Most overrated movie of all time

Rating: 4/10 (18 January 2003)

Citizen Kane is the most overrated movie in cinema history, with the possible exception of Battleship Potempkin.
CK is a movie about a millionaire, and Americans are fascinated by money, so it's really no surprise that they'd be fascinated by this film. However, make the lead character an encyclopedia salesman, without a fancy house or a newspaper and I think the fascination would quickly dissapear, as people start to see him and the film for what both really are: an utter bore.
Kane is insipidly shallow, as the identity of "Rosebud" plainly shows. But, far from being an effective satire of expose of upper class society, the film is puddle deep. It also fails to get the audience interested in the paper-thin characters, or snoozer of a plot.
You might be surprised that a film so mediocre would be rated so highly, until you took a look at what passes for Oscar material, or what gets voted to the top here. People have no taste or clue. So it's really no surprise at all.