Has there ever been a more influential movie than “Citizen Kane”? Not likely – and Orson Welles’ 1941 masterwork will be Bilkent Cinematics’ first offering of the new term, on Thursday, February 15.
Welles’s epic tells the story of recently deceased newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (a fictionalized William Randolph Hearst, or Welles himself?). Uncovering the mystery behind his last word – “Rosebud” – becomes the focal point of the film.
But Welles’s movie, made when he was just 25, is equally famous for its highly innovative cinematography, the product of a highly fruitful union between Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland. The film was not the first to use techniques such as deep focus, but Toland and Welles deployed these techniques in new and dazzling ways.
Judged by many critics as the greatest movie ever made, “Citizen Kane” remains one of the most thrilling of cinematic achievements. In his 1941 New York Times review, Bosley Crowther called it “a picture of tremendous and overpowering scope.”
Come and see if you agree. Citizen Kane screens on Thursday, February 15, in FFB-05 at 6 p.m. All Cinematics movies are shown with English subtitles, and everyone is welcome. Snacks and beverages will be served. For further details, contact Hossein Dabir at dabir@bilkent.edu.tr.
Bilkent Cinematics aims to bring film lovers together and create a community through film screenings and entertaining, informative post-screening discussions. Each semester the club hosts screenings of several films, all by great directors, with the hope of providing more insight and understanding into the themes of these influential works. The ultimate goal is to promote the development of film appreciation at Bilkent University and provide a forum where all interested persons can express their passion for film.
Bilkent Cinematics is open to students of all disciplines who enjoy film.