What more can be written about “”Citizen Kane,”” arguably the greatest film in the history of American cinema. A captivating character study, a visual masterpiece, an amazing debut by a first-time filmmaker: “”Kane”” is all these things and more, and now it makes its DVD debut as part of collectible 2-disc set, boasting a number of extras that hope to explain why this classic has remained the darling bud of film school students andconnoisseurs for generations.
With his dying word, “”Rosebud,”” publishing tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) triggers a posthumous scramble by a team of reporters to uncover what the word means and the part it played in the misanthropic man’s life. Through a series of interviews with Kane’s lovers, co-workers and associates, pieces of the millionaire’s life are fit into place, but with every revelation comes two more mysteries.Exploring Kane, though, means exploring the state of our nation during a specific time frame. The entrepreneurial figure personified a number of belief systems we built our country on: power, corruption, narcissism. His life story, while engaging on a purely dramatic level, also provides an in-depth social commentary on American culture and economic structure. Perhaps the most impressive of “”Kane””‘s many achievements is Welles’ superior skill level with what was supposed to be a new medium for him. Hidden visual treats highlight the most trivial of scenes, as if Welles didn’t want to waste a single frame. Only the director’s casual grace in front of the camera matches his technique behind it. His Kane is charismatic, energetic, wistful and wonderful, as is the film.Grade: ATHE EXTRASA stately film deserves a stately DVD release, and MGM delivers. The movie itself, presented on disc one in its original aspect ratio, never looked more crisp. I’ve only seen “”Kane”” on video, and never appreciated it’s murky look. Here, Gregg Toland’s glorious black and white cinematography looks gorgeous, the way it was meant to be. Two audiocommentary tracks accompany the film, one by Welles’ compatriot and biographer Peter Bogdanovich and another by renowned film critic Roger Ebert, both experts on everything “”Kane.”” Disc one also includes a wealth of vintage promotional materials: a short 1941 premierenewsreel, storyboards, rare photos, alternate advertising campaigns, call sheets and more.Over on disc two, MGM included the Oscar-nominated 1995 documentary, “”The Battle Over Citizen Kane,”” an informative study of Welles’ grueling battle with studio RKO to bring “”Kane”” to the screen, despite the efforts of real-life publishing giant William Randolph Hearst, who many believe provided the unauthorized model for Charles FosterKane. Such a pristine print of “”Citizen Kane”” is worth owning on its own. With all of these valuable extras, it just makes the disc a must own. Oh, and Rosebud. It means…well, it means you better start watching the movie.Grade: ABy Sean O’ConnellOct. 7, 2001