One of the truly great films, Welles' study of the nature of power in the person of Charles Foster Kane (based on newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst) has had a profound and lasting effect. Its inventive and sometimes bravura cinematography is a joy and shows the young director exploring the language and limits of cinema. Fine entertainment.
Despite being a something of a flop when it first appeared, Citizen Kane has long figured on most lists of the 10 best films of all time, and its reputation as one of ... more >
Despite being a something of a flop when it first appeared, Citizen Kane has long figured on most lists of the 10 best films of all time, and its reputation as one of the most dazzling and innovative of all cinematic masterpieces remains untouched from its astonishing editing, memorable performances and remarkable soundtrack (the feature film debut of composer Bernard Herrmann), Orson Welles' classic grows ever younger. This restored edition (on two DVDs) is nigh definitive: along with a beautiful looking (and sounding) print, we have a new fifty minute documentary presented by Barry Norman, Welles' original 1932 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds and an audio commentary by film historian Ken Barnes. Unmissable. < less
Quite possibly the greatest film ever made.No other fim in the history of cinema had so precise use of flashback, not to speak of sound and other cinematographic techn... more >
Quite possibly the greatest film ever made.No other fim in the history of cinema had so precise use of flashback, not to speak of sound and other cinematographic techniques. It is a classic - this film can change lives! < less
There's probably not much else anyone can say about Citizen Kane, but I can be the first to say it on this web-site. Citizen Kane has long been considered as one of th... more >
There's probably not much else anyone can say about Citizen Kane, but I can be the first to say it on this web-site. Citizen Kane has long been considered as one of the, if not THE greatest film ever made. Orson Welles was given total artistic control over it's production and included in his contract was that he should direct, produce and write the film (although there was some controversy over wether Welles actually was responsible for the majority of the writing, as first suggested by Pauline Kael in 1972).
The film utilises many excellent special effects available only to Welles as he had the power, money, and inexperience to know you can't do something, at his disposal. Making this film, technically, very exciting. The plot is nicely conceived, where flashbacks from various points of view are used to tell Kane's life story. < less
