Rating: 
Summary: not as good as welcome to spring break
Review: this film is of decent quality, but falls far short of such classics as welcome to spring break. welcome to spring break has a fat man who screams "gators" for no apparent reason. citizen kane does not. also, it fails to feature wwf wrestler kane, an inexplicable omission given the title.
Rating: 
Summary: THE MESSAGE MADE THE FILM
Review: Talk all you want to about the symbolism, the innovative camera angles for the time, the different look and feel, the superb acting and directing on the part of Orson Welles. What really made this movie great was the ending. I won't tell you the ending, as that would hopelessly ruin your pleasure of seeing it. Speaking of the ending, it has got to be one of the most powerful endings that I've seen--but you have to be patient. Everything from the dialogue to the camera angle, EVERYTHING is PERFECT in that ending. Some people say how the ending in the Sixth Sense was good, but the Sixth Sense is NOTHING compared to the ending in this movie. But the movie's basic message is this: The most significant things in life are things that are seemingly insignificant. One reason why this movie is so powerful is because it was based on a real person. Most of us knew or now know that this movie is modeled after the life of William Randolph Hearst. They say that this movie is the best movie of the century, but this is one of those movies where if you deleted the ending or changed it in any way, it would go from a five star movie to a three star movie or less, really quick. Yes, this movie is very slow, something you could only bear to watch maybe once a year or two, if that. Sometimes once is enough. If you haven't seen it, give it a try. Don't expect some sing-song, happy happy joy joy 40's movie with Fred Astaire. Nope. This movie is very dark and haunting, but very powerful. See it at once.
Rating: 
Summary: Story line looses to technology
Review: I think this movie was super technologically speaking, however the plot left little to be desired. Kane had a very complex inner struggle going on inside him that takes a little thought to fully understand. While Kane was very young (8, I think) his mother sent him out west with a very large inheritance comming in the future. It was during this scene that the father gets angry with Charles and says he needs a whippin'. I think this is the most important scene in the entire movie because it tells so much of Charles' life until this point. We all know that the early years of a childs' development means so much, it literally can predetermine a childs life. It was very evident that Charles had an abusive father. The mother even says she is sending him away, "...so you [dad] can not hurt him." His father gave him very little, if any love at all. At the same time, his mother is giving him away. I have no idea how Charles took this, but nevertheless, he was never able to fully "experience a mothers love." I think a child needs a life-time of loving, and even then, still longs to be loved more. Charles had no control of his mother sending him away, which I think accounts for his obsessive urge to control everything around him, including his wives. Their leaving makes his inner struggle even more complex. Now, I think I'll bring in a little of the technologigal side of the film here because it adds so much to this theme. Notice that when Charles' mother is signing him away he is dwarfed by the camera. Then when his second wife leaves him, he is pictured larger than life. In both instances, he has no control. Because the film centers around Kane's last word "Rosebud," perhaps this theme is often overlooked. In reality the sled symbolizes little, it is only necessary for one-time, lazy viewers. Those who watch a film and do not search any deeper than what is told and shown to them on the screen. In my opinion if they had never revealed what the rosebud meant, I would have been just as satisfied with the film. Much more could be said about the film and all other elements of it, so I look foreward to reading all future reviews.
Rating:
Summary: The classic of all classics!
Review: This is the movie that you must see! The drama and intrigue of this classic centers around a man - and his single dying word. Charles Foster Kane is an incredible character of power and ultimate misery. If you are a fan of movies at all - you have to experience Citizen Kane. It simply is the Godfather of all dramas to come.
Rating:
Summary: One of the greatest movies ever made.
Review: Citizen Kane is considered by many to be one of the greatest, or even the greatest movie ever made. Orsen Welles changed the way movies were made with Citizen Kane by introducing many new camera angles and techniques and with its story structure. Unfortunatley, appreciation for Citizen Kane usually comes only from movie critics and movie buffs and is dismissed by others as 'boring'. Admittedly, Citizen Kane is a very deep movie and it may require 2 or 3 viewings to fully understand it and to appreciate it for the masterpiece that it is.There are a number of aspects that make Citizen Kane a classic and a landmark for movie making. The use of camera techniques and angles that Orsen Welles introduced are outstanding. The camerawork in Citizen Kane is outstanding even by today's standards. Then there is the script. Written in such a way that it flows, never looses its way and always keeps you hanging onto every word. It really is one of the greatest scripts ever written. Then of course, there are the themes in Citizen Kane. One is the fact that Kane wants to be loved but doesn't know how to love. Another is the message that riches don't bring you happiness. Charles Foster Kane was a man who had everything yet only really valued 'Rosebud'. Also, Kane was very high in terms of social status and knew a lot of people, yet he was still lonely. Citizen Kane is one of those movies that can be watched over and over again and is just as good everytime. It never seems to lose its interest and has stood the test of time. Citizen Kane will probably always be regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, and with good reason.
Rating:
Summary: A Masterpiece
Review: There are dozens of reviews here so I'll just write a little bit. I'm not sure if this is the best film ever made but it's certainly close. The film is simply an Orson Welles tour de force as he wrote, acted in, and a directed this picture. He did all of those things quite well, too. Realize, folks, that Welles was only in his mid-twenties when he made this picture. Then go and watch him play a man who ages 50 years in the course of the film. If Welles' explosion as an old Kane near the end of the film doesn't floor you, if you don't think he moves, talks, and acts like a 70 year old man, then you must have had your eyes closed while watching. This is a must see film for anyone, anywhere, who claims to like movies.
Rating:
Summary: The Saddest Movie That I Have Ever Seen!
