Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 17:09:19

Absolutely Outstanding!

Anyone who was lucky enough to see this film on HBO knows what a fascinating look this is at the making of one of the greatest films ever made, "Citizen Kane". Having only previously seen Liev Schreiber in the "Scream" movies, I had NO idea how he was going to make anyone believe he was Orson Welles. But he does, and does it beautifully! Once you watch this movie, and find out what went on behind the scenes of "Citizen Kane", and how it almost didn't get made or released, you'll watch "Kane" with an all new set of eyes. This is an outstanding tribute to a great filmmaker. James Cromwell is also amazing as William Randolph Hearst, and by the end of "RKO 281", I actually ALMOST had some sympathy for the guy, which shows just how talented Cromwell and Melanie Griffith (who plays his girlfriend/lover) are as actors. If you didn't get to see this on HBO, and you're a "Citizen Kane" or Orson Welles fan, this is DEFINATELY a MUST SEE! Buy it now!

David Diamond 2012-05-25 06:11:02

Interesting Docu-Drama

Hats off again to HBO for making another great docu-drama about the makingof Citizen Kane. I suppose its difficult to dramatize the mundane qualitiesof making movies but everything from the how the scripting, cinematography,music scoring, and Welles perfection at directing sequences are dramatizedwith great effect here. Even legendary music composer Bernard Herrmann isportrayed in this as a professional who kicks Welles out of the scoringstudio. I found the best perfomance to come from James Cromwell as WilliamRandolph Hearst, a declining power-hungry publisher who uses all hisremaining resources to destroy Welles and the picture. I found LievSchreiber's performance less convincing though because Welles is a much moredifficult character to portray and in real-life is still misunderstood. Themost interesting sequence that was probably dramatized was when the heads ofall the studios conferred to buy the prints of Kane. The expressions on thefaces of the studio bosses said it all because they were all in the filmbusiness and must have hated caving into pressure from Hearst to quashsomeone else's film. Biggest fictional scene - Welles and Hearst in theelevator when Hearst foretold the rest of Welles life - that Welles made afilm ahead of time and would never again be given the autonomy to make afilm like Kane for the rest of his life because he didnt play by therules.

2012-05-20 15:17:15

Very Interesting Examination of the Making of Citizen Kane."

"Citizen Kane" is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I had to check out this film. All I could say was that it enhanced my love for "Kane" even more. "RKO 281" is the David and Goliath story of Orson Welles taking on one of the most powerful men in the world, newspaper giant, William Randolph Hearst. This puts onto film the real battles between Welles and nearly every person who stood between him and the completion of his movie, which closely mimicked the life of Heart in a most unflattering way. It's the story of a newspaper giant and a boy genius going toe-to-toe in a monumental power struggle that shook the foundation of what can be done in a film. In the end, we wonder if the winners truly won, and if the losers truly lost. It is a prize of a film, and it is a MUST for any fan of Welles' work, and "Citizen Kane" in particular.

2012-05-20 05:01:26

my review of RKO 281

This is a wonderful movie that had to be made. Citizen Kane is widely regarded the greatest film ever made and this is the story of how close it came to never being released. Liev Schriber (sp.) gives a masterful perfomance as the legendary filmaker Orson Welles, and James Cromwell is brilliant as media tycoon William Randolph Hearst whom Citizen Kane was based upon. John Malcovich and Roy Schieder also give great perfomances as the film's writer and producer. The dialogue is wonderful, the name of the writer escapes me for the moment. And so is the musical score which has some of the music from Bernard Hermann's score of Citizen Kane. If you have never seen Citizen Kane I suggest you do so and if you liked it, see RKO 281 next, and see how the world of cinema was forever changed by a rogue 25 year old fledgling director.

2012-05-17 23:08:29

best movie about orson welles!

any fan of orson wellles would want to add this movie to thier collection! this is a real good account of him trying to put his movie citizen kane out and the trouble he went through to get it there. A MUST SEE~!

