I was troubled by a lot of aspects of the AFI's 1998 list, but Citizen Kane wasn't one of them; it thoroughly deserved the #1 spot. A magnificent story regarding the search for contentment and happiness among the squalor of cold material things. Kane's search is a paradox in itself; his happiness lies in a single material object - Rosebud - which represents his innocence and carefree happiness of childhood. The irony is that the other material objects he procures in this search only hinder his efforts. Welles' dramatic effects and his symbolic method of storytelling would make Melville proud; he always notes who is in shadow, what music is playing where, what position his characters are in, etc. The best ever.
Review of Citizen Kane
