Rating: 
Summary: Best American Movie ever.
Review: think of every aspect about how a movie is made (you know this i don't need to point it out to you) this film far supercedes anything that was made before and after. name one movie that can even come close the pure mixture of visual audacity, musical composition, framing, acting, writing, costume, set, editing. i could go on but you get the idea. it's a film that has the right balance of all of it. not too lacking in any department.
Rating:
Summary: High quality DVD with some great extras
Review: The titular Kane is a newspaper baron that starts off young, impetuous, and championing the common man. As he ages, he becomes less and less attuned to the common man, withdrawing to a gigantic manor named Xanadu, where he dies with only his servants and utters his final word: "Rosebud." The movie starts at Kane's death, and the making of a newsreel of his life. A reporter sets off to discover the "secret" of the man, and to try to find the meaning of his final word. Thus, the film is set up as a series of flashbacks as old friends and associates reminisce to the reporter about Kane.Such a dry interpretation of the plot does not do justice to the magic, the humour, and the intricacies of the film. It is superbly crafted and the performances are top-notch. The screenplay is witty and the film is watchable over and over because the non-linear nature of the plot keeps you guessing about what will come up next (a credit to editor Robert Wise). This DVD edition is clean and crisp. The video is fantastic (perhaps too good - the newsreel, famously dragged around the parking lot by Wise to make it look more realistic, is perhaps too clean). The sound is okay (but not great). There are numerous special features. Some are not very useful, such as layouts of storyboards that are too small (on my system) to see. Two extras stand out. The first is the 2-hour documentary on Wells, the movie, and William Randolf Hearst, the alleged basis for the character of Kane. Instead of focussing on the film and the similarities and differences between Hearst and Kane, it actually compares the lives and careers of Hearst and Wells, only relating to the film character when there is an obvious overlap (e.g., the relationship between Kane/Hearst and their respective mistress-starlets). The second great extra is the audio commentary by Roger Ebert. He gives an inside view (culled from books, documentaries, and his own observations) of all aspects of the film, including shot composition, special effects, the actors and crew, etc. It's a fascinating accompaniment (much better than the trite and dull second commentary by Peter Bogdanovich). Therefore, this DVD is well worth the price for any fan of Citizen Kane. Or, in fact, any fan of good cinema.
Rating: 
Summary: legendary by scandal only
Review: "Citizen Kane" is heralded by the critics and even given the highest honor by AFI via being awarded "greatest film of motion picture history". these are the facts. this is my opinion: i viewed this film years ago on videocassette. i didn't understand then the notoriety sorrounding the film and didn't understand it after viewing it on DVD recently. i was only slightly entertained by a few fleeting moments in the film. overall, i found this film boring and intolerably long. normally i have extreme respect and adoration for the classics except a few, and this is one of those rarities. it merits 3 stars from me only because of the notorious scandal it caused. as for the DVD, it's quality is superb in picture and audio. the extras are more than sufficient. Amazon lists these on thier site.
Rating:
Summary: Well, Here's The Deal...
Review: Yes, a very, very well made film with very good acting. To call this "the greatest film of all time", well, I truly beg to differ. I will admit, when you hear all of the incredible hype before you see a movie, you will always be let down in some regard, because you're going in expecting the greatest show on the planet.
The film, for me at least, dragged at many points, and I found myself fast forwarding to get past a certain scene or two. It seems upon these reviews here, when someone says that it wasn't their favorite film of all time, they get inundated with the "no, this review was not helpful" line. Well, some people didn't like the movie and don't attribute it to the society/critic/media/whatever view of it being the greatest film ever made. Its called an opinion, a viewpoint.
That being said, I gave it 3 stars, and I like older movies, with intellectual dialogue and good acting. I do love Orsen Welles' directing style, really amazing, and that CAN stand up today. His acting is excellent as well, that's not in question here. Yet, the overall hype
within the media circles that this movie seems to generate as "the greatest movie of all time", as I watched it for the first time and then again, because sometimes you will miss things in a first run through, so I could truly appreciate it, does not resonate with me. At least as far as the pace and flow of the film goes.
Welles' directing does indeed resonate though, as well as his acting which is first rate and certainly is something to be appreciated.
The movie just didn't do it for me, while I didn't dislike it, it wasn't one I'd fawn all over either.
Rating:
Summary: Cinematic work of art!
Review: Citizen Kane is truly one of the greatest films ever made and deserves all the praise it and the wonderful Orson Welles have garnered, Mr. Welles was and is definitely one of the best filmakers ever! I had this on video but someone made off with the tape, I'm going to replace it someday but this time on DVD and I will make sure that no one takes off with it! Some people said they thought it was boring, it's just my personal opinion but I didn't find it boring at all, it was a very interesting film and is a cinematic work of art and very highly recommended to all film buffs!
