Rating: 
Summary: It must be true
Review: Everyone says it's the greatest movie ever made, so it must be true. Everyone says it's the greatest movie ever made, so it must be true. Everyone says it's the greatest movie ever made, so it must be true. Everyone says it's the greatest movie ever made, so it must be true. Phew! I'm starting to convince myself.So, when are they going to bring Andy Hardy out on DVD, anyhow?
Rating: 
Summary: The Greatest Movie?
Review: Is this the greatest movie ever?
This film is nothing short of pure brilliance. How can you argue the storyboard, camera positioning and most important, the performances. I have seen this movie at least 100 times and have yet to tire from it. Orson Welles was a genius and not only that, had the balls to take on Hearst in a passive aggressive fest that could do nothing but provoke anger from the publishing magnet. Visualy stunning and intense, this movie should be in every dvd library. Is this the greatest movie ever? Well, Seven Samurai comes close but Yes, this IS the great movie ever.
Rating:
Summary: A multi-Dimensional Enigma
Review: This film was ranked highest when the American Film Institute announced its list of "America's Greatest Movies," followed by Casablanca, The Godfather, Gone with the Wind, and Lawrence of Arabia which complete the top five. It has been 62 years since its release and yet it remains one of the most interesting, indeed compelling films ever made. It was directed by Orson Welles who also plays the lead role of Charles Foster Kane. William Randolph Hearst presumably served as the model for Kane. (I have no interest in getting into all that now. Others have already discussed quite thoroughly the film's historical context and have much of value to say about it. The comments which follow are limited entirely to the film itself.) Perhaps only directors and cinematographers can fully appreciate Welles' technical achievements in this film. Even 62 years later, I am still fascinated by the analysis of Kane personality, especially as it is revealed in his relationships with various associates over several decades. His intelligence is formidable, his charm almost irresistible and yet.... Most of us have an indelible childhood memory or association. For Kane, it is "Rosebud," the last word he spoke before dying. Those who view this film accompany reporter Jerry Thompson (William Alland) as he seeks to understand the meaning of Kane's last word. We learn that Kane was relinquished as a child by his parents (Agnes Moorehead and Harry Shannon) after he becomes the heir to a substantial fortune; his conflicts with his guardian, Walter Parks Thatcher (George Coulouris); his impetuous decision to run a newspaper with the help of schoolmate Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten) and loyal assistant Mr. Bernstein (Everett Sloane) because it would be "fun"; his emergence from scandal sheet publisher to the owner of America's largest and most influential newspaper chain; his marriage to socially prominent Emily Norton (Ruth Warrick), whose uncle is the President of the United States; then Kane's bid for public office which is dashed along with his marriage when his opponent, corrupt political boss Jim Gettys (Ray Collins), reveals that Kane is having an affair with aspiring vocalist Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore); Kane's futile attempts to promote his second wife as an opera star; and his final, self-imposed exile to a massive but incomplete palace called "Xanadu." Thompson conscientiously attempts to reconstruct Kane's life as best he can but even so, there are so many unanswered questions as the film ends. What does Kane make of his childhood? When was he happiest? Why embarrass and abandon Emily, a decent and devoted wife? Why did he decide to spend what remained of his life with Susan Alexander? As he lay dying, did he feel that his life (everything considered) was a success? I have thought about these and other questions a great deal and am dissatisfied with my responses to them. No doubt that explains why this film continues to attract and then frustrate me...and perhaps others. There are other questions which I would have asked of Welles, especially during his final years. Perhaps (just perhaps) the answers to all of the questions which could be asked of Kane and of the man who created and then portrayed him cannot be answered. And perhaps (just perhaps) that is why this film continues to attract and then frustrate efforts such as mine and others to explain it. So I guess we must cherish its art and accept its ambiguities, just as ultimately we must accept the basic ambiguity of what it means to be a complicated human being.
Rating: 
Summary: Good movie, but why all the fuss?
Review: Citizen Cane is a good movie, and I reccomend it to everone, but I don't see why there's so much fuss over it. It's called the best movie ever made. There are much better movies out there then Citizen Cane. There's nothing that it has that other movies don't have, except for the advanced (for it's time) cinematography. Anyway, it's a good movie to get into.
Rating:
Summary: We tend to forget...
Review: ...just how groundbreaking this film was in its time. Perhaps we're spoiled by it. Great characterizations, unconventional (for its time) structure, beautiful and effective photography by Gregg Toland and stunning performances that make this film what it is. So rarely do the full complement of elements in a production work this well together. The real treat of this DVD, of course, is the fact that not only is there the film itself, but also a fantastic documentary on Welles and William Randolph Hearst (the inspiration for the character of Kane). It's an episode of the PBS series 'The American Experience' and it reveals a great deal about the circumstances leading up to the production of the film (as well as a detailed recounting of the conflict between Hearst and the Welles camp before and after the film's release).
