It's not a perfect movie, though it does have some worthwhile aspects. Following the death of an American newspaper publisher with political goals (Orson Welles), his family members and colleagues were interviewed as one reporter attempted to understand the significance of his final word, “Rosebud.” "Citizen Kane" (1941) marked Welles’ debut as a feature film director, which he co-wrote alongside others when he was just 25 years old, using actors who were largely unknown at the time, like Joseph Cotton. Many respected critics consider it to be "the greatest movie ever made," and it was, for example, Roger Ebert's personal favorite. The character of Charles Foster Kane and his impressive estate, Xanadu, drew inspiration from media figures such as William Randolph Hearst and his unrealized Hearst Castle project. This naturally brings comparisons to Elvis Presley and Graceland, Michael Jackson and Neverland, and Donald Trump and Trump Tower (or whatever). From a technical standpoint, there's much to appreciate, including filmmaking techniques that were innovative for their era, like unusual camera angles, lens distortion, and creative use of flashbacks. For instance, ceilings weren’t typically shown in films before this because microphones were positioned there; however, Welles incorporated numerous scenes shot from low angles where the ceiling is clearly visible. There are also some compelling ways to look at the story, primarily two main interpretations that seem to be contradictory: One perspective suggests a person's essence remains an ultimate mystery based on various subjective viewpoints, while another proposes that someone’s life can be understood through a key piece of information. In Kane’s case, this clue relates to lost innocence, the security of childhood, a mother’s affection, and the absence of responsibility. In terms of entertainment value, the movie begins with energy and has some memorable moments, such as a lively dance sequence, Kane's political aspirations, and the emptiness of Xanadu’s halls, along with human interest elements like his relationship with an amateur opera singer. However, I often found it to be dull. I simply didn’t find Kane to be a captivating character, so I couldn’t really understand the fascination with trying to decipher his life. That said, it's far from being a terrible film. When considering the greatest movies ever made, I prefer films like “Apocalypse Now,” “Runaway Train,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” “Dead Poets Society,” “The Mothman Prophecies,” “Watchmen,” “The Green Mile,” “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home,” “Dances with Wolves,” “The Horse Whisperer,” “Lucy,” “Troy,” “One-Eyed Jacks,” “Mutiny on the Bounty” (1962), “Tarzan and His Mate,” and “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” The film has a running time of 1 hour, 59 minutes, and was filmed in Southern California and New York. GRADE: B-/C+

Source on TMDB