Exceeded my expectations, but still overrated

Rating: 6/10 (30 January 2003)

I picked up Citizen Kane from the library with a preconceived critical attitude. I had heard, from other young'ns (I'm currently 25), that Citizen Kane is an overrated film thats greatness depends entirely on the context within which it was originally made; it's a landmark in cinematography and film technique, but the plot is lousy and the movie is overall dull. Its fanbase is mostly crusty old people or young people who want to appear cultured to the aforementioned crusty old people. I wanted to see for myself: Does Citizen Kane stand the test of time?
Having finally watched it, I was actually pleasantly surprised by the plot. It was not exactly gripping, and certainly not original by today's standards. But it was interesting to me and it does pose a number of questions for pondering.
What would you do if you had all the money in the world? What exactly is it that you want in life? What do you want to achieve in life, and more importantly, why? Do you want the right things for the wrong reasons? Is who you claim to love more a reflection of yourself than the "loved" person? Are you going through life with a chip on your shoulder, with something to prove, that affects everything you do and every decision you make?
Nevertheless, an okay plot and groundbreaking cinematography alone can't carry a movie. In general I felt the acting was average, occasionally bad. Likewise, the script had its memorable lines, but then again at times was downright corny, even campy. In general the characters feel distant and impersonal, like you're reading about them in the paper instead of watching them in a movie.
When I think of a great film, films that are on my top-20 list, I think primarily of films that I would enjoy seeing over and over. I think of films that have scenes that I never tire of. I think of movies that draw you in, connect with you, and leave an impact. Frankly, Citizen Kane is not one of these films. I'm glad I finally saw it, but I won't be rushing to buy the DVD for my collection. It might, just maybe, make my top-50 list, but certainly not my top 20.
I think that movie organizations such as AFI ought to have two seperate rankings. There are the "Greatest Movies," and THEN there should also be the "Most Significant Movies." Citizen Kane would be listed highly in this most-significant list. It would also be in the "Greatest" list, but not nearly as high. It's just not very entertaining.
All in all, in IMDB, where I rate the overall "greatness" of a movie, I give it a 7 / 10.