Travis Simpkins: Citizen Kane (1941): Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst

Sunday, March 26, 2017

Citizen Kane (1941): Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst

Co-written, produced, directed by and starring Orson Welles, Citizen Kane (1941) ranks at #1 on the AFI's List of the Greatest American Films, and is widely considered to be the best and most influential film ever made. The acclaim and achievement of Citizen Kane is all the more impressive considering the fact that Orson Welles was only 24 at the time of it's production. The story focuses on a wealthy newspaper publisher and the meaning of his dying word, "Rosebud". The plot was obviously based on real-life tycoon, William Randolph Hearst, and Hearst wasted no effort in trying to stop and bury the film. The struggle between Welles and Hearst was dramatized in the 1999 film, RKO 281: The Battle Over Citizen Kane. Still, over 70 years later, Citizen Kane still resounds with style, sureness and bitter truth. The cinematography and effects are astounding and the film is full of classic moments. The performances are great all-around, including the famed Mercury Players Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloan.