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One of the best movies of all time (A.F.I.'s first pick out of the top 100), Citizen Kane was the brainchild of Orson Welles. And remains, now, one of my favorite movies of all time.
CITIZEN KANE
Movie: 10/10
Not many people have seen this movie, I mean, almost every film buff has, but not the everyday person. They don't know what they are missing. If they viewed this film, they would find one of the most influental films of all time (in tone and technique) with one of the most simple, however, classic storylines. Welles deserved to be called the first independent filmmaker of all time. The story follows Charles Foster Kane, a newspaper publisher, through his life from his childhood to his mysterous death. One of the most famous people in the world, Kane's life is analyzed to find the meaning of his last word: "Rosebud". A reporter talks to his friends, co-workers, and lovers to determine what the dying Kane ment as we view his life through a flashback. From a newspaper publisher, to a politician, and finally to the owner of Xanadu, what we find is a man searching for love on his own terms and his American dream. Welles' screenplay, direction, and performance are all rock solid and this film remains a classic. The acting is great all around (Joseph Cotten comes to mind as Kane's childhood friend) and there is not one flaw in this film. It must be seen by everyone. End of story.
Video: 10/10
Perfect for the age of the picture, it is spotless. It's full screen (I don't think there was widescreen back then) and it looks absolutely glorious.
Audio: 7/10
Not too shabby for being such an old flick, mono. The only thing that dogs this puppy is the out of sync that plagues a few scenes, this is not the transfer, just how things panned out when the film was put together.
Extras: 10/10
Contains a superb two hour documentary, two commentaries by Ebert and a Welles biographer (his name escapes me right now) which are both informative in their own way, along with other goodies such as trailers and footage from the premiere. My favorite of the extras has to be the documentary, it's absolute perfection. No wonder it was up for an Oscar. Great stuff.
Overall: 10/10
Worth buying just for the flick (if not the documentary). BUY IT AND SEE IT NOW! (I'm now hooked on Welles, I'll probably post a review of The Third Man and The Lady from Shanghai soon). HE IS A GOD! (From Wisconsin too....) Also coming soon will be reviews of Episode I, The Godfather DVD Collection, The Simpsons DVD Collection, Final Fantasy, and On The Waterfront. STAY TUNED!
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