2012-05-17 07:48:18

Great film marred mostly by DVD inadequacies

Telling true stories is always a tricky affair. Unlike simple fiction, you have to tell the truth *and* a good story simultaneously. I don't know how good the *truth* is in RKO 281. I'm not a CITIZEN KANE expert. The closest I come is being able to mention that the screenplay is based on an acclaimed PBS documentary. If PBS' history was right, I guess, RKO 281 stands a better chance of being real as well.I do know, however, that the *story* of RKO 281 is good enough that I want to *believe* it's the truth. In this current era of unrestricted parody and vigorously litigated free speech cases, it's hard to imagine a time in America where artistic criticism of a private individual would've caused movie studios consternation, but RKO 281 convincingly captures the fear of the period. Along the way, it gives us a tantalizing peek into the lives of the people involved with CITIZEN KANE, dropping hints about their personalities. I found myself constantly wanting to know more about the characters than this movie told, but there's enough characterization here for a great story. This is, after all, not a biography of Orson Wells or William Randolph Hearst, but the story of the making of one film. HBO managed to assemble a stellar cast to inhabit the lives of these characters for this made-for-cable movie, and the money was obviously worth it. Each major character is consistently well acted, and one can't help but be drawn into their stories. John Malkovich and Liev Schreiber's Mankiewicz and Wells play particularly well off each other, defining the moral heart of CITIZEN KANE as they show themselves to be each other's conscience. Having the friendship parallel the creation of the film is a clever dramatic tool, serving up a human subplot while simultaneously moving along the greater narrative. Absorbing as the characters are, however, it's not a perfect film. Details about the Hearst side of the argument are sketchier, and despite attempts to explore the personal relationship between Hearst and his mistress, we're left asking significant questions about him. Was he really as cold-blooded as portrayed here, or was he just personally wounded by CITIZEN KANE? What happened to his threat to expose Hollywood if the movie was released? Though in decline, he still retained newspapers at the time of the movie's release, so why didn't he carry through with his threat to publish details about Hollywood's private lives? Wouldn't that have sold papers and increased his revenue at a time when he needed the money? RKO 281 builds Hearst up as a heavy in its first hour, and then kind of just forgets about that side of him in the second. In my mind, there's a metamorphosis of his character from confident to defeated that isn't sufficiently explained in the movie. [DVD notes: For a film about the making of film, this DVD has ironically no additional features. This is an entirely criminal example of neglect, and the film loses mass quantities of brownie points for it. At the very least there should've been a director's commentary. Additionally I think it would've made some great sense to have packaged this as a double DVD, along with the PBS documentary.]

2012-05-16 11:19:06

worth watching once

A "historical drama" telling the story of Welles' magnum opus and Hearst's counterinsurgency to suppress it. It's no secret that this film plays very loosely with "facts" so if you're looking for an accurate retelling of events you should go elsewhere (such as "The Battle for Citizen Kane".) However, as a film divorced from "reality," RKO 281 is fun. The cast does a good job, there's witty dialogue, and some nice camera shots that were obviously done in homage to Welles' distinctive style.Worth watching once.

2012-05-15 15:09:10

Worthy supplement worth waiting (a bit longer) for.

Thatcher's advice to Charles that he "invest" his money and show some patience rather than squander it on "things" should be heeded with respect to this purchase. Word has it that the DVD of "Kane," due out this fall, will include "The Battle Over Citizen Kane." As for the "Battle" it should be of interest to those who are already grateful for the production, release, and survival of arguably the world's greatest film. I've found that showing it to neophyte film students, however, can actually be counterproductive to an appreciation of the artistic achievement represented by the original. "Kane" needs no sensational, contextual, extrinsic props. It's an autonomous, archetypal, living aesthetic world unto itself.

2012-05-10 20:14:37

My eyes! Oh, it burns!

