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Citizen Kane

Play trailer 3:44 Poster for Citizen Kane PG In Theaters Jul 5 1h 59m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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99% Tomatometer 132 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's (Orson Welles) dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane's friend and colleague Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), and his mistress, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), shed fragments of light on Kane's life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man's final word, "Rosebud."
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Citizen Kane

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Orson Welles's epic tale of a publishing tycoon's rise and fall is entertaining, poignant, and inventive in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a landmark achievement in film.

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Critics Reviews

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Tom Huddleston Time Out 12/12/2024
5/5
It remains as witty, tragic, unlikely, unique and fascinating as ever. Go to Full Review
Wendy Ide The Times (UK) 01/18/2024
Genuinely innovative film-making. Go to Full Review
Ida Belle Hicks Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com 03/02/2021
We aren't going to quibble about the genius business. Time will take care of that and if Welles goes down in history as one well be happy to have been among those who enjoyed the results of his great talent. Go to Full Review
David Parkinson Radio Times 07/01/2024
5/5
Utterly unmissable. Go to Full Review
Noah Gittell Washington City Paper 09/14/2023
Kane innovated several filmmaking techniques. The film pioneered a genre. Go to Full Review
Manuel São Bento MSB Reviews 07/24/2023
A+
Everything about this movie's production and origin, the precedent-setting technical aspects, and the innovative storytelling all prove that Orson Welles was a perfectionist filmmaker far ahead of its time. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Kia B Sep 8 Proof that all good classic films should be seen on the big screen. Seeing the issues of my grandparents time shows the more things change, the more they stay the same. See more R Sep 8 A true classic. It's been so homaged and referenced that it may seem cliche but thats BECAUSE it's a classic. The Mise-en-scne and thoughtfulness of the production is breathtaking on the big screen. If you get the chance to see it in a theater, GO! See more Patricia P @STARLATINA 2d I thought Citizen Kane was slow in some parts, but the story was still powerful. Kane wanted money, success, and control, but he lost many important people in his life. The movie made me think about how people can become lonely when they care too much about power and wealth. I also liked how the movie used flashbacks to show different parts of Kane’s life. See more Rebecca O. @Rebecca_Orona 4d For a movie to be made in 1941, i wasn’t expecting me to laugh at certain scenes of the movie and not to mention. How much I appreciated good a black and white film. See more Jensy M @RT82261459 Apr 30 It surprised me that I did genuinely like this movie. The way it was filmed, the angles, and the color of this movie stood out to me. The narrator as well stood out to me and it’s not like most movies. It gave off a sitcom vibe but overall it was a very good movie. See more Allison A @RT35810172 Apr 29 I think that this was a good film, and something that stood out to me was the different camera angles and the focused shots. Its differen than modern films but i would still reccomend it. See more Read all reviews
Citizen Kane

My Rating

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Movie Info

Synopsis When a reporter is assigned to decipher newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane's (Orson Welles) dying words, his investigation gradually reveals the fascinating portrait of a complex man who rose from obscurity to staggering heights. Though Kane's friend and colleague Jedediah Leland (Joseph Cotten), and his mistress, Susan Alexander (Dorothy Comingore), shed fragments of light on Kane's life, the reporter fears he may never penetrate the mystery of the elusive man's final word, "Rosebud."
Director
Orson Welles
Producer
Orson Welles
Screenwriter
Herman J. Mankiewicz, Orson Welles, John Houseman
Distributor
RKO Radio Pictures
Production Co
Mercury Productions, RKO Radio Pictures Inc.
Rating
PG
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 1, 1941, Wide
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jul 5, 2026
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$977.3K
Runtime
1h 59m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Academy (1.33:1)