Brilliant... for 1941

Rating: 8/10 (10 December 2005)

Citizen Kane is undoubtedly a masterpiece for it's time but age has caught up with it a bit. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth seeing and not just for the fact it's a classic, it remains a great movie even next to modern cinema.
Wells would hold his own acting wise even today but sadly the rest of the cast wouldn't, and that's the first thing you'll notice. The script is also slightly overdone in the typical old-fashioned way, although it's still good, but the thing that really has stood the test of time is the directing, it's an extremely well photographed movie.
There's some great scenes in Citizen Kane, but there's also some forgettable ones. The film loses some momentum in the second half although it still manages to hold your attention. The ending is goosepimple stuff.
To be honest, I was slightly disappointed with Citizen Kane after hearing so many good things, although maybe I should have reminded myself this was made when FDR was still alive, a long time ago in the early days of film. When I think of it that way, I can't give it anything but praise.