hey curt:

I don't know if this is REALLY the case, But I think that the message in CITIZEN KANE may be the reason why so many people from all over the world find it great.  Going beyond its technical brilliance (something I take from what you wrote, you don't deny), I think the questions the film raises are...shall we say...universal!

How would you like to be remembered when you're gone?  If you died tomorrow, would you like to be remembered as the person who defended Brad Pitt on www.foreignfilms.com? (I like him by the way, when he works with directors who know how to use him...Fincher and Gilliam in particular) I'm sure some of us on this board would define you by that ONE SMALL fact.  But I think they would be wrong. You're more than that one little thing.  If you died with the word s__t as the last thing you said, would that define you?  KANE asks a simple question...can we ever truly KNOW someone?  I think the reason why people love and identify with the film is because they also do not want to be remembered for what they are perceived to be, but for who they are.  The sad thing is, that will never happen, because we all project our own prejudices and neuroses onto the people (and films?) that we encounter.  Our perception of the person (or film?) will always be faulty because most of us cannot see beyond the ends of our noses.  John Waters once said that when he dies he knows that the first thing that will be mentioned in his obituaries will be the fact that he got the late, great female impersonator Divine to actually eat real dog s__t on camera.  I think that's right...and it's sad.  He's so much more than his film PINK FLAMINGOS.

I've watched KANE at least 20 times from start to finish.  I've probably listened to it over 100 times in my video store.  Every time I see it, I see or hear new things that make me think of the "theme" I talked about (I can't believe how many "clues" are sprinkled throughout this film).  Maybe I'm weird that way, but I enjoy spotting new things in this film.  I guess it's like that for people who like to spot all the little subversive "flashes" sprinkled throughout FIGHT CLUB.  Actually...I think I'm gonna check out FIGHT CLUB again tonight.  I was gonna watch an old George Stevens film tonight, but I need some of that "male aggression" you talked about in your review above.

Anyway...thanks for your comments on KANE.  I hope you'll check it out again some day!

DEREK