Citizen Kane AFI No. 1 / Luke’s Lightning Reviews #citizenkane #classicmovies

Added: 2026-05-17

[00:00:00]I finally finished the AFI top 100 and it ends with a question. What is Rosebud? Citizen Kane takes one simple word and builds an entire film around it. What is Rosebud? Who is Rosebud? Why is Rosebud?

[00:00:15]And Orson Welles delivers in every conceivable way. The performance, the direction, the presence on screen, it all feels years ahead of its time.

[00:00:25]But what really stands out is how the story unfolds. You're not just watching Charles Foster Kane's life. You're piecing it together through the people that knew him, the decisions he made, and the moments that defined him.

[00:00:38]And with each new perspective, the picture becomes clearer, but never complete. And that's what makes this film so fascinating. It's not trying to hand you a clean answer. It's asking you to sit with the complexity of a man who had everything, but still lost something he could never replace.

[00:00:55]And the structure, the storytelling, the way it builds off that opening, it all feels groundbreaking even by today's standards. And then you get to that ending. And it leaves you with just enough to form your own conclusions.

[00:01:11]It's easy to see why when people are asked what the greatest film of all time is, that answer is frequently Citizen Kane.

[00:01:19]Let me know what you think about Citizen Kane. Follow along for more movie and TV reviews. Until next time, I'll see y'all later.