Pretty mediocre

Rating: 5/10 (30 January 2005)

90% of the positive reviews written on this movie say the same three things: Citizen Kane is an amazing movie because (1) The cinematography was pure genius (2) It was way ahead of its time and (3) Orson Welles was only 25 when he created it.
I get tired of people saying that a certain movie was "ahead of its time." Usually that means the movie isn't as good anymore. Truly great movies don't lose their luster over time. I would argue that "It's a Wonderful Life" is every bit as good today as it was 60 years ago. Citizen Kane, on the other hand, has certainly lost something. Even people who love the movie usually concede that point.
Citizen Kane was certainly revolutionary and was an extremely important film in the sense that it inspired so many future directors and cinematographers. But when it comes right down to it, it's just not that interesting to watch. You shouldn't love a movie because of what it used to be. A truly great movie is timeless. And great cinematography does not make a great movie (see "The Thin Red Line", the 90s version).