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Citizen Kane (1941)
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Overview
User Rating:
Director:
Writers:
Release Date:
1 May 1941 (USA)
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Tagline:
365 days in the making - and every minute of it an exciting NEW thrill for you ! more
Plot:
Following the death of a publishing tycoon, news reporters scramble to discover the meaning of his final utterance. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won Oscar.
Another 4 wins
&
9 nominations
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NewsDesk:
(116 articles)
Me and Orson Welles
(From Scorecard Review. 12 December 2009, 5:00 AM, PST)
UK cinemas enjoy £1bn boomtime with 3D renaissance
(From The Guardian - Film News. 11 December 2009, 8:01 AM, PST)
(From Scorecard Review. 12 December 2009, 5:00 AM, PST)
UK cinemas enjoy £1bn boomtime with 3D renaissance
(From The Guardian - Film News. 11 December 2009, 8:01 AM, PST)
User Comments:
CITIZEN KANE may let some people down, but it's still worth seeing.
more (916 total)
Cast
(Cast overview, first billed only)| Joseph Cotten | ... | Jedediah Leland | |
| Orson Welles | ... | Charles Foster Kane | |
| 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 |
Additional Details
Also Known As:
Parents Guide:
Runtime:
119 min
Country:
Language:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
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:
Company:
Fun Stuff
Trivia:
The lengthy scene where the older Jedediah Leland is interviewed at the old folks' home was Joseph Cotten's very first scene in front of a Hollywood camera. Orson Welles' broken ankle had forced the rescheduling of this scene, which originally was supposed to be shot towards the end of the film, so Cotten hadn't gotten around to learning his lines yet. Consequently he was supposed to do the scene from cue cards but because his old-age make-up included contact lenses dipped in milk and a wig that wouldn't stay on (hence the sun visor) Cotten took a couple of hours out to learn the lines properly.
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Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: During the picnic scene towards the end, Welles had to shoot against a back-projection because a location shoot was too costly and time-consuming. The stock footage used for the exterior was taken from King Kong (1933), hence on closer inspection the four birds that fly by are in fact very definite pterodactyls. RKO told Welles to take the pterodactyls out of the shot, but he liked them, and decided to keep them.
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Quotes:
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Gex 3: Deep Cover Gecko (1999) (VG)
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Soundtrack:
This Can't Be Love
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FAQ
Since there was no one in the room when Kane died, how does anyone know he even said "Rosebud"?Is this film based on a true story?
How much sex, violence, and profanity are in this movie?
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more (916 total)
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It's a difficult undertaking for someone of my generation to watch a film like CITIZEN KANE. Not because it's "too old" or "too boring", but because it has been hailed--almost universally--as the single best motion picture ever made. And while the anticipation of seeing a film with such overwhelming acclaim may be quite exhilarating, actually watching it is ultimately an intimidating and somewhat disappointing experience.
This isn't to say that I thought CITIZEN KANE was a bad film; in fact, I thought everything about it was downright brilliant. From the enchanting performances right down to the meticulously planned camera movements and clever lighting tricks, there isn't a single element of CITIZEN KANE that isn't a stunning achievement in all areas of filmmaking.
CITIZEN KANE's storyline is deceptively simple. Even though the plot unfolds by jumping in and out of nonlinear flashbacks, it is surprisingly easy to keep track of. The straightforwardness and relatively fast pace of the story are what make it seem intimidating. Because everything moves smoothly along without any standstill, it feels like we are being fooled-like there is something much greater that we just can't seem to grasp. As a first-time viewer, I knew from its reputation that there must be *something* that separates this movie from all the others; something buried within its simple plotline that everybody else has seen, but that I just could not seem to get a handle on. And then, during those final frames, that something was revealed, and it all began to make sense. To me, it was these moments of confusion and uncertainty followed by a sense of enlightenment and appreciation that made watching CITIZEN KANE such a meaningful experience.
But no matter how great of a movie CITIZEN KANE really is, it can never live up to one's expectations. Although I do feel that it is deserving of its acclamation, the constant exposure to its six decades worth of hype and praise will invariably set most modern viewers' standards at a height that is virtually unreachable--even if it really *is* the best movie of all time.