Citizen Kane (1941)

So this is such a great film, but also one that I've done a little more research into and the story of its creation and release is as interesting a story as any I've heard. I've found this to be true of a lot of films; sometimes I turn my nose up at a movie or don't "get" all the hype about a film until I start reading other reviews and do a little more homework. Then I find that there are certain historical contexts or literary symbolism tools that I just don't keep handy, if I ever knew them. The allegory of William Randolph Hearst is critical to understanding the genesis of this film, regardless of the liberties that Welles took in poking at the media giant, at great risk to his career aspirations.
Further examination revealed that Welles was regarded as a savant; he revolutionized the way movies were filmed, the use of light and camera angles, and other tradecraft that was apparently way, way ahead of its time. As always, I don't claim to be an expert. And I'm sure some of you can set me straight or provide more detail, but the bottom line is that this is a gorgeous film to watch, an American tragedy, and I usually list it at the top of my all-time list. Hence its entry as #1 on this blog.