Critic Reviews
Citizen Kane (1941) Rank 4 Reviews
Expert Review Summary
based on (119) reviews
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Reviews by Score:
DVDBeaver
Ok, well...let's see here. What in the world can I say about this movie that thousands of other people out there haven't already said? Let's let the facts speak for themselves. The American Film Institute has ranked this movie as their number one ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVDBeaver
Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)
This groundbreaking film tells the story of a media magnate corrupted by power. It was Orson Welles' triumph and his downfall, mirroring the film's story. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Apollo Movie Guide (Dan Jardine)
Bright Lights Film Journal (Robert Castle)
In America in the Dark, David Thomson writes that Citizen Kane is "the key work of the first American director to identify comprehensive fraud as a topic central to his culture. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Bright Lights Film Journal (Robert Castle)
Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)
Citizen Kane's very title has become a superlative. "The Citizen Kane of its genre" is about as lavish an expression of praise as any film might hope to achieve. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Decent Films - faith on film (Steven D. Greydanus)
DVD Times
No Trespassing. The sign is the first introduction to the dark, looming, vast estate of Xanadu, empire palace of an exceedingly wealthy man. The gluttonous parade of soulless yet junk-filled space is clearly evident as we cut in towards one of Xanadu's ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Times
eFilmCritic
Personally, I don't see how could anyone would be able to name one film the greatest film ever made since several come close. Sure, you have your own list for favorites, but even that is not definite. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at eFilmCritic
Joey Narcotic Movie Reviews
I first watched Citizen Kane out of a sense of duty. It's been voted the greatest movie ever multiple times, and every film geek in the world seems to endlessly reference it. I avoided it for ages, expecting it to be a snooze; after all, it's an ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Joey Narcotic Movie Reviews
Alex Christensen, The Magic of the Movies
I have always seen people talking about Orson Welles's Citizen Kane with awe and reverence, but, much more interestingly, as a movie that made them think in a completely different way about movies, their style, grammar, and composition. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Alex Christensen, The Magic of the Movies
Reel Comments film review
You'll forgive me if I take a breath when asked if Citizen Kane is the greatest film of all time. Sure, sure, AFI says so - and that means we're faultered if we dare believe plausibility of opinion is relevant. But, no matter what number film you ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Reel Comments film review
Movie Mirror
Xanadu palace was built in Florida by Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles). After Kane dies saying "Rosebud," a newsreel summarizes his life. He was influential but much hated; his political ambition was ruined by a scandal; and in the 1930s his empire ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Movie Mirror
The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)
The career of Orson Welles is a perfect example of that if you start off too brilliantly, you're more or less bound to go downhill from there. However, if the signature film you leave behind is Citizen Kane you shouldn't be too dissatisfied. It has ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The Fresh Films Review (Fredrik Fevang)
The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
There plenty that can be siad about the film, it opened with the Kane's death, the newsreels that talked about Kane, the people who are investigating about the final word he said before he died, "Rosebud." As the film progressed, witnesses to Kane's ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The BigScreen Cinema Guide - Reader Reviews
Choking on Popcorn (Arjan Welles)
It is always a lot harder to see an old movie if you have only been, like me, a movie fanatic for the past ten years. It demands a certain surrendering and adjustment to really appreciate a classic movie, because the pace and standards are so different ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Choking on Popcorn (Arjan Welles)
PopMatters
Could there be a more daunting endeavor in all of film criticism than to say something new, let alone profound, about Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' thinly disguised film a clef on the life and crimes of media mogul William Randolph Hearst? For sixty ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at PopMatters
Reel.com DVD review (Pam Grady)
Citizen Kane, now commonly acknowledged as one of the greatest films in the world and often cited as the best American movie of all time, nearly never saw the light of day. MGM mogul Louis B. Mayer offered RKO head George Shaefer money to destroy the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Reel.com DVD review (Pam Grady)
Classic Film Guide
