7.5 out of 10

Rating: 7/10 (17 November 2003)

Citizen Kane was way beyond its time. Watching it you get the sense that you are really viewing a film made in today's time but in black and white. In it's time, it was viewed as an outrageous film and even ignored by critics. Orsin Welles himself probably never imagined the film would become such a huge influence on today's cinematography.the way movies are made period. Even in the process of making it, he didn't think it would succeed at all.
The stars out with a sign reading, `no trespassing' on a large iron gate outside of a castle looking estate, as the camera draws closer and closer to the castle a light is seen in a window. It burns out and a hand seen dropping a snow globe while a man utters `rosebud.' It turns out the gloomy scene was set inside the snow globe. Charles Foster Kane's who is played by Orsin Welles is narrated in a short film made by a couple of newspaper reporters. As funny as it seems, the movie starts out at the end and goes back in time, breaking out of the traditional film storyline. The newspaper reporters set out on a mission to out the hidden meaning of Rosebud, and in the process of researching this by interviewing key people in Kane's life. The story is told in many different perspectives of his life giving the viewer's brain a little work in the process. The film follows Kane's life from his start at the New York Inquirer to Kane running for governor to the building of Xanadu, which eventually leads to his own demise brought upon himself.
Overall the film was absolutely amazing for its time. The excellent camera angles, lighting and special effects were way beyond its time. Citizen Kane is regarded as one of the most important movies in U.S history, basically setting the stage for Hollywood, as we know it today.
Orsin Welles (Charles Foster Kane) gives a wonderful performance accompanied by Ruth Warrick as Emily Monroe Norton Kane, George Coulouris as Walter Thatcher, and Everett Sloane as Mr. Berstein. The acting was fantastic; the chemistry was good and their performances all complimented each other.
I give the movie 7.5 stars out of 10 because it is not the best movie I have ever seen but it impressed me. It blew me away at the time and work and overall creativity put into this movie. Orsin Welles is a genius in my eyes for making this movie. He had no major influences, nothing to look off of or copy to make the movie the way he did. I definitely recommend this movie to anyone who truly enjoys and appreciates great cinematography, directing, and just a good film.