Citizen Kane (70th Anniversary Edition) (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (1941) [Blu-ray]/The Magnificent Ambersons [DVD]

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Price: $49.99   

Product Description

Contains the films Citizen Kane and The Magnificent Ambersons.

Citizen Kane (70th Anniversary Edition) (Ultimate Collector's Edition) (1941) [Blu-ray]/The Magnificent Ambersons [DVD] Review

As a fan of Orson Welles, here's my take on the box set after viewing both movies last night. It will be impossible to keep this brief and more detailed analysis of the films can be found elsewhere but here goes...

THE FILMS
Citizen Kane - score: A
It's been consistently ranked as the greatest motion picture of all time but first time viewers may be put off by CK's antiquated style and may struggle to appreciate its' artistic qualities without some historical context. In today's world, this would be mind-boggling: a major film studio handing over 9 million dollars and final cut directing-producing-writing-acting authority to a 25 year old kid who has never made a movie. Further imagine the same brash kid, fresh from creating national mass hysteria (the infamous 'War Of The Worlds' broadcast) making a film that essentially thumbs its' nose at a man who controlled the media at that time. We're accustomed to seeing authority being questioned in all art forms today but it was especially bold and scandalous 70 years ago. That Citizen Kane even survived attempts to have it bought and literally burned by those in power is but one testament to its' lasting influence.

Beyond the backstage legends of CK what remains is powerhouse story telling told through an unusually complex labyrinth style and clever movie making techniques. Orson Welles wanted to bring art to the masses and the oblique meaning of Rosebud pushed audience participation to new levels. The Mercury Players and everyone involved in the production all had equal importance but make no mistake, Welles' imposing shadow is evident in every frame. Welles is so convincing as Kane that it's easy to see the parallels to his own life, a vibrant young man given so much power slowing aging and dieing right before our eyes. Citizen Kane is so important a film that you simply cannot call yourself a movie fan without seeing it.

The Magnificent Ambersons - score: B+
After the tour-de-force that is Citizen Kane, The Magnificent Ambersons remains a curious choice for Welles. Although equally ambitious, it is far more quiet and delicate in tone yet there is a brooding menace lurking underneath as Welles tackles the introduction of the automobile wreaking havoc on the pace of American life as seen through the riches-to-rags decline of the Amberson family. However there may be some miscalculations from Welles as the characters seem even more disagreeable than Kane and less likely to create mass appeal, particularly for a 1942 audience seeking distraction from uncertain times as WWII raged across the globe. Retired silent star Delores Costello seems an odd choice as she appeared much older and detached than her character should be, Tim Holt's perpetually cranky character grates after a while and Joseph Cotten is so subdued and quiet that we'll always wonder what Welles himself would have done with the role.

The Magnificent Ambersons stands alone as movie history's greatest tragedy as RKO, due to the controversy and disappointing low box office of Kane, eventually took the movie away from Welles' control. RKO studio heads removed (and burned) almost an hour of Welles' original preview screening, rewrote and reshot important scenes and changed the tone of the film. With a confusing tacked-on happy ending (complete with absurd sappy string accompaniment) and jarring bland footage interspersed with the amazing surviving Stanley Cortez cinematography, the movie predictably suffered at the box office as a second card feature and was quickly shelved after its' brief run. Most tantalizing, the fate of the missing footage remains as a murky mystery. Although film historians point to RKO documents as proof of incineration and declare it as officially lost forever there are many who still believe the negatives exist somewhere in some form, perhaps even as deteriorating emulsion in Brazil where Welles was editing at the time or that editor Robert Wise would not be compelled to save the work on his own. Ambersons is a modern day Venus De Milo where what remains is impressive but one can't help but wonder what might have been had those in power not destroyed it.

PICTURE QUALITY
Citizen Kane: A
The original negatives were sadly lost to a studio warehouse fire in the 70's so restoration was made based on the best available found elements. Those who say the dvd from ten years ago looks better should have their eyes examined. Your viewing experience may differ if you're watching it on a smaller flat screen (and the prior dvd may indeed be enough) whereas I'm fortunate to experience it blown up on a 120'' projector. The 4k Kane blu-ray image is simply far superior. There is more clarity and (especially) depth to the visuals, we now know what all the hubbub was all about regarding Gregg Toland's deep focus photography. Fine detail emerges: from the light wisps of smoke coming from kerosene lamps, to the fabric and sequined detail found in the costumes, there even appears to be mahogany wood grain found in the mirror-like finish on Mr Bernstein's desk. This will seem like a fresh introduction to Kane even for those who've seen it many times, the picture quality is nothing short of astonishing.

Magnificent Ambersons: B-
The poor little kid brother to Kane continues to be kicked around. I've only seen MA on second generation bootlegs taken from the Criterion laserdisc so it's nice to have some of the dust taken off. Some details do indeed emerge (the fine silk sheen of the mourning costumes was especially startling) and the dvd is definitely welcome if not for the fact that it simply was not previously available. But there were moments where film damage (speckles, vertical scratch lines) takes you away from the story, so much so that you wonder how much effort had gone into the restoration. As others have noted, there are no extra features (the trailer could have easily been included as it contains some extremely brief but nonetheless fascinating deleted footage), no chapter options, even the still shot on the jacket back from the deleted boarding house scene comes off as the ultimate final tease! I have to assume that a film of this importance will eventually get the full blu-ray treatment thereby satisfying Warner Brothers intent to double dip the pockets of fans they know will first buy the dvd and then eventually the blu-ray. Amazingly yet strangely befitting its' sad history, the film continues to be held hostage to outside forces 70 years on.

THE BOX SET: B-
I'm unfortunately disappointed with the set because much of it was previously available on the dvd from ten years ago. The "deleted scenes" that was promised is nothing more than well known set photos and story boards (which, incredibly, were blurry) primarily from the shot and deleted brothel scene. The commentary from Roger Ebert, while informative is a repeat from the dvd. There is no 'War Of The Worlds' broadcast or interview audio (as mentioned on Amazon's list of features) on any of the discs. The opening night footage is extremely brief and has been previously available. There is a handsome small hard bound booklet that contains some razor sharp set photos, a collection of lobby cards that seems somewhat unnecessary and wasteful and a miniature replica of the original program with a typeset so tiny that I gave up trying to read any of it. The overhyped and somewhat inaccurate "Battle Over Citizen Kane" may be interesting for first-timers and HBO's "RKO 281" rounds out the previously-seen and mostly superfluous package.

FINAL THOUGHTS
It's fantastic to have Citizen Kane finally appear on blu-ray and the picture quality is so impressive that this box set is a "must own" for fans of this great film. But for the $60 price tag, the Ultimate Edition is disappointing simply because there is not enough new material. Lesser but curious fans sitting on the fence should wait for the eventual price mark down that will likely happen in the coming year.

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