Citizen Kane
*“I think it would be fun to run a newspaper”
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For something to be considered timeless, it often must transcend many barriers. Focusing on a topic that is too topical often dates the work and severely undermines its longevity.
To draw a quick comparison to music, many of the most celebrated albums of all time are usually extraordinarily broad or thematically universal; this, no doubt, contributes to their “classic” status.
Citizen Kane exemplifies this very idea with its central theme, an idea so basic yet so true to life, and a perfectly executed story.
Orson Welles captivates here, and this is probably the best lead-actor-director film ever.
(edit: I have just remembered that Spike Lee’s Do The Right Thing exists mb)
There are other great performances as well, particularly that of Joseph Cotten (Jedediah Leland)
Perhaps this one isn’t flashy, but it really doesn’t need to be; it’s strictly business and utilizes the 2-hour runtime perfectly.
(5/5)