Citizen Kane (1941)

This is considered by many to be the best movie of all time. I'd definitely vote for Casablanca over this, but watching it in film class and keeping my eyes open to the sorts of technique Welles used to make this movie was certainly fascinating. The story is only moderately compelling - more so if you're into epic biographies - but when I was actually paying close attention to the cinematography and the lighting (things I don't usually pay attention to) it was one of the most visually beautiful films I've ever seen. The visual aspect of it was WONDERFULLY executed. The story as a whole... eh. Okay. The acting... pretty good, but nothing that made me sit up and say, "Wow, that was incredible." However, this movie is probably worth seeing. Just keep an eye out for technical stuff. There's a lot of chiaroscuro effects that are simply gorgeous. 3.5 stars.