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Citizen Kane

1941

Orson Welles

Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, George Coulouris ...

8.2

80,318

Drama The story charts the rise and fall of a newpaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolate him in his castle-like refuge. The last word he utters before his death is 'Rosebud', which triggers a mystery. A group of journalists start investigating in order to solve it.

	Media	Author	Review
		Roger Ebert rogerebert.com	"A masterpiece (...) 'Citizen Kane' is more than a great movie; it is a gathering of all the lessons of the emerging era of sound (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		Richard Brody The New Yorker	"An ecstasy of light and shadow, of clashing textures and graphic forms, such as hadn't been seen since the silent era"
		Owen Gleiberman Entertainment Weekly	"Regardless of how many times you've seen Orson Welles' 1941 masterpiece, it always feels like the first time"
		Bosley Crowther The New York Times	"'Citizen Kane' is far and away the most surprising and cinematically exciting motion picture to be seen here in many a moon"
		Kate Cameron New York Daily News	"It is one of the most interesting and technically superior films that has ever come out of a Hollywood studio."
		Chris Cabin Slant	"[A] deeply haunting depiction of the life of William Randolph Hearst (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"
		John C. Flinn Sr. Variety	"It is a two-hour show, filled to the last minute with brilliant incident unreeled in method and effects that sparkle with originality and invention."
		David Thomson The Guardian	"If you have never seen it, prepare for one of the great experiences in your life and notice this – Kane has lasted not for innovation alone, but because it is so emotional and tragic."
		Rob Fraser Empire	"Long, strong and undoubtedly a classic (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		The Hollywood Reporter	"An astonishingly unconventional production (...) Technically, it is a few steps ahead of anything that has been made in pictures before."
		Kate Muir The Times	"The tale of will to power, excess and hubris has deep resonances today (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		David Wood BBC	"A potent metaphor for the betrayal of principles, the souring of the American Dream, and an intelligent mediation on the corrupting nature of power (…) Rating: ★★★★★ (out of 5)"
		Jim Tudor Screen Anarchy	"If the purpose of great art is to ask questions, the 'Citizen Kane' leaves us, even eighty-plus years later, with plenty to think about. The film causes us, to strive towards betterment"
		James Berardinelli ReelViews	"A seminal masterpiece (...) There's no denying the debt that the movie industry owes to Welles and his debut feature (...) This film will forever be recognized as a defining example of American cinema (…) Rating: ★★★★ (out of 4)"

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