We don’t usually dedicate entire posts to individual Blu-ray releases, but since we’re talking about Citizen Kane, an exception is due. Often cited as one of the greatest American films ever made, Citizen Kane celebrates its 70th anniversary this year and to mark the occasion Warner Home Video is hard at work on transferring the film to the HD format. For the source of this latest edition, Warners have gone back to an original 1941 nitrate for a high definition restoration in 4K resolution. In addition to the film, there will be a load of extras, including a new 48-page book complete with “a 20-page reproduction of the original 1941 souvenir program, lobby cards plus facsimiles of memos and correspondence made during the movie’s production.” The package will also include all of the special features found on the special edition two-disc DVD.

Whether Citizen Kane ranks among your personal favorites or not, it certainly marks a fascinating point in film history and deserves some examination on those grounds alone. Newcomer Orson Welles probably created more controversy than acclaim at the time of release, but the intervening years have been kinder to the film. Fans have had a few DVD versions to choose from in the past, but this new version promises to surpass them all. Motion Picture Imaging colorist Janet Wilson described the restoration as a “painstaking, frame-by-frame process,” so it sounds as if the film is receiving the amount of attention it deserves. The Blu-ray is set to hit stores on September 13th. What do you think – is this “definitely a buy” or will you be skipping this upgrade?