Orson Welles's masterpiece is somewhat of an unauthorized biography of publishing tycoon William Randolph Hearst (but don't believe how he portrays Marion Davies's character!), including his politics. It stars Welles in the title role, Dorothy ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Classic Film Guide
The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
The fresh, sophisticated, and classic masterpiece, Citizen Kane (1941), is probably the world's most famous and highly-rated film, with its many remarkable scenes and performances, cinematic and narrative techniques and experimental innovations (in ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The Greatest Films (Tim Dirks)
Ted Prigge
So what's the big deal with "Citizen Kane?" Well, for starters, it's technically innovative, much in the way "Star Wars" was (I'm not saying Kane like blows up a death star or something like that). Orson Welles, who made this when he was 26 (!!!), used ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Ted Prigge
Chad Polenz
We have all been told money, wealth, and fame do not necessarily lead to happiness, but time after time, we have ignored that message. "Citizen Kane" is a powerful story of a man whose intentions were good, but as hard as he tried, couldn't accept the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Chad Polenz
Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Matt Bailey)
The first time I watched Citizen Kane was during my second Christmas holiday home from the quaint little liberal arts college I attended. My mother had just moved into a lakeside cottage after an acrimonious divorce (her fourth) and I was there to ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Not Coming to a Theater Near You (Matt Bailey)
Boxoffice Magazine
If "Citizen Kane" were released on a dirty, scratched DVD transferred from a fourth generation pirated VHS tape originally taken from a super 8mm dupe that had been run over by a truck and buried in a New Jersey landfill for the past sixty years... it ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Boxoffice Magazine
UpcomingDiscs.com (Jeremy Frost)
Citizen Kane is the Holy Grail of all films, not only for is filmmaking, but also for the groundbreaking way in which the film was allowed to be made. Orson Welles, an unproven man of age 24 was given complete final cut power to make this film, which was ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at UpcomingDiscs.com (Jeremy Frost)
Ciné-club de Caen (Jean-Luc Lacuve)
Sur la grille entourant le domaine de Xanadu un panneau porte l'inscription "no trespassing" (défense d'entrer). A l'intérieur du château, meurt un homme solitaire. Il laisse tomber une boule de verre contenant une maisonnette enneigée et ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Ciné-club de Caen (Jean-Luc Lacuve)
Time Out
The source book of Orson Welles, and still a marvellous movie. Thematically less resonant than some of Welles' later meditations on the nature of power, perhaps, but still absolutely riveting as an investigation of a citizen - newspaper tycoon William ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Time Out
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
All of this brings me back to the question that I opened the review with: Is Citizen Kane
the best movie ever made? Many critics would argue "yes" without pause, but my enthusiasm is
more restrained. While I acknowledge that ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Fading in on an ominous nighttime exterior, the camera slowly focuses on a high wrought-iron fence filigreed with the initial "K." Beyond spreads Xanadu, the vast estate of one of the world's wealthiest men. The camera surveys the grounds--empty gondolas ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at TV Guide Entertainment Network, Movie Guide
Daily-Reviews.com (Mike Pinsky)
Do I need to mention that you should own a copy of this film, if you care at all about cinema, or even if you just want to see breathtaking filmmaking that leaves virtually everyone else in the dust? And with The Battle Over Citizen Kane included in the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Daily-Reviews.com (Mike Pinsky)
Philadelphia City Paper (Sam Adams)
Orson Welles' incendiary mock-biopic has been voted the Greatest Film Ever Made so many times that most people's eyes glaze over as soon as you mention it. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Philadelphia City Paper (Sam Adams)
CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)
Reviewing Citizen Kane is like reviewing The Bible or Shakespeare. I might as well go to the Sistine Chapel and review Michelangelo's "Creation," for that matter. Orson Welles, in his first movie, created a masterpiece that has been universally ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at CultureDose.net (John Nesbit)
CinemaBlend.com (--)
What a terrible question: "What is best movie, ever?" You have to qualify the question: what makes a movie good -- and furthermore -- who decides what is good? The answer depends on whom you ask: your baby sister (Spice World), your mentally deranged ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at CinemaBlend.com (--)
Friday and Saturday Night (--)
What more can be said about "Citizen Kane" that wouldn't be redundant? Part of "Kane's" claim to fame is that it is simply so entertaining. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Friday and Saturday Night (--)
