My Mank Story
I watched Mank the weekend it premiered in December. Just a week before, I watched Citizen Kane for the first time. Because Citizen Kane was so fresh in my mind, my first reactions to Mank were centered around the film's relationship to its famous predecessor. I focused on the visual references to Kane, such as the shots with great depths of field, as well as how both speak truth to power. Each film responds to the corruption in its respective time. Mank is about what inspired a writer to write a script speaking truth to power. In turn, Mank the film speaks truth to power as well. My concentration on these thematic elements allowed me to truly feel the film's emotional message. I was shocked by the fake news reel and genuinely moved by the coda.
However, despite having the details of Citizen Kane fresh in my mind, I still felt a bit out of place watching the movie. I was entertained by the studio antics and fascinated by the corruption, but I constantly had the sense that I was missing background. It was like the film expected me to know something going in that I couldn't ascertain.
This feeling, instead of discouraging me, inspired me to dig deep into the lore of Old Hollywood and MGM. I dove into the podcast You Must Remember This, specifically its series on MGM in 2015. I listened to the episodes on Marion Davies and Louis B. Mayer/Irving Thalberg twice. I then watched Mank for a second time, about a month and a half after my first viewing. This time, I relished every flashback to the studio world. I was proud to recognize references. I appreciated the secondary performances more, as I wondered how the real-life lore I had just learned informed both the script and the performances.
Despite my increased enjoyment on the second watch, I found that I was missing the emotional impact that grabbed me on the first viewing and that inspired me to dig deeper into the history. This may just be the natural effect of watching a movie for a second time—often the emotional beats are less impactful when you know they are coming. Either way, I am grateful for both of my experiences with Mank.
