Best of all time? Depends on how you are measuring it

Rating: 9/10 (19 October 2019)

From a technical and storytelling standpoint, Citizen Kane is arguably the most groundbreaking and influential film of all time. Its nonlinear storytelling, innovative deep focus cinematography and overlapping dialogue were ahead of its time. Thematically, the film takes a back seat to no one. Its themes of power, corruption, narcissism and yellow journalism are as poignantly relevant today as they were when the film was made. With that being said, Orson Welles' masterpiece is not a perfect picture. The wooden acting has not aged well and as much as I tried to love this picture, I never could. For me it always feels a little bit cold and detached. And even though with each new viewing I gain more of an appreciation for the filmmaking process, the picture never fully comes alive and I am left with the feeling of watching something that is undoubtedly historically important, innovative, influential and thematically rich but does not give me the full cinematic experience that a great picture of its caliber should. A film to be admired for all of its accomplishments but not one that is easily loved.