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RKO 281 (1999)

Rate: 8
Viewed: 12/15

RKO281
12/15: Citizen Kane is a legendary film.

Adding more to the legend makes it even more fascinating. That's what RKO 281 did. At the beginning, I had my doubts about Liev Schreiber, who looked nothing like Orson Welles (Vincent D'Onofrio would've been a more suitable choice), but he did pull through.

Having John Malkovich on board is a bonus. His character Herman Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay for Citizen Kane along with Orson Welles, netting them an Oscar. James Cromwell is perfect as the myopic newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst.

The story of how the famous movie was conceived is extremely interesting. Most of the information as presented is true, but it's hard to say for the authenticity of the rest (the Manolete story, anyone?). At the same time, plenty of Wellesian ironies are peppered throughout. On the downside, there aren't enough technical scenes in terms of how Citizen Kane was made. A good example is using a low-angle shot to film the characters in front of the overhead ceiling. Come on...more, please!

All in all, RKO 281 is fascinating that's full of Citizen Kane tidbits.