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Donald Trump: film critic? Watch his strangely moving analysis of 'Citizen Kane'

The US Presidential candidate counts Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece as his favourite film.

Donald Trump Citizen Kane

Source: SBS Movies

In an interview found from 2002, Donald Trump appears to be an emotionally aware and understanding human being.

In the footage, Trump is asked by filmmaker Errol Morris to talk about his favourite film, Citizen Kane. The piece comes from Morris' shelved documentary project, Movie Movie.

Released in 1941, Citizen Kane is Orson Welles' masterpiece, which he produced, co-wrote, directed and starred in. It looks into the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, who is played by Welles. The character is partly based on American newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hurst. The story is told through the research of a news reporter who is trying to solve the mystery of Kane’s dying word “rosebud”.

Trump analyses the film with poise and intelligent examination. It is as though Trump is somewhat self-reflective when he analyses the life of Kane.

From the film Trump says he learns that money doesn’t buy you happiness. He says of Kane, “because he had the wealth, but he didn’t have happiness.”

Just as we’re being swept up in Trump's moving articulate words, he rips us back to reality at the end.

His advice for Charles Foster Kane? "Get yourself a different woman."

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2 min read

Published

Updated

By Sarah Norton



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