The Battle Over Citizen Kane

This Academy Award nominee for best feature documentary tells the story of the battle between Orson Welles, star/director/producer of the 1941 Citizen Kane, and William Randolph Hearst (its thinly veiled subject), who attempted to destroy the film regarded by many critics around the world today as the finest ever made. Combining interviews with historians, crew members, and Welles himself, along with rare film footage, The Battle Over Citizen Kane takes viewers on a parallel journey from the early days of the Hearst publishing empire and the budding radio career of the young Orson Welles, along the way noting similarities in the two men's personalities and lives, while also exploring the social and political facets of the Citizen Kane controversy. The film closes with the death of Hearst in 1951, the "death" of the career of Orson Welles, and a look at the movie that survives them both. Beautifully scripted and seamlessly edited, this outstanding documentary presents an objective look at one of the greatest controversies in the history of the American motion picture industry, exploring the delicate relationship between politics, money, power and the role of the press. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: H, C, P. (L. Stevens)