Run time: 1h 59m
Intro
Following on from last weeks entry, I decided to go even further back in time to watch the renowned “Citizen Kane”. Said to have been arguably one of the best films ever created and revered by most cinephiles as Orson Welles best ever movie I simply had to give it a watch.
The film has spiked much controversy over the years with it’s seminal directing style and tendentious concepts, which I only acted as an enticement to me.
Plot
The story looks back at the life of successful newspaper writer, Charles Foster Kane, through the lense of a reporter assigned the task of decrypting his enigmatic dying words. We gradually uncover the true character of Mr Kane whilst being prompted with questions regarding material gain and its true value.
An epic story that poses existential and philosophical questions is why I will be awarding the plot a 9.5/10 rating.
Acting
Orson Welles was cemented in film history with this film and its clear to see why. He completely embodies Charles Foster Kane and his charisma dominates the screen with every scene that he’s a part of.
A mesmerising display from Welles earns a rating of 9.5/10.
Characters
The film centres around the tragic life of Charles Foster Kane. A complex and puzzling character, Kane is one of the most savage, yet sympathetic characters I have ever seen. I was engrossed by his persona and I found myself delving into my own considerations about his character long after the credits rolled.
Kane is a fantastic and original character and so I award him alone a 9.5/10 rating.
Dialogue
I believe that an often overlooked category of film-making that is particularly fundamental to creating a well-rounded movie is it’s dialogue and “Citizen Kane” certainly delivers in that respect. The script, composed by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz, was cleverly constructed to delve into the philosophical ideas posed by the film.
The dialogue greatly impressed me and I believe it is deserving of a 9/10 rating.
Music
The soundtrack was composed by the legendary Bernard Hermann, who has worked on the likes of “Virtigo”, “Psycho” and “North by Northwest”. A truly talented individual, Hermann again delivers a splendid array of songs with this film amplifying my enjoyment throughout.
With a musical genius like Hermann orchestrating the score the film was onto a winning soundtrack from the off. Therefore, I give it a 9.5/10.
Final verdict
Welles’ innovative directorial style helped to create an influencial masterpiece. I believe the hype and raved reviews of the film are justified and I would say that any movie goer should take some time to experience the film as it is truly a cinematic classic.