The greatest piece of cinema..

Rating: 10/10 (31 May 2007)

"Citizen Kane" (1941)
Citizen Kane is the ultimate movie. Ultimate in the sense that it achieves the most, in its cinematic innovation and its ability to remain timeless. It has been hailed worldwide as the greatest movie ever made, and although it is impossible to establish the world's favourite movie, Citizen Kane is certainly the biggest contender, topping endless polls and lists with its breathtaking visuals and unique essence. It's style, plot, tempo, cinematography, score and characters are all something to be treasured, and it's impact on cinema is something never matched to this day. It is a moving work of art, flowing with a flawless poeticality.
Accompanying it's sweeping visuals is a great tale. The concept of ''Rosebud'' is simply ingenious. Charles Foster Kane is a man forever yearning for a lost innocence, someone who has climbed the top of the mountain but dies with regret for not staying at the bottom. And yet the film is somewhat of a mystery, not just in the journalists quest but in the significance of ''Rosebud'' altogether. The burning sled gives us an answer not an explanation, it doesn't represent the meaning of ''Citizen Kane'', just a satisfactory feeling that nothing can be explained so simply. It serves as a philosophically profound essay on the unknowability of the human personally.
Orson Welles creates an absolute masterpiece here, a landmark of innovation and a fine example of cinematic perfection. Timeless. Classic. Call it what you want, Citizen Kane will undoubtedly remain the finest film ever made. 10/10