Citizen Kane (1941)

April 21, 2025

This is a black-and-white movie. It’s an interesting character introspection. Our protagonist is whisked away from his happy family home to New York, where he lives under the guardianship of a bank. From that point on, he never experiences love again. The only affection he receives from his guardian is material—based on money. As a result, he lives a wealthy but deeply unhappy life, unable to buy back the peace of mind he once had as a child in his family home. He pushes away all his friends and his wife, trying to fill the emptiness with material possessions—statues and paintings he collects from around the world.

Kane: You know, Mr. Thatcher, if I hadn’t been very rich, I might have been a really great man.
Thatcher: Don’t you think you are?
Kane: I think I did pretty well under the circumstances.
Thatcher: What would you like to have been?
Kane: Everything you hate.

For a film considered one of the greatest of all time, I expected more. That said, for its era, it was probably very innovative. 7/10.