Not the greatest American film but an interesting one

Rating: Null/10 (13 August 2001)

I will probably shock many when I state that this is not the greatest American film. It is a very interesting one. The acting is excellent, the deep focus cinematography by Greg Toland unique and the narrative structure ground-breaking. The deep focus style was different than standard studio photography of the era which featured soft backgrounds in close-ups to model the lead actors and actresses and make them attractive. Toland's photography makes everyone razor sharp and has an infinate depth of field but the actors do not look attractive with these custom lenses which suits the grim story. The editing by Robert Wise and transitions are also innovative.
After having said all this, what do I find lacking in the film? Character empathy. In my favorite films, you have tremendous simpathy with the lead characters and become emotionally involved in the picture. Titles like "The Wizard of Oz", "Gone with the Wind", "Casablanca" and "The African Queen" come to mind. You experience what the characters on screen feel. In "Citizen Kane", the lead character is so self-centered and enigmatic, you don't care about his fate. You watch "Citizen Kane" objectively not subjectively. While you can marvel at the technical skill that went into it, you don't care about anyone.
As to the "Rosebud" ending, it was memorable but not plausible. It's meaning is muddled and not clear from the narrative. It should've been. If you study the film carefully, you also realize that many of the interviews contain information about Kane that the person couldn't know because they weren't there during the incident.
Welles was a good actor but undisciplined director. This remains his best picture in part because he actually got his act together long enough to finish it. The rest of his career encompassed half finished projects or muddled completed ones. He needed a strong producer to focus him but insisted on shooting movies in his own chaotic manner. He was lucky he had RKO behind him on "Ciziten Kane".
I highly recommend seeing this film to study technique but don't expect to come away emotionally drained or exhilerated.
Richard W. Haines