Citizen Kane Reviews

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The natural question ,we have to wonder about when watching this film, in its new splendor after restoration, is whether Orson Welles did not try to make a movie about himself. He sure did. I would even say it is a posthumous autobiography in prospective expectation. It is an American film about America and the Americans. The grandiose grandeur of those who are dreaming America into being and the petty narrow-mindedness of those who are only defending their own interests. Which tribe is most important? No one can know. The dreamers get isolated and lonely, at times in the golden heart of wealth and money. The self-centered ones just cut the cake and are very careful to give a very thin slice to others and an enormous slice to themselves. Then they all die sooner or later and only the dreamers survive. The others disappear in the darkness of hell, the underworld of forgotten anti-history. But this film reveals, and at the time it was probably scandalous, the power of the press as for building public opinion and the absurdity of the Americans as for forbidding politicians to have a normal private life, I mean the right to have a private life of their own and only their own. The tragic dimension of this character is that he is trapped by the very first, the power of the press he had used tremendously and had even boosted up in incredible proportions, with his very private life. Then the rest is only vanity and vain pretence: he tried to prove what he did not have to prove and he used other people to do so, particularly his second wife, which led to the end of the dream that had turned into a nightmare with a brain stroke and death. One can only prove what is really real and not what is virtually eventually maybe possible. Then of course we have to admire the technique of this film and the marvelous black and white finish and gloss. We also have to point out the film is renewing the genre of the biography of a great man by creating some mystery around one word, "rosebud", which probably has no value at all and is there to make us look at the pictures and images with a more attentive eye, as if we were supposed to be private eyed sleuths. Some say this film is a masterpiece and they must be nearly right. They would be totally right if they said it is one of the few masterpieces of the war years, the years that needed some boosting of the Americans and America. Orson Welles did it with a big tongue in his vast cheek, but probably had more positive effect than all the propaganda films that were filmed by second grade "directors", if they can be at times called directors at all.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne & University Versailles Saint Quentin en Yvelines

What a fantastic movie! I have been watching the most important films since the 1920s and, when I entered the 1940s with Citizen Kane, I was impressed with the evolution of the script, dialogues and realistic performances, breaking with the moorings of the theater and facing the CINEMA , in fact, different from the previous films. Here comes the photograph with its contrast of light and well placed shadows, the depth in the images when putting, in the same frame, close and general plane with another scene happening. Not to mention the camera moves that are spectacular and innovative.

The only negative criticism I have about the film is that the ending could have been a bit better explored.

After 74 years of existance, I have finally seen 'Citizen Kane' and how is it? Brilliant! One of the best movies ever!

'Citizen Kane' features a brilliant plot about a man named Charles Foster Kane who has died and his last word was "Rosebud", the movie sees people trying to find out why it was his last word, they find out in one of the best ways possible, going through his life to old age!

Aside the plot, the movie also features great acting by the entire cast, entertaining script and fantastic direction by Orson Welles. One of the best movies ever.

Something you should know about me, that i'm no hipster, i don't enjoy trashing old movies just to piss off people, but i'm also not stupid, i don't praise a movie, just for the fact that it's already praised, meaning, that i don't review this movie as "the best movie ever made", i review it, just like any other movie, if it's good, ok then, if it's bad, it's bad, even though i'm fully aware of the timing of these movies, but i'm against the saying that "old movies are better than new movies", or "all classics are good movies", i think that a good movie is a good movie no matter if it's produced in 2014 or 1914.

Citizen Kane is one of the most boring movies i have ever seen, i literally lost the ability to live while watching it, i couldn't get through it with one sitting, i had to pause, take a rest and then go back, and i don't usually force myself into a boring movie, but i had to this time, because it's citizen Kane, it's "one of the best movies of all time", so i wanted to see what's that about.

The introduction of the movie was absolutely horrible, that march news segment was unwatchable, and hard to recover from, it had a narrator with an awful voice, everything was so fast pasted and shallow, that made me loss my interest in the movie from the very beginning.

