I’m not naïve enough to think that I have anything new to offer in my entirely unnecessary ode to Citizen Kane, but I'll continue writing this anyway because I like writing about films, and Citizen Kane is a film, all right, and a Towering Masterpiece of Cinema at that. I’d have to be exceedingly smart or exceedingly stupid to dispute that, and I reckon I fall somewhere in between.

Pulling apart Citizen Kane shot by shot is more than enough to learn how to make a film, but pulling apart the film's circular structure is also a brilliant way to learn how to tell a story. Since I attempt to write, it's the narrative structure of Citizen Kane that interests…

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Greatest opening scene in cinema history. The 'no trespassing' sign, the camera tracking upwards as the fence scales higher and higher, almost to the clouds. Dissolves upon dissolves. Inching ever so closer to Xanadu: a mansion and a castle, a fortress and a paradise - something out of horror and fantasy and adventure seemingly all at once. The light from the window remains stationary, signaling to the spectator that our story begins in that high tower, a sole fragment of warmth amidst this vast canvas of fallen excess. And the dissolve after the bedroom light goes out and the composition switches from exterior to interior, illuminating Kane's figure laying on the bed as another dissolve brings the audience *into*…

Outstanding film, no question.

'Citizen Kane', at least to me, feels like such a unique film in terms of how it is brought to life - I don't recall seeing anything that exactly matches it in that regard. It's thoroughly entertaining, I do love how it is crafted together. The score is terrific and the performances from the cast are excellent.

Orson Welles, the director too of course, is perfect for the titular role. He is sensational, it must be said. He makes Charles Foster Kane absolutely fascinating, despite the questionable nature of the character. I basically enjoyed everyone else who came onscreen, the more memorable ones being Joseph Cotten (Jedediah) and Dorothy Comingore (Susan) - George Coulouris (Thatcher) has…

“Citizen Kane” (1941), is an enthralling, innovative, and vastly influential telling that helms its obvious place in history as being one of, if not THE greatest film of all time, and since those boldly challenging words put this film on a contrasting scale where one end represents cathartically god tier filmmaking and the other end constitutes boring and pompous meme status, it’s always a polarizing concept to talk about the quality of this film to other people, but as for me, I definitely don’t view it as the greatest film of all time, however, it’s evidently clear and understandable to me why this film is deserving of such a highly praised status since this 80 year old piece is one…

This film should be called “look my movie has ceilings.... look, look, look!”

Haha so I just watched this for the first time ever and it’s literally been on my movie watchlist since 5th grade. Now that I’ve finally seen the greatest film of all time, I feel so enlightened and wise beyond my years. I’m kidding, but this film is pretty dang good. It’s way, way, way ahead of its time and it really is astounding that this film came out in 1941. The ideas and cuts and themes are so fresh and it really does feel timeless. Orson Welles gives an A1 performance as Charles Foster Kane, the complex newspaper tycoon that can never please anyone or himself.…