CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement--and a landmark of cinema history. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately... more
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time it tops a "greatest films ever" list. As a piece of filmmaking it ticks all the right boxes: a precociously talented director and lead actor in Orson Welles, Gr...
CITIZEN KANE
In his mansion house in the middle of his sprawling Florida estate, newspaper tycoon
... more
Charles Foster Kane utters 'Rosebud', his last word before dying. No one has the first clue as to the meaning of the word and so reporter, Jerry Thompson, is assigned the task of finding out the meaning of the word. Thompson interviews Foster's friends, family and work colleagues to discover the truth...n
CITIZEN KANE
CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement and a landmark of cinema history. The
... more
story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castlelike refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a composite of Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst so much so that Hearst tried to have the film suppressed. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep focus and deeply shadowed cinematography (from Gregg Toland); the discontinuous narrative, relying heavily on flashbacks and newsreel footage (propelled by a script largely written by Herman L. Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score (sound by Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart, music composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann); and the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles's Mercury Theatre (featuring the film debuts of, among others, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead). Every moment of the film, every shot, has been choreographed to perfection. The film is essential viewing, quite possibly the greatest film ever made and, along with THE BIRTH OF A NATION, certainly the most influential.n
Citizen Kane [1942]
The most acclaimed film in cinema history,Citizen Kanereceives extra bolstering each time
... more
it tops a "greatest films ever" list. As a piece of filmmaking it ticks all the right boxes: a precociously talented director and lead actor in Orson Welles, Gregg Toland's innovative cinematography, a strong screenplay by Welles and Herman J Mankiewicz, rich scoring from Bernard Herrmann, and so on. For its time, it was technically groundbreaking, and laid out a blueprint for Hollywood filmmaking that's still influential. But, most importantly, as a viewing experience it's still one of the most mesmerising and beautiful films in existence. From its opening scenes--Kane's eerie Gothic mansion, his lone figure muttering the word "Rosebud" as he dies, journalists discussing the newsreel footage of his obituary--Kane lays out an enigma: who exactly was this man? Looping flashbacks build up a portrait of a contradictory figure who, despite living in the public eye, remained a mystery at heart.A testament to the corrupting influence of money, fame and the media and at its centre the tale of a man in search of love,Citizen Kaneis a personal tragedy on an epic scale. Technically, it's a lesson in filmmaking in itself whose daring aesthetics nonetheless remain unobtrusive. It's doubtful that a debut director will ever be given such free reign by a studio again and even if this happened, it's doubtful that such a masterpiece would be created.On the DVD:Citizen Kanein this DVD special edition is beautifully remastered and comes with a feature illustrating the before and after of the restoration process. A 50-minute documentary, "Anatomy of a Classic", hosted by Barry Norman, delves into the making of the film as well as trying to deal with some of the myths that surround it, like the (untrue) rumour that Welles ran over both time and budget. Film historian Ken Barnes takes over for a commentary and Welles himself is featured in his controversial 1938 radio broadcast ofThe War of the Worldsand 1945 broadcast ofThe Happy Prince. A photo gallery, extensive cast and crew profiles, breakdown of all the films expenses and trailer round off this admirable package.--Laura Bushell
forVertigoandPsycho,Citizen Kanewas a natural choice to continue Varese Sarabande's series of re-recordings. It took a little time to arrive, but here it is in all its glory--a fabulous demonstration of what so much effort can achieve. The performance is heartfelt (thanks to conductor Joel McNeely), the recording is crisp (thanks to engineer Jonathan Allen), and the presentation is sumptuous (thanks to producer Robert Townson). Every shot of the film and every bar of music resonates with creative energy. Herrmann's score is extraordinarily vivid and bold, essaying a diverse range of styles from 19th-century waltzes, through operatic pastiche (the unforgettable "Salaambo's Aria", here sung in full over-the-top diva mode by soprano Janice Watson) to the sombre colours of the "Xanadu" sequence. Both film and score were totally unlike anything Hollywood had experienced before: thatKanewas both Welles' and Herrmann's first picture seems a sublime happenstance of cinematic fate. Varese were wise not have followed suit and attempted this magnificent score first. Theirs and our patience has been rewarded with a larger-than-life album that befits all three larger-than-life men: Welles, Herrmann, and Kane would be proud.--Paul Tonks
