Orson Welles
Quarto Potere

For the history of cinema, 1941 is a fundamental date, as it marks the Hollywood debut of one of the fathers of modern cinematography, with a film of inestimable value: "Quarto Potere" (Citizen Kane in Eng.) by Orson Welles.

The title chosen for Italian cinemas is an obvious reference to the global power acquired by the media. A power held by few, both an ally and enemy of other strong powers, not easily controllable by the state: something to be feared? (even the dark sound of the title's words is not reassuring).
This is, surely, the theme of the film; the risk, however, is portraying it as something it isn't, or is only in part: a kind of Hollywood socio-economic-political etc. reportage. Because this is above all the story of a man. About citizen Kane.

It doesn't make sense to recount the plot of the film here, and it's not particularly easy to do so because the themes, stories, characters, and settings are each developed with equal dignity by the author and undergo profound metamorphoses over time. We will only say that many parts of this film represent the work of Welles's creative genius, who, at 26 (it seems incredible), exploits the cinematic techniques of the time to excellence and anticipates (for some in an unparalleled way) many aspects of contemporary cinema. We will also say that the recounting of Charles Foster Kane's life, for the skillful use of flashbacks in the narrative, for the reconstruction of emblematic places of his existence, and for the Kafkaesque evolution of the character's psychic and outward forms, assumes literary value and dignity.

A curiosity: in '41 it was an astounding flop and was soundly booed at the 9 nominations proposed by the Academy Awards. It was presented again to the public only in the mid-'50s, with the enormous success that continues to this day. Fundamental.