Movie Addict (John Ulmer)
If you are looking for a classic, look no farther... ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Movie Addict (John Ulmer)
DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
The question isn’t whether Citizen Kane is one of the greatest films ever made; that’s a given. The question is whether it’s THE greatest. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVDTown.com (John J. Puccio)
Netflix (James Rocchi)
The greatest film of all time now has a DVD to match. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Netflix (James Rocchi)
Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
¿La mejor película jamás filmada? Ciertamente una de las mejores. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Doncinema.com (Flavio J. Arosemena)
Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Citizen Kane is no relic. Pop in the DVD and you'll find what you least expect - a really cool flick. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Arizona Daily Star (Phil Villarreal)
Austin Chronicle (--)
This Welles wunderkind classic deserves to be experienced on the big screen. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Austin Chronicle (--)
TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)
It is the epitome of filmmaking, a masterpiece for which Welles, one of the greatest practitioners of the cinematic art, will be forever remembered. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at TV Guide's Movie Guide (--)
Andrew Hicks (Andrew Hicks)
MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)
I first watched Citizen Kane in 1997. For me 1997 was the year I actually buckled down and decided that I wanted to be a critic, and that I had better take this job seriously. With that in my mind, I switched my focus from new releases to retrospectives, ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at MovieWeb (B. Alan Orange)
Chad Polenz (Chad Polenz)
New York Times (Bosley Crowther)
Citizen Kane is far and away the most surprising and cinematically exciting motion picture to be seen here in many a moon. As a matter of fact, it comes close to being the most sensational film ever made in Hollywood. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at New York Times (Bosley Crowther)
The City Review (Carter B. Horsley)
"Citizen Kane" is the most legendary film ever made in Hollywood, in part because of its brilliance and in part because it dared to caricature a famous publishing mogul, William Randolph Hearst, by basing its main character on him, very thinly ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The City Review (Carter B. Horsley)
Dimspace Haiku Movie Reviews
Citizen Kane
In a word, it was Excellent
after a full life
all that matters to a man
is his first ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Dimspace Haiku Movie Reviews
DVD Breakdown
It's hard to believe that this movie was the cinematic debut of Orson Welles, who at the age of 25 had already achieved an amazing level of fame and notoriety on the stage and in radio. Given unprecedented control over his first feature, Welles ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Breakdown
DVD Journal
…blah blah blah. Just what we need. Another bloated, self-regarding, possessive, academic essay on Citizen Kane, one more attempt to grapple with the complexities of what is not only arguably the greatest American movie, but one of modern art's great ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Journal
Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
Voyager's Citizen Kane laser disc is the "Citizen Kane" of laser discs. Like the movie, the disc is the ultimate in boyish look-what-I-can-do technological enthusiasm. Originally released in CAV format on three platters, it was clear that Voyager ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Doug Pratt's Laserdisc Review
filmcritic.com exhumes Citizen Kane
I first watched Citizen Kane in 1997. For me 1997 was the year I actually buckled down and decided that I wanted to be a critic, and that I had better take this job seriously. With that in my mind, I switched my focus from new releases to retrospectives, ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at filmcritic.com exhumes Citizen Kane
IndependentCritics.com (Jacob Hall)
Over 60 years ago, a small budget was given to radio prodigy Orson Welles to create his first film, "Citizen Kane." When it was first released, audiences didn't "get" it. It was so much different than anything else made before. It lost at the Oscars ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at IndependentCritics.com (Jacob Hall)
Maximum Movies Online (Joe Killin)
Orsen Welles as Charles Foster Kane in Media Home Entertainment and Mercury Productions Inc. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Maximum Movies Online (Joe Killin)
moviediva
Citizen Kane may never lose its ranking as the greatest American movie ever made. The stylistic and narrative innovations of a young iconoclast have "become the symbol for every sensitive young man alienated from his environment and dreaming about ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at moviediva
Movierapture (Keith Allen)
Orson Welles' Citizen Kane is a technically impressive and generally well made film, but it is not deserving of the exaggerated praise it incessantly receives.
