Quite good & hugely influential but not the best of all time in my opinion

Rating: 8/10 (23 June 2008)

If you know anything at all about film criticism then you probably know that "Citizen Kane" is widely hailed as the greatest film of all time. However, I think I can safely say that this film's high stature is due more to it's enduring influence than to it's particular merits.
Of course, I don't mean to imply that the film is poorly made, even by today's standards. Welles's direction can only be described as visionary. Combined with Gregg Toland's cinematography & Robert Wise's editing, the film has a look that's light-years ahead of it's time. And let's not forget Bernard Herrmann's fine score.
The story is an engrossing one. The enigmatic Charles Foster Kane's last word, "Rosebud", sets a reporter on a search to unearth the meaning of this cryptic final statement. We are whisked thru different periods in the man's life, piecing the puzzle together through the remembrances of others. The ending does not disappoint, elucidating the mystery with a subtlety rarely seen on the big screen.
The acting is well-handled throughout, particularly Welles as he portrays Kane from age 25 to death with the help of ingenious makeup artists. I do wish, however, that a few of the other performances had been more subdued and less overtly theatrical.
While I believe that there are later films that supercede "Citizen Kane" in terms of quality I will concede that there may be no more important film. Needless to say, this film is required viewing for anyone who purports to know anything at all about motion pictures.