Okay, maybe it's not *that* bad, but it's close. I went into this movie with a lot of anticipation, being a long-time fan of Welles and "Citizen Kane," but my hopes were crushed by the mediocre acting, blatant inaccuracies (yes, I know it's a movie, but a movie about a real situation shouldn't have quite so much make believe) and overdramatics. For instance, that scene where Welles talks Mankiewicz into coming back on "Kane" by telling that sob story about his father? Feh. Not even close to believable. Liev Schrieber is, sadly, typecast (at least in my mind) as the might-be-a-killer, Cotton Weary, from the "Scream" films. I tried not to hold that against him, but his performance as Welles was so unconvincing that it kept coming to mind. Welles was such an unusual and magnetic personality, with his deep, distinctive voice, that it's hard to imagine any actor playing him well. Vincent D'Onofrio gave a better performance in "Ed Wood" as Welles than Schrieber can manage here. Not to say his acting was bad, mind you, but just that I didn't for a moment have any kind of feeling that it was Orson Welles. The yelling and screaming about how "Kane" is all he's got seemed so phony. Unfortunately, that was about the most exciting thing about the role.That is only one of the reasons, however, why it was impossible to enjoy the movie. Melanie Griffith was so bad as Marion Davies, I can hardly put it into words. I'm sure poor Miss Davies is spinning like a top in her grave. John Malkovich gets some good lines as Herman Mankiewicz; he's at his best when trying to talk Welles out of making "Kane." James Cromwell does a creditable job as William Randolph Hearst, and the scenes between Hearst and Marion could have been really quite touching if it weren't for Melanie and her enormous hot pink lips. Ech.For serious Welles fans and film historians, or even those with only a casual interest, you are much better off watching the documentary "The Battle Over Citizen Kane" (as another reviewer recommended) than trying to get the "making of Kane" story from this film.

kickboozer 2012-05-10 12:19:37

One of the best docudrama's ever made

Schreiber IS Welles in this film. He captures the essence of a manobsessed with another whom he does not realize is exactly like him. Theelevator scene towards the end, with Welles offering Hearst freetickets to the Citizen Kane premiere is brilliantly done by bothactors. Malkovich is also terrific in the movie, showing just how crazyManc was to put up with Welles and come back to his friendship in theend. The re-creation shots from the Citizen Kane shoot are donebeautifully. The John Altman score of certain reproduced music fromCitizen Kane is done extremely well, and is timed so perfectly by theeditors. The scenes with Louis Mayer, Walt Disney, etc. are veryconvincingly done. John Logan once again puts out a great script here,but he did still ruin Star Trek. In all, this movie is great and shouldnot be missed by any student of film.

2012-05-08 12:49:46

Schreiber Casts Good Shadow of Welles

How can you capture the persona of Orson Welles without finding the essense of that wonderful vocal instrument that was his hallmark? You can't, but thankfully Liev Schreiber comes amazingly close to doing justice to Welles vocal delivery. If you're a Welles fan you'll recognize how Schreiber has studied and nearly mastered Welles' unique vocal delivery cadence: this is the most interesting aspect of the movie for me. The story is absorbing, especially if you are not familiar with it; well worth the viewing time. I recommend it.

2012-05-08 08:40:50

Who's a better Orson Welles?

This review is from: RKO 281 - The Battle Over Citizen Kane (DVD) I have to say I love this movie for its passion and the story behind it. Liev Schreiber is brilliant as the young Orson Welles fighting back against Hearst well played by James Cromwell. I could not see a better Welles until I saw the film "Me and ORson Welles' with Christian McKay at the role and all I could say is wow because it seems he's a runner-up for Best Supporting Actor Oscar Nomination. They both matched his intelligence, wit, perfectionistic demeanor, and mostly his tinacity to get the job done right. Either way these are both great performances but I like Schreiber's performance better. If anybody disagrees tell me.

Matt Walsh 2012-05-01 17:08:05

Interesting but miscast

I know emulating Welles presents a major challenge for an actor, andShreiber did somewhat resemble his voice, but the wit, energy,determinationand confidence which to me represent Welles just didn't shine through.Casting Roy Sheider was a mistake too; he plays a good humanitarian not ashrewd Hollywood mogul.On the plus side, the historical tidbits and re-creation of the CitizenKanesets held my interest - though I wish more coverage of the latter had beenincluded. And of course I love to lose myself in those wonderful art decointeriors and WWII era music.

Joseph Harder 2012-05-01 10:19:55

Excellent "behind the scenes" story

Citizen Kane is, doubtlessly, the best film ever made. However, itwas (almost) the best film ever destroyed.This fascinating made for TV filmtells the story. I thought all the performances were excellent,and the filmhas one very subtle joke at the end for Welles fans. Hearst and MarionDavies are shown dancing in San Simeon, and the scene is shot to look likeJoseph Cotten dancing with Dolores Costello in The Magnificent Ambersons(Incidentally, Cromwell is playing Major Amberson in the forthcoming A&Eminiseries version of Ambersons

Darragh O'Donoghue 2012-04-25 08:53:35

Mind-boggling.

