Orson Welles
Charles Foster Kane
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Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Orson Welles. Welles and Herman J. Mankiewicz wrote the screenplay. The picture was Welles's first feature film. Citizen Kane is frequently cited as the greatest film ever made.
- $1.8 million (re-release)
- Orson Welles
- $839,727
- Bernard Herrmann
Directed by and starring Orson Welles, Citizen Kane is a groundbreaking masterpiece that explores the rise and fall of a newspaper tycoon. The film features innovative cinematography, a complex narrative structure, and a haunting final image of "Rosebud".
- (457K)
- Drama, Mystery
- Orson Welles
- 1941-09-05
- Overview
- Production notes and credits
- Cast
- Academy Award nominations (* denotes win)
The plot of Citizen Kane centres on the rise and fall of publishing magnate Charles Foster Kane. Following Kane’s death at the start of the film, a reporter interviews those who knew Kane in an attempt to better understand his life and the meaning of “Rosebud,” his last word. Flashback episodes of Kane’s life are shown in correspondence with the interviews.
Where does Citizen Kane take place?
Based on flashbacks of discrete episodes in Kane’s life, Citizen Kane mostly takes place in three different settings: Colorado during Kane’s childhood, New York at the height of his success as a media magnate, and finally Florida as Kane nears his demise.
Who is the protagonist of Citizen Kane based on?
The protagonist of Citizen Kane is said to have been based on real-life magnate William Randolph Hearst. Hearst was an American newspaper publisher who built up the nation’s largest newspaper chain and whose methods significantly influenced the practice of American journalism. He fought the production of Citizen Kane from the start and reportedly barred mention of it in his newspapers.
Why is Citizen Kane such an important film?
•Studio: RKO Radio Pictures
•Director: Orson Welles
•Writers: Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles
•Music: Bernard Hermann
•Orson Welles (Charles Foster Kane)
•Joseph Cotten (Jedediah Leland)
•Dorothy Comingore (Susan Alexander Kane)
•Agnes Moorehead (Mary Kane)
•Ruth Warrick (Emily Kane)
•Ray Collins (James W. Gettys)
•Picture
•Director
•Lead actor (Orson Welles)
•Screenplay*
•Editing
•Cinematography (black and white)
- Lee Pfeiffer
Orson Welles's epic tale of a publishing tycoon's rise and fall is a landmark achievement in film, with a 99% Tomatometer and a 90% Audience Score. Watch the trailer, read critic and audience reviews, and see where to stream or rent Citizen Kane.
- (133)
- Orson Welles
- PG
- Orson Welles
Apr 25, 2015 · Citizen Kane and the meaning of Rosebud. Citizen Kane has long been acclaimed as a work of genius and endlessly dissected by critics. But a mystery still lies at the heart of this...
- 1 min
- Peter Bradshaw
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A classic film about the life and death of a powerful newspaper tycoon, Charles Foster Kane, whose last word "Rosebud" becomes a mystery for a reporter to uncover. The film explores Kane's rise and fall, his relationships, his ideals, and his legacy through flashbacks and interviews.
May 24, 1998 · A masterpiece of cinema, "Citizen Kane" is a complex and mysterious film about the life and legacy of a newspaper tycoon, his childhood, his love, and his quest for meaning. The reviewer analyzes the film's structure, themes, and visual style, and praises its influence on the history of sound and the media.
