Title: "Citizen Kane"
Director: Orson Welles (RIP)
Producer: Orson Welles
Editing: Robert Wise (RIP)
Composer: Bernard Herrmann (RIP)
Starring:
- Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane
- William Alland (RIP) as Jerry Thompson
- Ray Collins (RIP) as Jim W. Gettys
- Dorothy Comingore (RIP) as Susan Alexander Kane
Plot and Critical Review: Charles Foster Kane, the enormously wealthy media magnate, has lost his power, been abandoned by his loved ones, and has been living alone in his vast palatial estate Xanadu for the last years of his life with a "No trespassing" sign on the gate. He dies in a bed while holding a snow globe, and utters "Rosebud...".
Kane's death then becomes sensational news around the world. Newsreel reporter Jerry Thompson tries to find out about Kane's private life and, in particular, to discover the meaning behind his last word. The reporter interviews the great man's friends and associates, and Kane's story unfolds as a series of flashbacks. Thompson approaches Kane's second wife, Susan Alexander, now an alcoholic who runs her own club, but she refuses to tell him anything. Thompson then goes to the private archive of Walter Parks Thatcher, a deceased banker who served as Kane's guardian during his childhood and adolescence. It is through Thatcher's written memoirs that Thompson learns about Kane's childhood. Thompson then interviews Kane's personal business manager Mr. Bernstein, best friend Jedediah Leland, Susan for a second time, and Kane's butler Raymond at Xanadu.
In several flashbacks, it is told that Kane's childhood was spent in poverty (his parents ran a boarding house), then changed when the "world's third largest gold mine" was discovered on an apparently worthless property his mother had acquired (the title deeds left to her by a lodger unable to pay his bill). He is forced to leave his beloved mother when she sends him away to live with Thatcher, to be both educated and protected from his abusive father. After gaining full control over his possessions at the age of 25, Kane enters the newspaper business with sensationalized yellow journalism. He takes control of the newspaper, the New York Inquirer, and hires all the best journalists (he hires them away from the Chronicle, the main rival of the Inquirer). His attempted rise to power is documented, including his manipulation of public opinion for the Spanish American War of 1898; his first marriage to Emily Monroe Norton, a President's niece; and his campaign for the office of governor of New York State, for which alternative newspaper headlines are created depending on the result.
The relationship between him and his wife disintegrates over the years. A "love nest" scandal with Susan Alexander ends both his first marriage and his political aspirations. Kane marries his mistress, but as a result of his domineering personality, he forces Susan into an operatic career for which she has no talent or ambition, destroys his relationships and pushes away his loved ones. Kane spends his last years building his vast estate and lives alone after Susan leaves him, interacting only with his staff.
Thompson is unable to solve the mystery and concludes that "Rosebud" will forever remain an enigma. He theorizes that "Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost". In the ending of the film, it is revealed to the audience that Rosebud was the name of the sled from Kane's childhood, from the time before he was taken from his parents and gained his wealth. The sled, thought to be junk, is destroyed by Xanadu's departing staff in a basement furnace. The film ends as it began, with a view of the "No Trespassing" sign posted on the fence of Xanadu.
"Citizen Kane" is a classic, but few recognize how ingenious Welles was in pioneering new cinematic and audio-related techniques. Nominated for 9 Academy Awards (which is rare even today), it only collected one for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). That might seem a disappointment to us, but at the time this motion picture was thought of as being quite controversial for its slander against the media and "yellow journalism". Still, this film represents the golden era of the motion picture industry and the brave steps directors and producers were taking to stretch the boundaries of what could be done on and off the screen.
"Citizen Kane" was loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, a real-life media magnate. His life was extraordinary, and Hearst Castle (upon which Xanadu was based) is something of legend. If you'd like to get a better idea of who he was, beam on over to his Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Content to Caution:
V-2 - No comment.
L-1 - No comment.
DU-2 - Some drinking and smoking.
RT-1 – No comment.
H/S-0 – No comment.
CH-2– A bit of gentleman's humor, but nothing too terrible.
S/N-1 – No comment.
The "Reel Revelation": "Testament"
The coastal community of North Bend/Coos Bay, Oregon recently endured an unexpected tragedy when a young women died of a diabetic reaction complicated by the abuse of hallucinogenic mushrooms. If I don't have those facts straight I apologize to her friends and family. In any case, she was well loved, well respected by those who knew her, and a bright light in her school and community.
