Rating: 
Summary: Why?
Review: Why is this movie on everyone's best movies of all time list? I saw it when it was rereleased in a theatre by my house last year and let me say, it was so boring I couldn't wait to get out of the there, it's too long and pointless, note to everyone who hasn't seen this movie and wants to know what Rosebud is it's the name that was on a sled he had as a child, and the movie takes what seems like a zillion hours to finally tell you that. AH what a boring waste!
Rating: 
Summary: Citizen Hearst and Citizen Welles
Review: A couple of years ago, I visted the Hearst Castle at San Simeon, California. The tour included a video detailing the life story of William Randoplh Hearst and when you walk around the grounds, you cannot helped but be impressed with all of the artwork the man accumulated, the awkward mixture of architectural styles of the castle, and the tackiness and wretched excess of it all. This was a man with a lot of disposable income who definitely was missing something in his life! I took this trip before I saw the movie Citizen Kane.Citizen Kane is loosely based on the life of Hearst. I can see where people are coming from when they rate this the greatest movie of all time. Certainly it is a tour de force of cinema. The use of innovative camera work, lighting, and storytelling are all important developments in the history of film. I am aware of the eccentricities and warped, sick psyche of William Randoplph Hearst. Most of the time, Welles' view of Kane/Hearst is vicious and mean-spirited and often, the movie borders on being slanderous. Welles' vendetta on Hearst was uncomfortable to sit through. As such, even though it may be the greatest movie ever made, I had to dock it one star.
Rating:
Summary: My opinion the second time around
Review: The first time I saw this, it really didn't make an impression. I reacted indiffrently, with no real opinion one way or the other. The second time, it made a stronger impression. I'll try to simplify the dense, complex plot by saying it's basically about a man who tries very hard to be good, (I think), even though everyone keeps telling him how bad he is. He tries to build a newspaper empire and succeeds, becoming a Hearst-like millionaire with a penchant for sensationilizing the truth. All his other ventures fail, however. He marries a president's niece, but the marriage sours in the space of the famous montage of breakfasts. He tries to campaign for president and fails when an extramarital affair is revealed. He marries the woman he had an affair with and tries to make her an opera star, but fails because she stinks. He tries to live like the filthy rich, building a huge, never-finished mansion in Florida, but fails because it's unfulfilling. Eventually, everyone deserts him, and he dies a broken man. That's basically it, though there is a major plot point I didn't discus. (You probably know about it and can guess what it is, anyway.) One reviewer said it's sometimes intriguing, sometimes dull. I agree. One reveiwer said that though the camera work wasn't innovative (It had been tried before), it was the first time that kind of camera work was brought into the limelight. I agree; this was probably the first film where the camera were a really obvious, integral part of the story. I can't think of or haven't seen a film that's ever really equaled the technical wizardry at work here. Remember, the technical aspect of the film is what really inspired everyone to think it was the greatest film ever. (More on that later.) The story has its dull, draggy points, but it does leave an impression, to me at least the second time. The acting is kind of melodramatic, but not terrible. Orson Welles is pretty good, required to age about 50 years, and in the process going from the 25-year-old he was at the time to looking almost exactly like he would when he was much older. That is pretty remarkable, and it is kind of amazing that he made this (starred in it, directed, produced, and collaborated on the screenplay with Herman Mancewicz) when he was just 25. Now, about the greatness of this film. I had to red a lot of the critical reviews before I got a proper sense of it; it was kind of apparent while watching it, but not definitly clear. Since much of the world considers it the greatest film ever made, you'd think there must be something to it. However, some people are turned off, since most of the people who think it's great or either that crazy group of intellectuals or people who, it would seem, are just jumping on the bandwagon. Here's my opinion, but you can decide for yourself.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Film
Review: In the numerous reviews below a lot of great observations about the film have been brought up. I'm somewhat disappointed in the arguments of critics of Citizen Kane, however. The main argument against the film that I've read from other reviewers is that the technical wizardry of the film may have been something special back when Citizen Kane was made, but is nothing special today. While this is partially true, I think that this ignores the fact that many of the great movies today that use similar cinematic techniques as Citizen Kane use them because Welles brought them into the limelight with his masterpiece. It's true that some of his techniques (such as the long focus scenes) were done before, but never with as much style or purpose. Aside from the film's technical marvels, it's also worth remembering that the film was HIGHLY controversial at the time of its release and was almost completely destroyed. Perhaps it doesn't mean much to use now because controversy has become the standard in great films rather than the exception, but perhaps we can owe this to the fact that Kane was one of the first truly controversial American political films. This brings me to another point that is being ignored in other reviews... While I'm not a particularly huge