What is the modern citizen kane or birth of a nation. At times he espoused the notion that rosebud was nothing more than a gimmick and a red herring, but on other occasions he seemed to concur with the notion that rosebud represented kane s lost childhood, and he appeared to go along. World premiere of citizen kane brief snippet, interviews with ruth warrick and robert wise, production galleries including commentary by ebert, post production galleries, and the iconic theatrical trailer should be almost. Ebert s commentary is a masterclass in cinema, helping viewers drill deeper into the film. A suggested list of literary criticism on s citizen kane. The best film of all time is vertigo just dethroned citizen kane. Nonetheless, it remains an absolutely amazing transfer. What more can there be to say about a masterpiece so universally acknowledged. Ebert passed away at the age of 70 on april 4th 20.
Terrified by the possibility of an antihollywood campaign by the hearst press, a group of industry leaders, led by mgms louis b. Over 70 years since it was first released, orson welles citizen kane is a movie with a huge wealth of critical acclaim behind it. Learn exactly what happened in this chapter, scene, or section of citizen kane and what it means. Voiceover commentary famous critics siskel and ebert give us a walkthrough of why kane is so awesome. Harlan lebo is a senior fellow at the center for the digital future in the usc annenberg school for communication and journalism.
Schaefer managed to book a few theaters willing to show the film. Martin scorsese talks about orson welles and citizen kan. Believe it or not, you can even watch two mendavid bordwell and jeffrey lernergive an interesting commentary on the commentary track made by roger ebert. Well there are entire books written on the matter so we wont bother laying out all the specifics here. The legacy of the film and its director as the anniversary of the premiere approaches, a look at how the movie changed the industryand what happened to. Obviously, it is a subjective question, for any two peoplelet alone dozens, thousands or millionslikely couldnt even agree on how greatest should be defined, so forget about any true consensus on the one movie from the vast and diverse celluloid galaxy. The years of luck and genius on the path to citizen kane earlier this week i had the burning desire to revisit citizen kane and would you believe it, the scheduler over on bbc four must have preempted my inner cravings. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film by orson welles, its producer, co screenwriter. Relatedly, our favorite movie commentary piece ever is roger ebert doing the commentary for citizen kane. Orson welles received the american film institute life achievement award from charlton heston in 1975. We remember that this was kanes childhood sled, taken from him as he was torn from his family and sent east to boarding school. Wells meets orson welles, and the aforementioned 10301938 broadcast of the war of the worlds do not appear in this edition.
How can i see roger eberts commentary on citizen kane. First, if you havent seen citizen kane, please treat yourself. Roger ebert over his long, incredible career in film criticism roger ebert was regularly used to breakdown a film in its commentary, providing alternative audio. Citizen kane is the greatest movie youve probably never seen. The audio commentary by the late, great roger ebert. At the university of chicago, ebert taught film studies for years, and he recorded dvd commentaries for favorite films, including citizen kane. Roger not robert it would also be ok if the torrents had the movie itself as long as the commentary track is there.
Here are a few short clips of eberts highly educational commentary, which focuses on the technical, production and. Citizen kane is number one on the american film institutes list of americas 100 greatest movies. Visual storytelling lessons from citizen kane, one of. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film by orson welles, its producer, coscreenwriter. The movie has aged quite well, and its stylistic techniques seem dynamic and compelling to this day. Date aired may 14, 1970 orson welles for clip licensing. With a story spanning 60 years, the quasibiographical film examines the life and legacy of charles foster kane, played by welles, a fictional character based in part upon the american newspaper. Subscribe to this channel for more exclusive videos from the afi archive. Making sense of citizen kane a new republic film critic wades through the instant classic, in two parts. Apr 25, 2015 citizen kane has long been acclaimed as a work of genius and endlessly dissected by critics. Ebert provided dvd audio commentaries for several films, including citizen kane, casablanca, dark city, floating weeds, crumb, and beyond the valley of the dolls for which ebert also wrote the screenplay, based on a story that he cowrote with russ meyer. Roger eberts commentary on citizen kane is without a doubt the best dvd extra ever. The first discs is a bd50 for citizen kane and its sd special features, most of which were found in the previous dvd release. Many books have been written about the film, most notably the citizen kane book by pauline kael, with her famous essay raising kane, which argues that the contribution of writer herman j.
Ive seen the flick many times at different times in my life and cannot understand its appeal. Last night i finally watched roger ebert s commentary track over citizen kane its one of, if not the best commentary tracks ive heard. Citizen kane would have been reference quality for an older flick without that issue. I immediately went to my computer and saw the sad news that mr. The late film critic roger ebert gives a brief introduction of the movie citizen kane on amc, back when amc aired commercialfree movies. Roger ebert s commentary on citizen kane is without a doubt the best dvd extra ever. Here are a few short clips of ebert s highly educational commentary, which focuses on the technical, production and. Second, once you are able to view it, please go through a viewing with roger ebert s commentary. Many entire books have been written about this film a fact that, by itself. Roger ebert, in his dvd commentary on citizen kane, also suggests that the alexander character was based on walska, and had very little to do with marion davies. Nov 11, 2016 citizen kane is the greatest movie youve probably never seen. From its complex and dazzling narrative structure to cinematographer gregg tolands pioneering deepfocus photography to its incredibly rich use of sound, orson welless 1941 picture remains one of the most innovative movies ever to come out of a hollywood studio. Yes, its time to grapple with citizen kane, the great white whale of movies about which there is a big deal. Welcome to ebert digital llc, a new venture created in partnership between.
