Perfecting the art of cinema

Rating: 9/10 (20 November 2002)

Seeing "Citizen Kane" is seeing the full potential of the cinematic medium. Charles Foster Kane comes to life before the viewer's eyes and ears as only the great Welles could have done it: with the greatest of vision.
When you look at this film 61 years after its initial release, the story of the rivalry between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hurst is long forgotten, but this movie still stands as an artistic landmark, an island in a sea of mediocre movies of its time.
Orson Welles' vision brought notions into this movie that weren't to be seen again for years later, and some are even today used in a bad way, pale imitations of the original mind of Welles. The script of this movie is absolutely genius, and the idea of overlapping lines is a fascinating experiment in a 40's movie. only Woody Allen movies come close to exploring this idea nowadays. The cinematography is, as it should be, haunting and unique. The editing is rhythmic and vibrant, and dictates the mood of most scenes. The acting is fantastic, of course, but you would expect nothing less from an experienced theatre group such as the Mercury.
All together, this movie stands out so obviously among its contemporary films, much as it stands out among modern films.
For the absolute genius of putting so many fine elements of the cinematic art together so beautifully and perfectly, I give this movie a whole-hearted 9/10.