makes an impression because of its timeless themes

Rating: Null/10 (30 January 2002)

Through striking imagery and well thought out camera work, Orson Welles' Citizen Kane (1941) conveys a message that has endured the generations. I still can't decide whether or not I liked this movie, but many of the themes and underlying implications had a lasting effect on me. The interesting camera angles and mind provoking shots make up for a plot that drags at some points, but ultimately I believe that this film's reputation has endured based on the timeless themes that left me questioning my own beliefs. Welles presents his audience with a character who is so consumed with gaining power and buying love that he misses making true connections with the people in his life. Charles Foster Kane suffers a lonely death in his mansion, leaving behind the cluttered piles of objects he used in his quest to buy friendship and respect. What he didn't understand was that life is measured more by the people and lives that you truly touch, not by your money or possessions. Welles constantly reminds the audience that riches are wonderful, but when you obtain them at the expense of everything else, you are missing out on living. Ultimately, these ideas give Citizen Kane its staying power because they raise questions about life and love that haven't changed in the past sixty years.