Cheap Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition) (DVD) (Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten) (Orson Welles) Price

Related Products

Customer Reviews of Citizen Kane (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Citizen Kane
There has probably been more pearls of wisdom cast at CITIZEN KANE than any other movie. I just did a book search on the title here on Amazon and came up with 43 results. There are `Perspectives on,' `Focus on,' `Casebook on' and a `Making of' or two, as well as a waggish `Raising Kane.' Tossing out the strays - Jeffrey Archer's `Kane and Abel,' for instance -- that haven't a thing to do with Orson Welles' masterpiece, you're still left with a shelf full of books on the movie. And that doesn't even begin to count the magazine and journal articles. <
> <
> So what's a rube to do? Any `insight' I might offer on CITIZEN KANE has undoubtedly been gurgitated and regurgitated a dozen time. The best I can come up with is this: The last time I saw this it was a cheap vhs tape and I remember disliking it quite a bit. The Warners' Home Video disk is extremely clean and the movie benefits tremendously. You've really got to watch a clean print of this one to appreciate it. This will never be my favorite movie - or even my favorite Orson Welles movie - but I've watched it three times (the disk has a separate commentary track with Peter Bogdanovich and Roger Ebert) and I've seen something new in it each time. Not just because the commentators point it out, either, although the commentaries help in appreciating the nuances of Welles' direction and Gregg Toland's camera-work. <
> <
>The two-hour long `The Battle Over Citizen Kane' documentary on disk two, an episode of PBS's `American Experience,' gives a welcome and complete overview of the controversy surrounding the production and distribution of the movie. The clutch of specials on disk one - ad campaigns, call sheets, etc. - are interesting but, unlike the `Battle' on disk two, unessential. CITIZEN KANE, however, is essential viewing for anyone with an involved interest in movies beyond the current hits. I didn't love it, but after watching it three times in a short span I can now appreciate why it's considered by many the greatest movie ever made. <
>

---

Overrated?
I've seen Citizen Kane three times now, and there is no question that its arrival in Hollywood had to be greeted with the same kind of bewilderment one would expect from going back in time and giving the Incas a microwave. Its technological advancements are notable as the artistic talents of the director still us dazzle today. The choice of camera angles, the settings for the scenes, and the entire idea of a film-long treatment of a man's psychological makeup illustrates just how innovative and unique this classic is. The "rosebud" mystery holds our attention throughout. Outside of the film itself, the history of its production and release is nearly as interesting as what transpires on the screen. Frankly, I was surprised that Hearst did not sue Orson Welles for defamation, but then I read an article showcasing all the differences between the life of W. Randolph Hearst and those of Charles Foster Kane; so now I'm not sure what to think about the controversy. Anyway, it adds another level of allure to this masterpiece. <
> <
>Citizen Kane is a powerful film that deserves to be studied for another century or more. I recommend it, but, in my opinion, it is not close to being the greatest film of all time. Although its worth is undeniable, I can only place it in my Top 30 list. It manages to be brilliant and overrated, which is as difficult and unprecedented a combination as there may be. Others from the period, like Casablanca and The Maltese Falcon outshine the Welles effort.

---

I can't believe some reviews!
If you think the Da Vinci Code is = to Hamlet, don't buy this picture. Stalone and Arnold's garbage is not here. This is one of the best pictures ever made, full of meaning and criticism about life and power. Leave this kind of pictures to people who really care and are interested in Art Cinema. If you really love good cinema, this is a great DVD, don't let it go.