In the commentary he recorded for citizen kane, ebert distinguished it as one of his favourite films, noting that, whenever i am asked what the greatest film of all time is, i always saycitizen. Citizen kane routinely wins such polls, but of course all polls are a matter of apples and oranges, and it is instructive that even though it won, kane was voted for by only 39 percent of the directors, and 32 percent of the critics. A great remastered print is complemented by two running commentaries, the better one by critic roger ebert. Ive been endlessly awaiting another commentary track from ebert after his track on new lines dark city special edition. Mar 09, 2019 orson welles discusses making citizen kane as his first feature and tells dick that movie making can be learnt in a day and a half. Can somebody please seriously in detail explain why citizen kane is considered by many critics and moviegoers as the best film ever made. I am sorry about roger ebert was the text message my wife sent me today. He has written books about the godfather and casablanca, and is the author of a coffeetable photo book on citizen kane. Roger ebert manages in these essays to combine a truly populist appreciation for our most important form of popular art with a scholars erudition and depth of knowledge and a sure aesthetic sense. Not all of that was apparent when it was first released, but since then its been a film thats regularly appeared in lists of the top ten films of. The listed critical essays and books will be invaluable for writing essays and papers on citizen kane. An excellent universal can be played in any zoneregion bluray dvd of perhaps the best known of welles films. Gossip has it that the screenwriter, herman mankiewicz, used rosebud as an inside joke, because as a friend of hearsts mistress, marion davies, he knew rosebud was the old mans pet name for the. Eberts commentary is a masterclass in cinema, helping viewers drill deeper into the film.
Hes also recorded commentaries for dvd releases of classic films, from citizen kane to. Of course, im not going to go over the whole plot, which to film lovers is already gospel. Audio commentary by film critic roger ebert audio commentary by orson welles biographerfilm critic peter bogdanovich. As film critic roger ebert notes in one of the bonus features on this new 75th anniversary bluray, such. Roger ebert called citizen kane the greatest film ever made. Whenever i am asked what the greatest film of all time is, i always say citizen kane, ebert says at the end of his commentary of the film on. Roger ebert introduces citizen kane on amc duration. Requestmovie robert eberts dvd commentary for citizen. Citizen kane is widely hailed as the great american film and with good reason.
Menus warner brothers has provided subtle, elegant main menus for citizen kane, with some light animation. One of ebert favorite filmshe sometimes referred to it as his top favorite film was citizen kane 1941 by the legendary oreson welles. The next two discs are dvds, one for the battle over citizen kane an exact copy of disc two from the previous dvd release, and the other for the 1999 hbo film, rko 281. Citizen kane s unchallenged reputation as one of the greatest films in all cinema is matched only by the accumulation of critical commentary that surrounds it.
Questions over the authorship of the citizen kane screenplay were revived in 1971 by influential film critic pauline kael, whose controversial 50,000word essay raising kane was commissioned as an introduction to the shooting script in the citizen kane book. Roger ebert introduces citizen kane on amc youtube. This is for people who have never listened to a film commentary before and would like to hear one. I certainly didnt fully grasp its impact the first time i watched it.
In terms of what they offer, theyre quite excellent we get things like commentary, as well as the initial trailer and scenes from the screening, but the real gems are the the battle over citizen kane documentary and the rko 281 hbo movie, both of which chronicle the creation and release of the movie. Mayer, offered rko a cash settlement to simply destroy the film. I did note one curious aspect of the ebert commentary, though. A film worth watching more than once the 75th anniversary edition also comes with a slim book about the film and a series of postcards featuring posters, receipts and other collateral from the production which will be of interest to fans of the film andor welles. Can somebody please seriously in detail explain why. Citizen kane a masterpiece at 50 roger ebert roger ebert. But a mystery still lies at the heart of this masterpiece.
