Since its release, Citizen Kane has been widely regarded by many critics, filmmakers & filmgoers around the world as the greatest film of all time. And while I agree to an extent that, purely on the technical front, it may be the most influential film ever made but specifically on a narrative scale, there are better examples out there.

Nevertheless, there is no denying that it is a boldly crafted picture that not only defied almost every moviemaking convention prevalent during its era but also ended up completely rewriting the filmmaking manual in the process. The plot concerns a publishing tycoon whose death makes the news reporters scramble around to discover the meaning of his final utterance.

While there is a lot to take in here, the best part about this film remains its stupefying cinematography and the overall structure of its narrative while the worst is, in simple words & in my opinion, an insufferably boring story. The pace is so painfully lethargic that it actually took me six unsuccessful attempts to finish it. But once I got past the finish line, it proved to be bit better in hindsight than what I was anticipating & dreading beforehand.

The film captures an unusual portrait of a larger-than-life character, told through different viewpoints, and is wonderfully assisted by its carefully penned script, innovative sharp focus photography, non-linear narration, inventive use of make-up, sound & transition effects, splendid score and a strong central performance from Orson Welles, both in front & behind the camera.

On an overall scale, Citizen Kane is arguably the most technically impressive & experimental film of its era that has managed to stand the test of time over the years and in many ways deserves its spot amongst world cinema's most influential & important works. While Welles' debut feature didn't leave me spellbound or speechless, its significance to the cinematic medium remains as mysterious & profound as the symbolism behind the word "Rosebud".