10 Films (Apart From Mank) To Watch If You Liked Citizen Kane

10 Films (Apart From Mank) To Watch If You Liked Citizen Kane

With Citizen Kane considered one of the best movies of all time, some movies have tried to replicate Welles’ success by creating similar plots.

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David Fincher’s 2020 venture Mank attempted to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the writing of Citizen Kane, while delving into the life of screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz. The film’s acclaim might have reignited interest in Citizen Kane in this process. Starring, co-written, and directed by Orson Welles, Citizen Kane was once (and arguably even today) considered to be one of the greatest films ever.

The black-and-white drama documented the rise and fall of its titular protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, as he climbs up the ladder in the world of publishing and media, only to lead a scandalous life. Even though the film lost out at awards ceremonies, like the Oscars, Citizen Kane stands the test of the time as a cult classic.

10 The Aviator (2004)- Paramount Plus

Directed by Martin Scorsese and starring his muse Leonardo DiCaprio, The Aviator is a grandiose biopic on the pilot and filmmaker Howard Hughes. A highly ambitious tycoon (who doesn’t just feel like Kane but also looks like him at a point), Hughes’ story is presented with all classic biopic tropes. These include dramatic monologues and troubled relationships, which eventually culminate in his achievements.

DiCaprio aside, Cate Blanchett also has a memorable role, portraying the actor Katherine Hepburn. The film’s production design is also noteworthy, especially in the flying sequences.

9 All About Eve (1950)- Apple TV+ (Rent)

Released a few years after Citizen Kane, All About Eve was written and directed by Herman Mankiewicz’s more successful brother Joseph L Mankiewicz. Much like his brother, the latter ended up winning a screenwriting Oscar.

Bolstered by its performances and a story of lies and betrayal, All About Eve’s melodrama ages well and would be palatable even for modern viewers. Set in the cutthroat world of Golden Age Hollywood, the antiheroine Eve (Anne Baxter) is a young woman who wishes to make it big in tinsel town. While serving as an assistant to an actor past her prime (Bette Davis), Eve rises through a parasitic relationship with her.

8 Me And Orson Welles (2009)- Apple TV+ (Rent)

A lesser-known entry in Richard Linklater’s diverse filmography is his period drama, Me And Orson Welles, which starred Christian McKay as the titular actor and Zac Efron as a high-school student, who was once offered the main role in one of Orson Welles’ stage productions.

The film takes a dramatized route to explore the theatrical side of Welles, touching upon his love for Shakespearean plays and the underlying politics in his adaptations. Another interesting aspect is that it captures his pre-Citizen Kane era, back when he was just a rising artist wishing to grow bigger in stature.

7 Joy (2015)- Apple TV+ (Rent)

Joy is a biopic disguised as a rags-to-riches story, channeling the nature of self-made entrepreneurs that viewers have been accustomed to with films like Citizen Kane. Jennifer Lawrence plays the part of Joy Mangano, an entrepreneur, who managed to run a business empire of her own after popularizing her seemingly absurd yet efficient inventions, like the self-wringing Miracle Mop.

The film follows a slightly comedic approach for this self-made millionaires larger-than-life story but it seems to work just fine, thanks to a committed lead performance by Jennifer Lawrence.

6 Network (1976)- Hoopla

A biting satire on the world of sensational journalism, Network happens to be relevant even today. The narrative focuses on a news channel that plans to fire one of its regular anchors (Peter Finch). However, the news ends up provoking an angry outburst from the anchor, which is then caught on live television. This monologue proves to draw a favorable reaction among the entertained audiences, causing the channel to stick with his theatrics.

As more political drama ensues, what Network makes clear is that people enjoy consuming drama more than actual news. As Mank also revealed, Citizen Kane was a subtle jab at newspaper magnate Charles Hearst. Network takes up similar tones of unethical journalism changing the environment to a TV-dominated world.

5 The Other Side Of The Wind (2018)- Netflix

It was in 2018 when The Other Side of the Wind was finally released on Netflix, revealing Welles’ most experimental side. Part mockumentary, part visual experiment, this film recounts an aging director’s (John Huston) final days in an intentional haphazard, non-linear manner.

A ‘movie-within-a-movie’ narrative is relied upon as the film often cuts between the director’s everyday shenanigans and scenes of his last arthouse feature. Bound to be polarizing, The Other Side of the Wind still makes for an amusing watch for ardent fans of Welles.

4 How Green Is My Valley (1941)- The Criterion Channel

Citizen Kane is one of those films that got overshadowed by the ‘Best Picture’ winner of their time. While the film only for ‘Best Original Screenplay’ at the Academy Awards, How Green Was My Valley took home the Best Picture award. Funnily, in the present, the latter is a largely forgotten film. It had not only beat Kane for the award but also The Maltese Falcon.

Fans of Citizen Kane might still be interested in understanding the context of the film and the reasons that might have prompted the Academy to grant its top honor to this working-class drama.

3 There Will Be Blood (2007)- Netflix

Daniel Day-Lewis’s multiple award-winning portrayals of oil tycoon Daniel Plainview would go down as one of the most ruthless character performances in modern cinematic history. While iconic and ambitious cinematic tycoons like Charles Kane can be seen as antiheroes, the character of Plainview is a lot more villainous, revealing the dark side of greed and power.

There Will Be Blood shows one man’s pursuit of the so-called ‘American Dream’ that soon turns into a toxic obsession for gaining power, even if it comes at the cost of his family. With enough religious and political metaphors, this gritty Paul Thomas Anderson epic is a vicious look into capitalism and its exponents.

2 All The President’s Men (1976)- HBO Max

A classic in the pantheon of journalism-related films, All The President’s Men details the efforts of two reporters (Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford), who were the first ones to break the news of the Watergate scandal to the American public. Playing out as an intense thriller, William Goldman’s tight-knit screenplay adds a sense of intensity to the storyline.

If one is interested in films on investigative journalism (like Spotlight), this Alan J Pakula-directed classic is worth revisiting.

1 F For Fake (1973)- HBO Max

Even though The Other Side of Wind is technically Orson Welles’ final film, F For Fake was his final creative product before his death. Although F For Fake is a documentary that has the art world (particularly the art of forfeiting art) at the center of its core, Welles while narrating, often breaks the fourth wall to play around with the viewer’s attention.

Hence, there are moments in the film when the audiences themselves need to figure out what is real and what is fake. All in all, it’s quite an interactive experience and extremely unique if compared to the rest of his cinematic work.

Link Source : https://screenrant.com/10-films-apart-from-mank-to-watch-if-you-liked-citizen-kane/

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