Simply a classic.

Rating: Null/10 (13 November 2003)

Citizen Kane is considered to be one of the top movies of all time. Citizen Kane was directed, co-written, produced and stared in by George Orson Welles. Welles is most remembered for his role in this movie, his many talents and his radio broadcast that caused thousands to panic. At only 25, Welles made this movie. It was the first of it's kind with new and amazing camera and sound techniques. Though Welles acted in and directed in many other movies, Citizen Kane was and is the most famous. None had the same impact as this movie. Was it the story line? Was it the innovative techniques? Or was it the controversy it created? All of those things rolled into one made a classic.
Citizen Kane was modeled after William Randolph Hearst, a famous publisher/politician at the time. Hearst went to Harvard but was expelled and still went on to run his fathers newspaper (The San-Francisco Examiner). Although this movie is based on Hearst's life, in the beginning it shows that he was adopted by the bank basically because the mother didn't want control of their gold mine anymore and also because the father was potentially abusive. This part of the movie is just for the stories sake and not a true example of what happened in Hearst's childhood.
The movie does accurately follow the rest of Hearst's life though, plus or minus some things. From taking over the newspaper, to being a politician, to the construction of the Hearst Castle, the movie takes the viewer on a quick journey through Heart's life. The symbolism in the movie is very interesting. When the camera slowly approaches the Xanadu, it comes through the gate with a big iron `K' on it. Two important things are in that scene, but most people wouldn't notice those things unless they were really looking for them or were warned about them before hand. Also, Xanadu was built up on a hill, higher than anything else around it. Was that how Hearst was though? When the camera goes through those intimidating iron gates, the viewer may get the feeling like they are going somewhere they aren't supposed to be. The first scene of the movie seems like it is the most important. As Kane dies, he mumbles one last word, `Rosebud'. But what did that mean? That's what the rest of the movie is about. Reporters interview people that knew Kane to find out the meaning of rosebud. The people being interviewed have flashbacks which pretty much tell Kane's life story. The reporters never find out the meaning of rosebud, but we the viewers do. Rosebud was the name of a toy sled of Kane's. The viewer then has to decide for themselves what the sled meant to Kane.