Worthy of its high regard as one of the best films of all time

Rating: Null/10 (18 November 2003)

It's incredible to see how masterfully Orson Welles, a Hollywood newcomer both in front of and behind the camera, has outclassed the directors of our time when it comes to composition, style, and symbolism. Few of the current crop of directors heralded as "great" - directors like James Cameron, Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, and David Lynch - can match the overall quality and message of Welles' single most influential film. In a time when films are valued for spectacle over quality, "Citizen Kane" is like a breath of fresh air.
"Citizen Kane" is more than the story of a newspaper magnate's rise and fall; it is a tale of what is ultimately important in a person's life. Despite the vast riches that Kane attains, he is far from happy. He is left with two failed marriages and few friends. At the close of his life, all he has left is his memories - and something called "Rosebud."
Though Kane himself says "I don't think there's one word that can describe a man's life," that is in fact true of his life. "Rosebud" is what mattered to Kane in the end; it was the only thing that he truly wanted. Not in a literal sense, but instead what "Rosebud" stood for; a mystery masterfully concealed until the very end of the film.
It is easy to see why film critics laud "Citizen Kane." It was revolutionary in its own time, a feat that few films can attest to. It's disuse of chronological storytelling and heavy use of frame composition for inferred messages can be compared only to some of director Quentin Tarantino's better efforts, where style is held almost above plot. Welles manages to do even Tarantino one better, elevating style and maintaining and engaging plot at the same time. It's easy to see why "Citizen Kane" gets its praise; I would admit to being one of its admirers.