Citizen Kane--"Rosebud"

So, you'll notice that you are getting three blog posts this evening. It's taken me awhile to figure this out. Now, on to the review.

Citizen Kane:

It's a pretty high standard to call a movie the greatest movie of all time. You bring a lot of expectation into it. I mean, you don't go into Transformers expecting to be blown away...it's a "summer blockbuster". Not "the greatest movie of all time as judged by people who obviously consider themselves to be experts in the area of film".

That being said, let's get to the point.

I had never seen Citizen Kane before. Had no idea what it was about. Went into it with no information except that if I didn't enjoy it, I was a cinematic dolt. And I did enjoy it. I can see where at the time, it was considered rather groundbreaking, with it's small special effects (aging), the cinematography and set quality, so on. The story itself, interesting. A young man who had been abandoned ends up living his life to encourage the same cycle. He who was thought to have every opportunity ended with nothing, because he just couldn't keep it together. Manipulated as he was manipulated. Filling his life with things and acquisitions, not real relationships. Entering a career on a quest for truth, which then turned into a simple pursuit of power and money. Dying alone, as he spent most of his life. And it all started with that day at the cabin, fighting the cold banker guy with his beloved wooden sled.

Cool things about the movie: the black and white aspect, Orson Welles himself, the loosely veiled reference to William Hearst, the excessive use of the word Xanadu.

Not so cool things: got a little slow, those scenes where he forced his wife to be an opera star were pretty painful, after a while, you get the point he's out of control...let's wrap it up, folks.

And I will admit that if the movie had ended without telling me what "Rosebud" was, my head would have probably exploded.

All in all, a great start.