Citizen Kane

The extremely young Orson Wells co-wrote, directed, and starred in the landmark film Citizen Kane.  It is the essence of film noir and is often mentioned as one of the greatest films ever made, although it has been negatively reviewed by a few critics.  This film is all about technique.  One scene where the camera pulls back from Kane as a child playing in the snow to inside the house where his mother is talking is truly incredible.  Another example is as Kane becomes older and more distant from his wife, the dining room table becomes longer, further separating the two.  At one point the wife is even reading the rival newspaper.  The film revolves around Charles Foster Kane's last dying word, "Rosebud".  No one seems to know what it means regardless how well they knew him during his life.  Thompson is the reporter who digs into Kane's life trying to find the meaning of his dying word.  Throughout the movie, his face is covered in dark lighting.  The men conclude that they will never find out the meaning of the word, but it doesnt matter because one word will not explain a man's life.  The film ends with the camera pulling back to a "No Trespassing" sign.