Just got done watching Citizen Kane on DVD. I had never seen this classic, and 
with all the recent play from the AFI, I knew that I needed to watch the movie that was twice ranked #1 of all time.
As a person who appreciates innovative ways of storytelling, I immediately knew that Orson Welles’ directing methods were radical for it’s time. Bold techniques such as revealing the full storyline at the beginning of the film using montage sequence… or shooting the main characters from below looking up — it’s all stuff that looks basic today but practically made Welles a Hollywood outcast when this film was released back in 1941.
With that said, I guess I fell prey to the usual trap I call the Napolean Dynamite Trap. This is when a movie that is seen by everyone else first becomes so built up with anticipation, that when I finally see the movie it tends to be a bit of a let-down (read: Little Miss Sunshine). Not that Citizen Kane was a let-down by any means, but when AFI touts it as #1 movie of all time (twice), you can’t help but expect the unexpected.
I’ll need to let this one sit with me for a day or so (I just got done watching the movie). Make no mistake, this is a GOOD movie, just not the best of all time.
I need to collect my thoughts — stay tuned.
Grade: B+
