Citizen Kane Citizen Kane's reputation as one of the greatest films of all time is matched only by the accumulation of critical commentary that surrounds it. What more can there be to say about a masterpiece so universally acknowledged? Laura Mulvey, in a fresh and original reading, illuminates the richness of the film, both thematically and stylistically, relating it to Welles's political background and its historical context. In a lucid and perceptive critique she also investigates the psychoanalytic structure that underlies the film's presentation of Kane's biography, for once taking seriously what Orson Welles himself disparagingly referred to as ‘dollar-book Freud.” In her foreword to this special edition, published to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the BFI Film Classics series, Laura Mulvey focuses on the film's politics, highlighting the contemporary ‘rhymes’ in Kane's portrayal of a scandal-prone press baron in a time of economic crisis LAURA MULVEY is Professor of Film and Media Studies at Birkbeck College, University of London. She is the author of Fetishism and Curiosity (1996), Death Twenty-four Times a Second: Stillness and the Moving Image (2006), and Visual and Other Pleasures (2nd edition, 2010) Front cover design: Eric Skillman 1964 978-1-86657-097-1 978 18441574971 | | ‘A BFI book published by Palgrave Macmillan 7 Printed in ChinaBFI Film Classics: A brief history ‘The BF Film Classics series grew out of a project initiated by the National Film and Television Archive (NFTVA), a division of the BFI, to build a collection of ‘perfect showprints' of 360 key films in the history of cinema. These films were to be screened at the Museum of the Moving Image (MOMI) in London in a year-round repertory, The ‘360 list’ of classic films was drawn up by David Meeker of the NETVA, and the BFI Film Classics books were commissioned to stand alongside the Archive project. Distinguished film critics and scholars, film-makers, novelists and poets, historians and writers from other spheres of the arts and academia were approached to write on a film of their choice from the ‘360 list Each volume was ‘to present the author's own insights into the chosen film, together with a brief production history and detailed credits, notes and bibliography. In a time before DVDs and screengrabs, the books’ ‘numerous illustrations’ were specially made frem the Archive's own prints and sourced from the BFl's stills’ collection. ‘The series was developed and its first titles commissioned by Fdward Buscombe, then Head of Publishing at the BFT. Calin MacCabe and David Meeker acted as series consultants. Rob White was the Series Editor at the BFI from 1996 to 2005. The series was launched in May 1992 with four titles: The Wizard of 02 by Salman Rushdie; Double indemnity by Richard Schickel; Stagecoach by Edward Buscombe and Went the Day Well? by Penelope Houston. A sister series, BFI Modern Classics, was launched in 1996 to respond to notable films of modern and contemporary cinema. Over 60 titles were published in this series before it was absorbed within the main Film Classics series in 2007, and the combined series was relaunched with a new cover and text design. There are currently over 160 titles in print in the Film Classics, Modern Classics and combined Film Classics series. ABFI Film Classics series advisory board, comprising representatives from the BFI, as well as leading film scholars and critics, was established in 2007. Since 2008 BF] Publishing titles, including tie BFI Film Classics series, have been published by Palgrave Macmillan in partnership with the BFI.Laura Mulvey ABFI book published by Palgrave MacmillanFor Faysal Abdullah Solidarity and cinema @ Laura Mulv First edition publish Reprinted 198 All rights reserved. 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