Citizen Kane [1942]
The most acclaimed film in cinema history, Citizen Kane receives extra bolstering each
... more
time it tops a "greatest films ever" list. As a piece of filmmaking it ticks all the right boxes: a precociously talented director and lead actor in Orson Welles, Gregg Toland's innovative cinematography, a strong screenplay by Welles and Herman J Mankiewicz, rich scoring from Bernard Herrmann, and so on. For its time, it was technically groundbreaking, and laid out a blueprint for Hollywood filmmaking that's still influential. But, most importantly, as a viewing experience it's still one of the most mesmerising and beautiful films in existence. From its opening scenes--Kane's eerie Gothic mansion, his lone figure muttering the word "Rosebud" as he dies, journalists discussing the newsreel footage of his obituary--Kane lays out an enigma: who exactly was this man? Looping flashbacks build up a portrait of a contradictory figure who, despite living in the public eye, remained a mystery at heart. A testament to the corrupting influence of money, fame and the media and at its centre the tale of a man in search of love, Citizen Kane is a personal tragedy on an epic scale. Technically, it's a lesson in filmmaking in itself whose daring aesthetics nonetheless remain unobtrusive. It's doubtful that a debut director will ever be given such free reign by a studio again and even if this happened, it's doubtful that such a masterpiece would be created. On the DVD: Citizen Kane in this DVD special edition is beautifully remastered and comes with a feature illustrating the before and after of the restoration process. A 50-minute documentary, "Anatomy of a Classic", hosted by Barry Norman, delves into the making of the film as well as trying to deal with some of the myths that surround it, like the (untrue) rumour that Welles ran over both time and budget. Film historian Ken Barnes takes over for a commentary and Welles himself is featured in his controversial 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds and 1945 broadcast of The Happy Prince. A photo gallery, extensive cast and crew profiles, breakdown of all the films expenses and trailer round off this admirable package.--Laura Bushell
and Psycho, Citizen Kane was a natural choice to continue Varese Sarabande's series of re-recordings. It took a little time to arrive, but here it is in all its glory--a fabulous demonstration of what so much effort can achieve. The performance is heartfelt (thanks to conductor Joel McNeely), the recording is crisp (thanks to engineer Jonathan Allen), and the presentation is sumptuous (thanks to producer Robert Townson). Every shot of the film and every bar of music resonates with creative energy. Herrmann's score is extraordinarily vivid and bold, essaying a diverse range of styles from 19th-century waltzes, through operatic pastiche (the unforgettable "Salaambo's Aria", here sung in full over-the-top diva mode by soprano Janice Watson) to the sombre colours of the "Xanadu" sequence. Both film and score were totally unlike anything Hollywood had experienced before: that Kane was both Welles' and Herrmann's first picture seems a sublime happenstance of cinematic fate. Varese were wise not have followed suit and attempted this magnificent score first. Theirs and our patience has been rewarded with a larger-than-life album that befits all three larger-than-life men: Welles, Herrmann, and Kane would be proud. --Paul Tonks
Actor(s): Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane, George Coulouris, Ruth Warrick, Paul Stewart, Alan Ladd, Arthur O'Connell, Louise Currie, Walter Sande, Gino Corrado, Charles Bennett, Ray Collins, Fortunio Bonanova, Erskine Sanford, William Alland, Georgia Backus, Edmund Cobb, Dorothy Comingore, Herbert Corthell, Edith Evanson, Milton Kibbee, Benny Rubin, Gus Schilling, Harry Shannon
Director(s): Orson Welles
Genre: Drama
Classification: Universal
Production Year: 1941
Colour: Black & White
Running Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: In his mansion house in the middle of his sprawling Florida estate, newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane utters 'Rosebud', his last word before dying. No one has the first clue as to the meaning of the word and so reporter, Jerry Thompson, is assigned the task of finding out the meaning of the word. Thompson interviews Foster's friends, family and work colleagues to discover the truth...