About a week after her death I was privileged to guest lecture in a social studies class at North Bend High School. As the class wound down several students asked me philosophically-driven questions related to the topic of the lecture; the Counter-Reformation. They asked, specifically, why faith was so important and why people valued their relationship with God (and the church). One student in particular, a very thoughtful young man, believed that following a code of ethics based in a particular religion was worthless and that our actions didn't (or shouldn't, at least) matter to anyone but ourselves. I challenged him by asking what people will think of his classmate who died under suspicious circumstances. I said "All she has left are the 300 words written about her in today's paper." My statement was somewhat radical as she also has the memories of all those who knew and loved her, but the young man understood my point and seemed shaken by what I said.
I've thought about that moment many times since, and the concept of "testament" keeps coming back to me. "Citizen Kane" is about the testament and legacy Mr. Kane left behind when he died and the frantic search by Mr. Thompson to discover who Kane truly was. A spiritual reflection on this film brings up the begging question: "What legacy will we leave behind when we depart from this world?" That question naturally leads to another, "Does it matter what we leave behind?" I think these questions are especially pertinent for Christians to ask themselves in an age when "legacy" has become such a great concern and fixation for many.
In a sermon concerning money, Jesus gave this admonishment:
"Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 9:19-21)
While this passage is contextually linked to the pursuit of finance and earthly possessions, I believe it also speaks to the legacy we seek to build for ourselves while on Earth. I read these words and feel a warning in my own spirit against building up an image of myself and my life that "moth and rust" will eventually destroy. If that is the case, what sort of testament should I seek to leave behind? One that is a "treasure in Heaven"!
Director: Orson Welles (RIP)
Producer: Orson Welles
Editing: Robert Wise (RIP)
Composer: Bernard Herrmann (RIP)
Starring:
- Orson Welles as Charles Foster Kane
- William Alland (RIP) as Jerry Thompson
- Ray Collins (RIP) as Jim W. Gettys
- Dorothy Comingore (RIP) as Susan Alexander Kane
Plot and Critical Review: Charles Foster Kane, the enormously wealthy media magnate, has lost his power, been abandoned by his loved ones, and has been living alone in his vast palatial estate Xanadu for the last years of his life with a "No trespassing" sign on the gate. He dies in a bed while holding a snow globe, and utters "Rosebud...".
Kane's death then becomes sensational news around the world. Newsreel reporter Jerry Thompson tries to find out about Kane's private life and, in particular, to discover the meaning behind his last word. The reporter interviews the great man's friends and associates, and Kane's story unfolds as a series of flashbacks. Thompson approaches Kane's second wife, Susan Alexander, now an alcoholic who runs her own club, but she refuses to tell him anything. Thompson then goes to the private archive of Walter Parks Thatcher, a deceased banker who served as Kane's guardian during his childhood and adolescence. It is through Thatcher's written memoirs that Thompson learns about Kane's childhood. Thompson then interviews Kane's personal business manager Mr. Bernstein, best friend Jedediah Leland, Susan for a second time, and Kane's butler Raymond at Xanadu.
In several flashbacks, it is told that Kane's childhood was spent in poverty (his parents ran a boarding house), then changed when the "world's third largest gold mine" was discovered on an apparently worthless property his mother had acquired (the title deeds left to her by a lodger unable to pay his bill). He is forced to leave his beloved mother when she sends him away to live with Thatcher, to be both educated and protected from his abusive father. After gaining full control over his possessions at the age of 25, Kane enters the newspaper business with sensationalized yellow journalism. He takes control of the newspaper, the New York Inquirer, and hires all the best journalists (he hires them away from the Chronicle, the main rival of the Inquirer). His attempted rise to power is documented, including his manipulation of public opinion for the Spanish American War of 1898; his first marriage to Emily Monroe Norton, a President's niece; and his campaign for the office of governor of New York State, for which alternative newspaper headlines are created depending on the result.
The relationship between him and his wife disintegrates over the years. A "love nest" scandal with Susan Alexander ends both his first marriage and his political aspirations. Kane marries his mistress, but as a result of his domineering personality, he forces Susan into an operatic career for which she has no talent or ambition, destroys his relationships and pushes away his loved ones. Kane spends his last years building his vast estate and lives alone after Susan leaves him, interacting only with his staff.
