Citizen Kane
Inevitably, when a film gets universally lauded for years as 'the greatest American film ever made', people will come out of the woodwork online to cry 'bulls***'. Partly because seventy five plus years later, many great films have been made. Hell, Vertigo has displaced it on many critics lists. Partly because of the online phenomenon of people being unable to watch the film and taking into account the era it was made in, the films that were being made at the time and its place as a historical artefact. Sure these days, with the advances in screen technology, the improved camera and new techniques developed in the 75+ years since its release, it can even look a little primitive. The rest can be put down to either personal tastes or the small number of movie hipsters who always seem to hate anything well regarded and are fond of the overused 'overrated' one word review.
The fact is, Kane is still a highly entertaining, well paced slice of cinema. It looks modern enough not to have dated too badly. Welles went to town on the picture with his DP Gregg Toland creating a picture that looks well ahead of its time. Herman J. Mankiewicz jigsaw puzzle script that looks at the life of Kane through the perspectives of people who knew him. Going back and forth in time rewards the viewer who pays attention to its details. I first saw this on TV as a kid and I've been a fan ever since. I'm glad to say it still holds up.
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