1941: Citizen Kane: What Makes A Masterpiece?

Citizen Kane is one of the most important films ever made. It is shown in every film class, adored by professors, and loved by film buffs. But why? What makes Citizen Kane such a great film? How did the use of Deep Focus, or the floating, mobile camera, change cinema? What Orson Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland created was truly revolutionary. But what was the big deal? What exactly made the film so groundbreaking? This video explores the cinematic influences on Citizen Kane and how it changed cinema. Thanks for watching One Hundred Years of Cinema, I will be writing a video essay on at least one film every year from 1915 onwards to track the evolution of cinema over the past century.