A film for study, but not for entertainment

Rating: Null/10 (8 August 2001)

Watching `Citizen Kane' is analogous to reading `Moby Dick'. Both are seminal, American masterpieces that lend themselves well as preceptive works for analysis. They are both respected for their innovativeness and influence. You can appreciate literary technique in the later just as you can the masterly camera angles and lighting in the former.

But in the end reading Melville is interesting and engenders discussion, but I'd rather sit back and indulge in `Wise Blood' or `Portnoy's Complaint'. And given a free evening to throw in a video I'd take `The Godfather' or `Fargo' over Kane any day.
The direction is flawless of course. Wells deserves all accolades that fomented from this film. A movie that should be studied by students of film but left on the shelf when entertaining on a Friday night.