Citizen Kane

PG

Released May 1, 1941

1h 59m

Drama

TRAILER

for Citizen Kane: Trailer 1

List

99%

Tomatometer

134 Reviews

90%

Audience Score

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."

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Citizen Kane on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

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.

Read Critics Reviews

Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Genuinely innovative film-making.

Jan 18, 2024

Full Review

Ida Belle Hicks

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

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.

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

Marjory Adams

Boston Globe

The sheer brilliance and audacity of Citizen Kane... make the film the most astounding cinematic achievement of the season. It ranks with Disney's Fantasia as a milestone in motion picture technique.

Mar 2, 2021

Full Review

David Parkinson

Radio Times

Utterly unmissable.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 1, 2024

Full Review

Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

Kane innovated several filmmaking techniques. The film pioneered a genre.

Sep 14, 2023

Full Review

Manuel São Bento

MSB Reviews

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.

Rated: A+

Jul 24, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Andrew F

Iconic movie. Will this site actually let you post an honest opinion about a movie without deleting it? Let’s find out. I only put 5 stars to keep the review up. RT doesn’t actually value critical analysis in the negative.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/16/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Citizen Kane is the Citizen Kane of Citizen Kanes! A timeless tale as we have seen many-a-Kane in real life since the film’s release, and real life re-castings will continue as long as we live in a plutocracy that rewards demagogues. THE Character Study film whose hypnotic, eclectic telling of a man’s life entrances me each viewing, leaving me with different thoughts on it each time. Writing, directing, producing and starring in what many regard as one of the best films of all time, Orson Welles did it all in his film debut. His feud with William Randolph Hearst, an inspiration behind the main character of the film, over the film’s release just adds to its ever-growing legend.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/19/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Citizen Kane is a masterpiece of a film. It gives a soul into Charles Foster Kane and is absolutely ahead of it's time. The movie also is interesting and the Rosebud thing is also good. The cinematography is absolutely insane and deserves praise along with other stuff. Overall a great vintage movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/06/24

Full Review

Ja K

Didn't like it! There are far better movies than that. The old generation must like boring movies!

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/23/24

Full Review

Average P

I never really understood why everyone rates this so highly. Sure, I get that it was innovative story-telling but to me it has always felt a bit self-conscious. You're always outside the movie, admiringly looking in, but not really "in" it.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/23/24

Full Review

Will R

Citizen Kane is the greatest film ever made. The template for the perfect movie was established by this film. Everything from the story, performances, writing, cinematography, editing and directing are masterpieces, coming together to create the greatest film that will ever be made of all time. The recipe on how to make a perfect film was written by this movie, cementing Citizen Kane as a landmark in the history of cinema, and the greatest film in history.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/21/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Orson Welles

Director

Orson Welles

Charles Foster Kane

Joseph Cotten

Jedediah Leland

Ruth Warrick

Emily Norton Kane

Everett Sloane

Bernstein

Agnes Moorehead

Mrs. Mary Kane

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Reefer Madness

39%

37%

Reefer Madness

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

94%

90%

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Casablanca

99%

95%

Casablanca

TRAILER

for Casablanca

A Streetcar Named Desire

97%

90%

A Streetcar Named Desire

Picnic

50%

54%

Picnic

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Know Your Critic: Rosa Parra, Co-Founder of the Latinx Lens Podcast

Rita Moreno’s Five Favorite Films

Know Your Critic: Leonard Maltin, Film Critic and Historian

Citizen Kane: Trailer 1

3:44

View more videos

View more photos

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
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 28, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $977.3K
Runtime: 1h 59m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Academy (1.33:1)

Most Popular at Home Now