just on look, and I knew

Rating: 10/10 (3 January 2002)

Few directors have understood the complexities of film like Orson Welles. To him, lighting set the entire mood, the angle told the story, and the looks were dialogue. Perfection was his goal, and no film ever got closer than Citizen Kane. At once, enthralling, depressing, thoughtful, and uplifting, the greatest of this film is ineffable, its impact undeniable, its vision unforgettable. This film changed making movies forever. Every director that has made a film since has strived to be Orson Welles. Every actor that has acted since has wanted to act like Orson Welles. Every lighting designer, every cinematographer, every screenplay author, they have all wanted to be Orson Welles. This film is what we measure all over films by. No, it is not as action-packed as Star Wars, it is not as scary as Psycho, it does not use the digital technology of Titanic, but let us get one thing straight, none of those things are what films are about. Film is about a story and how you tell it. Nobody told it better than Citizen Kane.