fan of the Academy Awards, the one award that Citizen Kane did win was for its screenplay, and it is the screenplay that makes the film great in my opinion. The pace of the movie never drags and the characters are some of the most well crafted and interesting I've ever seen. In addition, the story functions on many levels and even remains relevant to my view of the world today. It is an illustration of a man who, taken from his family as a child, is thrust into prominence when all he really desires is the love he never receives, culminating in his final longing for the innocence of his childhood. It is the story of the American Gilded Era, when the future of the nation was controlled by mere individuals like Kane, not truly by the government. It's in this film that we can explore the roots of the media empire that grew, and continues to grow today, to control the opinions and information of the entire nation. And this is why I really love Citizen Kane as a film. The viewer can see so many roots of the America we know even today, and that's why the film continues to remain valuabe. The politics it questions are still in place today. The question of whether or not you agree with the politics is irrelevant to me, the film is to me simply an observation that this was the state of the nation. Having said all this, I understand perfectly the views of many who were not entertained by the film. Just because the film is considered great by many doesn't mean that it will be considered great by all, and that's fine. No film can or will ever be definitevely the best ever made... but at least we all can praise those movies we find entertaining and to not insult those who perhaps didn't see them as very good. The inverse is equally true. Movies are at their heart all about recreation and entertainment on any level that the viewer chooses to watch them. I'm not calling Citizen Kane the greatest film ever, but I am saying that it's one of my absolute favorites and it's my opinion everyone should at least give it a chance.
Rating:
Summary: THE GENIUS OF WELLES
Review: This extraordinary film is an American tragedy of a newspaper tycoon (loosely based on William Randolph Hearst) from his humble beginnings to the solitude of his final years. One of the greatest films ever made, this is a stunning tour-de-force in virtually every aspect, form the fragmented narration to breathtaking, deep-focus cinematography; from a vivid soundtrack to fabulous ensemble acting. Welles was only 25(!) when co-wrote, directed and starred in this masterpiece. Three-laser disc edition was reproduced from a superior negative and features liner notes and a running commentary from film historian Robert J. Carringer. Watch for Alan Ladd in a bit as a reporter.
Rating:
Summary: Ohhh God
Review: Who could have made a better and more cleaver movie than this one. It just changed all the history of cinema.If Kane was not made we would still be watching movies which have simple cinematography and most of the time a boring love plot. Thank you Orson Wales you just made the world a better and more pleasent place. And the oscar commity, know i am sure that you are complite idiots. If you give bunch of meanlegless oscars to movies such as Rocky, Ben Hur, TITANIC and gave nothing to Citizen kane you should resign and be a toilet cleaner.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't forget to bring a pillow if you decide to see it!
Review: Absolutely boring! I didn't care what "rosebud" is but just painfully waited until it ended. You will not find this film satisfying as you expect. I've found the good reviews here about this film are exaggerated. I strongly believe that the majority of the people who ever see it will consider it as a BAD film. Actually I gave it only 1.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent movie!
Review: I reccomend Citizen Kane to anyone who loves movies. The plot is a realistic story of how a man's life is changed by greed, and how he fruitlessly tries to buy love. The way this black-and-white movie is filmed only serves to accentuate the feelings going through it. The ending is also good, leaving the viewer satisfied. It definitley deserves five stars.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful
Review: I loved every minute of this movie. It's a sprawling, heartbreaking story of a man who has everything, but really has nothing. I think it's a story each one of us can watch and learn something from; mainly, what's really important in life, where are priorities really should be. Orson Welles is heartbreaking and brilliant as Charles Foster Kane, and the supporting cast is equally as strong. The filmmaking and use of shadows is clever, and the dialogue fairly quick-paced and witty. All in all, a great story with lots to offer. P.S. I'm in my 20s, so I don't think you need to be a certain age to "get it." I guess you just have to be receptive to it, who knows?
Rating:
Summary: A Brilliant Movie!
Review: Before I reveal my review of "Citizen Kane", I need to make something clear. I am not critiquing anything but the film. Anyone who didn't like this film as much as I did is totally entitled to their opinion. I wish that some of the people on this site would remember that we are here to make a comment on a movie, not judge other reviewers based on their views of that movie. That said, I love this movie a lot. I thought it was one of the most intelligent things ever put on the screen. My great admiration for this film is not so much because of the technical wizardry, but because of the moving plot. The story of Charles Foster Kane is one of how greed and opportunity can destroy a man's ideals. Rosebud is a symbol of Kane's lost innocence, a relic from his humble but happy youth, before he became rich. Orson Welles is a genius, and this film richly deserved to be rated the best movie of the century.
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