Here goes! Read it please....

Rating: 9/10 (15 June 2005)

So, here goes. While I'm only 16, I've of course heard about Citizen Kane. I honestly don't know that much of the back story. William Randolph Hearst sounds foreign and I can honestly say that I know nothing about Orson Welles. All I knew about Citizen is that it is widely considered the "greatest" film ever made.
When I saw that it was playing on TMC (one of my favorite channels), I figured that I should watch it to see what all the hype was about. I often watch black and white movie because I'm entranced by the stars, but the movies themselves often leave a lot to be desired. The timing, the pace, that corny music that always punctuates every important scene, it all detracts from the quality and value of the movie. The plot itself is often eclipsed by the mystique, the intensity of it's stars.
But this movie was different. I know some things about the technical aspects of film and theatre, and I can honestly say that simple things such as the lighting were arresting. When Suzanne kneels on the floor and Charles walks near her demanding that she continue singing, my heart tightened. Just that one shadow affected me more than anything has in awhile.
Now I understand the attraction of Citizen Kane. For once, while watching a movie, I felt suspense. Not the odd, manufactured suspense that movies today FORCE you to feel, but real suspense. Who or what was Rosebud and what did it mean to this man? I had to watch until the end (which is rare for me, I usually flip channels after 30 or so minutes). I had to see the final culmination of this man's life.
And whether it's 1941 or 2005, that drama and suspense is what truly matters in a film.