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Often called The Greatest Motion Picture Of All Time (and judging by today's standards in Hollywood, its spot atop AFI's Top 100 Films Of All-Time certainly seems secure), just what is it that is so great about Citizen Kane? Perhaps the question should be, what is it that isn't so great about Citizen Kane? While certainly the classical Hollywood narrative was experiencing its own golden era at the time Kane was made - Hollywood had already turned out such classics as The Wizard of Oz and Gone With The Wind - it was the giant steps forward both narratively and formally. Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland took great risks with Kane, and advancing the medium a great leap forward was their reward

If you've never seen Kane, or had to study it in school, it is almost impossible to explain its importance or impact. In fact, many people don't actually even enjoy the all that much, or prefer some of Welles' other pictures more. My advice? Ignore what I say, and just see the film and read up. Perhaps no other film in history has been so endlessly analyzed, discussed, debated and revered. Countless texts and tomes have been written on what Welles was able to accomplish with Kane (in his debut film, no less) and are far more accomplished than I. And while I might personally prefer some of Welles' other work - the art film masquerading as b-movie exploitation that was Touch Of Evil, or the sheer emotional grandeur of The Magnificent Ambersons - I am still most in awe of Kane.

But enough of my rambling...probably everyone reading this already loves it, so let's just get on with the disc. One of the most-requested and anticipated DVDs of all time, Warner has committed great time, energy and talent into producing what should be the finest presentation of the film yet available on home video. Have they succeeded?

Video: How Does The Disc Look?

Having gone to film school, I can safely attest to the fact that I've probably seen all or most of Citizen Kane over a hundred times now, in all manner of prints and transfers - some good, some bad, none exceptional. It is a sad fact that the original negative of Citizen Kane has long been lost, and will probably never be recovered even if it still exists. Past video versions of the film have largely been good considering the elements available, and certainly watchable. But recently, Warner uncovered a new fine grain master positive of Citizen Kane never before seen, and set about preparing for a 60th Anniversary limited theatrical run as well as this DVD. And the results are terrific - I've never seen Kane look better.

Presented in its original 1.37;1 theatrical aspect ratio, the most striking characteristic of this new print is how clean it is. Nary a blemish, nick or scratch is to be found, and there seemed to be no problem areas, sequences or scenes that were inconsistent from the rest. Amazing. The print is also incredibly smooth and free of grain, and I've seen modern black and white films that don't look as sparkling as this. Blacks overall are quite deep and solid, with rich contrast and none of the sharp falloff into black that usually mars films of this vintage. The sense of depth is also striking; in all my many viewings of Kane, I've never seen such fine detail. Textures, fabrics and backgrounds now contain a clarity I've never noticed before, and shadow delineation is very good.

If there are any drawbacks to the transfer, it is our unyielding nemesis, edge enhancement. Though not excessive, there is some employed, most noticeable on highly-contrasted shots. Check out chapter 3, "Rosebud Dead Or Alive" and notice some of the halos around the actors in deep shadow. A bit of ringing can be seen, and though not terribly distracting it is too bad there is any at all. There is also little fading to be found in a few shots and the slightest of wavering of contrast in a few scenes, though hardly unusual for any film 60 years old. But aside form these minor caveats, this new print is an amazing find, and I think Kane-o-philes will be blown away. If you've never seen Citizen Kane, don't even bother unless it is either this new DVD or one of the 60th Anniversary screenings.

Audio: How Does the Disc Sound?

Warner has decided to forgo any sort of new stereo or surround remix for Citizen Kane, instead restoring the film's original English soundtrack in all its monophonic glory. And thank goodness for that - no processed surround sound, newly-recorded effects, gimmicky dialogue misplacement, or over-inflated low end. Just an amazingly pure mono track that, like the image, has never sounded better.

First up, this is a mono track, so envelopment will never be engaging, and dynamic range and fidelity are limited. However, the audio elements have been thoroughly cleaned up, and the results are readily apparent. There is little to no harshness, hiss, noise or distortion, aside form a few isolated effects (most notably the opening newsreel sequence). It is amazing how fresh the dialogue sounds - past versions have often sounded excessively tinny, or as if they were recorded in a vacuum. While these rehabbed elements still exhibit the theatrical nature of the original recordings and performances, they sound fuller and more pleasing than my old videotape and the recent Region 4 DVD. The music and effects also somehow feel more organic, more warm and a tad fuller. Bass is still rather weak, though far better than a film of this vintage has a right to. Overall, a reference-quality mono mix.

Also included are English, French, Spanish and Portuguese subtitles, and English Closed Captions.

Supplements: What Goodies Are There?

Given that Citizen Kane is now sixty years old, the fact that there are any supplements available at all is a surprise, and the fact that they are as informative and enlightening as this is a real thrill. While some of the material included here will likely be familiar to Kane and Welles enthusiasts, there is much that is new, too. The supplements are split over two discs and served by simple but classy , with the majority of the extras to be found on the first platter. I don't know who the producers of this disc are as there are no credits on the packaging, but I'd like to pay them kudos for an informative, extensive buffet of material.

