Rating: 
Summary: First Rate Movie
Review: I can very well see why this movie is considered as one of the best movies yet made. It is intelligent, and soul-penetrating. The story is a simple telling of the rise and fall of a newspaper magnate. But the movie ascends this commonplace theme by working like a 'sometimes dreamy / often dark' documentary about the life of Kane, intertwined with (and this is important,) the MEDIA BUZZ created by one single word at his deathbed, ".....Rosebud." Who is Rosebud? The film finds its driving force in this one simple question amidst subthemes of greed, power and corruption. And, the true magnificence of "Citizen Kane" lies not in the solution to this mystery, but in the viewer's realization of the central human truth attached to it. There couldn't have been a more appropriate name other than Rosebud, for this movie is indeed a rosebud in itself. The real meaning is hidden until the petals of mystery unravel themselves. I leave you to unravel the mystery of Rosebud......
Rating:
Summary: Really Awesome Stuff
Review: Obviously, there is little I can add about what a great move Citizen Kane is. The DVD has a great picture and comes with two specal features: commentaries by Roger Ebert and Peter Bogdanovich. Both are insightful and reveal all sorts of things I never knew about the film. There is also a documentary on the making of the film.
Rating: 
Summary: You can tell...
Review: You can pretty much tell a good deal about people by what film they consider to be the greatest film of all time. Some say "Godfather", others "The Matrix" (usually adolescent males), "von Stroheim's "Greed" (my own choice), "The Bicycle Thief", etc. Those who like "Citizen Kane" tend to be very, very liberal and a bit anti-american (either by being snobs or by being anti-capitalist) as they relish its story of how money and power corrupts, as if money and power can only corrupt Americans (Hello? Has anyone heard of the Medici's?). These fans of the film gleefully point to the film as some kind of indictment of the american dream. It is nothing of the sort. It is the indictment of one man, a fictional character who never existed. Any attempt to condemn the real life Hearst because of the film "Kane" is grossly unfair. For one thing, Heart's mistress, Marion Davies, was a talented comedienne (See the video "Show People") not the no-talent dummy portrayed in the film. Rather than being a major anti-capitalist statement, the film is simply a very lukewarm melodrama. It is also absurd and just plain silly, also. I won't tell you what "Rosebud" is (so as not to ruin the film for you if you haven't seen it) but it has to be the stupidest plot device and conclusion in film history. Anyone who doesn't finish watching the ending with either hysterics, or a deep sense of resentment that such a build up should have such a major let down needs to have their head examined. As far as the film techniques in this film go, many of them are not only unnecessary, but downright excessive. I would not even put "Kane" in my list of top 100 films. I find it nothing but a moderately engaging curiousity.
Rating:
Summary: It really is a great movie!
Review: I have just been going through the poor reviews of this film, and I would like to respond. (1) If you approach this film as the greatest movie of all time, you are bound to be disappointed. With expectations that high, what film could possibly match up? Expectations are everything. I try very hard to be noncommittal when recommending a movie I love to my friends so that they can approach it with limited expectations. (2) The film is 60 years old. If you dislike black-and-white, or are unwilling to make some adjustments for older styles of acting, etc., it's not for you. (3) I don't think it's a very lovable film. It is simply not the kind of old movie that sweeps us away emotionally like, say, Casablanca. We watch these characters from outside; we're not really invited to empathize with them much.
It's not surprising that those reviewers who cite Gone With the Wind as the greatest American movie, with all its romance and emotion, are outraged that the AFI selected Kane over it. (4) We all have our favorite movies. Saying one movie is the "best" is a silly sort of game anyway. I'd bet that most of the 5-star reviewers could name movies that are as much or more a personal favorite than Kane.... I can not think of a movie that I think is superior to Kane in craftsmanship. (5) Yes, Kane does take concentration and alertness to follow. One of the key motifs is a jigsaw puzzle, and the film is definitely constructed that way. To those who love it, the intricate structure is a source of endless enjoyment. But if you just want to kick back and let the movie do all your work for you, this is not the film. To sum up, I first saw this movie several years ago, with extremely high expectations, and felt let down. I received the excellent DVD for a Christmas present. I approached the movie with lukewarm expectations based on my previous experience and was totally knocked out! It truly is a brilliant film, but try to approach it as just another movie. Forget all the "best American movie"... If you are the sort of person who is able to appreciate a 60-year-old, black-and-white movie that is emotionally cool but artistically stimulating, you're in for a treat!
Rating:
Summary: "A truly magnificent motion picture!"
