Too much of generational gap for many of us to enjoy.

Rating: 7/10 (4 December 2007)

It's kind of hard to call myself a lover of movies, or critic when I haven't seen what has heralded as one of the greatest film accomplishments of all-time. "Citizen Kane" was one of those movies that have slipped through my fingers as a kid and before you know it, you've never seen it but have only heard about it. In fact, usually you hear so much about some films, you have no motivation to see it. There are people out there (and we meet them all the time) that haven't seen the "The Godfather" yet, so situations like this do exist. So, after finally getting my hand on a copy of "Kane", I gave the film it's due attention.
A little overrated. Although this film belongs in IMDb's Top 250 and agree "Kane" should be considered a benchmark for movie directors, I had a tough time watching this movie. I can see how this movie was groundbreaking in 1941, as the characters (especially Kane himself), writing, acting, storyline and even the cinematography were ahead of its time. But, seeing this movie 60+ years later after its release was like taking a Model-T Ford out for Sunday drive. I literally had to force myself to watch this film, waiting and waiting for me to grasp it and I just couldn't do it.
I really don't think the problem is with the film itself, I think the problem is major generation gap and the fact that we have seen characters like Kane in other films and in real life. Older films like "Casablanca" and "Gone with the Wind" are extremely tough to watch when you get older, as your taste for movies is used to today's masterpieces. As mentioned before, Kane's persona was controversial at that time, maybe making him very intriguing and influential. It's hard to embrace this character when he have moguls like Donald Trump in our lives everyday or other films like "The Aviator" out there.
For me, for a film to be heralded "One of the Greatest American Films of All Time", is needs to stand the test of time. There needs to be a good balance of entertainment that's captivating at the same time. We shouldn't have to pay attention or scrutinize a film to get it. Films like "The Wizard of Oz" or "The Godfather" are these type of masterpieces. Who knows, after our generation, maybe know one will get the "The Matrix" or "Return of the King." Time will tell.