The story wasn't bad, but people are impressed on how the story was delivered, but i think that it was awful and pointless, in fact, i think the story could have been a lot better if it was delivered in a normal matter.
After citizen kane dies, a director tries to put a news segment about him (march news), but he wanted to know what the last word that kane said means (rosebud) so he send Mr. Thompson to interview his wife and people who know him, so each one of those people starts telling stories about him, and these stories are recreated with these actors, so you get to see kane, gets old and young again so many times and so much that you start to feel dizzy and bored.

The worst thing about this movie was the timing of the dialog, there wasn't spacing between the lines, which means when an actor say his line, there wasn't enough time for the other actor to absorb what the first actor said so he can react to it, in fact, in most cases, the lines were just overlapping and all over the place, it felt like watching a community theater, were everybody deliver their lines so fast and so emotionless not waiting the other guy to say his line, and with that being said, it had one of the worst performances i have ever seen, when the credit roll, there was a screen saying that most actors here are new to the motion picture, well DUH! that was so obvious, all of them were terrible, specially Orson Welles with that fake emotions and fake smile, and that scene when he goes inside his news paper building for the first time and meets the editor Herbert Carter, he said Mr. Carter so many times, i wanted to smash my screen.

Not to mention, how the movie was shot, which didn't present a good atmosphere for the actors to show their performances, there wasn't a long scene with an interesting dialog, most scenes were very short and didn't focus on the actors faces, so you can't see them acting, or at least feel them, the lines were delivered so fast and you only get to see that from a far camera angle.

And before i conclude, i just want to point out, that people are saying that the cinematography and the camera work was so impressive "and did you see that shot, from the roof of the building to the room?" but cinematography and camera work should never make a movie one of the best movies ever made, if that's the case, then 50 years from now, Avatar will be the best movie ever made, and i'm 100% sure that most people who watched that movie didn't enjoy it a bit, but they praised it so they look like they get it, in fact, if 100 person on this website, made a list of 100 favorite movie, you will never see citizen kane on any of the lists, because no-one like this movie because they liked it, most people liked it because it's a big deal.

Overall, extremely overrated, boring and unwatchable, and no it doesn't make any difference that it was produced in 1941, because a bad movie is a bad movie, timing should not be involved, and no, i don't hate it to look "cool", i hate it because it was bad on every level.

One of the most amazing films I saw in black and white. This is classic narrative storytelling, and it's an amazing visual experience that changed my life.

Far and away the most surprising and cinematically exciting motion picture to have been seen here in many a moon. As a matter of fact, it comes close to being the most sensational film ever made in Hollywood. Its imagery (not forgetting the oppressive ceilings) as Welles delightedly explores his mastery of a new vocabulary, still amazes and delights, from the opening shot of the forbidding gates of Xanadu to the last glimpse of the vanishing Rosebud (tarnished, maybe, but still a potent symbol). A film that gets better with each renewed acquaintance.

I can never decide what my favourite film, book, album etc. of all time are, but this definitely isn't a great film. I was tempted to give it one star to try to counter out the ones that say it is.
There is some great camera work that's ahead of its time, and I especially remember one shot where the camera started off outside, passed through a skylight and seamlessly ended up showing an indoor scene with actors. But that's not enough to make a film great.

The storyline is nothing to write home about, the acting is like so many classics of the era - wooden - and some of the backdrops look like something from an amateur pantomime.

After the death of a controversial figure, Charles Kane, a reporter embarks on a research to find the meaning of Kane's last words ("Rosebud") that don't seem to relate to his life. Through the interviews and documents, the reporter get's inside the personal life of Kane right from childhood to his death.

Through the entire "Citizen Kane" experience, I felt sort of disconnected at some moments but one has to watch the entire movie to understand why this is one the most important movies of our time. Many critics believe that this film is probably the greatest film ever made and after reading about it a lot I decided to watch this film. Citizen Kane is a giant jigsaw puzzle and the audience is trying in vain to figure out what the hell does "Rosebud" mean? But when you know it, the entire "boring and long" experience of this movie turns out to the most unique one. I watched it the second time and then it became clear to me. This is when you realize something important: a universal lesson that everyone learns sometime in their life and in this case Kane learns it at the twilight of his life.

I know this sounds too spiritual but believe me the movie is brilliant. Even if you love action or energetic movies, please just once, at least once, watch this movie. Citizen Kane promises of what movies can be and is a fine art movie in every respect. This truly is a great fictional bio-pic of a man called Kane who lost everything even after getting everything. No wonder why critics believe this to be the best movie in the world... But My personal view? I don't compare films because each great film is marvelous in their own style. And Citizen Kane is exactly that.

