Reviewing Citizen Kane is like reviewing The Bible or Shakespeare. I might as well go to the Sistine Chapel and review Michelangelo's "Creation," for that matter. Orson Welles, in his first movie, created a masterpiece that has been universally regarded as the greatest film ever made. Don't expect a traditional review here.

Kane has been dissected, analyzed, studied, and reviewed by so many critics and film students over the past 50 years that there's nothing I can add of significance to help others better understand its superior cinematography (its groundbreaking achievements in low-angle shots and deep focus), its elaborate circular plot structure, and numerous memorable images and moments.

Instead, I think it's worth going over the reasons why you should rent Kane, or why some of you will find it necessary to re-watch it and even purchase your own copy.


Historical Purposes

You may want to watch Kane for its blatant historical references to the Bill Gates of the Depression Era, William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was the newspaper publisher who built the castle at San Simeon as a monument to opulence.

RKO Radio Pictures gave Orson Welles, famous through stage and radio (recall the War of the Worlds broadcast that caused a panic), free reign to create any picture he wanted, but they almost pulled the plug for fear of retaliation by Hearst. Welles never again had the same freedom to create his films.


Study in Film Technique

Are you a student of film? This doesn't have to be a formal study, but if you're serious about film, Citizen Kane is required viewing! And if you're really serious about film, you might as well purchase your own copy to watch repeatedly. Kane is so layered and deep that you will see something new each time you watch.

Welles opened new vistas with Kane, using all the visual and sound technology he could gather, and created new ways for the camera to create within the medium.

I cannot recall any black-and-white film that is as cinematically interesting. Examine Kane's use of light and shadow immediately following the newsreel sequence, or in the library, with the symbolic shaft of light pouring down on Thatcher's journal.

The camera angles alone are worth studying; Welles was not satisfied with traditional, static, flat angles. Consistently, the camera varies from low-angle shots to straight shots to high-or overhead-angle shots while also changing distance. The use of deep focus at one point allows us to see a "defeated" Kane walk toward the windows (this makes him appear diminutive), then allows us to see him recover his size and power when he returns to the table.


Film References

All filmmakers have studied Citizen Kane to learn how to make an effective film. Many directors will pay homage to Welles' film:

* Structuring their films similarly—Kurosawa's Rashomon comes to mind. We see the same situation re-played through various points of view.

* Use of the "Rosebud" type motif—a puzzle piece is presented near the beginning of Kane that ties the plot together. Hitchcock used this idea over and over, though he termed it the "McGuffin."

* Classic scenes are mimicked—many films begin similarly to Kane's opening shots of Xanadu with the camera tracking closer until it's inside. Note Spielberg's homage in the final scene of Raiders of the Lost Ark as the Ark is loaded into a warehouse—a parallel to the final scenes of Welles' masterpiece.

* Film techniques are duplicated—filmmakers study Kane thoroughly just as earlier filmmakers studied D.W. Griffith's works. Note how most modern directors have adopted similar camera techniques: Scorsese, Spielberg, and Spike Lee especially use a lot of movement and varied camera angles.

So People Won't Think You're an Idiot

Do you have friends who are film buffs? Inevitably, they'll be certain to refer to Citizen Kane. If they find out you haven't seen it, they'll think you are film-illiterate.

They may not come out and say so publicly, but trust me: The thought will pass through their minds. They may even neglect to invite you to an outing to see a sophisticated film, since you obviously don't appreciate art. So don't put yourself in that position.

A few years ago, when I was teaching a class in film appreciation at the high-school level, I used Kane as one of my teaching films. Though we didn't dig as deep as we might have in a college-level film class, we did introduce some basic film techniques, and the students stayed with it.

Later, one of the parents told me that her daughter had taught her about Kane inadvertently: They were watching a sitcom in which the lead actor pretended to be dying and uttered the word "Rosebud!" The mother said her daughter fell out of her chair convulsing in laughter, and the mother was clueless. They ended up renting the video so she could understand her daughter's reaction.


To Appear Cultured

Very closely related to the previous "not wanting to appear stupid" reasoning. This category means that you can refer to a few items in Citizen Kane and whenever someone brings up the topic of "best movies," you can automatically and knowingly respond with the acceptable mantra that Kane is the greatest movie of all time!

Most everyone knows that for years, reputable critics have rated Kane as the greatest movie. Light and Sound has rated it Number 1 since 1962; just recently, the American Film Institute voted Kane into its rightful Number 1 ranking. Now if you really want to impress your film-literate friends, toss in the name of cinematographer Gregg Toland. Much of Kane's uniqueness comes from his talents.

Can a black-and-white movie released in 1941 be entertaining? Yes (unless you're an idiot). Sorry—that was the film snob in me coming out... and I once tossed a late arriving (and misplaced) film student out of class when he loudly declared "This movie sucks!" midway through. But I find Citizen Kane very entertaining. I've seen it over 25 times, and continue to find new gems each time I watch.

Do you ever find your mind wandering while you're watching a movie? Do you perhaps nod off for a split second? It's pretty common for me—especially when a film is predictable.

I have found it impossible to daydream or nod off whenever I see Kane, however. There is far too much going on the screen and inside my mind. Kane is to film what Hamlet is to literature; multiple showings can only enhance the enjoyment (if you're a serious film-addict). If you ever have a chance to see a rerelease on the big screen, by all means, go see it. I saw Kane in the theater a couple of years ago and witnessed items I'd never noticed before.

One notable scene occurs during the famous breakfast-table montage, with Kane and his first wife—where the intimacy gets colder and the sitting distance gets larger with each vignette. It's difficult to tell on the small TV monitor, but on the large screen I could plainly see that Mrs. Kane is reading the rival newspaper. A small piece of the puzzle, perhaps, but I thought it was significant.

Is Citizen Kane the greatest film of all time? I'd probably vote that way myself, though I can't say that it's my all-time favorite. Schmaltzy as it may sound, I've seen Casablanca more times than I have Kane. But Welles' masterpiece is required viewing, and film lovers are destined to revisit this masterpiece many times for the rest of eternity.