Orson Welles' astonishing directorial debut

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2006)

Orson Welles' astonishing directorial debut is a tour de force of cinematic technique, narrative innovation and ensemble acting. The story of Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper tycoon based more or less on William Randolph Hearst, unfolds in imaginatively designed flashbacks. Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland employ chiaroscuro lighting and deep focus photography to create an evocative and rich tapestry that rewards repeated viewing. Welles, as Kane, ages 50 years over the course of the film, aided by makeup artist Maurice Seiderman's wizardry. Welles' Mercury Players, including Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Ruth Warrick, Ray Collins, Everett Sloane, and Erskine Sanford, round out an impressive cast.
Despite "Kane's" continued status as "greatest film ever," I'm amazed at how many people I encounter who haven't seen it, or worse yet, who watched it only once and thought it was just OK. Believe me: seeing it once is simply not enough! This is true of any great film, but more so for "Kane," which contains countless layers, subtexts, and details that are simply impossible to absorb the first time. In many ways, "Kane" is the Bible of modern cinema: you'll find something new each time you watch it.
The greatest movie of all time? Quite possibly, though I believe that 1958's "Touch of Evil" is even better among Welles' own films. But "Kane" is more inexhaustible, and more conducive to repeated viewing and in-depth study. "Citizen Kane" has topped the "Sight and Sound" critics' and directors' polls since 1962, and its #1 status was reinforced yet again in 1998's American Film Institute Top 100 list. Can all the critics, experts, and film buffs all be wrong? Watch "Citizen Kane" - not once, but twice or more - and decide for yourself.