Fresh off the heels of soon to be hailed as greatest film ever made Citizen Kane, even fans of Orson Welles have to it it’s a little downhill from here. His followup film The Magnificent Ambersons could even be called more ambitious than Kane. It seems like it would’ve been if the full length version were its current incarnation. The way the film is approached feels like it needs that bloated 2 and a half hour running time with its overly lush frames and on-the-edge acting. Unfortunately, despite the film’s presence, it struggled to engage me in the bigger picture plot at every turn. However, some scenes work their own little bubbles and are really quite thought-provoking and poignant. The performances are undeniably brilliant for that reason but it’s a shame the script was so butchered, even though it still garners acclaim in its current version. Fascinating way to deliver credits though. The Magnificent Ambersons is a magnificent mess.