Rating:
Summary: Scratch the old review.
Review: As I became more intrested and knowldegable in film, I chose to revisit this film. It is a classic. If you remember the old review, forget it.
Rating:
Summary: THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME!
Review: This is by far the most brilliant piece of work I have ever laid my eyes on. The directing is great, the story is great, the characters are great, the acting is great, even the cover of the DVD gives me goosebumps. The people who write these reviews saying that this movie has no plot just don't understand it. The whole point of the movie is to show that this man, Charles Foster Kane, wasted his entire life by being selfish, greedy, and arrogant. And the whole "Rosebud" situation with his sled is to show that the only time this man was ever truly happy, was when he was a child with his sled. THE "ONLY" TIME HE WAS EVER TRULY HAPPY (Kind of makes you feel a little sorry for him). Now I hope that all you people that didn't understand this movie learned something because this movie is truly a masterpiece that should be enjoyed by everyone. By the way, I'm only 13 years old and I understood the plot...just so you're aware. Oh yes, and one more thing. To all those people that say that this movie is great, but since more movies are being made everyday, it shouldn't be called the greatest movie ever made. Well, one reason that it is considered the greatest movie ever made is because it is a great movie. But the other main reason is because Orson Welles invented a lot of cinema technigues that we still use in movies today (fading into a scene, closing in on something, etc.) That is why there will probably never be a movie as great as Citizen Kane, because it invented so many things for cinema that, obviously, could never be invented again.
Rating: 
Summary: Pure Overrated Garbage
Review: What they forgot to put in the DVD set is the documentary "The Hype Behind Citizen Kane", which tells a story how this film unrighteously claims the title of the best American film. This movie is so boring and put audience throught a story of a man's empty life that would only interest few people.
Rating:
Summary: Requires multiple viewings
Review: A lot of new film viewers don't seem to get what is so great about Kane. It's a slow film and the "revelation" at the end, in retrospect, doesn't seem very revelatory, but that's not the point. The point is that it's a great story, and after 60 years, it still stands up to repeated viewings. Influence is admittedly a difficult thing to measure, but after your third or fourth viewing of Citizen Kane, it becomes very obvious that it was way ahead of its time. Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland did things that you weren't supposed to be able to do then (e.g., deep focus, using ceilings) and made them work. Kane is really stunning visually, what with all the crosscuts, dissolves, and unusual edits, and I defy anyone to come up with a film from that period that is more of a visual feast. The screenplay, whether it was written by Herman Mankiewicz solo with Welles' input, or as a collaborative effort (I don't really care), is just as much a feat. Telling the story by letting each character tell their own sides, regardless of linearity (even overlapping at some points) was not something that was particularly encouraged. Even now, people say they can't quite keep up with what is going on, and although that may turn some people off, I don't think that Citizen Kane was necessarily meant for a mass audience. After all, Orson Welles, as a genius (and you know how they are), was always more interested in expressing his artistic vision than being concerned about how the public would respond. Bravery certainly comes in to play here, and courage and determination. Citizen Kane is the film that would not die. For the uninitiated, the story was (not very) loosely based on the life of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst (in fact, I did a college thesis comparing and contrasting the film to Hearst's life, but that's a whole other story). The film was so close to reality that Hearst wanted to buy the negative so he could burn it. It was almost never released. And then, once it was released, the public shunned it. It wasn't until the rights ran out and television picked it up from the public domain for broadcast that people finally were able to appreciate the film for what it was. It is almost that the film itself yearned to be seen. I could go into the performances and other such things, but that would make this really long and I am of the belief that reviews should be relatively short in order to keep the readers' attention. So, I will conclude by noting that Kane's influence even runs to modern music. The White Stripes' album White Blood Cells contains a song called "The Union Forever" where composer Jack White has lifted dialogue and lyrics from Kane and turned them into a bluesy rock song, thus spreading the word of Kane to future generations. Combine that with the fact that it continually top the list of greatest films ever and what you have is a phenomenon of immense proportions that shows no signs of stopping. As long as people continue to watch Citizen Kane, people will continue to appreciate it for the work of art that it is.
Rating:
Summary: A true classic
Review: This movie helped to define the golden age of Hollywood and established Orson Welles as a household name. I really do detest all these younger, ignorant people who claim that the movies of today (mostly all special effects-ridden junk in my view) are the best.
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