Citizen Kane

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3:44

Citizen Kane

PG

Released May 1, 1941

1h 59m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

134 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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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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Tom Huddleston

Time Out

It remains as witty, tragic, unlikely, unique and fascinating as ever.

Rated: 5/5

Dec 12, 2024

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

Genuinely innovative film-making.

Jan 18, 2024

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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

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David Parkinson

Radio Times

Utterly unmissable.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 1, 2024

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Noah Gittell

Washington City Paper

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

Sep 14, 2023

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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

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gregory c

The boy genius Orson Welles takes a Herman J. Mankiewicz script and the deep focus cinema photography of Greg Tolland creating the masterpiece that is Citizen Kane. Told entertainingly using multiple flashbacks in time Welles and Mankiewicz take on the Mainstream media. The film is just as meaningful today.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/01/25

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Audience Member

Complete and utter shite

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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Colin M

Could have used editing. Great movie and amazingly ground breaking.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/25

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Audience Member

complete and utter shite

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/29/25

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B A

This film might not be for everyone, especially the younger generation today, but anyone familiar with the life of William Randolph Hearst or interested in the history of filmmaking should consider it an absolute must-see. It's incredible that Orson Welles was only 25 when he co-wrote, directed, produced, and starred in this monumental production.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/24/25

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Audience Member

Slow. Slow. Slow. It's not witty. A rich guy who is a self-centered narcissist makes his fortune bigger, loses it, constantly buys statues and on his deathbed says a word that reminds him of his sled from childhood. Orson Welles is a great actor, but this movie is just not good.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/25

Full Review

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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

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Citizen Kane: Trailer 1

3:44

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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)

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