Citizen Kane:

Fall of a giant

Ruwini JAYAWARDANA

Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane

Lauded as the greatest black and white American motion picture, Orson Welles” Citizen Kane’ marks the pinnacle of the director’s film making career. Opening with an eerie fog-shrouded castle on a hill, ‘Citizen Kane’ immediately taps a gothic cord.

It prepares the audience to face the sequences which follow as Kane achieves the height of success and gradually declines into nothingness. The castle is named Xanadu and is home to America’s Kubla Khan, Charles Foster Kane. He is a one-time newspaper magnate and senator. He falls dead with the words ‘Rosebud’ on his lips. His death, like his dramatic life, creates news and the paper which he owns decides to unearth the meaning of his last words.

A brief documentary unfurls relating the larger-than-life details of the millionaire. This gives the viewers an idea of the general opinion of Kane but his private life and characteristics come to life as the journalist meets up with all the people he had close contact with. These come in non- chronological flashbacks through five eyewitnesses.

Kane was a man who was not afraid to gamble with life. He is ruthless enough to put 1,000,000 dollars on the line when he buys a newspaper with a circulation of less than 30,000. He gradually builds his empire and later is powerful enough to court and marry Emily Norton, the President’s niece, and move on to politics.

His dream of becoming a governor crashes when his opponent, Jim Gettys, exposes Kane’s affair with aspiring opera singer, Susan Alexander, whom he wishes to turn into a star. This dream too does not take shape because Susan does not manage to excel in the art. A bitter Kane takes seclusion in his palace and becomes so unapproachable that Susan leaves his side. It seems a tragedy that a man of Kane’s stature spends his twilight years unloved and alone.

It is not until the closing scene that the mystery is lifted before our eyes. It seems ironic that a man of such wealth and power seems to have regretted not having continued with the simple and quite life of his childhood.

The film is a powerful visual masterpiece of the uses and abuses of riches and power. It traces the rise and decline of a man driven by a vision, passion and greed who brings tragedy upon himself due to ambition. What is really striking about it is Greg Toland’s landmark cinematography comprising daring angles, shadow play and stunning images.

The screenplay is scripted well by Herman J. Mankiewicz who had worked with Welles to bring a screenplay which has dialogues at times in the first person as well as witty voice-overs in between the action. This beautifully meshes with the music and keeps the audience engaged.

Welles delivers a performance to be proud of as Charles Foster Kane. He is supported well by the rest of the cast comprising Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Erskine Sanford and Everett Sloane.

‘Citizen Kane’ is believed to be based on the life story of William Randolph Hearst. It caused outrage when it was prepared to be screened in theatres and had harmful consequences of Welles’ career. Some even believe that Welles’ own decline came with the film and mirrored that of Kane’s own isolated end.

As for the question of whether it is the best film ever made, it could well be in the top ten movies running for the title up-to-date for it is a movie made far ahead of its time.