Citizen Kane, starring Orson Welles, is a film based on the life of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst, who attempted to destroy the film before it was ever seen by the public. There was a great battle over Citizen Kane that nearly caused its' destruction, but the 24 year old Welles was determined to prevent it. Since its' release in 1941, Citizen Kane has been deemed the best talking picture ever made and in 1998, the American Film Institute (AFI) announced their top 100 movies of all time, naming Citizen Kane number one. In 2007, the list was revised for the 10th anniversary, but Citizen Kane has maintained its' top spot.
After watching this film I can clearly see why it is number one. This film is ahead of its' time with a story about a man's life and the legacy that he leaves behind. A mystery surrounds his dying word "Rosebud", a key believed to unlock the secrets of his life, a life that has been surrounded by endless power, corruption and vanity. This film states how a man's life is measured by others and how others perceive him. There is very little known about Charles Foster Kane and the man he really was. He was a man with everything and yet he had nothing as he lay dying alone in his unfinished pallas.
This film had an award winning screenplay along with amazing cinematography for its' time. It made me cheer for Charles Kane as well as want to see him fall off his pedestal. I felt his pain as well as his joys and was impressed with the amount of substance in the film. This film needs no 3D or special effects. It is brilliant because the dialogue is brilliant and there is no need for any "eye candy". It is intelligent, maybe even too much so for current movie goers because nothing explodes and no one gets brutally murdered. It forced me to think about life and how people try to leave their mark on the world and believe they are indestructible! Imagine! A film that causes me to think! This film about the controversial life of a man with an ending that surprised me to say the least, has truly earned its' spot at number one.
