For Tim...
And it was ever thus that elections are based around personality—a lot of us vote that way—rather than about issues. And that's always a bit of a trap. Because politicians, being in a malleable profession, have a tendency to change their minds on things once the hard part of winning an election is over and the harder part of winning the next one begins, the two usually occurring in the same week.
But, the big part of the equation of the electioneer is their attitude toward the job they are seeking and how they view it. Do they seem themselves as a public servant, or do they see the public as servants whom they can bend to their will given the right focus on demographics, emphasizing "hot button" issues and massaging the message if they think they can't do what they want to do.
But, if you're going to seek such positions whether as servant or publican, there is always the "X"-factor of ego and hubris. And there are those who have had success is some manner that they then feel translates to their inalienable right to run for office and (of course!) get elected. Whatever their motivations, ego and hubris are key ingredients in their little alligator brains to making the decision. They just want to be loved, is that so wrong?
Yes. It is. And if that seeker of office thinks the equation of 1 + 1 = 5, then they need to get a new statistician...and probably a dog. Nobody should get into politics looking for love or having it re-affirmed. Not unless they want to delude themselves into becoming King of a Fool's Paradise.
And so, good ol' Charlie Kane, who got everything he ever wanted, but still found it tough sledding, dying of a broken heart and a broken snow-globe.
The Set-Up: Jedidiah Leland (Joseph Cotten) is being interviewed by a newsreel reporter about his years knowing the late publishing mogul Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles for the most part), a contentious relationship where Leland served as Kane's conscience—"Maybe I was what you call nowadays a stooge"—until Kane's ego would not entertain—or tolerate—second-guessing. Here, Leland recalls the near breaking point of their friendship, where Kane's marital infidelity costs him the governorship of New York. It is the morning after the election and a drunken Leland stumbles into Kane's campaign headquarters to give him some useless post-election analysis.
Action!
LELAND: I'm drunk.
LELAND: You remember the workingman?
KANE: I'll get drunk, too, Jedediah...if it'll do any good.
LELAND: It won't do any good. Besides you never get drunk. You used to write an awful lot about the workingman...
LELAND: He's turning into something called "organized labor. " You won't like that one little bit when you find out...it means your workingman expects something as his right, and not your gift. LELAND: Charlie.
KANE: You're not very drunk.
LELAND: It's something to be played your way, according to your rules. -
LELAND: You said you were looking for someone to do dramatic "crimitism," criticism.
KANE: You're too valuable here. -
LELAND: Thank you.
LELAND: Will Saturday after next be all right? -
LELAND: Thank you.
Citizen Kane
Words by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
Pictures by Gregg Toland and Orson Welles
Citizen Kane is available on DVD and Blu-Ray on Warner Home Video.
INT. KANE'S OFFICE - NIGHT -
The bottle is finished. The door in the Sanctrum opens. Reilly and the others leave.
REILLY (as they go) Goodnight, Mr. Kane.
Kane stands in the door, waiting for Leland.
Leland gets up and moves toward the office - goes in, sits down across from Kane at the desk. An uncomfortable pause. Then Kane smiles ingratiatingly. Leland tries to cope with this.
LELAND First of all - (he can't go on)
KANE (not cruelly - genuinely kind) What's wrong, Brad?
LELAND I'm drunk.
KANE I'll get you some coffee.
He rises and goes to the door.
LELAND First of all, I will not write a good review of a play because somebody paid a thousand dollars for an advertisement in the "Enquirer."
KANE (gently - opening the door) That's just a little promotion scheme. Nobody expects you - (calling) Mike, will you try and get Mr. Leland some coffee?
MIKE'S VOICE Sure thing, Mr. Kane.
Kane turns back to Leland. Leland doesn't look up at him.
LELAND Charlie, it's just no go. We can't agree anymore. I wish you'd let me go to Chicago.
KANE Why, Brad?
LELAND I want to be transferred to the new paper. You've been saying yourself you wish you had somebody to - (he is heartsick, inarticulate) That's not what I wanted to talk about.
Kane goes around behind the desk and sits down.
KANE I'll tell you what I'll do, Brad - I'll get drunk, too - maybe that'll help.
