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Citizen Kane
1941 119 min United States of America 12+
★9.0
Mystery, Drama
Director: Orson Welles
Trailers
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Teaser
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Description
Newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane is taken from his mother as a boy and made the ward of a rich industrialist. As a result, every well-meaning, tyrannical or self-destructive move he makes for the rest of his life appears in some way to be a reaction to that deeply wounding event.
Budget:
$839,727
US Gross:
$1.63M
Worldwide:
$23.22M
Starring
Orson Welles
Actor
Joseph Cotten
Actor
Dorothy Comingore
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Original Screenplay
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Sound
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Actor
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Production Design (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Cinematography (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Film Editing
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Score for a Drama
Academy Awards 1942
— Best Original Screenplay
Key opinion
Citizen Kane is widely regarded as a revolutionary cinematic achievement that transformed visual storytelling through pioneering technical innovation. While some modern viewers find the narrative pacing or political themes distant, most critics and audiences acknowledge its status as a foundational masterpiece of film history.
| Cinematography | The film utilizes revolutionary visual techniques, including innovative camera angles, deep focus, and groundbreaking use of flashbacks, that set a new standard for cinematic grammar. | |
| Acting | Orson Welles delivers a powerful and complex performance that anchors the film, effectively capturing the transformation of a charismatic figure into a tragic, isolated mogul. | |
| Screenplay | The screenplay offers a sharp, witty critique of the American Dream and media power that remains culturally relevant despite the passage of time. | |
| Score | Bernard Herrmann's score and the atmospheric production design of Xanadu create a haunting, immersive environment that elevates the film's tone. | |
| Pacing | Opinions on the film's engagement level are divided: admirers view the contemplative pacing and character study as a masterful tragedy, while detractors find the protagonist unengaging and the narrative style overly detached. | |
| Accessibility | Critics are split on the film's broader appeal: some celebrate it as an essential, timeless masterpiece, whereas others suggest its age and political context make it primarily a work for film scholars and enthusiasts rather than general audiences. |