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Written by Administrator
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Sunday, 26 December 2004 22:05 |
Movie
 By some,
it's been called the greatest movie of all-time. By others (including myself at
one time), it's been called the most overrated movie of all-time. Both sides
can probably make a legit argument, but after a second viewing, I'm starting to
lean more towards "greatest" rather than "most overrated."
Citizen
Kane is directed by Orson Welles who also plays the main role, Charles Foster
Kane. Pretty much based on the real life of newspaper mogul William Randolph
Hearst, Citizen Kane is the story of a young man who rises from running one
newspaper to becoming the most important voice in American media. The movie
opens with his last words - Rosebud - before he breathes his last breath. A
group of reporters spend much of the rest of the time revisiting Kane's past
trying to figure out what exactly "Rosebud" is referring to.
Many
modern movies draw from Citizen Kane. The storyline to one of my favorite
movies - Scarface - is eerily similar to that of Citizen Kane when you really
think about it. The composition of the shots and the sheer beauty of the
lighting is something that many modern movies would do well to try to copy.
So, now
it's time for the big question. Is it the greatest movie of all time? In my
opinion... no, it's not the greatest movie of all-time. I'd much rather watch the
Godfather, but you could argue that it's the most well-made movie of all-time
and I doubt I'd disagree. It's amazing how little they had to work with in
1941, yet how superior this looks and feels to 99% of any movies you'll see in
theaters or rent on dvd today even though today's filmmakers have all the tools
in the world.
Video
& Sound
As I
stated earlier, the composition of the shots are one of the things that remains
the most memorable about Citizen Kane. Almost each and every shot in the film
looks as though it has a meaning or a purpose. The dvd is presented in the
original theatrical aspect of 1:33 to 1 (full frame). The pictures look
incredibly clean and sharp for a movie that's nearly 65 years old. In fact, if
it weren't for the black and white, you probably wouldn't be able to guess this
movie was as old as it was.
Extras
Really,
there are only a few extras on this double disc package, but they include two
of the greatest extras ever. The first is an Oscar-nominated documentary, The Battle
Over Citizen Kane. Much of the documentary focuses on the controversy between
Orson Welles and William Randolph Hearst, who was so upset by the movie that he
attempted to buy every copy of the negative and have it burned. To be
completely honest, I love the movie Citizen Kane, but I think I may have
enjoyed this documentary even more. While Orson Welles has long since passed
away, they have archive footage of him and many other people involved with the
making of the movie as well as people who knew or knew much of William Randolph
Hearst. Without the movie, this documentary would jump into my top 10
documentaries of all-time, so to have it added in a package with one of the
greatest movies ever made makes it even more of a steal.
The next
great extra is the first of two commentary tracks featuring film critic Roger
Ebert. He does an excellent job of giving you just a ton of background
information. The second commentary track by Welles biographer Peter Bogdanovich
isn't quite as good partially because of his soft spoken, monotone voice and
partially because he just doesn't have as much interesting information to add
as does Ebert.
Also
included on the first disc is some footage from the Citizen Kane premiere. While
it's slightly cool, it's just footage with no real information being presented
to you. Looking at the theatrical trailer is interesting although I've seen it
before in one of my film classes in college. It's funny to see how long old
trailers used to run. Also included is an assortment of storyboards, call
sheets, still photos, deleted scenes, ad campaigns, press book, and opening
night.
Closing
Thoughts...
A great
movie, no doubt. Does it live up to all the hype and expectations? I have my
own opinion, but each and every person will probably have a slightly different
answer to that question. If you are at all a fan of classic movies and you
haven't seen Citizen Kane, do yourself a favor and give it a look.
Overall
Score
Movie - 9
Video
& Sound - 8
Extras -
10
Overall -
9
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Last Updated on Sunday, 26 December 2004 22:30 |
