Citizen Kane
Citizen Kane
NR | 06 May 1941 (USA)
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Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.

Reviews
Linbeymusol

Wonderful character development!

Claysaba

Excellent, Without a doubt!!

Bob

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

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Logan

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

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mardalsfossen

Read the plot in whole, watch the last 20 minutes and you will see why this movie is a classic.Also, the first 10 minutes are very strange and not easy to make sense of at first glance and hence toughest to watch, but the movie gets better after that.

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The Movie Diorama

"The greatest film of all time". "The most influential piece of cinema ever". "Orson Welles is the best actor to have ever lived". "Technically flawless". Can we just take the time to appreciate the praise this film has acquired since 1941. It is undeniably rare for a silver screen picture to stand the test of time, but Citizen Kane has. However, the monumental rave for this classic naturally heightened my expectations to astronomical heights. Chronicling the life of the fictitious tycoonist Charles Foster Kane, a journalist attempts to uncover the meaning of his last word "Rosebud". There's so much to admire about Orson Welles. To have the audacity and confidence to direct, produce, co-write and act in his first motion picture is impressive to say the least. His transition from theatre to screen felt seamless. Technically, this film is masterful. Welles' use of lighting to create shadows, symmetry, long takes and innovative tracking shots have clearly influenced many films since its release. The flashback narrative structure was pristinely incorporated to create a cohesive story about a man who slowly becomes corrupted with money and power. Acting was superb, particularly from Welles, considering this was a screen debut for the majority of cast members. There's nothing much I can add that every critic hasn't already raved about. But. I must profess. I personally do not think this is perfect. The story, for me, just didn't keep me engaged consistently. Several scenes dragged on forever to a point where I started becoming distracted by my own surroundings. The showgirl dance scene, Susan's singing rehearsals and even the introduction which simply slowly zooms in on Xanadu. Maybe it's because I'm fairly new to classic films, or maybe I just found Kane to be an uninteresting character. We could all endlessly dissect this piece of art and write a dissertation on how perfect it is, and it is without a doubt technically perfect. But I shan't give it full marks just because every film critic has.

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Pjtaylor-96-138044

Now, here's a film that truly was ahead of its time. Orson Welles' passion project, on which he had the coveted 'final cut', could easily pass as much more modern fare thanks to some frenetic, unique camera-work and effective scene transitions. The plot of 'Citizen Kane (1941)' is compelling, told using longer takes that really give the excellent actors room to flex their proverbial muscles, and the flash-back based narrative does a good job of keeping you invested in the life of a man you know already to be dead. Yet, the mystery at the centre of it all, the iconic 'rosebud', comes to a close with a lack of proper resolution. It does shed some light on the motives of the central character and isn't meant to be the main focus of the feature, though. There's more in the craft of the piece than in the narrative, especially on re-watch, but the story and characters are compelling enough that the experience is an enjoyable one, all the same. 8/10

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kennykip

Awesome movie, i was introduced to this film by my college roommate a few years ago when we were discussing old movies, it set me off and i have been obsessed with the great movies made by Welles and Hitchcock. the great shots and the depth of this movie are just breathtaking. the plot is also a mostly faster pace with developing scenes. i would definitely recommend watching citizen kane if you are at all interested in older movies and have not yet seen it.

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