Citizen Kane (1941)

Arguably the greatest of American films, Orson Welles's 1941 masterpiece, made when he was only 26, still unfurls like a dream and carries the viewer along the mysterious currents of time and memory to reach a mature (if ambiguous) conclusion: people are the sum of their contradictions, and can't be known easily. Welles plays newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane, taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. The result is that every well-meaning or tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event. Written by Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz, and photographed by Gregg Toland, the film is the sum of Welles's awesome ambitions as an artist in Hollywood. He pushes the limits of then-available technology to create a true magic show, a visual and aural feast that almost seems to be rising up from a viewer's subconsciousness. As Kane, Welles even ushers in the influence of Bertolt Brecht on film acting. This is truly a one-of-a-kind work, and in many ways is still the most modern of modern films from the 20th century. --Tom Keogh Amazon.com essential video

Unwatchable...........

When all reviews of a move starts with words like groundbreaking, ahead of its time, or god forbit "a classic", one should proceed with extreme caution. If the AFI never put out a top 100 list, this film would have fallen into obscurity long ago, and it would have stayed where it belongs, a novelty for film school students...

First let me start by saying that although I appreciate Star Wars, I was not brought up on MTV.

I am a tremendous fan of movies in general, and a huge fan of black-and-white films..the greatest ever....Casablanca....also very good, almost anything by Frank Capra...and for those into action, go rent (or better buy) a copy of Gunga Din........

But Citizen Kane is simply....unwatchable....

It is sooooooo boring......

I give Orsen Wells a lot a credit for making a movie at 24, but if he was 44 and this was his 20th film would everyone still be so enamored with it??

If film people like it because it has "out of the ordinary" camera angles, and uses film tricks like "flashbacks", fine, but that does not make this a good movie...

By the way, one thing has always bothered me about the movie that nobody ever brings up. Everyone says that Wells was so "brave" in making a film belittling William Randolf Hearst (one of the most powerful men of his time). My question is, how shallow was Orsen Wells that he had to try to make a name for himself by attacking someone else. Now maybe Hearst was a creap, and deserved to be attacked, but if you made the same movie and had the lead character be an oil tycoon, or a bank president, Wells (and his movie) would not have had the buzz it did back in 1941 or even today for that matter. I wonder then if history would still speak so highly of this film..............

So in conclusion.....any film that helped make Steven Speilberg or Martin Scorsese want to be a film Director, yea........but that dosen't make it a good film....

My advice (sorry amazon), rent it, or watch it on late night television, and then decide if it is something that you want in your home film library.............it will never be in mine...................... January 9, 2009

The Battle for Citizen Kane

This review is for the Turner Home Ent version of Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition). The reason I emphasize that fact, is the reason I recommend it. As everyone knows, Citizen Kane appears every year near the top of the list of the greatest films ever made. In my opinion, if that were objectively true, then you could show it to anyone and they would agree, but they don't. I have shown the film to many friends over the years and most seem puzzled by its status as the greatest. Why?
In art, there are works that stand alone. There is no question why they were created. Alongside these are works that are incomplete although the art dealers and art critics would never admit it. These works have a hidden secret interpretation. The best example is minimalism. To the uninitiated, a solid-colored canvas seems like someone forgot to paint a picture into it, but once the concept of color fields as art is revealed, you may realize that the works connect to that idea. So then and now, the art question hinges on whether or not an art work that needs THE BIG EXPLAINATION in order to connect to the audience is a great or even good work of art.
On the second disk is a fascinating documentary film called, `The Battle for Citizen Kane.' It is THE BIG EXPLAINATION and I have found that not only do people tend to agree that Citizen Kane deserves is status as The Greatest after they view it, but often they want to see Citizen Kane again to see what they missed. Since the documentary is somewhat required viewing for "the greatest movie ever made," I have a hard time giving Citizen Kane my vote for the greatest, but I recommend anyone to watch the documentary first unless they were there in 1941.
January 4, 2009

4 stars out of 4

The Bottom Line:

Despite all the hype and all the hoopla (which often turns me off to films), I sat on my couch after the movie ended and was struck by the force of the film, knowing that without question I had seen a cinematic treasure; the film is just as innovative, interesting, and brilliant as everyone says it is. December 21, 2008

Best movie ever..( spoiler )

I watched this movie for the first time in english class. I had to write a paper of 8 pages about it. I was amazed by all the elements and interested in what "Rosebud" was. I will admit that I still cry at the end of this movie because like Kane, some of us has lost a something so precious when we are kids that even when the money we have now, we cannot replace it. The music score doesn't help to hold the tears. Just magnificent how a man that was thought to have everything had nothing. December 4, 2008

GREAT SATISFACTION!

I sent a review last week. What happened to it? I'll try again.


I was very pleased to receive "Citizen Kane" BEFORE THE PREDICTED SHIPPING DATE. I ordered from Amazon because I didn't think it would be available here. But I saw it last week in a store for almost twice what I paid for it. Will certainly order from the seller next time. Shirley November 19, 2008

More reviews at Amazon.com ...