Citizen Kane (1941)

Director:

Orson Welles

Writers:

Herman J. Mankiewicz (screenplay) and
Orson Welles (screenplay)

Release Date:

1 May 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Mystery

Tagline:

365 days in the making - and every minute of it an exciting NEW thrill for you !

Plot:

Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance.

Plot Keywords:

Rosebud | Reporter | Newspaper | Power | Flashback

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 4 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Joseph Cotten	...	Jedediah Leland
Dorothy Comingore	...	Susan Alexander Kane
Agnes Moorehead	...	Mary Kane
Ruth Warrick	...	Emily Monroe Norton Kane
Ray Collins	...	James W. Gettys
Erskine Sanford	...	Herbert Carter
Everett Sloane	...	Mr. Bernstein
William Alland	...	Jerry Thompson
Paul Stewart	...	Raymond
George Coulouris	...	Walter Parks Thatcher
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Signor Matiste
Gus Schilling	...	The Headwaiter
Philip Van Zandt	...	Mr. Rawlston
Georgia Backus	...	Bertha Anderson
Harry Shannon	...	Kane's Father

Also Known As:

American (USA) (working title)
John Citizen, U.S.A. (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

Canada:F (Ontario) | Canada:G (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Quebec) | Netherlands:6 | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G (original rating) | Australia:PG (DVD rating) | Chile:TE | Finland:K-16 | Germany:12 | Ireland:12 (DVD rating) (2003) | Israel:PG | Peru:PT | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:U (video rating) (1985) | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Mercury Productions

Trivia:

Xanadu's design is based on William Randolph Hearst's elaborate home in San Simeon and Mont St Michel in France.

Goofs:

Incorrectly regarded as goofs: In the beginning, Kane says, "Rosebud." The nurse enters the room after the word is spoken. The shooting script only mentions Kane and the nurse being in the room. However, within the movie itself Raymond the butler tells the reporter that he had heard Kane say "Rosebud" after the fight with Susan as well as just before he drops the snow globe, implying that what the viewer is shown in that scene is from Raymond's P.O.V.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Charles Foster Kane: Rosebud.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Citizen Kate (2008)

Soundtrack:

A Hot Time in the Old Town

A great piece of cinema, a magnificent example of storytelling

I've heard so much told about Citizen Kane and Orson Welles, so I finally decided to get the film, and find out if it really is all that it's cracked up to be... I must say, it's great. The plot is great, and the way it's told is amazing. The story is first summed up in a matter of minutes, about 15, to be more accurate, and then the rest of the film has characters telling the story through flashbacks and retelling. We hear just about every opinion about Charles Foster Kane, apart from his own. The story is told after his death, and we see everything important that leads up to it, and only in the very end do we understand him, only then do we fully understand who he was, and what made him so. The ending also reveals one of the very most important things in any man or woman... one thing that everyone needs and knows of. I won't reveal it here, as it would almost be a crime to spoil the experience of this film to anyone. The acting is excellent; Welles himself is stellar as Kane, and his impressive appearance, along with his commanding voice, makes the character a forceful sight, nay, experience. The characters are well-written and credible. The character of Kane is probably the most well-rounded and perfectly built up I've seen in a movie, ever. The cinematography is excellent... the editing is great. I can't praise the angles, pans, zooms and transitions enough... it just has to be experienced. Now, for the one thing I can criticize in the film; the pacing. It's only two hours long, but it feels like much, much more. There were portions of the film where it felt like it didn't move at all. When there weren't great dialog or something equally as good in the film, it dragged terribly. There were too many scenes where the dialog seemed pointless, as well, I think. It didn't seem to be leading to anything. However, this criticism is so minor, due to the ending more than making up for it, that I still give this film a perfect score. I can't do anything but agree with its placing at the top of the top #250 films of all time, here on IMDb. As I'm writing this, it's #11. That's pretty much what it deserves, in my opinion. Not higher, not lower. Not the greatest film of all time(that pretty much still belongs to The Godfather, I think... at least, I haven't seen a better film than that, yet), but definitely far up there. I recommend this to any fan of film in general, and anyone who thinks they can understand it; it has a truly profound point that any man(and woman) should know of(preferably through seeing the film for themselves). Don't let the fact that it's old and black & white deter you from seeing this masterpiece. A true cinematic masterpiece, in every sense of the word. 10/10