Who is Charles Foster Kane?

[la_vita_nuova]

I watched Citizen Kane the other day and I know it's supposed to be sort of a biography of William Randolph Hearst and some other guys, and partly autobiographical of Orson Welles himself. But another interpretation occured to me while watching, which I haven't seen elsewhere as of yet, so my theory could be full of it. Here it is

Comments

[izaaksmom]

During my time as a film studies major, this film came up a lot. And for good reason, I believe. Part of it is technical (he was one of the first to play with angles--particularly extreme ones, going as far as cutting holes in the floor for the camera and cameraman--and his observations on linear time management still is modeled after him to this day). For those reasons alone, it is a seminal film in history. Is it the best? That depends on who you ask and what they are looking for...many college students would say no because it's black and white (but then, they're a bunch of idiots anyway). I would argue that any film that continues to influence what we watch today must be included in the best of the best (as the references to tiny toons and family guy show, it still even touches the ever-fleeting eye of pop culture--impressive!)

As for the American thing...I would have to agree. I once had to write my own "film theory" for a class, and I came up with the "American Dream Theory"--that every film put out by Americans (and American cinema) ends up forcing us to look at what we believe about the American Dream. I even went as far as saying that, due to the fact that it is such a part of our ingrained cultural sensibilities, neither we nor the filmmakers can be wholly negative to it. Even a movie such as American Beauty has a nostalgia for the American Dream in such a way that, even while criticizing it, reminds us that we are living it more successfully than they. A movie like Citizen Kane does question our motives for power, etc...but in the end, don't we still feel a connection to him? Particularly in a "but...but...he was just a scared kid trying to get ahead!" kind of way. Perhaps I invest too much emotionally in my characters that I can feel bad for him, but I do. And I believe that part of that is based on the fact that he so successfully executes the American Dream materially, but does not develop it emotionally.

[la_vita_nuova]

"Particularly in a "but...but...he was just a scared kid trying to get ahead!" kind of way."

Nope, the way he treated his wives completely ruined any chances of sympathy from me.

[lhynard]

same here