{"id":42173,"date":"2019-01-25T16:01:02","date_gmt":"2019-01-25T23:01:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42173"},"modified":"2022-01-17T12:48:56","modified_gmt":"2022-01-17T19:48:56","slug":"citizen-kane-1941","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42173","title":{"rendered":"Citizen Kane (1941)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;That&#8217;s all he really wanted out of life, was love.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Poster-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-42186\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Poster-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Poster-85x128.jpg 85w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Poster.jpg 667w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nAfter the death of an infamously self-absorbed newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), a magazine editor (Philip Van Zandt) sends a reporter (William Alland) to investigate the meaning of Kane&#8217;s final word (&#8220;Rosebud&#8221;) by viewing newsreels and interviewing various key players in his life &#8212; including Kane&#8217;s business manager (Erskine Sanford), his estranged friend (Joseph Cotten), his second wife (Dorothy Comingore), and his butler (Paul Stewart).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Agnes Moorehead Films<\/li>\n<li>Flashback Films<\/li>\n<li>Joseph Cotten Films<\/li>\n<li>Journalists<\/li>\n<li>Marital Problems<\/li>\n<li>Millionaires<\/li>\n<li>Orson Welles Films<\/li>\n<li>Paul Stewart Films<\/li>\n<li>Rise-and-Fall<\/li>\n<li>Tycoons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary argues that &#8220;Orson Welles&#8217;s debut film can justifiably be called the greatest picture of all time because it not only taught other directors how to tell a story through film but also taught moviegoers how to watch a film&#8221;. He writes that the &#8220;film is about a search for the essential missing part (&#8216;Rosebud&#8217;) needed to document a man&#8217;s life&#8221;, and notes that Welles &#8220;creates &#8216;realism&#8217; (the &#8216;true&#8217; picture of Kane) through illusion and expressionism, and so his picture becomes a tribute to the camera&#8221;. He adds:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>&#8220;The visuals show past events not as the six storytellers remember them but as the filmmakers (primarily director Welles and cameraman Gregg Toland) interpret the storytellers&#8217; words&#8230; We learn about Kane and the other characters not only through dialogue and action but through Welles&#8217; creative, flamboyant use of props, screen space, set design, music, editing, sound (including voice inflections), costumes, freeze frames, deep-focus photography, and lighting.&#8221;<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Peary further points out that the &#8220;picture has great acting, music (by Bernard Herrmann), photography, editing (by Robert Wise), [and] countless classic moments&#8221;. <\/p>\n<p>Peary discusses <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> not only in his <em>GFTFF<\/em> but in his first <em>Cult Movies<\/em> book &#8212; where he offers an in-depth overview of the film&#8217;s notorious production and release &#8212; and <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>, where he names it Best Picture of the Year, and refers to it as &#8220;stunningly directed, magnificently acted, and brilliantly written&#8221;. He argues that while not all would consider it &#8220;the greatest film ever made&#8221;, it&#8217;s &#8220;at [the] very least&#8230; the most influential film of the sound era, the picture that best illustrates the potential of film as a storytelling medium and as an outlet for personal and artistic expression&#8221;. All of Peary&#8217;s praise rings true: the film does indeed &#8220;astonish&#8221; those seeing it for the first time, and &#8220;repeated viewings only increase the impact&#8221;. Whether one merely admires <em>Citizen Kane<\/em> or actively enjoys it, there is never a visually dull moment; it&#8217;s well worth a look or two (or three, or more). <\/p>\n<p><strong>Notable Performances, Qualities, and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Gregg Toland&#8217;s legendary cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42178\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42184\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography3-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42179\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Cinematography2-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Excellent use of unusual and diverse sets<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42183\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sets2-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Many memorable images<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42181\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Imagery-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Orson Welles as Kane (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-54002\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles-768x561.png 768w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Welles-370x270.png 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Fine supporting performances<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42180\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Comingore-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42176\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Moorehead-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"986\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-42177\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford.png 986w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford-128x93.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/Citizen-Kane-Sanford-768x561.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 986px) 100vw, 986px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles&#8217; Oscar-winning script<\/li>\n<li>Bernard Herrmann&#8217;s score<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, of course, as a justifiable cult classic. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#cult\">Cult Movie<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?page_id=1784#classic\">Genuine Classic<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> (<span style=\"color:red;font-weight:bold;\">Listed in <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-static\/1001Movies.htm\"><em>1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die<\/em><\/a><\/span>) <\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033467\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1941\/05\/02\/archives\/orson-welless-controversial-citizen-kane-proves-a-sensational-film.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s3652kane.html\">DVD Savant Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.filmsite.org\/citi.html\">FilmSite Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tcm.com\/tcmdb\/title\/89\/citizen-kane#articles-reviews\">TCM Articles<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/article\/1991\/05\/03\/citizen-kane-2\/\">Entertainment Weekly Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;That&#8217;s all he really wanted out of life, was love.&#8221; Synopsis: After the death of an infamously self-absorbed newspaper tycoon named Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), a magazine editor (Philip Van Zandt) sends a reporter (William Alland) to investigate the meaning of Kane&#8217;s final word (&#8220;Rosebud&#8221;) by viewing newsreels and interviewing various key players in his life &#8212; including Kane&#8217;s business manager (Erskine Sanford), his estranged friend (Joseph Cotten), his second wife (Dorothy Comingore), and his butler (Paul Stewart). Genres:&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=42173\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-42173","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=42173"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":80424,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/42173\/revisions\/80424"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=42173"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=42173"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=42173"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}