Rating: 
Summary: A turning point in artistic cinema
Review: Brash auteur Orson Welles (then 24) and visionary photographer Gregg Toland teamed up to create a film which is still seen, 57 years later, as the greatest work that Hollywood has produced. Working under low-rent conditions, and using bits and pieces of other movies' sets, this biography of the fictional Charles Foster Kane (allegedly modeled after publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst) wowed audiences with a combination of imaginative staging, impressive lighting effects and, of course, Welles' own larger than life reading of the title character. Toland performed some amazing in-camera trickery to get multiple exposures to appear in-focus at *3* different shot depths (at once!). Welles invented such standards as the "spinning newspaper headline" shot and his careful use of the third dimension to establish psychological characterization was, at the time, unique. In addition, his use of long scenes using an ensemble of actors (developed to accommodate ! the styles of his Mercury Theatre players) opened up the parameters of character presentation. There are many reasons why this film is considered the best film ever made -- see it! END
Rating:
Summary: Simply the greatest film of all time.
Review: You've probably heard intellectual snobs call this the greatest film in history, and you probably think it's just plain exaggeration and elitism. You'll think that until you see the movie. Once you've watched it all the way through you'll realize how sometimes even snobs can tell the truth. No other picture ever made matches this film in terms of sheer writing, directing, camera work, acting, music, and feeling. As the Young Reporter interviews those close to newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane (played with amazing range and talent by the then twenty-five year old Orson Welles) in order to understand what Kane's dying word, "Rosebud", meant, we see how one man's life can affect others and be seen by them in many different ways. The effect is still thrilling and revolutionary over fifty years later. I advise anyone who enjoys movies to see it. Viewing "Citizen Kane" for the first time is one of the most amazing things a movie goer can ! ! ever experience. END
Rating:
Summary: Believe the hype!
Review: I highly recommend this DVD edition of "the greatest movie ever." It has 2 great commentaries, one by director Peter Bogdonavich & the other by film critic Roger Ebert.Also the DVD has the AMAZING 2 hour documantary, "The Battle Over Citizen Kane." I basically spent an entire day watching citizen Kane: the movie twice (w/ and w/out Ebert's commentary) then the doc. I think what makes this film the "greatest movie" is not only the film itself, but the history around it's release and the subject matter of the titular character and how the movie portrayed not only the real life media-mogul Kane was based on, William Randolph Hearst, but also the filmaker and star, Orson Welles. The film was nominated for 9 Oscars but only won the best orig. screenplay. The short version of the story is: Hearst was born a rich boy and became a SUPER rich boy w/ his newspaper empire in the early 1900s. Welles came to Hollywood from NYC after his famed WAR OF THE WORLDS radio broadcast in 1940. Welles was touted as a "Genius" by some papers and got "the best studio deal in the history of Hollywood." Him getting all this attention and creative control and not having made 1 film pissed off a lot of people. After Welles tried to get his 1st 2 films made and they fell through he started making CITIZEN KANE based on the life of Hearst. It was leaked Welles was making the film and Hearst used his many papers to destroy the credability of Welles during the filming. His papers made up stories Welles was a Communist. This and Welles' own egomania (he believed the 'genius' title) & bad temper drove his reputation into the ground. CITIZEN KANE opened to limited release due to Hearst. After Heasrt died in 1950 the film started showing up on critics "10 best films" lists, eventually becoming the legend it is today. Welles never again got the kind of creative control or funding he got on KANE, his first and greatest film.
Rating: 
Summary: The best film for putting you to sleep.
Review: It's almost impossible to find anything good about this film. The only good thing about Citizen Kane is that it will put you to sleep faster than any film.
Rating: 
Summary: The quintessential example of a classic film.
Review: "Citizen Kane" is often hailed as one of the greatest, or even the best, film ever made. The main thing that makes this film a classic are the innovative lighting and camera shots (thanks to Gregg Toland, director of photography), very expressionistic in outlook, that are reminiscent of German silent classics such as "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" or "Nosferatu". The scenario has lost some of its meaning over time, for not that many people know on whom the character of Kane is based (media magnate William Randolph Hearst). The scenario by Herman Mankiewicz was written as a parody of Hearst, which explains why the latter tried to have the film banned and, when this failed, to give it bad reviews in his newspapers in order to make the film a commercial failure. Even though the real meaning of the film has been lost over time, it still enjoys popularity because of the cinematographic innovations it contains. The script, however, has several flaws. The entire story revolves around a reporter's attempt to find the meaning of Kane's last word before his death, "Rosebud". Yet there was nobody in sight when Kane uttered his last word. In general, however, this film deserves to be called a true classic.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best.