Thompson is unable to solve the mystery and concludes that "Rosebud" will forever remain an enigma. He theorizes that "Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost". In the ending of the film, it is revealed to the audience that Rosebud was the name of the sled from Kane's childhood, from the time before he was taken from his parents and gained his wealth. The sled, thought to be junk, is destroyed by Xanadu's departing staff in a basement furnace. The film ends as it began, with a view of the "No Trespassing" sign posted on the fence of Xanadu.
"Citizen Kane" is a classic, but few recognize how ingenious Welles was in pioneering new cinematic and audio-related techniques. Nominated for 9 Academy Awards (which is rare even today), it only collected one for Best Writing (Original Screenplay). That might seem a disappointment to us, but at the time this motion picture was thought of as being quite controversial for its slander against the media and "yellow journalism". Still, this film represents the golden era of the motion picture industry and the brave steps directors and producers were taking to stretch the boundaries of what could be done on and off the screen.
"Citizen Kane" was loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, a real-life media magnate. His life was extraordinary, and Hearst Castle (upon which Xanadu was based) is something of legend. If you'd like to get a better idea of who he was, beam on over to his Wiki page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Randolph_Hearst.
My Rating: 8.5/10
Content to Caution:
V-2 - No comment.
L-1 - No comment.
DU-2 - Some drinking and smoking.
RT-1 – No comment.
H/S-0 – No comment.
CH-2– A bit of gentleman's humor, but nothing too terrible.
S/N-1 – No comment.
The "Reel Revelation": "Testament"
The coastal community of North Bend/Coos Bay, Oregon recently endured an unexpected tragedy when a young women died of a diabetic reaction complicated by the abuse of hallucinogenic mushrooms. If I don't have those facts straight I apologize to her friends and family. In any case, she was well loved, well respected by those who knew her, and a bright light in her school and community.
About a week after her death I was privileged to guest lecture in a social studies class at North Bend High School. As the class wound down several students asked me philosophically-driven questions related to the topic of the lecture; the Counter-Reformation. They asked, specifically, why faith was so important and why people valued their relationship with God (and the church). One student in particular, a very thoughtful young man, believed that following a code of ethics based in a particular religion was worthless and that our actions didn't (or shouldn't, at least) matter to anyone but ourselves. I challenged him by asking what people will think of his classmate who died under suspicious circumstances. I said "All she has left are the 300 words written about her in today's paper." My statement was somewhat radical as she also has the memories of all those who knew and loved her, but the young man understood my point and seemed shaken by what I said.
I've thought about that moment many times since, and the concept of "testament" keeps coming back to me. "Citizen Kane" is about the testament and legacy Mr. Kane left behind when he died and the frantic search by Mr. Thompson to discover who Kane truly was. A spiritual reflection on this film brings up the begging question: "What legacy will we leave behind when we depart from this world?" That question naturally leads to another, "Does it matter what we leave behind?" I think these questions are especially pertinent for Christians to ask themselves in an age when "legacy" has become such a great concern and fixation for many.
In a sermon concerning money, Jesus gave this admonishment:
"Do not store up for yourself treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 9:19-21)
While this passage is contextually linked to the pursuit of finance and earthly possessions, I believe it also speaks to the legacy we seek to build for ourselves while on Earth. I read these words and feel a warning in my own spirit against building up an image of myself and my life that "moth and rust" will eventually destroy. If that is the case, what sort of testament should I seek to leave behind? One that is a "treasure in Heaven"!
There is no way to avoid the simple truth that people will remember us for what we did, said, and failed to do and say. So let our words and actions be edifying, that any memory of us may lead to the life that God gives. May we do and say what God commands, not what the world demands, that when people think of us they will think of God and give him their praise. And if we choose not to act or to remain silent, may it be to avoid the work of darkness, that people remember our lives and see nothing but God's light coming forth from how we lived. "Moth and rust" have no chance at diminishing the power and potency of a testament that is full of the richness, goodness, righteousness, and love of God. Indeed, such a testament doesn't even belong to the Earth, but will be for us a "treasure in Heaven", and a gift to those who follow us on the road of faith.
See you tomorrow - E.T.
See you tomorrow - E.T.
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