Still Pretty Impressive

Rating: Null/10 (6 December 2001)

Still impressive after all these decades, today "Citizen Kane" is probably more admired and analyzed than it is enjoyed, but there is plenty to admire. Even for those who just want to watch a good movie, not to analyze one, there's a lot to see. True, it's not really 'the greatest film ever made', especially because there isn't really such a thing, anyway, as 'the' one greatest film. There are a lot of great films, and by almost any standard this is one of them.
Welles used his own skill and creativity along with his talented cast and crew to create a story that is a compelling character study and a thoughtful look at some significant aspects of life. The main character was based on a notorious figure of the era, but Welles made it much more than a story limited to his times, by bringing out what was behind his characters, and making the audience understand what the characters did not see about themselves. There are Kanes in every era (and also equivalents of those around him), some as large as the character himself, and others merely small-scale replicas. Since the story is based on characters and on ideas, rather than on action, it can seem slow if you are expecting more activity, but it's a story that has something to offer.
Its outstanding technical accomplishments and historical importance may not be so obvious now, only because Welles's ideas and techniques have influenced so many later movies in one respect or another, making much that was imaginative then seem commonplace now. But it was quite an achievement all the same, and worthy of the attention it is still getting.