Review: Even after sixty years, CITIZEN KANE remains as one of the greatest movies of all time. Though it is true that some are bored by the movie because it's "just a boring black-and-white movie with no action", those who hold that opinion are in the minority. KANE is often held as the pinnacle of filmmaking by movie buffs not just because of the advances the movie made in film production, but also because it set the standard that all filmmakers wish to reach: the total director's vision; a movie made with total control and no studio intervention. With that said, what does KANE hold for the average film-goer? The movie has an excellent script (it won an Oscar), great acting, and a haunting score. The story, though loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, is an old one: powerful man starts out promising and full of ideals, becomes consumed by greed and looses his vision, and ends up loosing it all (anyone read MacBeth or ALL THE KING'S MEN?). Overall, a deeply penetrating and thinking movie that film buffs usually love and that most everyone else will at least enjoy if they don't mind a strong drama filmed in black and white.
Rating:
Summary: There's no excuse not to have seen this by now.
Review: Whether or not the AFI was right in calling Citizen Kane "The best movie of all time" is debatable, but it still stands as one of those essential movies that everyone has to see. Orson Welles, then young and precocious, displayed style and intelligence in Citizen Kane that revolutionized filmmaking, and the film might be considered groundbreaking more for it's technical accomplishments than the movie itself. Welles directs himself as Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper tycoon whose life was often the biggest source of news around. "Loved by millions, hated by just as many" was his catchphrase. The movie follows his entire life, from childhood to death. It was loosely based on the life of William Randolph Hearst, a real-life newspaper tycoon. I have seen Citizen Kane so many times, and it is starting to feel dates, especially in the dialogue. But the performances from Welles and his Mercury Theatre group and the visual elements more than make up for that. As the documentary and commentary teach us (more on that in a minute), Citizen Kane was more of a techical accomplishment. Welles used camera tricks, montage techniques, and difficult shots that were, at the time, never before seen on the screen. The attention to detail that went into every scene illustrates the passion that Welles brought to the screen. It has rarely been matched by any movie made since. For the 60th Anniversary, Warner has put together a terrific 2 DVD set. The obvious jewel in the crown is the 2 hours documentary titled "The Battle over Citizen Kane", which not only tells the story of how the movie was made, but the lives of both Welles and Hearst. It is essential viewing to say the least. My second favorite extra is the Audio Commentary by film critic Roger Ebert. Love him or hate him, you can't deny his passion for movies and his almost encyclopedic knowledge of the subject. His commentary is full of fun facts and insight that made me look at Citizen Kane differently. The second commentary is by Peter Bogdanovich, a film scholar and Welles biographer. This one has it's moments, but it meanders at times. The Ebert one is the best. Rounding off the extras is an entertaining theatrical trailer and loads of storyboards, photos, and promos. Citizen Kane will always be regarded as a masterpiece, and rightly so. This DVD set from Warner is a must have, and with the quality of the extras, expect to be spending a lot of time with this DVD. Essential.
Rating:
Summary: Wow... look at all the one star reviews...
Review: Jeez whats with you people, if something doesn't have an immediate attention grabber you brush it of!? Now this is true cinema at it's finest, if you expect snap, crackle, and pop your not getting it, nor silly inuendo and such. This film is a about a man, plain and simple, a man who seemed to have everything but he wanted nothing, it is a tale about a man... nothing more. so if your expecting something miraculous your not getting it this is just cinema, and a great example of cinema at it's finest.
Rating:
Summary: What's funny about this film
Review: It's when Charley Kane (Wells) is singing with some girls at an office party about his name being Charlie Kane. THe rest of the film is excellent drama, told mostly in flashback. A film with a real point about desire, longing, journalism, romance, and the greart American success story.
Rating:
Summary: A milestone film
Review: Wow, even though I'm not that old, only fifteen, I've seen a good amount of films and have only recently watched this one. I'm not exactly sure why I've put it off so long, but upon watching it a night ago, I found myself watching, yes I definitely agree with most people, one of, if not, the greatest films ever. The script was witty, smart, intriguing, and emotional, along with Orson Welles' incredible direction and Gregg Toland's flawless and beautifully crafted cinematography, gave us quite possibly the most influential film in history. I've read a number of negative reviews about this film and I am sad to read that AFI put it on their top 100 movies list as #1 because many of the AFI listeners are watching it, and for the most part, are giving it bad reviews, people who can't appreciate the film for what it is, people who are too interested in modern Hollywood. People should stop looking to their favorite bands and celebrities for what they should watch and listen to. I think that it's the fact that it makes people think too much that gets many of them, because most of the negative reviews state that the film is garbage and boring. This is a quote from one of these reviews, "Citizen Kane is a hymn to all filmmakers who have ever tried to create something artistic and meaningful and failed miserably every step of the way." first of all, the quote that the reviewer is ripping off is well known, obviously said about Plan 9, and I just can't comprehend how anyone could say that this film failed every step of the way, seeing as how just about every film today is somehow influenced by Kane. I don't mean to sound cynical or mad, I just don't understand it. Anyway, for those who haven't seen it and can appreciate a film for all of its qualities, see this film!
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