To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the film, Warner has produced two new screen-specific audio commentaries, with filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich and film critic and author Roger Ebert. Bogdanovich has that well-mannered, studied and somewhat dry tone of a film professor - inspiring both love and hate deep down inside me - and his commentary offers a bit of everything. A methodical, sometimes slow track, Bogdanovich focuses primarily on the technical, such as the setting up of shots, the progressive narrative, and some of the more unusual and oft-copied photographic innovations Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland pioneered. However, as Bogdanovich had a longtime association with Welles (and even lived with the somewhat reclusive filmmaker along with then-girlfriend Cybil Sheppard) he throws in a number of personal Welles recollections that often blindside you. A very good track.

Likely more appealing to the casual moviegoer than the Bogdanovich track will be Roger Ebert's own full-length commentary. Faster and more light-on-its-feet, but no less informative, Ebert has a very easygoing, entertaining manner, and is often near-giddy discussing what he often calls his favorite film of all time. Admittedly, I'm a bit suspicious of commentaries by anyone other than those involved with the actual film, but Ebert's love for the medium shows through, offering very valuable insight into why Kane stands as such an important cinematic work,. Actually more thorough than Bogdanovich, Ebert is thankfully never condescending or didactic in his persuasion. Great fun.

Also included is a super but short RKO Newsreel of the film's gala 1941 premiere, running only a little more than 1 minute. Alas, I'd love for this to be longer, as I believe these vintage newsreels are amazing time capsules, but thank goodness for small favors. The film's very entertaining original theatrical trailer, hosted by Orson Welles himself, is presented in full frame and mono, and in surprisingly good condition. The last of the video material on disc one is a hidden 8-minute interview with actor Ruth Warrick for you treasure hunters. If you know what Rosebud means, you should be able to find this one...

Up next are multiple still galleries, all automated and paced a little too fast, so get that pause button ready. "The Production" is divided into three sections - "Storyboards," "Call Sheets," and "Still gallery" - with a total runtime of nearly 15 minutes. The "Storyboards" section is a mishmash, with frames from various scenes or sequences, as well as a couple of storyboard-to- final-shot comparisons. The "Call Sheets" are slight and only run a bit over a minute, so most engaging is "Still Gallery," which is narrated by Roger Ebert and runs 10 minutes. I've never seen most of these images, though oddly it is timed to run quite a bit shorter than Ebert's narrative. The second section of galleries is entitled"Post Production,," which runs about 5 minutes total. "Deleted scenes" features storyboards and a few rare photographs of deleted material, including the infamous "brothel scene" cut from the final film due to censorship by the Hayes Code. Other galleries include "Ad campaign," which features images from the original 1941 and 1950 re-release campaign, the full original "Press Book," and "Opening Night" guest lists and correspondence.

Rounding out the text supplements are four sections of fairly basic Production Notes - "In The Beginning," "On The Set," "Postscripts" and "Awards & Honors." There is also a separate Cast & Crew List, as well as a simple Orson Welles Filmography on disc two. No DVD-ROM extras are provided aside from a simple text weblink.

That leads us to what may be the best supplement on the disc, the 113-minute documentary The Battle Over Citizen Kane. Taken directly from The American Experience television broadcast hosted by David McCullough (complete with pre- and post-show adverts and rather annoying commercial break transitions) the documentary is presented in full frame and English 2.0 Stereo, complete with English subtitles, Closed Captions and chapter stops. It is little surprise that The Battle Over Citizen Kane was nominated for the 1995 Best Documentary Academy Award - only that it didn't win. Filmmakers Thomas Lennon and Michael Epstein have done an excellent job of documenting the chess game between Welles, RKO Pictures and media magnet William Randolph Hearst that ensued over the over the production of Citizen Kane, and this ranks as one of the finest docs ever made on the making of a film.

What is perhaps most impressive about The Battle Over Citizen Kane is not just how expertly produced, edited and research it is, but its breadth of scope. We learn frank yet not exploitative details about the rise and fall of Welles' career and , the Hearst empire - arguably the most powerful media titan in the world at the time - and the seismic clash between RKO and the terrible twosome. We also get treated to a wealth of great behind the scenes photos and footage, archival material, a rare 1982 Welles interview and War Of The Worlds footage, and new interviews with such luminaries as actors Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Ruth Warrick, Norman Lloyd and Thomas Anderson, filmmakers Peter Bogdanovich, editor Robert Wise, screenwriter Frank Mankiewicz, set designer Sam Leve, Hearst biographer David Nasaw, archivist Nancy Loe, writer Richard France, journalist Jimmy Breslin, historian John Tebbel, Welles' assistant William Alland, Choral Director of the Layfette Theatre Leonard de Paur, and Mercury Theater manager William Herz. My only complaint with the doc is that the titles identifying each participant seem to have been inserted arbitrarily, making it hard to always know who is speaking, and the subtitles are no help at all. But no matter, this is a must-see for both Welles and Kane fans as well as the casual moviegoer.

Now, one last note on the packaging. I think this is a first, but Warner has ditched the dreaded snapper case for this two-disc set. Instead, they have opted for the a clear fold-out thick paper sleeve similar to what Fox and New Line have used on such titles as Fight Club and Magnolia. The tri-fold is housed in a non- glossy sleeve, with some brief production notes, nice layout, and chapter stop listings. Very elegant, and let's hope that Warner will the ditch the snapper for good someday soon?

Parting Thoughts