Some movies are above the standard label of "movie." Yes, even the truly great works like Casablanca (1942) and The Godfather (1972) are at their hearts merely movie pictures, but they are also so much more. Truly, movies such as these have earned their own spots on Movie Olympus where they will be worshipped by the cult of cinephiles for decades to come. Yet if these movies are Hades and Poseidon, there is still a vacancy for the spot of chief Olympian: Zeus... well, any good film buff can tell you what the Zeus of cinema is: Citizen Kane (1941)
I think that objectively the opening seconds of Citizen Kane (1941) may be the most iconic scene in film history, the extreme close up on Kane's lips, the slow whisper mixed with subtle death rattle and the utterance of the first great movie "twist/mystery": "Rosebud."
From there we get a beautiful news reel that relates some of the big events of Charles Foster Kane's life, and Welles dives head first into the plot... and talk about a plot. The movie is mainly flashbacks with a framing device of a group of journalists trying to uncover the meaning of Kane's dying word.
The script is tight as a snare drum. From the very beginning Rosebud is in our face, but Welles hides it under snow, pressed against a man's chest, etc. And despite moving at a rapid pace, the dialogue is sharper than most motion pictures I've ever taken in, and yet it all seems so... not a movie. As bizarre and abnormal as it sounds this movie seems to transcend it's status to become more than a movie, but a slice of culture itself. I know I'm just gushing right now, worse than Chris Matthews the first time he heard Obama speak, but I think anybody who has seen this movie will understand.
Beyond the script, which I truly believe ranks amongst the finest of all time, the direction and Camerawork is riveting. Welles was truly ahead of the curve when it came to converging angles, pans, really everything he does here is among the finest that those techniques have been used, making it hard to believe that Citizen Kane is turning 70 next year. The shots are fresh and bold, exciting and daring. I don't really know if there's anything I can insult.
But scripts and direction are useless unless there are quality actors reading said script and follow said directions and... this movie cornered the market on quality performances. Everyone from Welles as Kane right down to Guy standing on the corner #3 the acting is better than a good chunk of all other movies. But Welles Kane steals this movie, so egotistical, so driven, so charming, and so slimy that you can't help but loather him and respect him. You cheer for him during his rise, but you also smile at his fall. A truly balanced and incredible performance in every sense of the word.
I could prattle on and on like a school girl about this film and it's greatness for multiple posts, but dear readers I won't. I will wrap it up with the following recommendation and all the praise I can heap on this movie. If you haven't seen this movie, rush out and watch it, if you have seen it... watch it again, it'll be worth it.
Dr. Brooklyn says: LIKE this movie (10/10)
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