Release details
DVD Region: Region 2 (Europe)
Studio(s): UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK; UNIVERSAL MUSIC OPERATIONS
Release date: 21/07/2003
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: 820 125 5
Editor: Mark Robson, Robert Wise
Sound: Bernard Herrmann
Barcode: 5050582012552
Production Designer: Van Nest Polglase, Perry Ferguson
Music Director: Bernard Herrmann
Screenwriter: Orson Welles, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
Director of Photography: Gregg Toland
Producer: Robert Wise, Orson Welles, Mark Robson, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Author: Orson Welles
Voice: Orson Welles
Art Director: Perry Ferguson, Van Nest Polglase, Orson Welles
Special Effects: Vernon L. Walker
Costume Designer: Edward Stevenson, Orson Welles
DVD Description
CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement--and a landmark of cinema history. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castlelike refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a composite of Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst--so much so that Hearst tried to have the film suppressed. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep focus and deeply shadowed cinematography (from Gregg Toland); the discontinuous narrative, relying heavily on flashbacks and newsreel footage (propelled by a script largely written by Herman L. Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score (sound by Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart, music composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann); and the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles's Mercury Theatre (featuring the film debuts of, among others, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead). Every moment of the film, every shot, has been choreographed to perfection. The film is essential viewing, quite possibly the greatest film ever made and, along with THE BIRTH OF A NATION, certainly the most influential.
Languages
Main Language: English
Subtitle Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: Audio Commentary By Film Historian Ken Barnes, Anatomy Of A Classic Presented By Barry Norman, Welles Off Screen The War Of The World The Happy Prince, What Kane Cost, Photo Gallery, Cast And Crew Profiles, Theatrical Trailer, Restoration Comparison
Advantages: Twisty, complex narrative, great technical achievement, ROSEBUD SCENE! Disadvantages: It is a bit slow in the middle
..., Emily Norton and Susan Alexander; his friends and his work colleagues.
As each of these people recalls their own memories, the viewer is told the story in flashbacks, beginning with Kane as a boy, then moving on to look at his business enterprise, and his relationships with wives and friends, before his gradual decline into old age. This "jigsaw puzzle" structure further develops and explains the brief statements shown in the obituary footage, creating a story which slowly unfolds before our eyes.
Although the story is gripping and full of drama, CitizenKane is remembered chiefly for its technical accomplishments. In so many ways, this 1941 masterpiece was ahead of its time. The use of light and dark, and the cinematography in general is superb.
The way Welles controls the camera makes for a special cinematic experience. It constantly...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful
Advantages: Greatest Film Ever? Disadvantages: You Find One....... I can't!
...It is commonly argued that CitizenKane is the greatest film of all time,
It has become a part of American Folklore
It was the first film by Orson Welles. He was only 26 when he wrote, produced, directed and starred in the film
Plot: Charles Foster Kane, a Multimillionaire newspaper tycoon, dies alone in his Mansion, Xanadu. Before he dies he drops a Crystal ball and utters the Word 'Rosebud' In what is one of the most famous clips in Cinema History. The film then follows a reporter who attempts to solve the mystery behind the word 'Rosebud'. Despite never understanding the mystery the audience does find out at the very end.
Opinon: Every element of this film; Direction, Production, Screenplay, Cinematography, etc is faultless. Orson Welles has done a fantastic job in making a movie that will captivate the viewer to the end...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
Advantages: several brilliant "firsts" - still engaging Disadvantages: tests the modern imagination
...I love this film, but no one should be forced to watch it. I have reasons.
My wife and daughters tell me they do not enjoy watching films with me because I tend to ridicule the characters... and the special effects.... and the shallow plot lines. They are right. Sure. That happens with Sleepless in Seattle or Beaches. But this all changed last year when I requested... OK... forced them to sit through CitizenKane. This time the roles reversed. I fawned over the brilliant camera work and the mystery of "Rosebud". They made fun of the melodramatic characters and threw popcorn at me. I learned all over again that there are no absolute standards for literary taste.
I still believe, though, that critics are warranted in praising this as one of the greatest of all time. CitizenKane tells the rags to riches story of Charles Foster...
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Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful
helpful 08.06.2004
(09.06.2004)
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