Summing-up

There and then, have I often heard,[…], above all, (nam supereminet omnes) the calm, dignified, and elegant summings-up, of Lord Mansfield: delivered in “silver tones,” that / “Rose like a steam of rich distill’d perfumes, / And stole upon the air.” / which were heard with a silence “still as death;” and never failed to fascinate, though they might not always convince.

“[…] And now, having convinced you all to my way of thinking, I will leave the case in the hands of our wise and competent judge.” / “Wait,” said Uncle Charley; “I believe the captains are usually allowed a sort of summing-up speech, are they not?” / “They are in this case, anyway,” said Patty. “Mr. Elliott will please go ahead with his summing-up.”

The film’s complexity arises from the narrators’ conflicting judgments, their summing-ups of Kane.

I will not attempt to sum up their summing-ups, but will nevertheless hazard certain conclusions - necessarily of a somewhat subjective nature.

In the first two appeals the judges had to cope with the new provisions without guidance. Their summing-ups were defective and the appeals must be allowed.

But who should judge the judges? (other judges probably), should their judgements be appraised? (probably not) and should the durations of their summing-ups be measured? (also probably not).

The obituaries and public conversations surrounding timely movie star deaths work as summings-up, final assessments of worth before the dirt hits the cultural coffin lid.

“Everybody is lonely because you’re meant to be alone” is one of the many lamentable summings-up in this distressing chronicle of poor Elvira’s final days.