You need to take a film class in order to understand it's greatness

Rating: 9/10 (6 June 2004)

The first time I rented and watched Citizen Cain, I actually fell asleep. This was shortly after AFI listed it as the #1 movie of all time a few years ago. I didn't understand the movie at all and I certainly didn't understand why it was #1.
Now I realize how ignorant I was.
Last year, I took a course in college on Film (I'm working on being a film director myself). Citizen Cain was a topic that the professor brought to us early in the semester. This would be my second time viewing the movie. But by this time, I had a basic understanding of film history, shots, camera angles, script writing, etc.
You see, you have to understand what movies were like before Citizen Cain, and after. Citizen Cain was a revolutionary movie in terms of edition, camera angles, and story. It was also ahead of its time.
Let's start with story. The movie starts with his death. The entire story is told through interviews and flashbacks by everyone who was involved with Cain. Unlike other movies with a linear narrative, this movie required you to think and put all the pieces together.
Another big thing was the way light and dark was used. High and low camera angles were used to the extreme. I can't point out every single one but you could ask a film expert point them out.
Another big thing was that the movie was pretty much a satire of William Randolph Hearst, the newspaper mogul. I recommend watching the movie "RKO 281" with Liev Schreiber and James Cromwell so you'll know what I'm talking about.
Sadly, the movie failed at the box office. It wasn't until years later when critics saw the movie and realized how great it was.
So if you saw Citizen Cain and didn't get it, I don't blame you. I didn't get it the first time either. It's largely due to the fact that the movie is so old, so there's a large generation gap. Also, you need to know a bit of film history, what happened during the making of this film, and how this film influenced virtually every film make after.