Review: I watched this movie with my mother to really find out where Charles Kane went wrong. We both had seen the movie many times. We would stop our VCR and discuss when and how Kane went wrong. And we both agreed. Kane was yanked away from his mother before he could be really loved. He then sought love from people through money. Not having really been loved, he could not give it. "Rosebud" represented the last thing that he held onto from his childhood. Both my mother and I were astonished to see how this pattern was repeated over and over again. Especially from Jed Leland and Susan Alexander's accounts. This is a "must see" film. But I believe that one must watch it attentively in order to understand the real meaning behind the film. One of the newspaper men at the end is Alan Ladd, star of the movie "Shane". He has a very short part and is hardly visible. Good luck and good watching.
Rating:
Summary: Big Daddy Kane!
Review: There isn't a whole lot that hasn't been said about this film classic. Needless to say, this is Welles's master work, a benchmark he was never able to better. What makes this film so remarkable is the way Welles changed the film narrative. With his interesting use of flashbacks, the story of Charles Foster Kane is a fascinating tale indeed. Welles was given almost total creativity with this film and it shows. He worked with some of the best talent in the industry: screen writer Herman J. Mankiewicz, director of photography Gregg Toland, and a host of great acting talent including Joseph Cotton, Agnes Morehead, Dorothy Comingore, and Welles himself. Although a critical and financial failure when first released due to its similarity to the life of then living William Randolph Hearst, Citizen Kane has earned its place as one of the best films of all time. And you won't see a film today with as many interesting camera angles and ceilings! A great story, wonderfully told, Citizen Kane will grow on you with each viewing.
Rating:
Summary: A Darn Good Movie
Review: I enjoyed watching this film very much. I think that the music, lighting, acting, and every other aspect were done extremely well. The acting was very well done. I was extremely surprised to find out that when this film was made the majority of the actors were not very famous at the time. Orson Welles was amazing as Charles Kane throughout the years. The ending was unexpected but also something so simple-minded that it adds so much to the movie. Towards the beginning when Charles drops the snow globe, the way the camera follows the snow globe to the floor adds to the scene. The way he says his last word adds to the movie also. The way that Charles is not talking to anyone, there is nobody in the room, the way he just mutters the word out as he takes his last breath. I think that Agnes Moorehead did a wonderful job as Charles' mother when he was a young boy. I think that she did one of the best acting jobs in the whole movie, even though she had a very small part. I also like how Mr. Thompson seemed to be going around in circles looking for the answer to the Rosebud mystery. I also liked how throughout the majority of the movie we were seeing everything from Mr. Thompson's point of view. Another thing I really liked about the movie is that we were seeing the stories that everybody was telling Mr. Thompson about Charles Kane. Another thing I like is that if you really watch and pay attention you can pick up much more about Charles, his life, and messages in the movie. It seems strange that you could base a whole movie around one word, and the movie would be so good and so interesting. I think that if you really watch the movie and pay attention very closely the ending, finding out what Rosebud means will not be as surprising as it could be. The way that everything seems to be sprung from Charles' childhood and how his parents sent him to live with Thatcher is real interesting. The way Kane turned out how he did and why he did most of the things he did seem to be from the dreaded childhood that he had. The way that all of the events of Kane's life were put together in the movie was very cleverly done; I think that helped make the film more understandable and interesting. So all around I have to say that I really enjoyed this film and would very much recommend it to everyone.
Rating:
Summary: Perfection in Film
Review: Citizen Kane tells the story of the rise, and some would say, fall of a powerful man. Based largely on the life of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, this has all the elements of a great movie. The story of Charles Foster Kane is given to us at the beginning of the film in a sort of parody of the newsreels common in that day. This is to be the bare bones of all the disjointed scenes of his life. With each retelling of parts of his life, we are treated to more layers and understanding. Charles Foster Kane began his life quite poor and the son of a sometimes abusive, sometimes loving father. His mother, when she comes into a large amount of money, makes the ultimate sacrifice and sends him away from the father who, she believes will harm her son. This is a good time to mention Agnes Moorehead's portrayal of Kane's mother. It is intricately done and fascinating to watch. What might have been considered a heartless character in that she sends her only child away is actually a heart wrenching moment in which a loving mother does the only thing she can do. She tries to give her son a better life. Kane eventually makes for himself a huge empire starting with the Inquirer, the first newspaper he gained control of on a whim. Another brilliant stroke intended to keep us enthralled is the storyline that threads throughout the film. A reporter, Thompson, tries to find out the meaning of Kane's dying word, "rosebud." Throughout all his meetings with Kane's former friends he never finds its meaning. "I don't think any word can describe a man's life." This is certainly the case in this movie, when a man changes from freshly idealistic to bitter with impotent rage. He goes from having control over his entire world to watching helplessly as his wife leaves him. Many scenes in the film are visually stunning. Xanadu, the unfinished and yet decaying mansion represents Kane's life. Though he is capable of so much more, he dies without accomplishing it all. Kane and Susan, together in the hall of Xanadu are viewed far apart, representing more than their physical distance from one another. A device used often in this film is the long shot in which all objects in the shot are in focus. In many of them, Kane is made to appear larger than life, dwarfing other characters in the scene. Although in some scenes, such as when his mother is literally signing him away, he is seen blissfully ignorant, playing in the snow outside...an almost invisible figure. In addition, when he is signing many of his holdings away, it is he that is dwarfed by the large window above him. These different perceptions of his size are used skillfully to inform us of his current status in life. The theme that has the most impact for me is the idea that, all his life, Kane wanted only for people to love him. His problem was that he could not love in return. We are all afraid of being hurt this way. How many times have we wanted love without the risk of letting our own hearts in on it? It is terrifying to think that we could lose these chances just as Charles Foster Kane does. This film, infinitely complex, is rightly considered to be one of the best American films of all time. Its layers and mystery will keep viewers enthralled for years to come.
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