The_Film_That_Changed_My_Life

Citizen Kane
59
of course Citizen Kane had problems opening because it was perceived
to be based on press king William Randolph Hearst. But do you think
that embattled history enhanced its place in cinema history? Or was it
hindered by it?
Bogdanovich: Hindered.
How so?
Bogdanovich: Because it didn’t have the popular success that it should
have. It was hampered by not having theaters to play in. You can’t have a hit
if you can’t get into theaters. People didn’t play it. It would have had a greater
place in history if it had been more popular commercially. Look at all the
crappy movies that are still famous and that were popular, and when you see
them today you can’t believe anyone could sit through them.
And Citizen Kane did not become a classic at least until the mid-1950s.
Bogdanovich: I would say it didn’t really get fully established until the ’60s.
But it still shows up as number one on almost all the film lists.
Bogdanovich: Now it does. It didn’t used to. It took about twenty, twentyfive
years. Well, look what happened to The Rules of the Game—that wasn’t
even shown. It was bought, burned, so to speak. They ruined that. Initially
that picture was just hated, destroyed; then twenty years later they brought
it back.
Now I’m guessing you’re not one of those people who voted for The
Godfather over Citizen Kane on a recent best films poll.
Bogdanovich: Oh, God. I don’t know who votes in those polls.
How did your impression of the film change once you got to know
Welles more?
Bogdanovich: I certainly didn’t doubt who made it or who wrote it. The
movie is very much like Orson. You know, seeing things from many different
points of view, unusual way of telling stories, bored by cliche, innovative,
excited by innovation, born storyteller. Exciting, you know, youthful—even
in old age he was youthful. When you get to know somebody, of course