The Movie
Orson Welles' masterpiece Citizen Kane is a character study of a bigger-than-life fictional figure, allegedly, controversially based on news tycoon William Randolph Hearst. The zeal with which Welles attacked this production can be seen paralleled in the way Charles Foster Kane ran his empire: with brash enthusiasm and personality but never compromise.
With the pretext of telling the real story of the late Kane's life, going beyond the generally known facts, a journalist seeks to uncover the meaning of the great man's dying word, "Rosebud." But who was she, or what was it? What follows is a non-linear odyssey into the life of one of the world richest, most powerful men.
Back in film school we called this a "well" structure, as the movie is set in the present day but we keep returning to the source of information, his surviving former associates. The script is a marvel both in its boldness and its efficiency, such as the entire marriage boiled down to just a couple of minutes across the breakfast table. Visually, Welles favored long tales and extreme angles further enhancing a memorable tale told memorably.
The Picture
For its anniversary Blu-ray debut, Kane was given a brand-new 4K restoration, at its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio, and it is breathtaking. Some shots are so crisp and clean, they could almost have been shot yesterday. Whereas the noise reduction of the previous restoration actually began to remove elements of the picture, this new version has a pleasing balance of minute flaws, organic film grain and a lack of significant compression. Specifics such as the wood grain on a tabletop, or co-star Agnes Moorehead's freckles are plainly evident.
Perhaps most impressive of all are the deep, deep blacks that permeate the entire movie. No gloppy, lifeless blobs here, as even a face in heavy shadow can still be made out. The image shows modest edge enhancement and a bit of video noise in a few difficult shots, and at this level of clarity the special effects--quite good for their day--can be revealed, but considering the age and how Kane has looked in the past, this one is unquestionably stellar.
The Sound
So much of what's great about this DTS-HD Master Audio 1.0 track is what I'm not hearing. Dialogue is dependably clean and legible with no distracting hiss and minimal distortion in the trebles, the highs in Bernard Hermann's music or in raised voices. This is not to say it's a perfect track, as such high resolution tends to reveal certain limitations in the original recording and mix, but I can't recall this movie ever sounding this good.
The Extras
All of the bonus content here has been released previously in one fashion or another, most in the 2001 two-disc special edition DVD. There's a pair of commentaries by noted director Peter Bogdanovich and Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Roger Ebert, each an enjoyable and worthwhile combination of insight and appreciation.
These are joined by a minute of newsreel footage of the May, 1941 premiere in New York City and two collections of still images presented as video slideshows, "The Production" (15 minutes total) and "Post Production" (five minutes). Archival interviews with co-star Ruth Warrick and film editor Robert Wise are also preserved here, about nine minutes total. All of this video content on Disc One is in standard definition.
Disc Two is a DVD of the 1995 Oscar-nominated documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane from PBS' American Experience series (113-and-a-half minutes). Disc Three, also a DVD, serves up HBO's 1999 behind-the-scenes dramatization RKO 281 (which was the studio's in-house name for the production), an Emmy and Golden Globe winner starring Liev Schreiber as Welles (87 minutes).
This being the latest lavish "Ultimate Collector's Edition" from Warner, there are plenty of doodads in the box as well. A folder contains miniature reproductions of vintage movie posters and the souvenir program, as well as sundry correspondence including a statement from Welles defending his movie as a work of fiction. The beautiful accompanying 48-page horizontal hardbound book is chock full of photos and cinema lore.
Final Thoughts
Both in the proper context and at face value this new HD presentation of Citizen Kane is a winner, reborn for modern home theaters as an irresistible invitation to rediscover one of the greatest films ever made.
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