Two Great Minds

DeeArr Shakti Rana asked us to do a review on A Beautiful Mind and Citizen Kane for the next class. I thought why not blog it.

It is interesting that we got to write a review of these two biographies juxtaposed against each other. For watching them together spawns a few additional emotions.

Citizen Kane is a story of a man who 'gagged on a silver spoon', and who was largely disoriented in life, especially during his later years, primarily because he did not have sufficient challenge to face. He dreamt that one day he could own the country, and make people do what he wanted. Or in the words of the scripter, "...could make them love him". He succeeds as far as controlling people's opinions by the newspaper that he ran (He starts the Cuban war, for instance.). But his theory runs aground when he could not shape a simple woman (that he marries) into an opera star. And his public image takes a drastic turn on the night of his most famous campaign speech (see below) to run as a governer- when his rival exposes his extramarital affair with the opera singer to the public. So Kane tragically meets his ultimate fate, the realization that the public does not sway at his fancy. And he spends the rest of his life in his 'Xanadu' palace that is full of statues but still hauntingly empty. I think his collection of statues signifies something, like his irresistible desire to own people.

Kane had an arresting personality, and always had a knack of saying the words he wanted to say at the right time. That made him charismatic and able to make compelling speeches. The most famous one was when he was giving a campaign speech as a governor:

Campaigner: There is only one man who can rid the politics of this State of the evil domination of Boss Jim Gettys. I am speaking of Charles Foster Kane, the fighting liberal, the friend of the working man, the next Governor of this State, who entered upon this campaign...
Kane: with one purpose only: to point out and make public the dishonesty, the downright villainy, of Boss Jim W. Gettys' political machine -- now in complete control of the government of this State! I made no campaign promises, because until a few weeks ago I had no hope of being elected.
Now, however, I have something more than a hope. And Jim Gettys -- Jim Gettys has something less than a chance. Every straw vote, every independent poll shows that I'll be elected. Now I can afford to make some promises!
The working man -- The working man and the slum child know they can expect my best efforts in their interests. The decent, ordinary citizens know that I'll do everything in my power to protect the underprivileged, the underpaid, and the the underfed!
Well, I'd make my promises now if I weren't too busy arranging to keep them.
Here's one promise I'll make, and boss Jim Gettys knows I'll keep it: My first official act as Governor of this State will be to appoint a Special District Attorney to arrange for the indictment, prosecution, and conviction of Boss Jim W. Gettys!

A Beautiful Mind is the story of John Nash, who apparently had very few to start with. He was very unsocial, and committed all the gaucherie. He was also very adamant and proud, and faced tremendous ordeals. He battles his external and internal challenges (he is schizophrenic) and finally emerges victorious.

The two stories run in a few similar parallels. Both Kane and Nash are most sure of only themselves. They both had very original thoughts and disregarded the traditional wisdom. Also, both were intense in their personality and were quite 'gifted' with something that later turned out to be curses, and ravaged their lives.