Overrated by a mile

Rating: 6/10 (15 March 2005)

Citizen Kane is consistently in lists of the best movies of all time. After watching it several times, it's clear that this ranking is no longer deserved. Sure, Orson Welles was a great innovator, and, FOR THE ERA IT WAS MADE IN, Citizen Kane had groundbreaking cinematography. It is well-written, very well-acted. But the cinematography, which many reviewers here and elsewhere dwell on ad nauseum, looks contrived and amateurish by today's standards. A good example is the often described slow descent of the camera into the nightclub. What makes other movies true classics (Seven Samurai, The Third Man, Casablanca, etc.) is some combination of excellence in script, acting, cinematography, music; but the key is that that amalgam of features withstands the test of time. It is as engaging now as when it was made. If you are a film student interested in the history of film, by all means study this film. If you are a film fan, the cult of admirers this film has will make you feel guilty for not liking this it and ranking it #1. It is worth seeing once, but that's about it.