Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Victor Khomenko (M) on December 28, 2003 at 14:36:58

In Reply to: The mystery of Citizen Kane posted by Victor Khomenko on December 28, 2003 at 07:10:08:

Citizen Kane is an extremely thought provoking film. I couldn't stop thinking about it, so we saw it again, on the large screen this time, where the beautiful imagery of that release truly came to life.

The film's many achievements are very obvious, but also so are its many faults.

I will not burden you with the list of those, some minor, some significant, that kept the film from raising to the truly high level... well, maybe I'll just mention the horrible scene of Kane's rage after his lady's departure... here too Kane was ahead of its time, this time of Hollywood's poor taste.

What do I find most disturbing about this film? Its dehumanization.

Being a humanist by nature, I can never consider a movie that stomps on the best that exists in human beings, as great.

In that vein I shall never nominate the Salo for Great film award either, as good as it is.

As we know, the character of Kane is extremely autobiographical. And I mean - auto... as it is hard to tell which character - that of Hearst or Welles contributed more to Kane's. Certainly many people who have known Welles agree he put a lot of himself into his hero.

There is something unappealing about a director with, shall we say, unpleasant character, making a movie about another unpleasant person in a rather grotesque way. That unpleasantless is capable of killing many good aspirations, and Citizen Kane is an outcome of this fateful mix.

Two parting toughts. One - I do believe Welles owes a lot to Leni Riefenstahl - that was inescable in more than one place.

And second - by all means, rent the compy of Battle Over the Citizen Kane - an extremely informative documentary.

All in all, an extremely interesting film that all of us should be greatful exists.