There is no greatest movie

Rating: 9/10 (13 April 2004)

Much of the dismissal of the quality of Citizen Kane comes about because of several factors:
1) There is a disconnect between what critics expect of a movie and what general audiences expect of a movie. To say that CK is entertaining is simply an opinion - no more, no less. Our opinions on films can be researched and refined or raw and personal. To claim that one is better than the other is arrogance, but we do it because of some sort of instinctual belief that "everybody should think the way I do." This is not the case, however, and there is going to be backlash when Kane isn't the movie that people expect. It is not entertaining in the traditional sense. It's hard to get attached to the characters unless you really want to, and the story (the life of a media titan) isn't something that naturally appeals to everyone. It's a movie you have to work at liking.
2) CK is astoundingly technically accomplished and years ahead of its time. When you compare it to the standard movies of the day, you can see how much film instinct Welles had and how revolutionary the film was. However, most people today don't have an expert grasp of the intricacies of making movies, and most don't care about things like lighting, blocking, and camera placement. Most people go for story and characters and see movies as passive entertainment. They don't want to focus on extraneous things like short/long shots. And they shouldn't be chided for wanting a movie to be simple to understand - most people watch movies as entertainment, not as a hobby, and breadth of film knowledge shouldn't be a requrement for doing so.
3) CK is defended extraordinarily heavy by often-arrogant film-buffs who imply that the only people that should judge a movie's quality are the people that study the movies. This is a dangerous and stupid position. IMDB is set up so that EVERYONE gets an opportunity to share their opinions. I'm not a big fan of Godfather (boooring) but I understand that my opinion is only one of millions and therefore not all that important. Film geeks want their opinion to matter more, but the truth is that it really doesn't. This bothers them, because they've spent so much time loving movies only to watch their vote get cancelled out by a 12-year-old that rates the Princess Diaries as a 10. Guess what? That movie was made for 12-year-olds, and CK was made for people who like to watch movies that are mental exercises.
4) The dangerous title of "Greatest Movie Ever Made." Movie-watching is too personal to ever apply that title to anything. Yes, we can all agree that certain movies are better than others, and the majority can be expected to make an opinion on how people in general view a certain movie. But to call a movie "The Greatest Movie Ever Made" is implying that everyone should feel that way. Everyone will not feel that way.
So a good many people hate Citizen Kane. That's their right. Film-going shouldn't require an initiation and entrance exam. IMDb is the sum of popular opinions, and CK-lovers just aren't going to get everyone to love such an dense, complex film. Some people don't look for that in movies, and they are no more wrong than you are for wanting it.