Review: The fact that Orson Welles 1941 classic CITIZEN KANE is called the greatest American film of all time is not well-recieved here in the new millenium. But it's hard to find another film as extraordinary or as brilliantly contrived as this. Rife with atmosphere, and masterfully directed by Welles, who's use of specially designed sets, deep-focus photography and high-contrast black-and-white make this a simply remarkable and visually engaging film. Add to that it's crackling script and marvelous performances, particularily Welles's, and one might call this a perfect picture. And trust me, you wouldn't be stretching it. This wonderful DVD pakage is well-worth your money, and will open your eyes (as it did for me) to this mezmerizing cinematic triumph. Listen to Roger Ebert's inspired comentary, as it becomes quite apparent that he really loves this movie. His trivia facts are downright fascinating, encouraging us to watch as seemingly normal-sized objects, like a window or fireplace, become enormous as the actor moves closer towards them, and how the actors are diminished by shadows and dominant by stature. Sadly, though, Peter Bogdonavich's comentary is not so inspired and almost boring, routine stuff that draws the question to mind: who cares? But it's the film itself in it's newly restored format with enhanced soundtrack and picture quality that's worth paying any price for. You'll get your money's worth with this one, rightfully dubbed the greatest motion picture of all time. A truly magnificent motion picture!
Rating:
Summary: A well put together tribute to classic film
Review: Is this Welles' greatest film? That's open to debate but it is a stunning debut that set a standard difficult to follow. At the ripe old age of 26 after a steady diet of theater, literature and performance Welles decided to turn his gaze on the one art form he really hadn't mastered. After watching John Ford's Stagecoach (and one can assume a number of Hitchcock films as well), Welles and his collaborators Herman J. Mankiewicz, cinematographer Gregg Toland and film editor Robert Wise created one of the enduring classics of American cinema. Keep in mind that while Welles was in charge, Mank, Toland and Wise all played a substanial part in helping to create this classic film. All of this helps explain why Welles had a difficult time following up on Kane; he only worked with Toland and Wise once again and never with Mank. The Magnicient Ambersons is a near classic that fails primarily because of the botched version eventually released. This deluxe set has all the extras you could possibly ask for: the commentary tracks by Ebert and Bogdonovich are complimentary and quite different; the documentary is quite good at illuminating the infighting that went on in creating this film. A pity that there was no way to include the HBO film drama 28 about the making of this great film. This, along with the Criterion version of Notorius, are among the best reissues released this year. Warner Brothers has done a bang up job giving this great film what it deserves; an indepth look at an American classic in the making.
Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Movie Ever
Review: Citizen Kane is a classic - a grand story line, fully realized characters, and masterful direction - combine to produce the greatest masterpiece in the history of American cinema. Every film buff should have a copy of this DVD, it truly is a wonderful package combining the movie with details of the intrigue that surrounded it's creation. The film itself is pure genius - a magical tale of the creation of a media empire and how the empire came crumbling down, evenly sprinkled with comedic wit and cinematic innovation. The additional documentary, The Battle over Citizen Kane, delves into the fight between Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst (the inspiration for Kane), and was nominated for an Academy Award in 1995. This film has always been at the top of my list of all-time great movies, and the DVD became a treasured addition to my collection on the first day it was released. A truly exceptional film !
Rating:
Summary: In Citizen Kane Special Edition did I, A quality DVD decree
Review: I was pretty shocked, listening to Roger Ebert's commentary, on how much special effects played a role in creating Citizen Kane. Citizen Kane is as contrived as anything in Star Wars, states Ebert in a great feature length commentary that touches on just about everything from the revolutionary deep focus film techniques to amusing on-screen gaffs by some of the actors. There is also a commentary by Welles biographer and director Peter Bogdanovich, which is similar to Ebert's although not quite as engaging and enthusiastic as the plump critics'. Listening to Ebert is like sitting down in your favorite class with your favorite professor...I love the guy and his commentary is one of the reasons I bought the disc. The actual movie looks beautiful. The engineers did a great job in transferring the film to digital form and the picture is bright and brimming with detail. And if you consider the fact that I use RCA cables rather than S-video let alone component video with progressive scan, it emphasizes how beautifully the film has been remastered. The package also contains an extra disc with the 2-hour long documentary "The Battle over Citizen Kane." The program gives an in depth look at both Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst and how the controversy surrounding Citizen Kane was as epic, influential and far reaching as the film itself. The discs also boast some interesting special features. One section reveals some letters written to Welles documenting initial reaction to the film from fans and studio heads as well as some nice still shots of the Citizen Kane premier and the deleted brothel scene. Besides the fact that the beautifully transferred movie is superior entertainment, the commentaries and documentary disc make it a superior educational experience as well. I have a pretty large DVD collection of around 100 titles or so and I know quality when I see it. Citizen Kane Special Edition delivers and no DVD collection should be without it!
