Film of the decade

Not just the film of the decade, but for many film-makers and critics the finest film of the century, Citizen Kane (1941) marked…

Not just the film of the decade, but for many film-makers and critics the finest film of the century, Citizen Kane (1941) marked an astonishingly assured and accomplished debut for the 25-year-old Orson Welles, its director, co-writer and star, who plays a newspaper magnate modelled on William Randolph Hearst in this riveting reflection on the corrupting force of money and power. One of those rare films which reveal more on every viewing, it proved hugely influential in its use of deep-focus photography (lit by the great Gregg Toland), complex flashbacks structure and overlapping dialogue. This virtuoso film was achieved with a wealth of ambition, imagination, talent and sheer bravado.