that's the way it is

Rating: 10/10 (19 November 2006)

Everyone knows that "Citizen Kane" is the greatest movie ever made, and there's little I can say here that will add to what's already said. However, there is so much more to "Citizen Kane" than just a movie, no matter how superlative. "Citizen Kane" is nothing more than a priceless document in American history; in tracing the life and career of one man, Charles Foster Kane, Welles presents nothing less than the history of the United States from 1871 to 1941. The film is also a chilling example of the ability of a power-mad media mogul to manipulate public opinion. Citizen Kane could just as well be Citizen Turner or Citizen Murdoch. It's incredible how many careers were launched as a result of this film. Among the uniformly excellent supporting cast the performances that linger in my memory are Everett Sloane as Mr. Bernstein, Ray Collins as Boss Jim Getty, Paul Stewart as Raymond the Butler, and of course the legendary Agnes Moorehead as Kane's mother. The only flaw in an otherwise perfect work of art is the intentionally bad opera sequence, which goes on far too long. No wonder Susan Alexander Kane (Dorothy Comingore) attempted suicide. Who wouldn't, if they were forced to sing that drivel every night?