Rating:
Summary: The Movie and a whole lot more
Review: There are not enough accolades to describe Citizen Kane, so the DVD release was met with anticipation. I wasn't disappointed. Two commentary tracks, the first is by Peter Bogdanovich who was a close friend with Orson Welles during the last 20 years of his life, and also the author of a book long interview with the master director. Bogdanovich provides a great amount of insight during the film. He explains a lot of background into Welles thinking. The second commentary by Roger Ebert is equally worthwhile. Ebert spends his time talking about the production aspects of the film. He explains the lighting and the use of ceilings and the way one-shot scenes and deep focus make the movie a technical miracle. Besides all of that, you also get a 2-hour documentary on the making of the film and the controversy that surrounded it. The Battle over Citizen Kane is actually an episode of the PBS show American Experience. Well Done. The original movie trailer is also a blast, as it gives away absolutely nothing about the film. Even if you?ve seen the movie 2 dozen times, you'll find the DVD extras worth your time.
Rating:
Summary: Citizen Kane...Greatest Film Ever Made?
Review: Orson Welles' masterpiece, Citizen Kane, has been named as the #1 Motion Picture in history a countless number of times, including by the American Film Institute. It takes a damn good movie for such a feat, but is all the hype worth it? In my opinion, YES. This is without a doubt the greatest movie I've ever seen, and likely ever will see. Everything from the development of the story, to the direction, and incredible visual effects, all of which revolutionized film-making as we know it today, is flawless and it never lets the viewer go until the final scene. Boring? Maybe, if you're strictly into high action-filled movies. My son, who is 15, saw this movie, and couldn't understand why it was so important. I have been studying film for many years, and that's what made the difference. Before you watch it, I recommend you see or read about how unique this movie really is before you watch it, so you can understand the tiniest of nuances. Some may find it boring, and it's black-and-white palette doesn't make it seem so tempting, but believe me, if you have ANY interest in film at all, this movie is DEFINITELY a MUST-BUY. This is cinema's finest achievement ever, and the greatest masterful epic in film history. Period.
Rating:
Summary: The praise is more for Orson Welles than for the movie
Review: This is a good film. I first studied it in a film class as a high school student and have watched in a few times in the many years since then. My issues with it are the same as everyone else's, for the most part-- mainly that this is considered a "great" film because it popularized innovative technical work decades ago, but for modern audiences will not really notice the breakthroughs. It is a necessity for the film student to watch, and as an engineer, I appreciate Welles' technical determination to do the work he wanted to do. Lay audiences are quite justified and reacting with "huh?" when told it is "the best film ever made." My unique issues regarding the main weakness of this film can be borne out in the other reviews themselves-- generally, even hardcore fans don't connect to the characters or has deep abiding affection for the story. It does not emotionally resonate with audiences. For those that love the film, it's because of its connection with Orson Welles-- "a technical genius!", "ahead of his time," "only 25 when he directed, produced, and starred!" they will say. The connection that fans of this film feel is with the man, Welles, himself, which is why the film has such enduring appeal amongst filmmakers or those who wish they were filmmakers. Many people who are fans of Gone with the Wind or Casablanca couldn't tell you who directed them because fans of those movies identify strongly with the characters and the story and the emotions of those movies, not the process and personality of the man who made them. By contrast, the connection fans of Citizen Kane have is not with Citizen Kane the character but Orson Welles the filmmaker. This makes the movie a wonderful experience for those who want to identify with the technical and professional achievements of Welles, but not for those seeking a more "human" connection with the actual characters and experiences depicted in the film itself. Orson Welles was the best filmmaker of his time, and perhaps all time (Hitchcock being his main competition for this title). Citizen Kane is not the best film of all time, but we can be tempted to believe so because it is so easy to confuse Citizen Kane the movie with Orson Welles the man.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest
Review: This groundbreaking film is testimony to the genius of Orson Welles. Virtually every aspect of this film pushed the envelope of the art of filmmaking and movies were forever changed after CK. Aside from the innovations, the script, performances and direction are all absolutely first rate. It's hard to see how anyone can fail to give this anything less than five stars.
Highest recommendation!
Rating:
Summary: The Screenplay That Made Orson Welles Famous
Review: This is the greatest written screenplay of all time and one of the best films of all time. It has amazing character devlopment has we go through Charles Kane's life and try to figure out what is rosebud. Orson Welles gives a amazing perfromance a Charlie Kane, a newspaper giant who tries to live a full life, but fails. This is definatly not the best film of all time (that belongs to Casablanca), but one of the best. The DVD provides insite into the controversial fight between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst, who believed they made a mockery of his life. This is a film for everybody and should be the film that all filmmakers see.
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