Directed by: Orson Welles
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Ruth Warkwick, Dorothy Comingore, Everett Sloane
It may come as something of a surprise to find World Cinema—generally associated with foreign films—showing Citizen Kane (1941), but as I said to Carlos Steward when he first told me, “Why not? Last time I checked the U.S. was part of the world.” Actually, I think it’s a splendid idea in general. I wouldn’t at all mind seeing some lesser known and neglected American titles get some local screen time. Of course, Citizen Kane is neither lesser known, nor neglected, which leads to the question of whether or not I have anything fresh to say about it. The truth is that I probably don’t, but I would like to suggest that people approach it as “just another movie” and not as some kind of cinematic holy writ. Keep in mind while watching Kane that Orson Welles himself referred to movies as “the best set of electric trains any kid ever had,” and maybe you’ll get my point.
Yes, Kane is a remarkable film. It may not actually do anything new—nearly every one of its technical achievements can be found in earlier movies. But no film had so packed those things into the confines of one single picture. And it tells a particularly trenchant and very American story. But forget all that for a moment and just look at it from an entertainment standpoint. What you’ll find is that it’s a very entertaining, sometimes very funny and always extremely playful film. Welles is having the time of his life simply wallowing in the sheer possibility of the medium for its own sake. Join him on that level and realize that maybe his greatest trick of all lay in getting away with making an “art film” fun.
Citizen Kane, part of a series of Classic Cinema From Around the World, will be presented at 8 p.m. Friday, March 20, at Courtyard Gallery, 9 Walnut St. in downtown Asheville. Info: 273-3332.
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Apart from Citizen Kane and Touch Of Evil, I’m not too knowledgable about Welles’s filmography—though I understand he had considerable trouble getting his films made. Is he really the cat’s pajamas as I’ve for so long heard? |
Mar 18, 2009 |
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Apart from Citizen Kane and Touch Of Evil, I’m not too knowledgable about Welles’s filmography—though I understand he had considerable trouble getting his films made. Is he really the cat’s pajamas as I’ve for so long heard? Welles’ difficulties in getting movies made is part of the romance of the Welles mystique. It’s part of what makes him seem such a dedicated artist. Is he the cat’s pajamas? I guess it depends on what you’re looking for. All in all, I’d say yes, but that doesn’t mean I personally watch his movies that often. At the same time, I’m almost always impressed when I do. |
Mar 19, 2009 |
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I’ve never seen Citizen Kane, I’m ashamed to say. But I love Welles. F For Fake is one of those films that I can recommend with a grin, because no one knows what’s coming and are invariably delighted. Playful indeed. |
Erik Mar 20, 2009 |
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I wanted to hate “Citizen Kane,” I really did. I’ve seen the phrase ‘greatest American film of all time’ so many times when it deals with this movie, I’ve always wondered that if it’s so great, how come a lot of people I know haven’t even seen it? Is it just the ‘hip’ movie for critics, and not the general public? So, I finally gave in last year, bought “Kane” off Amazon, and watched it late one night. I wanted to hate it so much, but I ended up loving it. I was so impressed, that once it was finished, I watched it again, not going to bed until around five in the morning. I can’t say it’s the greatest American film of all time, that’s always going to be subjective, yet “Citizen Kane” is very entertaining, very stylish, and just extremely cool. Playful is the perfect way to describe “Kane”. Now, I’ve got a big urge to watch it yet again. |
Mar 23, 2009 |
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I can’t say it’s the greatest American film of all time, that’s always going to be subjective, yet “Citizen Kane” is very entertaining, very stylish, and just extremely cool. And it has possibly the neatest credits of any movie. It’s foolish and pointless to call any film the greatest of all time—American or otherwise. It’s even worse with Hollywood films, since so many weren’t made by Americans (Welles is an exception there). I still maintain that Kane gets a raw deal because it’s just studied too damn much rather than watched. I understand why that is—it has so many techniques in it and breaks down so well that it’s a terrific teaching tool—but it does undermine its entertainment value for a lot of people. |
Mar 23, 2009 |
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I recommend these Welles films. Most have been enjoyable, but the best are… Citizen Kane They recently released his Don Quixote, which is incomplete and rambling, but worth a look as well. |
 Mar 23, 2009 at |
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Is Chimes at Midnight commercially available now? |
Mar 23, 2009 |
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From Brazil. It’s supposed to be a good transfer. I’ll have it in a few days. |
Mar 24, 2009 at |