This film, which at first seems rather inadequate, is actually a hugelycomplex Borgesian mirror-fantasy reflecting the genius of Orson Welles andCITIZEN KANE. Everything that is awe-inspiring, thrilling, dark,problematic, and unique about that classic and in its maker is,prismatically, transferred here into its complete opposite: KANE's burstingout of the straitjacket of convention, is a final entrapment here, inTV-movie hell, just as the real Welles finished his career inadvertisementsand talk-shows. The enigmatic, unpredictable monstrous genius of Wellesbecomes sweetly naive and petulant. Labyrinthine sequences even thegreatest minds still can't fully comprehend become predictably explicableand slotted neatly into the conservative demands of the genre. Recklessvisual excess becomes manageable and smooth. It really is the mostremarkable thing.

AlabamaWorley1971 2012-04-24 12:51:57

Never really understood the extent of Hearst's reach before now

After seeing this film, the sheer impudence of what Welles was trying to dowith CITIZEN KANE really shines through. It really was a world where onepowerful man could affect the careers of everybody in Hollywood!Liev Schreiber is terrific; he doesn't look like Welles, but he reallysounds like him. He's very good as the possessed obsessed genius totallydevoted to his film's vision. James Cromwell is suitably frightening as themultimillionaire. I even liked Melanie Griffith as Marion Davies (the reallife version of KANE's Susan Alexander). The scenes shot in San Simeon arewonderful.

hbs 2012-04-24 08:44:05

entertaining, but seems too simple

I didn't know the history of the making of Citizen Kane, and while Ienjoyedthis movie quite a bit, I still doubt that I know much about it. The movieis attractive, I imagine that it's more or less factually correct, and thecast is generally good, but it doesn't feel "real". Hardly anything is everas black and white as most of the movie, and even more to the point, thecharacter doesn't manage to capture any of the "zing" that Wells had evenasan old man. It's fun, but don't expect too much...

JB-12 2012-04-23 20:40:40

Overrated

Citizen Kane is arguably the best film ever made. And maybe the mostcontroversial. Still what could and should have been a great story with agreat cast and the powers of HBO behind it, is at best a routinedocu-drama.So much dramatic license is taken with the plot, it tends to border on beinga fictional account rather than the real story.While some of the incidents may be accurate(like Welles meeting Hearst in ahotel elevator on the night if Kane's premier) the dialogue in that scenenever took place(Hearst admonishing Welles).In addition, Welles never got the idea of doing Kane from his attendance ata Hearst party.The writers tried unsuccessfully to place a direct parallel between the fallof Hearst and the rise of Kane. In truth Hearst still had plenty of powerin 1941 when the film was released.Liev Schrieber was OK as Welles, his sedate moments were more like Orson's,but he goes over the top in the more vocal moments. John Malkovich was too insecure as Herman Mankiewicz, dependent on thebottle but still a brilliant writer. James Cromwell who never seems to givea bad performance, is the best of the cast with the perfect reserve asHearst.The biggest error was Marion Davies. The story tried to make her into atrue Susan Alexander when in truth she had some acting ability and was neveras insecure as Melanie Griffith portrayed her to be.I love Citizen Kane and have read a lot about the film and the man who madeit. Those responsible for this overrated film should have done so aswell.

2012-04-22 16:38:37

Almost Perfect

Really good, but not quite great, this film seems little more than a "recreation" of the already very well-known facts surrounding the production of "Citizen Kane". The relationship between William Randolph Hearst & Marion Davies (Cromwell & Griffith, respectively) seem to be the most interesting parts of the movie and I wish that much more had been done with them. And don't blink, you may just miss Brenda Blethyn as Louella Parsons. Roy Scheider, John Malkovich and Liev Schreiber as Welles are all wonderful. On the whole, a well-done piece, I just wish there had been more.

John Benjamin Tatum 2012-04-22 03:58:21

WONDERFUL

This was a great film. It really seemed to be realisticandtold of the history behind the AFI's "greatest film ofalltime". This shows why "Citizen Kane" is considered the "Greatest AmericanFilm Ever Made". For any fan of "CitizenKane", you have to see "RKO 281". If this ever comes outonDVD... it will go right next to my DVD copy of "CitizenKane".