A brilliant film

Rating: 10/10 (11 June 2000)

While I haven't seen enough of the AFI's top 100 to agree or disagree with it's decision to call it the number 1 movie of all time, I can say that I thoroughly enjoyed Citizen Kane.
First, the screenplay was fabulous. Welles's and Mankewiecz's work is a wonderful depiction of a man abandoned at an early age who simply looks for love to fill a void in his life. To tie it all together using "rosebud," a symbol of Kane's lost innocence, was absolutely brilliant. The script never lost me for a second and it kept me fascinated to see each facet of Kane's personality and psyche come out.
I would like to silence the naysayers who speak negatively about the acting by saying that Citizen Kane was the first movie ever done by the majority of the main characters, including Welles himself. While I do agree that the acting is not amazing, the script certainly makes up for it.
One characteristic of a great movie is the fact that it has done something that no movie has done before. With its cinematography, Citizen Kane has done just that. Toland's use of depth and shadows in the movie was revolutionary, and surprisingly effective. It is also interesting to note that in the movie, the more powerful characters, like Kane, look down on the camera, while the weaker ones, like Susan, look up towards it.
Citizen Kane is a fine movie that deserves all the critical acclaim and controversy it has received. (9/10)