Rating: 
Summary: Great film with special features to match
Review: By most reckonings "Citizen Kane" is one of the greatest films of all time, including a number one ranking by the American Film Institute. There was thus a responsibility to put out a worthy DVD version. Happily this was accomplished. There is not one but two choices for commentary. One by film director Peter Bogdanavich who spent much time with Orson Welles during Welles latter years. The other comentary is offered by the now legendary film critic, Roger Ebert who has studied the film frame-by frame with film classes dozens of times.
The film itself is pristine, the digital transfer of both picture and sound were perfect.
Having recently binged on Thirties and Forties films, I was struck on my most recent viewing of "Citizen Kane" at how far ahead of it's time "Kane" was. For all the other probelems which beset "Kane's" release there were none with the censors, yet the film pulls no punches, it is an unflinching look at an extraorindary life. In addition to Welles, co screenwriter, Herman Mankeiwicz and cinematographer Gregg Toland did positively brilliant jobs. The innovations in camera angles, lighting perspective et al are well documented.
Also Welles, Joseph Cotton and Dorothy Comingore head an excellent cast that primarily derived form Welles' Mercury Theater Company. Cotton, Agnes Moorehead and others went on to enjoy wonderful careers (Comingore was later the victim of the Hollywood Backlist).
This latest DVD presentation features a second disc, which is highlighted by the documentary, "The Battle Over Citizen Kane." This not only tells the twin tales of Welles and William Randolph Hearst (upon whom the film is based) but of the making of the movie and the Hearst-led struggle to suppress it. All the major elements are compelling and the documentary does the subjects justice. The lives of Welles and Hearst (and the fictional Kane) had surprising parallels as "The Battle..." explores along with highlights from their lives most notably their battle over "Kane."
This DVD is an excellent addition to any collection of great films.
Rating:
Summary: great movie
Review: I realize that most of the time the masses are wrong when they collectively say something is great and do so just to follow what is popular. This is not the case with Citizen Kane.
Breifly put, this movie is based on the life of Hearst. The movie follows the life of one of New Yorks robber barrons, in this case, a media giant. The base of the movie is to discover the meaning of his dieing words, "Rosebud".
First off, if you call a movie "good" because of color, action, sex, flashy camera work, or drugs, do not waste your time. This movie was made in 1941...movies were quite different. Also, if you do not pick up on symbolisim, then either watch with a friend, or don't watch. You just wont understand it.
This movie requires being watched several times to fully understand why it is the best American movie. the first time you watch it, you will realize it is great, but every time you watch it, you will learn something new, and pick up on great details. The camera work, while not flashy, is amazingly well done, as is the lighting, adding great drama and feel to the film. Once you discover what Rosebud means, you will be amazed by this film.
Rating:
Summary: excellent
Review: the film is a stunning masterpiece. it is not over the top like films of today, but expect to be drawn in and to fall in love with the film. the images are beautiful, and black and white is a beautiful and artistic medium. the acting is excellent, and the plot is one of Hollywood's best.
Rating:
Summary: Ahead of its time
Review: This is considered the best movie of all time, but as for anything referred to as "best of all time" it's an overrated statement. It is the best of its time for sure.The story: the life story of Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper guru who uttered "rosebud" as his last words. A journalist thinks that knowing the meaning behind the word will help understand more about Kane. So he goes and interviews people who knew him, his associates, his former wife, his friends... Why is the movie considered so good?
First the way it was filmed and acted is radically different from other movies shot at the time. I find actors from that time more rigid and exagerating their feelings to make them show on screen. In Kane, the actors look more like real people, as part of a documentary. Orson Welles is dazzling as Kane, his charisma is all over the screen. Second, the story is a satire, which was unheard of at the time in hollywood. Since welles was given full power over the story, he did not have to suffer any censorship, even if William Hurst, the journalist whose life the story is based on, raised hell to prevent the movie from being released. The movie, as far as the story goes, is way beyond its time. It's possible that people seeing it today might think that it's like just another movie, but put into its context, it's a masterpiece. Third, and i guess as a less important point, the make up is amazing. We go from seeing a young Kane, at 25, to the old one, 60+. The transformation of Welles for that time is amazing. He does really look as an older man, it's not just the hair that's white, like most movies would do at the time to make people look old, the face is older looking too. The last point i want to make, which is not the best one, is how the movie drags. It is a little too long, and could have been cut somewhat. What you learn about Kane throughout the movie is that eventhough lots of people were around him, his wife, business partners... none of them really knew him, and all they had was a superficial relationship with him. All the journalist was left with was trying to figure out the enigma by finding out the meaning of his last word: Rosebud. He does find out what it refers to and concludes by saying that "no word can sum up one man's life". What's most amazing about this movie is how the life of Kane ends up being very similar to ORson Welles himself, how he had everything and lost it. The extra features on the DVD about the making of citizen Kane develops more on the subject.