In fact, much of the inventive camera work and non-linear narrative for which the movie ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Movierapture (Keith Allen)
At-A-Glance Film Reviews
Seldom are films so carefully crafted, and more seldom still do they have so much to say. Citizen Kane, Orson Welles' masterpiece, which he made at a very early age, is often jokingly called "the best German film Hollywood ever made" due to its ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at At-A-Glance Film Reviews
Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics
As probably the 1,000th writer to try and tackle Citizen Kane in print, I have no idea what to say. That this film has been routinely voted as the greatest ever made -- beginning with the 1962 Sight & Sound poll and most recently in the 1998 AFI poll -- ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Rotten Tomatoes - Reviews from the Nation's Top Critics
Slant Magazine - DVD Review
buy soundtrack
itizen Kane's last word: "Rosebud." It was newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst's pet name for his mistress' vagina. Hearst's love for the female sex organ may be Kane's deathbed-grasp for childhood (here, rendered via ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Slant Magazine - DVD Review
eFilmCritic.com (--)
Personally, I don’t see how could anyone would be able to name one film the greatest film ever made since several come close. Sure, you have your own list for favorites, but even that is not definite. Citizen Kane is without a doubt one of the greatest ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at eFilmCritic.com (--)
That Cow (B. Kiefer)
This movie probably has more myth, history, and reverence than any other I can think of. It's hard to watch this movie and not be aware of the cultural wake stretched out behind it. A short synopsis - Kane is the inheriter of the 6th largest personal ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at That Cow (B. Kiefer)
ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
For years, I have avoided writing a review of this movie, intimidated perhaps by its immense reputation. Having missed the 1991 fiftieth anniversary revival, I had only seen Citizen Kane on the small screen, and it didn't seem right somehow to discuss a ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at ReelViews (James Berardinelli)
Miradas desde el Sur (Leonel Delgado Aburto)
Estas imágenes perduran en la memoria de la historia cinematográfica. Afán de desnudar fueron estas disolvencias [de imágenes] que llevaban al misterio de Xanadú, la mansión de un millonario, el ciudadano Kane, inspirado en un menos perdurable ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Miradas desde el Sur (Leonel Delgado Aburto)
Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
The last word
uttered by media magnate and multimillionaire tycoon, Charles Foster Kane, was
"rosebud". During preparations for a newsreel story on Kane's life, the
producers determine that they need to know the man more and send a ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Qwipster's Movie Reviews (Vince Leo)
Cinepad (Jim Emerson)
That tarnished sign on a forbidding black wire fence is the first thing we see in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, the rather formidable beginning of an opening sequence that's still as electrifying as any in the history of movies. Charles Foster Kane -- ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Cinepad (Jim Emerson)
An Alienshore Review (Rick Pali)
Citizen Kane was an unusual film for its time in many ways. Perhaps most obvious is that the story is told completely out of order. Indeed, the film starts with the death of the protagonist, Charles Foster Kane. We see the castle and all its trappings ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at An Alienshore Review (Rick Pali)
Deseret News, Salt Lake City
When Orson Welles was making "Citizen Kane" in 1941, William Randolph Hearst went a little berserk upon being informed that the movie's main character, Charles Foster Kane, was pattered after him.
As a result, Hearst's line of newspapers ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Movie Reviews UK
A film known to many and, perhaps, watched by too few, Citizen Kane lives up to the hype and adulation even if it's not the so-called best film ever made. On a man-made mountain, somewhere in Florida, squats the decaying and unfinished palace that is ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Movie Reviews UK
filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)
"Citizen Kane" is a character study, about a man
who superficially has everything, but still isn't
satisfied. Charles Foster Kane has to prove
something, but that something always changes, and
simply cannot be achieved. This is demonstrated
at ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at filmsgraded.com (Brian Koller)
BBC Films
A fictional biography of media magnate Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) - a thinly veiled William Randolph Hearst that brought Welles and RKO all kinds of problems - that recreates a life in flashback, Welles' "Citizen Kane" was a startling ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at BBC Films
BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
If you're looking to study "Citizen Kane" on an academic level, then this DVD should prove ideal. While well made and a worthwhile release, the extra content is a bit on the dry side.
