Once Thought To Be The Greatest

Rating: 8/10 (21 November 2014)

Following the death of a publishing tycoon (Orson Welles), news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.
What stands out about this film is the cinematography, not just the concept of "deep focus" (which puts so much in a single frame, such as young Charles out the window) but also the use of the lowered floor to make people larger than life. For students of film, this is one they must see early in order to fully grasp the importance of the camera.
What is also interesting about this film is its rising and then falling star over the years. Disappointing on its first release, booed at the Oscars, and silenced out of existence... it later rose to be considered by many as the greatest film in cinema history. Now, since the 1990s, it seems to be slipping again. Not that IMDb is an authority, but it has fallen from the site's top spot to much lower. How far will it fall?