Ok, badmouth it if you want but Citizen Kane is probably the greatest movie ever made. Not my favorite but still a great film. The acting and cinematography are top notch and the screenplay never lets up. The closest thing to a perfect movie.
I was deeply skeptical towards this film for a lot of reasons, but the pacing, editing, and especially the damn DIALOGUE is among the greatest I have ever seen in a movie. Pretty much the most mileage one can get out of a serious biographical drama. It might have been the best movie ever when it came out in 1941; still very impressive today.
A great character study of a man's life. Innovative cinematography, good use of gothic architecture and deep-focus shots. Acting is generally good. Orson Welles is fantastic in general. It could have a bit more fun with the multiple perspectives gimmick; something more Rashamon like perhaps. A classic film; required viewing.
Everyone says Citizen Kane is a classic and it's fair to see why. This film show excellent direction, design, acting and the writing can't really be faulted. Piecing the narrative together from different perspectives works in the film's favour though the answer to the question asked in the beginning is a let down though with all the hype and mystery built up over the whole film it was bound to be. Also this film shows a magnificent sense of scale in it's set pieces, no expense spared.
I assume having not yet watched many films from a similar era that Citizen Kane must have been revolutionary in its techniques. I admit the lighting is fantastic and even by modern technical standards it holds up very well but the story itself comes close to boring. The central characters life is certainly interesting by everyday standards but is it really a story worth telling. It is masterfully told but essentially its just another rise and fall story.
It must've been great seeing this on the big screen when it came out, unencumbered by the weight of the praise Citizen Kane accumulated over the decades and it's status as the greatest movie of all time. Not my favorite, but certainly influential and enjoyable.