Probably the most innovative film of all time...

Rating: Null/10 (17 November 2003)

Probably the most innovative film of all time, Citizen Kane provides a rich amount of visual artistry, groundbreaking editing techniques, and a complex, but powerful storyline for any viewer to enjoy. Hands down, this film raised the bar and set the standard for what a real movie should be.

Orson Welles, who starred in, directed, produced, and co-wrote this film, gave the movie industry a fresh new outlook on how movies should be made and presented. Having already gained notoriety in radio, Welles took on the challenge of filmmaking when he was only 25 years old. No one knew nor expected anything remarkable to come from Welles' work, but the cinematic genius produced a film worthy of being praised as the greatest film ever made.

What sets this film apart from all of the other's made in that era up until now was the brilliant use of the camera. Welles used many different angles and inventive lighting techniques in his shots to show the emotion within that scene, or the relationship between the characters of the movie. Aside from all of the technical aspects, Welles also had a lot of metaphoric and symbolic elements hidden in his film, however one cannot count or see all of the symbols and metaphors since these elements may be interpreted in different ways. But in doing so, Welles broadened the views of his viewers, by making them think about every aspect of his film as opposed to just watching it.

Citizen Kane depicts a man in a classic rags to riches story. That man is Charles Foster Kane. This film shows Kane's strategic climb up New York's social ladder and how he got to become a world-renowned newspaper tycoon. Kane's strong will and independence kept him on top. But as the plot gets thicker, the audience sees that his `do it myself' attitude ultimately leads to his demise. Kane was a man that had everything he ever wanted, except of course, happiness. Something was missing, and as the movie got closer to the end, you could really see the emptiness in Kane's life. He longed for something or someone called rosebud. William Alland, who plays Jerry Thompson, the `News on the March' reporter trying to uncover Kane's life, best explains this idea. In the movie, he says, `Mr. Kane was a man who got everything he wanted, and then lost it. Maybe Rosebud was something he couldn't get, or something he lost. Anyway, I don't think it would have explained everything. I don't think any word can explain a man's life. No, I guess Rosebud is just a piece in a jigsaw puzzle...a missing piece.'

Ironically enough, the movie starts off with the end. After grazing through Kane's estate, Xanadu, the viewer sees Kane on his deathbed saying his famous last word, `Rosebud', which by the actual end of the movie, the true meaning of rosebud is revealed to the audience without the actors in the film realizing it.

With so much symbolism and artistry put into every scene, it is no wonder why Citizen Kane is considered as the greatest movie ever made. This film changed the cinematic world one shot at a time. It is undoubtedly a classic and truly one of the best American films out there.