LELAND No, that won't help. Besides, you never get drunk. I wanted to talk about you and Emily.
Kane looks at Leland sharply before he speaks.
KANE (quietly) All right.
LELAND (without looking at him) She's going to leave you -
KANE I don't think so, Brad. We've just had word that the President is out of danger. (ruefully) It seems I didn't kill him after all.
LELAND (takes his eye) She was going to leave you anyway -
Kane takes this in.
LELAND Emily's going south next week with the child. As far as anybody's to know, it's a holiday. When they get back -
KANE (sharply) Brad, you are drunk.
LELAND Sure I am. She wants full custody of the child no matter what happens. If you won't agree to that, she'll apply for a divorce regardless of the President's wishes. I can't tell her she's wrong, because she isn't wrong -
KANE Why is she leaving me?
LELAND (it's very hard for him to say all this) She hasn't any friends left since you started this oil business, and she never sees you.
KANE Do you think the "Enquirer" shouldn't have campaigned against the oil leases?
LELAND (hesitating) You might have made the whole thing less personal!
No answer from Kane.
LELAND It isn't just that the President was her uncle - everyone she knows, all the people she's been brought up with, everything she's ever been taught to believe is important -
Still no answer from Kane.
LELAND There's no reason why this - this savage personal note -
KANE The personal note is all there is to it. It's all there ever is to it. It's all there every is to anything! Stupidity in our government, complacency and self- satisfaction and unwillingness to believe that anything done by a certain class of people can be wrong - you can't fight those things impersonally. They're not impersonal crimes against people. They're being done by actual persons - with actual names and positions and - the right of the American people to own their own country is not an academic issue, Brad, that you debate - and then the judges retire to return a verdict and the winners give a dinner for the losers.
LELAND You almost convince me. (rising) I'm just drunk enough to tell you the truth. I have to be a little drunk for that because I'm a coward. You know that. That's why you keep me around. (smiles) You only associate with your inferiors, Charlie. I guess that's why you ran away from Emily. Because you can't stand the company of your equals. You don't like to admit they exist - the other big people in your world are dead. I told you that.
Kane looks at Leland, but Leland can't be stopped now. He speaks very quietly - no poison in his voice - no personal indignation - as though he were explaining the nature of a disease.
LELAND You talk about the people of the United States as though they belonged to you. When you find out they don't think they are, you'll lose interest. You talk about giving them their rights as though you could make a present of liberty. Remember the working man? You used to defend him quite a good deal. Well, he's turning into something called organized labor and you don't like that at all. And listen, when your precious underprivileged really get together - that's going to add up to something bigger than - than your privilege and then I don't know what you'll do - sail away to a desert island, probably, and lord it over the monkeys.
KANE Are you finished?
LELAND Yes. (looking down) Now, will you let me go to Chicago?
KANE (with a little smile) You're not going to like it in Chicago. They wind comes howling in from the lake. And there's practically no opera season at all - and the Lord only knows whether they've ever heard of Lobster Newburg -
LELAND That's all right. (he won't be charmed out of his duty) What are you going to do about Emily?
KANE (his face hardning a little) Nothing - if she dosen't love me -
Leland has risen. He speaks as he turns away, starting towards the door.
LELAND You want love on your own terms, don't you, Charlie - (he stops - his back turned to Kane) Love according to your own rules. And if anything goes wrong and you're hurt - then the game stops, and you've got to be soothed and nursed, no matter what else is happening - and no matter who else is hurt!
KANE It's simpler than that, Brad. A society girl can't stand the gaff, that's all. Other things are important to her - social position, what they're saying on the front porches at Southampton, is it going to be embarrassing to meet somebody or the other at dinner -
Leland has turned, taking his eye again. Now Kane stops and smiles.
KANE She can leave me. As a matter of fact, I've already left her. Don't worry, Brad - I'll live.
LELAND I know you will.
KANE (with all his charm) Hey, Brad! I've been analyzed an awful lot tonight - let's have another brandy.
Leland shakes his head. Kane lifts his glass.
KANE To love on my terms. Those are the only terms anybody knows ... his own.
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