BT
Bosley Crowther (The New York Times)
Described it as 'the most sensational film ever made in Hollywood' and a picture of 'tremendous scope'.
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.
Directed byOrson Welles
Written byOrson Welles, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Budgetapproximately $839,727
Box office$1,627,530
Critical Consensus
8.2
IMDb
100
Metacritic
8.0
TMDB
Citizen Kane initially received widespread critical acclaim for its groundbreaking narrative and technical innovations, although its box office was hampered by Hearst's suppression. It is now universally lauded as one of the greatest films ever made.
The Cast
Trivia
William Randolph Hearst, the inspiration for the film, prohibited any mention of it in his newspapers upon its release.
Orson Welles was granted final cut privilege and control over his cast and crew, an unusual freedom for an untried director.
It held the #1 spot in the Sight and Sound critics' poll for 40 consecutive years.
Every set was built with a ceiling to accommodate unique low-angle shots facing upwards.
Cinematographer Gregg Toland pioneered 'Pan-focus,' enabling sharp focus for both extreme foreground and background action.
Modern figures like Donald Trump and Rupert Murdoch have been frequently compared to the character Charles Foster Kane.
The film failed to recoup its production costs during its initial run despite widespread critical acclaim.
Authorship of the screenplay became a major controversy after critic Pauline Kael challenged Welles's contribution in 1971.
Reviews
0 reviews
Avg: 0.0 / 5
Critics
J(
John O'Hara (Newsweek)
Proclaimed it the 'best picture he'd ever seen' and hailed Welles as the best actor in history.
C(
Cecilia Ager (PM)
Described viewing it as if one had 'never really seen a movie before,' highlighting its transformative impact.
DT
Dilys Powell (The Sunday Times)
Praised the film's style as executed with the ease of one who controls and is not controlled by his medium.
TT
The Chicago Tribune
Noted it was interesting but felt its 'sacrifice of simplicity to eccentricity' robbed it of distinction.
Audience
Loading reviews...
More Like This
Tags
