Citizen Kane
1940. Alone at his fantastic estate known as Xanadu, 70-year-old Charles Foster Kane dies, uttering only the single word Rosebud. So ends the odyssey of a life ... and begins a fabulous tale of the rise to wealth and power--and ultimate fall--of a complex man: A boy abandoned by his parents inherits a fortune, builds a global newspaper empire and aspires to become President of the United States, but he loses everything over an affair with an untalented nightclub singer. This fascinating story unfolds through the eyes of the people important to the tycoon—each showing a different aspect of Citizen Kane. Frequently regarded as the best American film ever made; winner of an Academy Award® for Best Writing, Original Screenplay; and nominated for an additional eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.
Better than expected @Blue eyes 320
I had to watch this movie for my art class, and it was much better than what I thought it would be. I especially love how it ended.
Honestly Fantastic @Buisinesman
Let's get something straight. I am not a professor of film nor am I a film hipster saying only movies like 2001: A Space Odyssey are good. I'm just a 15 year old who loves movies. I thought I'd see this one for it's historical significance and how much my favorite critic, Roger Ebert, loves it. I wasn't anticipating it to blow my mind; I just wanted to sat I saw the greatest movie ever. And you know what? I wasn't disappointed. This was a great movie with a superb story, style, and actors. I can definitely see why people love it so much. Is it the greatest movie of all time? I won't make that claim, but there are definitely reasons to think so. Happy birthday, Citizen Kane. We'll always have room for you in our movie collection.
True Greatness @BarbleGarble
This is truly a masterpiece of both American and world cinema. Every frame of every scene is left in the movie for a reason. There is no wasted celluloid here. It succeeds visually, dramatically, and artistically. It revolutionized the way movies were both made and viewed. What makes the story of this movie even more astonishing is that Welles was 27 years old when making this film (which was his feature debut, by the way). It is a true work of art, in every sense of the phrase, and should be viewed by anyone and everyone. If anyone tries to tell you that Citizen Kane is not one of the best movies they have ever seen, pay no heed to anything they say, for they obviously lack the mental capacity to truly enjoy great cinema.
THE GREATEST MOVIE OF ALL TIME! @Broken Headphones
What is it about "Citizen Kane" that makes it a truly one-of-kind masterpiece? Is it the epic, yet tragic, story of Charles Foster Kane, an enormously powerful media mogul who lives in total solitude? Is it the way both his public and personal lives are told: through a series of haunting, yet surreal, flashbacks? Or is it the iconic line he constantly mutters to himself that still rings in the depths of our memories to this day: "Rosebud"? Whatever the case may be, the tale of the man who once had everything and lost it all in the blink of an eye remains a staple of cinematic entertainment 70 years later. And just as everything good seems to ripen with age, I know that the great Orson Welles's crowning achievement will continue to delight generation after generation for many years to come.
Unconquerably great! Rewards re-watching! @MR.ALARM
You may have heard that this is one of the greatest American movies or THE greatest ever made. It is - visually, artistically beautiful with 'every frame worth noting' - audios, with overlapping dialogue - narratively, with a story told about one man by several of his friends or foes - but also an enjoyable and entertaining film, which not all "greatest ever" films can claim (Battleship Potemkin and 2001: A Space Odyssey are great films but I don’t enjoy them much as entertainment). Orson Welles is also such a great actor, his bigger than life persona fills the role perfectly. He’s also a great writer and director, and rightly deserves all the credit he gets, despite what Pauline Kael has written about his not doing much of the screenplay. Bravo! Try as DePalma, Coppola and Scorsese do, they've yet to match let alone top this one. Only, see it in a theater on a big screen if you can, it's such a great visual film it needs a big view.