Student Life | Issue 41

Citizen Kane (1941)
BY JOHN HENSON
WRITER BIO:
John Henson is a Sixth-Form
student currently studying History,
Film and Psychology. He has a
passion for films, comics and
music, all of which inspire him
to write. He hopes to become a
published author one day.
“There’s only one person in
the world to decide what I’ll
do. And that’s me.” — Charles
Foster Kane
Citizen Kane was released in 1941
and directed by Orson Welles, who
also plays the titular character of the
film, is regarded by many critics, such
as Roger Ebert and Nell Minow, as
one of the greatest films of all time,
if not the greatest film of all time. It
is, in my opinion, a tragically relevant
tale of a man who had everything
and nothing all at once, which still
seems to be a problem for modern
celebrities. Where better to start my
series of classic film reviews?
The film centres on the death
of media-mogul, Charles Foster
Kane, one of the richest and most
notorious men alive. A journalist
seeks to learn more about the man
known as Kane, and begins tracking
down and interviewing the bizarre,
and often eccentric individuals, who
were closest to Kane. As this review
is spoiler free for your convenience,
I will not reveal anything else, and
advise you strongly to watch the
film in order to see the answer for
yourself.
I often look to writing first to
determine quality, and Citizen Kane
has a fantastic script and screenplay.
The life of Kane is nothing short of
a Shakespeare tragedy, intelligently
examining the lives of those in
positions of privilege and fame, as
well as exploring themes of mental
illness, loneliness, the price of fame,
and American ideals. The dialogue
is a perfect balance of poetic and
believable, which adds to the more
grounded, sombre tone of the film.
One of the most striking things about
this film is the visuals. This film has
animation elements, montages,
documentary filmmaking elements,
mirrored shots, and so on and so
forth. Every technique perfectly
complements its respective scene
and helps to reinforce the tone and
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