The greatest film of all time? In many aspects, yes. Every film watcher knows that there is no definitive greatest film. However, from an objective point of view, Orson Welles’ 1941 masterpiece is a strong candidate. It is literally a perfect film. From its acting, writing and story to its technical composition, Citizen Kane is flawless. Let’s put it in layman’s terms. It’s a fact that it is a good film, it is objectively good. It an opinion not to like it, such a choice is subjective and I respect that. Anyone who tries to claim otherwise is wrong. Citizen Kane is a timeless masterpiece, with an ageless story.

The story is about a man’s emotionally wrought life, all packed into 1 hour and 55 minutes. There are no wasted scenes, there is no time for that. Everything is essential to the story. Nowadays, even a generic thriller or action film takes over 2 hours to tell a story that could easily be told in 90 minutes or less, whereas Welles’ story is a sprawling roller-coaster, kept admirably precise, without appearing short-handed or incomplete in even the slightest sense. How he did it will continue to perplex and astound me.



The plot is magnificent and captivating, exploring the depths of friendship, careers and loneliness. In one of the most well filmed scenes in cinematic history, Kane dies alone in his desolate mansion. Named after the medieval Chinese location of Xanadu, made famous by Romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge in his poem Kubla Khan, the home is one of the most stark metaphors for the life of the eponymous Charles Foster Kane. As an opening scene, it is memorable and enduring, one that has been lovingly parodied in a number of popular culture staples such as The Simpsons. The home, in its ambitious scope, represents what Kane thought of himself, whilst the unfinished mess of it all arguably portrays his own damaged and lonesome existence. The impressive set design captures the attention of the audience, leading them up to the iconic dying word of Kane. Rosebud. Simple and enigmatic, its meaning is a perpetually fascinating mystery. This minimalist motif manages to segue into one of the most grand and complex investigative stories ever written, escalating into something that is far from minimal. Kane’s final word is an iconic quote, known even to those who haven’t yet seen the film.

Collaborating with Herman J. Mankiewicz, from a family of talented cinematic figures, Welles wrote a story that stands the test of time. Its uniquely personal look at the life of its protagonist, using a non-linear narrative of interviews with surviving associates and flashbacks to various moments from his life, we learn more and more about the elaborate personality of the newspaper magnate. Loosely based on businessman William Randolph Hearst, Charles Foster Kane’s character can be compared to current business figures, such as Rupert Murdoch and several United States politicians. The multi-layered personality, ranging from amiable to alienating, is a richly characterised construct, accentuated by the phenomenal performance by the 26 year old Welles. Playing the role from young upstart to ailing and bitter old man, Welles portrayal is fine representation of his career, a remarkable and unsurpassable tour-de-force.



In a lot of films centred on one primary character, supporting characters are often wasted, relegated to nothing more than background set-pieces. However, despite Welles’ bravura turn, he doesn’t overshadow the rest of the cast or take away from the characters they are playing. He was intelligent enough to know, as both the writer and director, not to steal the spotlight and not to make the film all about one person. This is evidence by the glorious monologues of other characters, such as that of Mr. Bernstein, played with touching sentimentality by the ever under-rated Everett Sloane. In this particular scene, the wistful and sympathetic Bernstein reminisces about a beautiful girl he once saw, wondering what would have happened if he had spoken to her. Such a deep and contemplative scene, entirely told through words, is an example of the huge importance and influence of the other characters on the success of the film. Similarly, Joseph Cotten, another criminally under-rated actor who would later go on to work with Hitchcock (Shadow of a Doubt, 1943) and again with Welles in Carol Reed’s classic The Third Man (1949), delivers a perfect performance as Jedediah Leland, punctuated with typical Cotten charm. One of the most likeable supporting characters of any film, we watch as Leland begins to grow tired of Kane’s ego, worrying about his ambitious friend’s pursuits. Even the minor characters are of huge significance, such as Kane’s mother near the beginning of the film, when we see her about to give away her young son. Delivering a performance of impressive subtlety, Agnes Moorhead’s presence is a commanding one.