Reactions to citizen kane tend to be mixed because it gets hyped as the greatest film of all time and even film buffs dont necessarily have context on film history to see its influence sometimes. Its a nonlinear biography of a fictional newspaper baron who had an insatiable appetite for everything melodramatic storytelling, collecting fine art, women, fame, and political might. Submenus are not animated, but are still strong and enjoyable, using film images. Many of these have been collected into his 40plus books on film. As a person who has not gone to film school or done much study but loves film, this has really been a treat to learn about such a great production. This is a small clip from the roger ebert commentary from citizen kane. During one extraordinary moment in the negotiations leading up to the release of citizen kane, the very existence of the film itself was in doubt. Never heard one with so much historical context, visual, audio, and narrative analysis. While citizen kane was a film full of distinguished debuts along with welles, it was the first feature for joseph cotten, everett sloane, ray collins, agnes moorehead, and ruth warrick the only academy award it received was for best original screenplay, for which welles shared credit with veteran screenwriter herman mankiewicz. When i learned of his passing, i decided it would be a good time to revisit the commentary and i had forgotten how often ebert mentioned star wars in the context of special effects and citizen kane and it got me thinking about why. Roger ebert wasone of the few film critics who was routinely asked to provide movie commentaries for dvds that was the breadth of his reach and understanding of film. However, as roger ebert notes in his commentary on citizen kane, you have to be an active viewer when you look at citizen kane. A happy, healthy birthday to roger ebert, americas movie critic. Visual storytelling lessons from citizen kane, one of roger eberts.
Dialogue sounded reasonably distinct and accurate, but much of the speech. Mankiewicz to the production has been underappreciated. Robert carringer, a welles expert at the university of illinois. Ebert stated on more than a few occasions that this was his favorite movie of all time. Visual storytelling lessons from citizen kane, one of roger. Martin scorsese on citizen kane legendary director sits down to tell all of us why he as a filmmaker thinks kane is so darn good. Roger ebert s movie yearbook, 2002 recorded commentary track for the casablanca 1942 2disc special edition dvd. Citizen kane academic dictionaries and encyclopedias. Orson welles talks about making citizen kane the dick. So while i dont list it here, please be advised that it exists and i couldnt possibly reccommend it enough. Ebert also provides a superb audio commentary track on the doubledisc dvd release of casablanca. With so many pages already dedicated to this great film, what more is there to say about it. But source on kane i found amazing was pauline kaels book, probably just called kane. Sep 25, 2001 the received wisdom that citizen kane is the greatest movie ever made is not very well received 60 years on.
Younger audiences coming to the film cold, knowing only its vaunted rep and the. I think it was originally a series of essays but its now in book form and the one i have also contains the script to the film which is fantastic. Over the last 35 years his critical opinion has been an important part of my movie watching experience. Nov 30, 2016 however, both of the wonderful commentaries by roger ebert and peter bogdanovich are included, as well as the opening. The booklength essay first appeared in february 1971, in two consecutive issues of the new yorker magazine. As laura mulvey shows in a fresh and original reading, the richness of the film, both thematically and stylistically, is inexhaustible. Citizen kane is a 1941 american drama film by orson welles, its producer, coscreenwriter, director and star. When i learned of his passing, i decided it would be a. Among the bonus features are older commentaries by roger ebert and peter bogdanovich, interviews with ruth warrick who played emily kane and editor robert wise, newsreel from the premiere, and a. The sources for citizen kane, the 1941 american motion picture that marked the feature film debut of orson welles, have been the subject of speculation and controversy since the projects inception. Citizen kane and the meaning of rosebud film the guardian. This list of the 10 most influential films of the century is not to be confused with a selection of the centurys best, although a few titles would be on both lists. Whenever i am asked what the greatest film of all time is, i always say citizen kane, ebert says at the end of his commentary of the film on dvd. Neither by hook nor by crook can i seem to find the sodding thing.
Altogether, the two groups nominated 885 different films. Film school in a box for the serious cinephile bob mondello looks at the 70th anniversary edition of what many consider the greatest film of all time. The backbone for this grand twodisc set is the 1995 oscarnominated documentary the battle over citizen kane, a very rich twohour film on how this masterpiece was almost destroyed by welless adversary, william randolph hearst. The only right answer to the question which is the greatest movie of all time. In 1975, he won the pulitzer prize for distinguished criticism. Wonderfully enhanced by stills selected by mary corliss, film curator at the museum of modern art. And i couldnt think of a better film to start with than citizen kane, a film that, as. The commentary shows that at absolutely every turn. This is for people who have never listened to a film commentary before. Citizen kane 75th anniversary edition bluray 2016 region. Citizen kane was an original selection to the library of congress national film registry in 1989. Many books have been written about the film, most notably the citizen kane book by pauline kael, with her famous essay raising kane, which. Roger ebert was the film critic of the chicago suntimes from 1967 until his death in 20. Perfect for acing essays, tests, and quizzes, as well as for writing lesson plans.
As a tribute of sorts to the great roger ebert, i am reposting a piece i wrote a couple of years ago on citizen kane below. That ebert commentary sounds awesome, i gots to check that. Citizen kane by joseph cotten, everett sloane, dorothy. Roger ebert on the autobiographical intensity of both films directors. The monaural soundtrack of citizen kane hasnt held up as well as the picture, but it still seemed pretty solid for its age. Id recommend seeking out roger ebert s commentary track. How can i see roger ebert s commentary on citizen kane. Orson welles, joseph cotten, dorothy comingore, agnes moorehead, ruth warrick, ray collins, erskine sanford, everett sloane, william alland, paul. Nominated for academy awards in nine categories, it won an academy award for best writing original screenplay by herman j.