Nothing like it....

Rating: 10/10 (20 October 2007)

When it comes to Citizen Kane, one question eclipses all others: Is it the best film ever made? The answer, for me anyway, is yes.
Citizen Kane is still easily THE greatest films ever made. Its not 'one of', or 'the second', its the FINEST. I don't think any film will ever over-shadow it, either. Its one of the most famous, as it (successfully) broke every cinematic boundary in the book. It introduced countless innovations that are today a common part of film-making.
The movie opens with an unforgettable image of a distant, fog-shrouded castle on a hill. It's a classic Gothic shot, and goes a long way towards establishing Citizen Kane's mood. We quickly learn that this place, called Xanadu, is the dwelling of America's Kubla Khan, Charles Foster Kane (Welles), a one-time newspaper magnate who could have become President if not for an ill-advised extramarital affair. Xanadu, in the words of the faux newsreel that gives a brief history of Kane's life, is the "costliest monument of a man to himself." Any resemblance to The Ranch, William Randolph Hearst's real-life San Simeon abode, is not coincidental.
In the opening, Kane is dead, and utters the word 'rosebud' as he hunches over. His death, like his life, is a big news event, and the paper he owned, the New York Inquirer, is desperate to unearth the meaning of his cryptic last word. Is it a woman he bedded? A horse he bet on? A beloved pet? Some long-lost, unrequited love? The truth, which isn't revealed until the closing scene, represents one of the all-time greatest motion picture ironies, and leads us to believe that, on some level, Kane regretted not having led a simple, quiet life. A ten minuet newsreel follows this to exhibit his larger-than-life accomplishments.
After this, reporters and the public in general, begin to investigate what he actually meant by 'rosebud'. The film dips into flashbacks (in chronology), to search for 'rosebud's significance. It also shows interviews with his loved (and loathed) ones, to see if they have any inkling to what it may mean.
The movie is a visual masterpiece, a kaleidoscope of daring angles and breathtaking images that had never been attempted before, and has never been equaled since. Every image is depicted with incredible detail, and beauty.
There's no doubt that Citizen Kane is far ahead of its time. Uncompromising, unsentimental drama of this sort was not in vogue during an era that was better known for titles like The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, and How Green Was My Valley (which beat out Kane for best picture).
Not only is this film-making at its best, but motion picture archives and collections across the world would be poorer without copies of this film, which will forever be recognized as a defining example of American cinema.