TECHNICAL FEATURES
Picture Don't expect major revelations in ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at BBC Films (Almar Haflidason)
Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)
This is Orson Welles' first motion picture and probably his best. Director, writer, producer and star of one of Hollywood's greatest films. The movie follows the rise and corruption of tycoon Charles Foster Kane (a thinly disguised version of William ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Teen Movie Critic (Roger Davidson)
PreViewed DVD
I really don't know what I was thinking. I mean, how could I even pretend to have any knowledge about movies when I had not seen what is almost universally hailed as the greatest American film of all time? It tops the American Film Institute's list, ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at PreViewed DVD
Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Already acknowledged as the greatest film of all time, there is little I could say about CITIZEN KANE ($30) that would make any sort of a difference. This monumental motion picture was the cinematic debut of Orson Welles, who at the age of 24 had already ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Cinema Laser (Derek M. Germano)
Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
The world changed when Orson Welles released Citizen Kane back in 1941. For one thing, countless filmmakers since then have demonstrated or claimed its influence. For another, it gave Steven Spielberg a prop-sled to spend way too much money on. And for ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Philadelphia City Paper (Cindy Fuchs)
Movie-Vault.com (Timotei Centea)
Citizen Kane is in fact the life of media tycoon Charles Foster Kane, who was an allegory for William Hearst, a newspaper tycoon at the time. The story starts off with Kane's death in his gigantic, extravagantly opulent estate named Xanadu, and the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Movie-Vault.com (Timotei Centea)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Boxoffice Magazine
"Citizen Kane" is an event in motion pictures. An intelligent and intellectual stimulus, and also an experiment.
The report must be that this long-awaited Orson Welles film is noteworthy in its conception, its execution and, indeed, in its entire ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Boxoffice Magazine
DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
The question isn't whether "Citizen Kane" is one of the greatest films ever made; that's a given. The question is whether it's THE greatest. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Town (John J. Puccio)
Film Freak Central
There are two shots of Rosebud in Citizen Kane, the first as it's covered by a blanket of forgetful snow outside the boarding-house of Kane's mother, the second as it's being consumed by flames in the basement of Kane's Florida estate. Ice and fire. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Film Freak Central
A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
I simply don't think I can discuss anything about "Citizen Kane" that hasn't been discussed often in the past. The film has been voted into the number one spot on the AFI top 100 films list and generally is regarded as one of the best American films ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at A Guide to Current DVD (Aaron Beierle)
DVD Review e-zine
Writing a review about "Citizen Kane" is like meeting your all-time favorite actor or director, only to stutter and stammer through the encounter. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Review e-zine
CineScene.com (Chris Dashiell)
When you put something on a pedestal, it becomes a prime target for pigeons.
Or to put it another way - if a certain movie consistently shows up on those "Ten Best of All Time" lists, and often as the "Greatest Film of All Time," no less - you can ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at CineScene.com (Chris Dashiell)
ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
I have to content myself with my DVD copy of a documentary about Citizen Kane, and I have to settle for my VHS copy of Welles' classic whenever I need to return to the roots of modern filmmaking. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at ToxicUniverse.com (John Nesbit)
Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
When people that enjoy the technical aspects of films gather one film stands out as one of the most ground breaking and innovative films of all time, Citizen Kane. This film scored number one on the coveted AFI top 100 film list. Made by Orson Wells for ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Home Theater Info (Doug MacLean)
DVD MovieGuide
Orson Welles' timeless masterwork (#1 in the American Film Institute's 1998 list of Best American Movies) is more than a groundbreaking film. Presented here in a magnificent 60th anniversary digital transfer with revitalized digital audio from the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD MovieGuide
Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
The most auspicious debut film ever for a director is also the most influentual and discussed film of all time, and also one that was controversial due to its stinging fictionalized representation of tycoon publisher William Randolph Hearst (accusing him ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Ozus' World Movie Reviews (Dennis Schwartz)
Orbital Reviews
