Masterpiece

My film teacher told us once that every time you watched Citizen Kane you could find new things, new details that made the film more amazing. He had watched it at least 50 times.

The first times I watched it, I was too focused trying to figure out the story, the secondary characters and just everything. This last time I watched it, I could appreciate more of the Art direction, how every detail was taken care off to create the perfect atmosphere for each part of his life. Or the life of William Randolph Hearst, the multi-millionaire owner of the largest newspaper chain.

The narrative of the movie is precise, the way time is managed and how we learn about Charlie Kane through the story and point of view of people who really knew him, like his tutor, his ex-wife and 2 best friends. When originally the whole movie is told by the man who investigates the word "Rosebud", whom we almost never see his face, always in the shadow because he's not important, Rosebud is. It's the key word and explanation of Mr. Kane's childish personality, his attachment to the childhood and the life he could never have, the reason why he was always against his tutor Mr. Thatcher, like an angry child always trying to prove a point, because he grew up as a proud man with a lot of power who thought he could do and buy anything, like love, recognition and his own paradise, trying to be happy. When the only thing he really wanted had no price or even a chance because it was already lost, the meaning of "Rosebud", the love of his parents and the real feeling of home.

The Photography direction is amazing, I love how the camera interacts with the characters and scenarios. I also could appreciate new shots with old filmmaking tricks, many shots up to 1minute long, without it feeling boring or long at all, due to good dialogues and camera movements.

Overall a classic film that has aged as a masterpiece, reference of storytelling and pure talent. Just to think that this is the first movie of Orson Welles, which he wrote the original script, produced (holy budget!), directed and played the lead roll. Everything at the age of 24, what an artist.