From Mr. Thompson:

The first time I saw Citizen Kane, I was eighteen years old and in my first year at college. I had always loved movies and wanted to be involved in them. And I had been raised on great movies like The Manchurian Candidate, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and High Noon by my parents. But Citizen Kane was different. I saw it in a lecture hall, sitting somewhere near the back of the auditorium...

...and I was completely mesmerized.

Was it the greatest movie I'd ever seen? It depends on what you mean by the word "greatest." It wasn't my favorite nor the the most enjoyable movie I'd ever seen. I didn't have a big emotional reaction to it. But I still remember walking out into the daylight (it was a morning class) and blinking from the brightness and realizing that I had just witnessed something incredible: daring, beautiful, and inimitable. Every time I've seen it since, I grow increasingly amazed. And the significance of "Rosebud" has stayed with me ever since.

Citizen Kane shows up on most lists as the greatest movie of all time, but you won't think so. If you're lucky, you'll catch a glimpse of its innovation and artistry. Most students enjoy it but come away disappointed nonetheless because they expect more from "the greatest film of all time." "What's the big deal?" you'll probably say. Some of this will be due to the fact that so many films since then have copied Kane that much of its ingenuity might seem a little stale to you. Yet virtually everything in this film -- and I mean everything -- was revolutionary at the time.

This is why I always have mixed feelings about showing this film to students. It is quite possibly the most important film ever made, not just from a technical standpoint but for its impact on culture, and it definitely has a strong argument to make for being the greatest movie ever made. I mean, if you've paid attention at all this year, then there should be a certain amount of "game recognize game." So, I have to show it, right? Yet that title creates this impossible expectation for students who want "the greatest movie ever made" to have a much deeper personal or emotional impact like a Pixar or Marvel movie. So, maybe I shouldn't show it? All I can say is I truly, truly hope that you...

...enjoy Orson Welles' seminal 1941 masterpiece, Citizen Kane.