Citizen Kane

Rating: 9/10 (11 December 2015)

Citizen Kane is tremendous, to say the least. The film feels larger than life. Not just conceptually, not just in the sum of all its parts, but also through smaller things like sound design, camera movement, set design, lighting, moving performances and even tiny scraps of dialogue.
When each component of a movie serves that movie so well, they can be forgotten. The final product seems to transcend equipment and technique, though they are obviously imperative to the film the audience ends up seeing.
The sense of space conveyed by the film is incredible. The larger-than-life feeling that even strikes the audience plays well to the character of Charles Foster Kane, as well as to the "point" of the movie itself. The spaces within the movie get bigger and bigger as it goes on, and as Kane's life goes along and his riches grow. Those in the film who are searching for the meaning of Kane's last words are moving into bigger and bigger spaces, in the company of more and more important people, but getting no closer to the point. In many ways, this is how Kane's life itself is portrayed to feel. All of the money, statues, square footage in the world could not lead him to a meaning, to a sense of fulfillment. One scene in particular comes to mind in relation to this: a conversation between Kane and Susan in a parlor of their mansion. They need to shout across the room to one another, and their echoes show the audience how empty material pleasures can be.
The performances in the movie are fantastic as well. Small and simple movements or expressions carry dialogue that seems small but feels quite heavy, even to those watching. This is the result of that rare combination of excellent writing acted out by just the right actor.
In many of these "smaller" factors, Citizen Kane seems to have hit the lottery. Each aspect is great in its own right, and fits just perfectly with each other piece. There aren't many other movies like that.