Photo: courtesy everette collection
Citizen Kane, Orson Welle’s 1941 masterpiece, isn’t as fresh as it used to be.
The Oscar-winning film was taken down a notch from its perfect Rotton Tomatoes score after a negative 80-year-old review was unearthed as part of the website’s Archival Project.
The project is focusing on resurrecting critics and publications of the past and adding archived reviews to iconic Hollywood films.
A Twitter user spotted the change and shared photos of the 1941 review, which didn’t mince words, going with the headline, “‘Citizen Kane Fails to Impress Critic as Greatest Ever Filmed.”
The review, which can be found on the movie’sRotten Tomatoes pageunder “Rotten,” can only be viewed as ascanned newspaper clipping.
“It’s interesting. It’s different. In fact, it’s bizarre enough to become a museum piece,” Tinée continued. “But its sacrifice of simplicity to eccentricity robs it of distinction and general entertainment value.”
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The critic criticized the film’s iconic use of dark light and shadows, writing, “It gives me the creeps and I kept wishing they’d let a little sunshine in,” but also praised Welle’s acting in the lead role as Charles Foster Kane, calling him a “zealous and effective performer.”
WhileCitizen Kanemay not be the freshest film, others are.
Paddington 2,1938’sThe Adventures of Robin Hood,Leave No Trace, Rebecca, Modern Times, Singin’ in the Rain,Charlie Chaplin’sThe Kid, The Maltese FalconandThe Philadelphia Story(1940)all have a 100 percent “fresh” scoreon the site.
source: people.com
