Review of Citizen Kane (1941) by Maxwell S — 03 Oct 2012

I've always been into the techniques and visuals of a film, rather than the story itself. This film has a story than absorbs me than nearly every film, which should mean quite a lot considering what I'm about to say. Which is that this film is so beautiful, not essentially in like "every frame is like a photograph" like "Days of Heaven" or something, but just in how brilliantly set up everything is. A film that needs to be analyzed around a million times in order to get it fully. While all images are thoroughly powerful, it's just astonishing on how much there is put into this film without loosing it's literacy for even a millisecond, and it's cinemas most literate film. A masterpiece if there ever was one, and maybe the only film to say that about and it actually means that. While there may be films I like better than "Citizen Kane", there are only around 10 films that I could honestly call "greater" than the almighty "Citizen Kane". If you find this film boring, or you thought the story was "okay" and don't quite get it, just watch a lot of films considered "important" and come back to it. If you still feel somewhat the same, then you are not insightful enough for cinema. There is far to much to say on the elements of structure, technique, it's revolutionary aspects, acting, atmosphere, etc., but it's never going to be fully understood, considering the generations are getting more and more stupid.

Unquestionably the greatest American film ever made.

P.S. I prefer The Third Man.