Better Than Its Reputation

Rating: Null/10 (2 December 2008)

Citizen Kane (1941)
**** (out of 4)
The rise and fall of newspaper tycoon Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) is told through the eyes of his second wife (Dorothy Comingore) and a friend (Joseph Cotten) as a reporter tries to find the meaning of his final word "rosebud". I think it's impossible for anyone to walk into this movie without knowing its reputation as being the greatest film ever made. Do I think it's the greatest? That's hard to say as it probably wouldn't get my vote but at the same time I wouldn't argue with anyone who called it the greatest. In fact, as I watched the film again I noticed that every single shot in the film is so grand and beautiful that I too might in fact call it the greatest. If not the greatest then perhaps the grandest film ever made as everything from the acting to the direction just stands out as something truly incredible. Everyone reading this will already know all the historic achievements this film reached in 1941 so there's no point in going over them. The visual style Welles brought to the film certainly makes it the greatest looking of any classic film. The editing from future director Robert Wise also stands out in its excellence From the visual viewpoint there are so many great moments but I'd have to say my favorite is the political rally, which just amazes my eyes no matter how many times I see it. Another great thing about this film, and one I don't think gets talked about enough, is the opening newsreel and how this was such a brilliant idea to get the viewer interested in what was to come. The newsreel was so well done that the viewer immediately gets drawn into the film and then we get to see that story filled in with the feature itself. The screenplay by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles is also one of the greatest ever written due to how it actually tells the story at hand. The amount of time the film covers is also a rather nice achievement by the duo screenwriters. Some people think that new viewers might be hurt by walking into this film knowing its large reputation but I'd somewhat disagree as I think the movie is so beautiful that it would be hard for people not to see its importance.