Citizen Kane is a fictional story of the life of Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles), but it is also closely based on the life of media mogul William Randolph Hearst, who in the early part of the 20th century was perhaps America's most powerful man. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Orbital Reviews
Steve Rhodes
As everyone now knows, the movie tells the story of one Charles Foster Kane, a boy who inherited an enormous fortune and went on to become a powerful newspaper magnate. Oscar Wells, then a beaming, fairly trim young man, directed CITIZEN KANE, played ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Steve Rhodes
Edinburgh U Film Society (Chris Hansell)
Tycoon Charles Foster Kane dies leaving an enigma: the meaning of his final utterace, "Rosebud". Looking for a scoop, a young reporter attempts to solve the mystery by interviewing Kane's old friends, lovers and colleagues. His quest goes unresolved - ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Edinburgh U Film Society (Chris Hansell)
San Francisco Examiner (Bob Stephens)
ORSON WELLES' 1941 movie "Citizen Kane," which heads the American Film Institute's list of the top 100 films of all time, has the best of everything: a great director and star, innovative cinematography, dreamlike - even nightmarish - art direction, ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at San Francisco Examiner (Bob Stephens)
Cinema Blend
What a terrible question: "What is best movie, ever?" You have to qualify the question: what makes a movie good -- and furthermore -- who decides what is good? The answer depends on whom you ask: your baby sister (Spice World), your mentally deranged ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Cinema Blend
Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
As probably the 1,000th writer to try and tackle Citizen Kane in print, I have no idea what to say. That this film has been routinely voted as the greatest ever made -- beginning with the 1962 Sight & Sound poll and most recently in the 1998 AFI poll -- ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Combustible Celluloid (Jeffrey M. Anderson)
Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)
Here it is at last. There are many films that are highly coveted on DVD, high profile films such as Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark. For many, however, Citizen Kane is the film, the Holy Grail of DVD and now it's finally available.
This is ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Deranged Video Dude (Robert Wurth)
MovieEye.com (David Litton)
What can I say about "Citizen Kane?" Or better yet, what can I say about "Citizen Kane" that has not been said already by hoards of film lovers, movie historians, and nostalgic critics anxious to get their praise off their chests? As one of the ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at MovieEye.com (David Litton)
Future Movies (Ed Colley)
Citizen Kane is probably the most famous film ever made. Throughout the past five decades, the debut of actor/writer/director/producer Orson Welles has consistently appeared in countless 'Top Ten Films' lists submitted by directors and critics alike. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Future Movies (Ed Colley)
Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
is rather like Shakespeare in that they are both often labeled boring by the masses. Not to be a snob but the fact is that they are both acquired tastes that get more flavorful with each serving. For Citizen Kane is truly a feast for the eyes. Nearly ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Three Movie Buffs (Patrick Nash)
Talking Pictures (UK)
Citizen Kane dominates any (half-decent) list of the greatest movies of all time. The film is about a media mogul who creates his own towering palace that is built from the treasures of the world on a foundation of myth and legend. The subject of this ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Talking Pictures (UK)
Slate (Christopher Hawthorne)
When the great film critic Pauline Kael died last month at 82, obituaries as well as tributes from her friends and acolytes poured into print. The remembrances tended to mention only in passing what was perhaps the most important, and easily the most ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Slate (Christopher Hawthorne)
DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)
Ok, well...let's see here. What in the world can I say about this movie that thousands of other people out there haven't already said? Let's let the facts speak for themselves. The American Film Institute has ranked this movie as their number one ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Authority.com (Matt Brighton)
The Digital Bits
What makes a film great? Not in the casual, critic's-blurb sense of the word, tossed off with alarming regularity alongside such hyperbole as "Oscar-worthy", "superb" and "masterpiece". What makes a film so great that for fifty years it has been ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The Digital Bits
Chicago NewCityNet (Ray Pride)
There isn't a month goes by most filmmakers don't think about "Kane." Orson Welles' great first feature recasts the history of American yellow journalism and politics of the early part of this century through the prism of the collective memories of ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Chicago NewCityNet (Ray Pride)
Raging Bull Movie Reviews
It would be hypocritical of me to blame these people because I wasn't exactly a fan of the film the first time I saw it either. Being a victim of the historically bankrupt mass marketed the latest is the greatest whatever of all-time culture America has ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Raging Bull Movie Reviews
