Toilet Review: Rosebud. Rosebud. Rosebud. Rosebud. So mystery. Much suspense.
This is one of those movies that falls into a specific category for me. The category of “I have to see, even if it’s not really my cup of tea.” Citizen Kane is possibly one of the most famous movies ever made, and has spawned countless references in popular culture in the past 70 years. From the Simpsons to Mystery Science Theatre 3000, the references are almost as classic as the original work.
The movie itself follows six reporters in the wake of media mogul Charles Foster Kane’s death, and the mystery of his final word, “Rosebud”. The majority of the story is told to us via flashback, either through newsreel footage or memories. Kane had a traumatic childhood, and used this to create the enigma that he was to become as an adult. His life became almost a parody of itself, and thus the drive to figure out what this mysterious man’s last word could have meant.
I get this film, I mean, I do. It’s one of these movies that you just HAVE to see. It’s influence and aesthetic have inspired numerous film makers to pursue film-making. The ever glorious Orson Welles can’t help but take up the screen, his personalty just oozes off the screen. I totally bought him as the cut throat Kane.
In saying all of this, I can’t help but feel like the story lets the whole movie down. There isn’t a huge amount of drive in it, and the whole thing hinges on the curiosity of a small group of people, for a reason that doesn’t ever seem to be explained. For this reason, I found the whole thing rather a chore to watch. Perhaps if I was to watch it a second time, I wouldn’t feel the same way, but it’s not going to happen soon.
A slog and a half if ever there was one.
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