Rating: 
Summary: The most boring film I ever seen
Review: I think the film is over-rating by the customer.
This is one of the most extremely boring film all the time !!!
Don't buy it , just rent !
Rating:
Summary: The Best (But Not My Favorite) Film Ever
Review: Citizen Kane is, and I am not exaggerating, the best film of all time. I truly believe that, too. I'm not saying that just because everybody else says. I have seen many many movies, and all sorts of them. And Citizen Kane is the best movie I have ever seen. It not only has the best written script of most any movie, with the best and most memorable lines of any movie, performed with pristine accuracy by so many first time in Hollywood stars, it has an amazing cinematic flair, ranging from the makeup used to age Orson Welles to the magnificent set pieces. And the way the script moves... It starts at the end, then goes to the middle, then the beginning, wash and repeat et cetera, et cetera. No movie goer should go without seeing it. Highly recommended. But one thing... It's not my favorite film. I enjoy watching it, for all it's magnificence, but I enjoy other films much much more... There you go.
Rating:
Summary: My all time favorite film
Review: Can you imagine what the perception of RKO was at the time they made this decision? Let's see, how about we give complete control of a major film to a twenty five year old radio voice with zero film experience (whose claim to fame was scaring the life out of the public with a fake story about aliens landing on earth) and even better, let him staff the movie with actors who have little to no screen experience. On top of that, we'll let it become one of the most controversial pictures of its time because it mirrors the life of one of the biggest names in America today. Why, it may never be able to be released because of the lawsuits-- Great idea! I have just described Citizen Kane. All of the above is true, which makes the fact that it is possibly the greatest film in American Film History even more amazing. Everything is perfect. The script (which Welles co-wrote), the actors (all relative unknowns except Welles and Joseph Cotton), the special effects (listen to Roger Ebert's Commentary on this special edition for details) and finally, the makeup-- You won't believe how great a job they do making 25 year old Welles look 60. As for the story, it's done in a most interesting fashion. Charles Foster Kane (Welles) dies at the very beginning of the movie and utters his famous last word "Rosebud". A reporter is given the task of finding out just what that one word meant. So he goes and interviews all the people who knew Kane to try to learn the meaning of the word. In the process, we are shown Kane through the eyes of those who knew him. We never see Kane through his own eyes, always what his former associates saw. This is interesting, because Kane is a tragic figure as seen by just about everyone. He is unhappy and lonely. We as an audience eventually learn the meaning of Rosebud. I have read reviews that complain that the movie is about this one thing (I won't reveal what it is). But long before we learn the identity of Rosebud, the film has made its point. What is the point? My opinion is that the film shows us basically the worthlessness and despair of materialism. Loving "stuff" or money will ultimately lead to unhappiness. By the way, this movie almost was never seen. The man I spoke of at the beginning of the review is William Randolph Hearst, former newspaper magnate. He saw too much of himself in the film and sued to squash it. Fortunately he lost. The second disc in the set is a two hour documentary on this topic. It is also excellent and well worth a viewing. One last thing. Although this movie has been ranked on the AFI list as number one American movie of all time, it did NOT win Best Picture in 1941. That film? "How Green was my Valley"
Rating:
Summary: A Great DVD Too
Review: This is a great movie, of course, but I want to comment on the DVD. These Warner Bros. "Two-Disc Special Editions" are a great bargain. They have all the special features of a Crtierion Collection DVD at almost half the cost. And they also have much better subtitle options for my foreign friends. This version of Citizen Kane, as well Casablanca and Singin' in the Rain are all great deals. The only question I have is this: if these "Standard Versions" really preserve "the aspect ratio of their original theatrical/television exhibitions", then why are the intertitles cut off on the right side in this film???
Rating:
Summary: Even a child can make a better movie than Citizen Kane.
Review: I'm sorry. I can't lie. I know my review is going to offend some people. I think there's no way this film should be rated more than one star. It is one of the most boring movies I have ever seen. Absolutely painful to see it.
Rating:
Summary: A classic!!
Review: After over 60 years, this is still one of the best movies out there. This movie was released in 1941 by a young (25 year old) Orson Welles. It is long, but its well worth the effort of watching it, and the actual story behind this film is fascinating. Highly recommended to those willing to invest some intellectual thought in this movie.
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