I just finished watching Citizen Kane for the second time since I felt that my expectations for Citizen Kane were too high and too different the first time and therefore I did not enjoy it. But after re-watching it, I have a different opinion.
I will say that the best thing Citizen Kane has going for it is the visuals. Citizen Kane is without a doubt a visual masterpiece. Not only was it visually inventive for its time but to this day it is still visually stunning whether that be the use of shadows, the heavy smoke or the long and interesting takes. I also felt that Orson Welles gave a genuinely good performance, he gave his character a sense of joy at times while also giving him a sense of depression at other times. I was also surprised by how funny this film was, it didn't make me laugh out loud but there are many scenes that provide a needed sense of comic relief.
But unfortunately, they are the only positives I have. The main problems I had with my first viewing are still present. First off, the beginning is full of so much heavy exposition that it made me laugh. I wish they tried to be a bit smarter and work it into the story. At least they didn't do the worst kind of exposition, a character just spurting out facts in a conversation. The acting, except for Orson Welles, is so bland. They all give the same performance, it feels so much like overacting. That really bugged me. The dialogue is even worse. Characters speak like a book, not like real people. You can make the argument that that was how people spoke in the 40's and while that may be true, that just means that that aspect does not hold up anymore. I also felt that the present day scenes were extremely boring. The flashbacks were also boring at times but they had Orson Welles so at least they had something for me to enjoy. That brings me to my biggest problem. At the surface, it looks like Charles Foster Kane is a complex and fleshed out character. But he isn't. In fact, not a single character is fleshed out enough for me to care about them. Kane is interesting but only on the surface. I cared for no one in this movie because there are no good characters. I was emotionally attached to no one, in fact I was attached to nothing at all. Not even the mystery.
Overall, there is no doubt that Citizen Kane is a fantastic film for it's time and what it did for cinema is outstanding and I am grateful that it exists. But as a movie today, it lacks so many ingredients that are required of a great film. It has 1-dimensional characters, mostly bad acting, cringe worthy dialogue, a laughably long and heavy scene of exposition, a story that is compelling at first but veers off course as the film progresses and a depressing tone that wants to make me fall asleep. But Orson Welles gives a standout performance, the scenes of comic relief really work, it is a visually outstanding film that never ceases to please the eye and it is a film that can teach filmmakers (like me) how to craft a great film, in a directorial sense.
I would like to mention that I do not have anything against older films or think they are all boring and/or bad. For example, 12 Angry Men (1957) is, to this day, one of the best films ever created. It is intense, extremely well acted, features brilliant writing and directing and it's visually compelling.
I will say that the best thing Citizen Kane has going for it is the visuals. Citizen Kane is without a doubt a visual masterpiece. Not only was it visually inventive for its time but to this day it is still visually stunning whether that be the use of shadows, the heavy smoke or the long and interesting takes. I also felt that Orson Welles gave a genuinely good performance, he gave his character a sense of joy at times while also giving him a sense of depression at other times. I was also surprised by how funny this film was, it didn't make me laugh out loud but there are many scenes that provide a needed sense of comic relief.
But unfortunately, they are the only positives I have. The main problems I had with my first viewing are still present. First off, the beginning is full of so much heavy exposition that it made me laugh. I wish they tried to be a bit smarter and work it into the story. At least they didn't do the worst kind of exposition, a character just spurting out facts in a conversation. The acting, except for Orson Welles, is so bland. They all give the same performance, it feels so much like overacting. That really bugged me. The dialogue is even worse. Characters speak like a book, not like real people. You can make the argument that that was how people spoke in the 40's and while that may be true, that just means that that aspect does not hold up anymore. I also felt that the present day scenes were extremely boring. The flashbacks were also boring at times but they had Orson Welles so at least they had something for me to enjoy. That brings me to my biggest problem. At the surface, it looks like Charles Foster Kane is a complex and fleshed out character. But he isn't. In fact, not a single character is fleshed out enough for me to care about them. Kane is interesting but only on the surface. I cared for no one in this movie because there are no good characters. I was emotionally attached to no one, in fact I was attached to nothing at all. Not even the mystery.
Overall, there is no doubt that Citizen Kane is a fantastic film for it's time and what it did for cinema is outstanding and I am grateful that it exists. But as a movie today, it lacks so many ingredients that are required of a great film. It has 1-dimensional characters, mostly bad acting, cringe worthy dialogue, a laughably long and heavy scene of exposition, a story that is compelling at first but veers off course as the film progresses and a depressing tone that wants to make me fall asleep. But Orson Welles gives a standout performance, the scenes of comic relief really work, it is a visually outstanding film that never ceases to please the eye and it is a film that can teach filmmakers (like me) how to craft a great film, in a directorial sense.
I would like to mention that I do not have anything against older films or think they are all boring and/or bad. For example, 12 Angry Men (1957) is, to this day, one of the best films ever created. It is intense, extremely well acted, features brilliant writing and directing and it's visually compelling.