Rating:
Summary: Private Parts: Citizen Kane
Review: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and indeed, all is vanity and grasping for the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14 I have put off reviewing Citizen Kane for quite some time, as it seems to be so oft praised that it is almost impossible to be objective about it. Everybody knows something about Citizen Kane - even folks who have never seen it know that it is a classic, perhaps the classic - the best film ever made. How do you go about describing the Holy Grail of cinema without sounding like the usual sycophantic hack, grinding out his two cents worth of pulp on a movie that has already had more written about it than any other? It would probably help to remember that in 1941 the power of the newspapers was much greater than is evident today with television, cable, the Internet, and all the alternative means of communication we have at our fingertips. In those days, the newspaper was it - the only other major information source was the newsreels that accompanied Saturday movies - newsreels like the one that is used early in Citizen Kane to give a brief sketch of the deceased's life. Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane was dead and the questions on everybody's lips were, "Who was Kane?" "Why was Kane?" and "What did he mean by 'Rosebud' (his dying word)?" If you watch the movie looking for answers to these questions, you are bound to come away dissatisfied as it answers them incompletely or not at all. Rather than recount the story which is so well known, or elaborate on the innovative techniques used in filming Citizen Kane, I thought it would be interesting to find out why Welles chose newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst as the model for the fictional Kane. What would be Welles' motivation to attack a public figure who had done him no wrong? Not only that, but why would he attack somebody with the power of the press at his beck and call, someone who could (and likely would) strike back. My research along those lines only revealed tantalizing snippets of information, not enough to satisfy my curiosity. Still, it has been well documented that Welles was a guy who liked controversy and William Randolph Hearst was a juicy target. Perhaps Citizen Kane is a great film because it is enigmatic, it doesn't give any easy answers. Therefore, my inquiry bore little fruit... Kane is the story of a man who gained everything, but at the cost of being deprived of his mother's love and companionship. An early scene shows him being separated from his mother and sent back east to live with a banker after his mother comes into a considerable fortune. From there, it shows the rise of a newspaper publisher and fall of a man who wound up dying friendless and alone in his palatial mansion "Xanadu." What happened? When asked, Welles himself could not explain how Kane's dying word came to the knowledge of the reporter. However despite that little mystery, the movie has quite a bit of appeal. Kane's story is told via flashbacks (No, Quentin Tarantino did not invent them!) from five different points of view. A faceless newspaper reporter asks Kane's closest associates to tell their recollections of him. The reporter's questions provide the springboard for each of the flashbacks. Camera work and lighting by Gregg Toland used a technique called 'deep focus.' This, unlike conventional focus, allowed both foreground and background to be in razor-sharp focus at the same time allowing the viewer to decide which part of the scene to fasten his attention on. Lights and darks are used to depict the moods, light when happy, dark when depressed. Unusual camera angles abound and a number of scenes are long takes without editing. Voices, like in many of Welles' films, are often dubbed, allowing Welles to stage shots and insert and overlap dialog similar to actual human conversation. Great film editing by Robert Wise offered many dissolves, montages, and startling effects not often seen before. These and other techniques used in Citizen Kane are textbook examples used to demonstrate good film making today. The final scene of Kane shows Xanadu's basement, a vast landscape of possessions, the remains of Kane's mortal existence. Workers are classifying it, stacking it, and loading the junk into a furnace. By this time the alert viewer knows the 'book answer' to the reporter's question, "What is Rosebud," however, while the film offers this obvious meaning, according to some reports it was William Randolph Hearst's pet term for his mistress' most private part. The camera pulls back and shows the smoke (the remembrance of Kane) from the furnace billowing from the castle's chimney. While nominated for nine academy awards, Kane won only for Best Screenplay, a collaboration between Herman Mankiewicz and Welles. Kane was the high water mark of Welles' success as a director. Due to backlash from Hearst and his powerful friends Welles was never allowed the luxury of such creative control again. What does it profit a man to gain the world and lose his soul? Citizen Kane should be required viewing by anybody interested in film. It shows the results of a prodigal life with many material benefits yet yielding very little spiritual fruit.
Rating:
Summary: The best
Review: Anyone giving this film less than 5 stars is demonstrating their ignorance. This masterpiece should be watched carefully by anyone who thinks they "know" movies. The reality, much too often, is that people only see the latest postmodernism films that pale in comparison to this work. One may not enjoy this movie, but one cannot deny it is a masterpiece. Personal taste and criticism are very different things.
| 
