Rating: Summary: GREAT Review: Citizen Kane is generally considered one of the greatest films of all time for generally the same reasons. One of them is how Orson Welles directs this film. Welles was given full control over this movie and when released was given mixed reviews. The reason for this was the boldness of this film. The camera angles, the lighting, the way the plot moves, theses types of things in the movie were not in all the style of movies in 1941. Because of this, it recieved mixed reviews. Also, William randolph Hurst, who the film is loosly based upon, was trying to keep this film out of the theaters. Through all these obstacles, Citizen Kane is still regarded as one of the greatest films of all time. It used new and unique techniques, like the great film 2001: A Space odyessy. But the film is well acted, shot, directed, and overall good. Only slightly boring, the film based on everything mentioned above, qualifies it as supreme film.
Rating: Summary: Makes Casablanca look like a screen test Review: In my opinion: a true American classic. Citizen Kane surpasses Casablanca, The Godfather, Gone With The Wind, and Schindler's List as the best movie ever. Calling Citizen Kane an OK flick is like calling the Star Wars Theme an unmemorable tune. Unlike most movies back then, which have a narrative story from beginning to end, this film started from the end. You can tell that many movies have been influenced by Citizen Kane, mostly Scorsese's films, and others such as The Graduate with the use of Welle's camera techniques. I still find it hard to believe that How Green Was My Valley won Academy awards for Best Picture and Director over Orson Welle's masterpiece.
Rating: Summary: LET CITIZEN KANE JUDGE YOU Review: Citizen Kane is a movie which should be evaluated with the same sense of respect one would evaluate a novel by Kafka, music by Puccini, or a piece of mathematics by Hardy. If one finds the movie dull or boring, one should ask, "is my purpose to understand the artistic aspect of the movie, or simply to be entertained". One should not approach Citizen Kane the way one approaches the usual "sensational" entertainment of our time. I believe this is the fallacy of the numerous negative reviews of Kane at Amazon.Every artist produces his/her work with instruments which depend on the circumstances in which he/she works. In the case of Citizen Kane, the black and white and lack of special effects are no drawback -- Welles uses his resources to produce a visual effect, such as the use of contrasting shading, made effective in the medium of black and white. That this movie was made in 1941 is no more a drawback then the fact that Chopin composed on a grand piano instead of a synthesizer. Citizen Kane is my favorite movie. The acting is extremely effective, the characters convincing, with no pretense or exaggeration. The organization of the movie, which starts at the end, and ends at the beginning, giving all sorts of different angles to view Kane's life, draws the viewer more and more deeply into the mystery of Kane. How can you put to words the totality of a person's life, say in a single word, "Rosebud"? This movie brilliantly expresses a sense of the depth and complication of an individual's life. I was deeply moved, and I think anyone who can interpret the movie will be also. (JK)
Rating: Summary: Top five all-time Review: This movie has it all. In my opinion, one of the five best movies ever (Battleship Potemkin, Seven Samurai, Godfather, Dr. Strangelove), meaning that I want to watch it again as soon as it finishes. Also, along with Potemkin, Kane is more influential than all other movies. Lastly, this movie can be seen as a possibly prophetic autobiography.
Rating: Summary: The movie is excellent Review: What can you really say about Citizen Kane that hasn't been said yet? A masterpiece of drama, it depicts with sparkling genius the Western culture going on around us when it's cynically made up only of money, massmedia, politics, materialism and the void of it all when you're left in despair in the great mansion of Xanadu - "Rosebud" on the lonely death-bed and what does it all result in this enigma of an investigation? That's all history and certainly a classic of moviemaking. Just to think that a 25 year old Orson Welles produced this movie, writing it, directing it, playing the lead of it - apparently with all the nerve in the world - is mind-bugging and it will probably remain one of the most extreme achievements of cinematography. Myself - I actually know very few films that can ever beat or outrun this one.
Rating: Summary: Hail for "CITIZEN CANE"!!! Review: IT IS A SUPERB FILM; IT IS A MAGICAL FILM; IT IS AN EXCELLENT FILM. THE GREATEST MOVIE I HAVE SEEN. IT DESERVES 10 STARS!!! MY BIGGEST THUMBS UP!
Rating: Summary: More than a mere movie - of the highest order Review: It's hard to convey the amazement that continues to grow in me with each successive viewing of CK. My first time seeing it (on the small screen) I was about 17 and turned it off midway through because I got bored - the impatience of youth! Only when forced to sit through it in a college film class did I finally BEGIN to appreciate Welles' achievement. Since that viewing I've grown to love CK more than any other film, and each viewing only makes it look better. If you can see it on a big screen - do it. BELIEVE THE HYPE - unless greatness arouses your sense of contempt.
Rating: Summary: Masterpiece Review: Citizen Kane... It's simple It's what movies can rarely acheive, (perfection}. There just is nothing like it. watching it is like seeing a work of art unfold before your eyes. Brillant on all levels.Orson welles set a new standard in film that wouldn't be realized for years to come.For all you young film lovers who watch film today and are so easily impressed sit in a dark room and watch this film, you will understand!!!!!!
Rating: Summary: The finest movie ever made. Review: Without a doubt Citizen Kane is the finest movie every made. It gets better with every viewing. Welles' use of lighting and camera angles broke all the rules of (then) typical Hollywood movie making. One needs to be aware of the politics of the time. William R. Hearst is the real target of this movie. Hearst tried to have the movie stopped from ever showing.
Rating: Summary: A Few Good Individual Scenes, but Overall, a Dud. Review: I had heard about how great this film was and that it was number 1 on the AFI's greatest films list, so I finally rented this film from a library. What a letdown. There were a few good individual scenes and shots, but as a whole, the film wasn't that great. The cinematography wasn't very good either. If you want to see a good example of black and white cinematography, buy or rent Satyajit Ray's "Pather Panchali", "Jalsaghar", or "Charulata". Also, Vittorio de Sica's "Bicycle Thief" and any Akira Kurosawa film. I am a fan of the classics, but CK didn't appeal to me at all. There has been much, much better black and white photography, not to mention more entertaining.
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