There's a feeling of elation as you finish watching Citizen Kane, a feeling that you've just witnessed something great, something important. And you just did, because Citizen Kane is one of the best movies of all time, if not the best. In fact, Orson Welles' directorial debut and all-time masterpiece is as close to perfection as movies get.
Citizen Kane is in fact the life of media tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who was an allegory for William Hearst, a newspaper tycoon at the time. The story starts off with Kane's death in his gigantic, extravagantly opulent estate named Xanadu, and the uttering of his dying word: Rosebud. Obviously, the newspapers and the people want to know what Rosebud is, so the media launches an investigation. From this point on, the story follows one journalist as he uncovers the details of Kane's life, told in flashbacks, starting from his young years and following his rise to power and his fall into old age. The narrative is fragmented and complex, but truly fascinating and genuinely interesting. The dialogue is alive and real, the characters are detailed and unique, the story flows and never wavers.
The acting is excellent as well. Orson Welles, the director, also stars as Charles Foster Kane, and he is magnificent. It's one of the most powerful and magnetic performances I've ever witnessed. As he traces Kane's life, starting from his young years to his old age, he portrays him with such perfection that he truly becomes real, and that, for me, is the greatest feat an actor can pull. Also excellent are the supporting actors, from Kane's two wives to his best friend and his colleagues at the newspaper.
Finally, the directing, cinematography, and artwork in this movie are among the best, if not the best I've ever seen. Welles is a master at work: the film opens with vista shots of Xanadu, and they are haunting. Later, the film features a ten minute newsreel which outlines Kane's life, and it's brilliantly executed. And throughout the whole movie, the camerawork is nothing less than a marvel: the angles are perfect, the shot composition is exquisite, and some of the camera movements are simply amazing to behold (like the Susan Alexander nightclub interview scene, where the camera swoops through the roof).
In conclusion, Citizen Kane is nothing less than a masterpiece in moviemaking. At the time, it revolutionised moviemaking, and its effects and influence can still be seen in today's cinematic world.
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