The deterioration of idealism

Rating: 7/10 (18 April 2006)

It is impossible to sit down and watch a movie--especially when that movie is "Citizen Kane"--and not be lulled by the windstorm of praises surrounding it. The trick is to not let that influence your individual critical assessment (which is nearly impossible in "Kane"'s case). Orson Welles' tale of Charles Foster Kane, who inherits a fortune as a young man, presides over a successful newspaper, uses his political clout to run for office, romances two women, and dies alone with a literal castle filled with priceless art, is a story that still has relevance today.
Welles' character study is fascinating in the way it captures the idealism of youth, and how that erodes into complacency and--in Kane's case--disenchantment; one of the characters makes a keen observation of the millionaire at middle age, making the claim that he can only accept love on his own terms, that he thought he could 'give' the public truth and freedom. Being a 25-year old male who was not too long ago a gung-ho liberal, "Citizen Kane"'s presentation of this unacknowledged self-interest that snowballs into bitterness is striking. The stigma that follows Kane is his own inability to be satisfied by anyone or anything.
The pseudo-documentary style in which the film is presented seems very cutting-edge for its time, and translates well to our modern age of tabloid journalism. But what's more ingenious is the framing device: a reporter is interviewing Kane's coworkers and lovers in the wake of his death, investigating his dying words ("Rosebud"). Who or what Rosebud turns out to be is something that has been satirized on episodes of "The Real Ghostbusters" and "Tiny Toon Adventures," among other places, but I will keep my lips sealed for those who are unaware. In another film, it might have produced unintentional laughs, but in "Citizen Kane," the revelation it portends is shattering.
I really didn't have high expectations for "Citizen Kane," in spite of the reputation it has earned through the years. I often think that younger generations (myself included) are going to become increasingly detached from the perceived 'classics' of cinema as time progresses (in a way similar to how the elder critics are detached from current cinema). I was skeptical at "Kane"'s overly typical beginning, but became increasingly intrigued as it progressed, to the point where I was genuinely affected by this tragic character's decline. It may not be the greatest film of all time, but it still remains a finely-crafted piece of work.