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RKO 281

Play trailer Poster for RKO 281 R 1999 1h 23m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 75% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), all charisma and stubborn vision, is signed to direct films for RKO Pictures with a startling amount of creative freedom. Welles decides to make production number 281 a disguised biopic of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst (James Cromwell), a film which would come to be known as "Citizen Kane." But Welles doesn't understand just how much clout Hearst yields. When he gets word of the unflattering production, Hearst does everything in his power to stop it.
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RKO 281

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
John Leonard New York Magazine/Vulture I'm not saying that RKO 281 is any sort of Citizen Kane, but it's got the same appealing insouciance, plus a much more satisfying and dirty-minded explanation of the true meaning of Rosebud. Feb 6, 2018 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 11, 2005 Full Review Emily Blunt Blunt Review This hardly seen film is a great watch for ANY Welles fan. Rated: 4/5 Apr 8, 2005 Full Review James Sanford Kalamazoo Gazette entertaining; Schreiber is excellent Rated: 4/5 Mar 11, 2005 Full Review Bob Bloom Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN) Wonderful TV movie about the pressures and ego clashes and politics surrounding the making of Citizen Kane. Rated: 3/5 Oct 19, 2004 Full Review Mike McGranaghan Aisle Seat Rated: 4/5 Aug 3, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (133) audience reviews
Michael W This HBO movie was really good. Liev Schreiber, John Malkovich, James Cromwell, Melanie Griffith, Roy Scheider, and the rest of the cast did a fantastic job in this movie. This true story about filmmaker Orson Welles making his movie masterpiece Citizen Kane and William Randolph Hearst's attempt to prevent the movie from released was dramatic, entertaining, and inspirational. It's about never letting anyone get the best of you so you can do what you've always dreamed of doing. If you haven't seen this movie yet, check it out sometime. It's a definite must see. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/06/23 Full Review Audience Member On it's own, this plays out like a lot of other biographies I've watched recently with this having a bit more source material to it than others. This probably isn't the 4 of 5 I have it at but it made Citizen Kane watchable after having it spoiled by a big mouth brother of mine, even if it is now from a more jaded point of view. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review s r Saw it for the Welles story. He's a fascinating person. It was informative, but I don't need to see it again. It was on HBO. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member The two-plus hours of Mank are dealt with here in about 15 minutes, an act of dramatic concision typical of Welles, even as the rest of this drama-turned-documentary-turned-docudrama is far hammier than (even) the Maestro would go for. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Audience Member RKO 281 gives a great account of the times, and the way that Hollywood worked in the 30s and 40s. While the details of the demise of Randolf Hearst may be a bit off and some details about Hollywood, the film covers the way things worked and how powers interacted pretty well. My family was very close to the Hearst family and I know more details about the demise of the Hearsts than I'll ever tell. I can say the film got the important parts correct, without delving into the animosity between Hearst and the State of California. Liev Schrieber doesn't look like Orson Welles - but so what? That is irrelevant. He captures the arrogance of Welles very well. It's a slow film by today's standards, but that gives you time to take in the theme, and the moral ambiguity, and think while you're watching. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/22/23 Full Review Audience Member Schrieber brings Orson Welles to life with a fantastic performance telling the story of making "Citizen Cane". There's much more drama and humor to it than I expected. Like the recent "Trumbo" film, this is a work best enjoyed by Hollywood history fans and cinema geeks. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/01/23 Full Review Read all reviews
RKO 281

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Movie Info

Synopsis Orson Welles (Liev Schreiber), all charisma and stubborn vision, is signed to direct films for RKO Pictures with a startling amount of creative freedom. Welles decides to make production number 281 a disguised biopic of media tycoon William Randolph Hearst (James Cromwell), a film which would come to be known as "Citizen Kane." But Welles doesn't understand just how much clout Hearst yields. When he gets word of the unflattering production, Hearst does everything in his power to stop it.
Director
Benjamin Ross
Producer
Su Armstrong
Screenwriter
John Logan
Production Co
HBO Pictures, Scott Free Productions, WGBH
Rating
R, TV-MA
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 24, 2021
Runtime
1h 23m
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