Rating: 
Summary: Outstanding Print & Commentaries
Review: Without venturing into the debate as to whether this is the greatest film of all time (which is of course a matter of personal taste -- what is undeniable is that the film has enormous historical importance), I would like to advise prospective buyers that this 2-DVD package is an excellent buy. The print, as other reviewers have noted, is remarkably crisp and clear -- this release is comparable to some of the better Criterion releases. Also, I found the commentaries to be quite interesting. Robert Ebert's commentary was as good as any I have seen, to my considerable surprise. The included documentary is also quite good. The other special features were well-executed if somewhat superfluous.If you are going to purchase this film, to my knowledge this is the best available release and I highly recommend it.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Expect
Review: "Citizen Kane" tells an old story, but what it has to say is as relevant as ever. Everyone knows the basics--Charles Foster Kane is a newspaper publisher who, after his death, is remembered by those close to him. ("Close" is really the wrong word, as Kane managed to alienate pretty much everyone he knew.) What becomes clear is that nobody really knew Kane; he kept himself removed from the world as he accumulated possessions. The reporters covering his death feel that, if they can identify the meaning of his last word, Rosebud, they will gain some insight into his mind. This is really only a plot device, though. Nothing can fully explain Kane, or any of us. This movie has been so lauded for its technical achievement, the camera angles, etc., that it is easy to overlook the screenplay (by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles) and, especially, the acting. That Welles, at 25, could have portrayed an elderly man so well is astounding. One wants to give credit to the makeup, but it's more than that. We feel that Welles has really lived all those bygone years. Of course the supporting cast members, most of whom had never acted in film, are also excellent. Roger Ebert's commentary on the DVD is really outstanding, and particularly good at pointing out specific shots and camera tricks. There is also a track by Peter Bogdanavich. A documentary, "The Battle Over Citizen Kane", explores the parallels among Welles, William Randolph Hearst, and the figure of Kane. It is quite well made, and they certainly got a lot of people to talk. But after seeing both Bogdanavich and Ebert explain that many parts of Kane were based not on Hearst, but on other figures, the documentary seems too intent on showing Kane to be an exact double for Hearst. The reason for my title is that, when something has been called "the greatest film," people want to approach it with an oppositional attitude. "Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!" It is better to simply expect a good movie. Noting its influence on later films increases one's admiration. But it is not necessary--"Citizen Kane" does just fine by itself.
Rating:
Summary: What else is left to say?
Review: This is the greatest American film ever made, as entertaining as it is revolutionary. When it was made, Orson Welles tackled a seemingly simple topic, a reflection back on a dead man's search for love and happiness in his life, and made a film that's epic in scope, gorgeous in its visual execution, brilliantly written, incredibly acted. All in all, it's inspiring to filmmakers looking for a great debut film from a new director. "Citizen Kane" also works for regular moviegoers just looking for a good drama. Using interviews with all his closest friends and colleagues, Welles uses flashback to create a portrait of the life of millionaire media magnate Charles Foster Kane. Kane was, in conflicting accounts of those who knew him, a man of great character and potential or a wealthy, cold, manipulative scoundrel. What, if anything, can be learned about the man from his last word? What does "Rosebud" mean? The answer makes for good mystery, and it leads the viewer to ask key questions about what defines our lives and gives them meaning. This film is fantastic, one that should be watched once a year to help you keep perspective on life.
Rating:
Summary: GREAT FLICK, GREAT ACTING, GREAT DVD, GREAT BONUSES.
Review: Everyone has a favorite flick. And not everyone agrees on the choices made. But most people agree that the greatest film ever made is "Citizen Kane," that thinly-veiled expose of publishing magnate William Randolph Hearst. In fact, the flick was voted the No. 1 spot in the American Film Institute's 1998 list of Best American Movies. To commemorate its 60th anniversary, the movie has finally been released on DVD in a magnificent digital transfer with revitalized audio. A second disk contains the
Oscar-nominated documentary, "The Battle Over Citizen Kane," as well as a slew of bonus tracks, including the theatrical trailer, rare photos and the 1942 movie premiere newsreel.
Several other DVD sets are worthy of five stars---and repeated viewings.
Rating:
Summary: So Relevant, Even Well After Half a Century
Review: Citizen Kane is conceptually one of the most brilliant pieces of work throughout Hollywood's history. I am absolutely awed by the fact that Orson Welles was only 26 when he directed and co-wrote this masterpiece. Here is a personification of the theme "The road to hell was paved with good intentions." For it is Charles Foster Kane who, by running a newspaper, has an initial desire of providing the citizens of New York with information that has both truth and integrity but who later decides to use his daily circulation to control what people read and think. If you take this movie to heart, it will make you ponder over what news media sources can be trusted.
Rating:
Summary: Everything in a movie!
Review: Delicate yet powerful. The story of an American and of America indeed. This is the one. This is the movie to watch.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: For all the talk about how painstakingly this was reproduced, I can't for the life of me understand why it isn't available in the original widescreen format. This is visually a very nice reproduction of the film in TV format, but we will not see Welles' vision until it is produced for DVD in its original format. The soundtrack on this is horrible. The sound is reproduced at a very low volume, forcing you to turn your TV volume way up. Then the few musical moments come blaring out at top volume. A little bit of compression and attention to detail would have taken care of this.
Rating:
Summary: Lots of good ideas that never all quite come together...
Review: I finally watched this movie the other night and I didn't understand the hype. Some of the sequences were impressive and certainly the age of welles is quite amazing... All in all, I found it kind of hard to follow. The plot jumped around too much and delved too deeply into a character you felt that you should know but you really didn't.
I guess my main problem is the fact that this is supposed to be one of the greatest films ever made so when I watched I was expecting to be blown away and I didn't even catch a breeze. Watch it and appreciate the techniques but don't expect it to change you life.
Rating:
Summary: Creation of a Genius
Review: Everything seems confused and absurd throughout the whole movie. Yet it's all brilliantly explained in the last ten seconds and the mystery is solved. The power of the movie is unparallel to anything I saw. It tells a story about a newspaper titan but the moral can be applied to anyone: You can never know what really goes on inside a human mind and happiness may come from something completely different than people think. Definitely worth seeing.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing cinematography
Review: I believe that the acting and cinematography are what make this film amazing. This film details the life of Charles Foster Kane, from his days as a poor young boy to a powerful and successful newspaper owner. We see how his rise to power affected his friends and coworkers and we also learn the meaning behind his famous last words, "Rosebud." I do admit that sometimes I was bored with the plot, but what I really paid attention to was the impressive cinematography. I was most impressed with the deep-focus camerawork and the extreme foreground and background vision. While some may be unimpressed, it's important to realize that this film was made in the 1940's and many of the techniques used in this film were unheard of at the time. It was a pioneer for future filmmaking and cinematography. In addition, the magnificent acting allowed for many long, uninterrupted shots. The acting is so good (particularly Welles'), you'd never know that almost every castmember had no film experience prior to this movie. The bonus DVD profiles the battle between William Randolph Hearst and RKO over the release of this film. The informative documentary provides some insight to why Hearst vehemently opposed this movie. With the splendid direction, camerawork, and acting, I think Citizen Kane should be viewed by all movie fans alike.
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