Admirable

Rating: 10/10 (4 September 2009)

Is this the greatest film of all time? No, but it is certainly one of the greatest, an audacious film debut for boy genius Welles. In fact, Welles perhaps goes a little overboard with his showy camera angles and juxtapositioning of lights and shadows. This is such a groundbreaking film, however, that he can be forgiven for his excesses. Toland's magnificent deep-focus cinematography adds to the visual elegance of the film. Welles does fine in the title role, although he was never a great actor. Cotten is terrific as one of Kane's friends, particularly in his scenes as an old man. Despite all its greatness, however, it is a film to be admired rather than loved.