Aside from the amazing story, the film is a technical masterpiece too. Orson Welles wanted to create a new level of realism in Hollywood. Before the years of large scale on-location shooting that we have today, Hollywood was primarily limited to studio sets. Welles wanted to eliminate some these limitations. So, with the help of cinematographer Gregg Toland, he went about finding ways to achieve a high sense of realism. One of the most revolutionary ideas was to show ceilings in shots, particularly those filmed from a low angle. Beforehand, this was rarely done because the sets didn’t have ceilings, instead possessing an open top where the cameras and lights would go. To navigate around this, the set designers pulled a piece of material tightly across the open space, to create the illusion of a solid ceiling. In addition to this masterstroke, Welles and Toland experimented with focus. Using deep focus to compose many scenes, a more realistic representation of real life was reached.



His quest for realism is comparable to the Italian neo-realists, who wanted to profile life in post-war Italy in the most realistic ways possible. Whilst films like Vitorrio De Sica’s Ladri di biciclette (Bicycle Thieves, 1948) favoured mid shots, on-set locations and a style of filming that would now be achieved using hand-held cameras, Citizen Kane reached similar goals by recreating a real life atmosphere through focus and set design. For these reasons, both styles are equally innovative and important to the evolution of cinema.


Under the cinematography umbrella, there is the aspect of lighting that must be touched upon. Employing shadows and on the opposite end of the spectrum, brightly lit scenes to emphasis certain thematic elements, the lighting takes on a life of its own. At some points drawing upon German Expressionist elements, whilst at others relying on a more modernist approach, the film is vividly and beautifully lit, complimenting the plot greatly.



Citizen Kane is a stand out example of how to make a perfect film. An array of characters, tightly constructed scenes of aesthetic quality, convincing make up, cutting edge techniques and a strongly impactful story, it tells a tale like no other. The deep focus that defines the film is a work of genius, made to stand out even more by the rare but necessary uses of shallow focus. Meanwhile, the solid implementation of the camera is a testament to Welles’ mind. Likewise, Bernard Herrmann’s evocative and haunting score is a debut that is every bit as good as his future work. Everything about this film unforgettable.

In regards to the many strengths of the film, it certainly isn’t unfair to claim it is the best film ever made. This is a reasonable accreditation, based on the overwhelming amount of virtuosity found within the stunning classic. Whilst it is impossible to name one film as the best ever, there are few that can top this landmark masterpiece.

Often cited as the greatest movie ever made, Citizen Kane has hit the headlines and has won hearts for all the right reasons. The opening may seem like an intro to a horror movie by Universal but, after the now immortal "Rosebud" line, you're now in the grasp of Charles Foster Kane and his life. It's like being a witness to a murder. You can't run away from it and it won't run away from you. Charles Foster Kane is the megalomaniacal, little eccentric, owner of The Inquirer and promises not to hide anything from the public. Orson Welles gives a very impressing performance that lives up to his baritone voice and his dominating appearance. I guess it used the same technic Goodbye, Mr. Chips used 2 years previous. Showing the life of the titular character from scratch to his death. I don't know but it had similarities. Nevertheless, we all know the end result and it's no wonder why everyone loves the film. If you're not one of those 99% who loved the film, then you must've been out of your medicines. Almost all the supporting cast gave a great performance, whether major or minor, but I would like to single out two: Everett Sloane as the respected and respectable Mr. Bernstein. Any scene sans-Welles, Mr. Sloane commanded attention from the viewer. The second is Dorothy Comingore as the delicate Susan Alexander, Kane's second wife. A great Oscar-worthy performance.

Oh, why couldn't I had been born back then? I would've had loved to say to my kids (who must've been 30 years by now) that "Son, I grew up at the time of Citizen Kane. Oh, you don't know Citizen Kane? It's the greatest film ever made, boy. Don't you ever forget that!" I guess I was born 50 years too late and now the conversation may go like this: "Daughter, I grew up in the time of High School Musical..." The horror, the horror!

In conclusion, I would like to compare Citizen Kane to Supper's Ready by Genesis. Both are charming in their mystery, their beautiness and are at the top of their chosen field. Mr. Kane, we tip our bowler hats to you!