the DVD, also make sure to see the documentary that comes with it, The Battle Over Citizen Kane, which chronicles the clash between Welles and the real-life publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was angered by the portrayal of Charles Foster Kane, a character undeniably based, at least in part, on Hearst's life. Hearst banned any mention of Kane in his vast newspaper holdings and threatened any theaters that dared to show the despised film. He also tried to buy all available copies of the film and have them destroyed, and he came very close to succeeding. The scary thing is that if Hearst had been only slightly more successful, no one would have ever seen Citizen Kane.
It is the fact that Citizen Kane survived that makes it the greatest film ever made. Its triumph is not only a testament to the power of the cinema, but a shining example of how that power should be used. Some critics acknowledge Kane as a technical masterpiece, but erroneously fault it for being too shallow. Such critics miss how Citizen Kane dared to truthfully and intelligently display the corrupting influence of vanity, wealth, and power and how it defeated a challenge from those very elements in real life. Never falling prey to the pride that it warns us about, Citizen Kane does not stoop to pretentious preaching or arrogantly claim to know all of the answers. Welles was an arrogant man, but he put his arrogance into his performance of Kane, not into the tone of the film. Citizen Kane is powerful in its simplicity and subtlety, and as serious and thoughtful as it is, Kane still manages to be fun, entertaining, and above all, clean and inoffensive. Hearst's papers have faded away with time, old copies preserved but read by no one. The old black and white movie that those faded papers almost destroyed lives on, viewed by millions of people. The cinema and Hollywood hype reign supreme.
Hollywood's hype is a two edged sword. So quick to wield its influence whipping up a frenzy of anticipation for new escapist entertainment and filling its chests with ever growing profits, Hollywood is slow to use its enormous power to raise awareness of important issues, to give artistic expression to truth and to opinions and ideas that matter. When it does attempt to use the better edge of its sword, it is so often merely an assault of violence and pornography in the name of `edgy,' `stylish,' or `educational' art, and just as often a sappy, cheesy, or politically correct rehashing of stereotypes and clichés. Citizen Kane shines as a glorious example of how it should be done, and I wish Hollywood would follow its example more often.