DVD Verdict (Barrie Maxwell)
It's a little difficult to know what to say about Citizen Kane (1941, RKO) that hasn't been said before. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at DVD Verdict (Barrie Maxwell)
The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) dies, alone in Xanadu, his enormous mansion. His last word is the mysterious "Rosebud." A newsreel gives us the highlights of his life, the wealthy young man who became an influential newspaper magnate and political ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at The Movie Mom (Nell Minow)
Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews (Harry Knowles)
Yesterday, I received an advance copy of the CITIZEN KANE dvd. The upcoming super deluxe DVD set
I stayed up last night, till early this morning diving into this two disc set, pouring over the exquisite features, the fabulous commentaries by ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Ain't It Cool Movie Reviews (Harry Knowles)
homevideo.about.com (Ivana Redwine)
"Citizen Kane" (1941) was Orson Welles' film debut, and in it he created an enduring masterpiece that is considered by many -- myself included -- to be the greatest movie ever made. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at homevideo.about.com (Ivana Redwine)
Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
When I was going to film school, I sometimes found it hard to sit through some of the movies the teachers made us watch, especially when I felt that even them must find their own selections rather boring, but were too conformist to do otherwise. 'A film ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Montreal Film Journal (Kevin N. Laforest)
Long Che Chan
How do you tell the story of such a legendary film? Citizen Kane is not only a powerful film, but a revolutionary one- every single movie made today has at least some of Kane manifested in it. This evocative motion picture changed the way filmmakers made ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Long Che Chan
Audience magazine (Kathryn D'Alessandro)
Through the auspices of tiny RKO, smallest of the Big Five Studios, a film appeared in 1941. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Audience magazine (Kathryn D'Alessandro)
Apollo Guide (Dan Jardine)
Citizen Kane
Apollo Score: Apollo Score: 95. Click for an explanation of the scoring system.
Readers' Rating: 61
(126 votes)
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Citizen Kane
An important aspect of the art of film appreciation is knowing when to watch a ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Apollo Guide (Dan Jardine)
El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)
ras la muerte del magnate Charles Foster Kane (Orson Welles) un periodista llamado Jerry Thompson (William Alland) comienza a investigar la vida del fallecido para intentar averiguar el significado de su última y misteriosa palabra pronunciada: ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at El Criticon (Antonio Méndez Casanova)
Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
``I don't think any word can explain a man's life,'' says one of the searchers through the warehouse of treasures left behind by Charles Foster Kane. Then we get the famous series of shots leading to the closeup of the word ``Rosebud'' on a sled ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Chicago Sun-Times (Roger Ebert)
Big House Film (Roger Westcombe)
Citizen Kane is not helped by the inevitable halo effect of 'best film ever' status. As Mark Twain said, 'a classic is a book no one ever reads', and in this spirit it's time to reclaim Kane for the movie buffs. ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Big House Film (Roger Westcombe)
Film Commentary by CGK
Before looking at the film itself, some mention should be made about the lives of William Randolph Hearst and Orson Welles as well as the controversy surrounding these two men over the release of Kane. The eponymous and tragic character of Welles' film ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Film Commentary by CGK
Film Court (Lawrence Russell)
Kane is like a Chinese warlord who intends to be buried with his closest retainers and an army of statues. But he dies alone, left only with his statues and the mausoleum he built to house them. Interesting imagery, yes, although the problem today is ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Film Court (Lawrence Russell)
dvdfuture.com (Anthony Clarke)
I must start by stating categorically that 'Citizen Kane' is a very good film. It is of course not the greatest film ever made, as some of its more rabid supporters claim. Nor the most important. Nor even the greatest American film ever made. But it is ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at dvdfuture.com (Anthony Clarke)
Brandt Sponseller's Film Reviews
A word of warning for anyone who absolutely loves Citizen Kane and doesn't want to hear anything even remotely disparaging about it: don't read this review. You'll just get angry with me, and perhaps want to write me letters arguing for why you think ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Brandt Sponseller's Film Reviews
Jiminy Critic (Taryn Arthur)
I am not an iconoclast. My lack of enthusiasm for Citizen Kane stems not from enjoyment at criticizing the sacred things of popular culture, but from confusion as to how this movie was ever elevated to iconic status in the first place. It is a good ...read the complete Citizen Kane movie review at Jiminy Critic (Taryn Arthur)
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