Overview
A timeless exploration of power, ambition, and the elusive nature of happiness.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- ambitious
- melancholic
- sardonic
- classic film night
- film school viewing
What critics said
Critics overwhelmingly regard it as a landmark of American cinema, praising its daring structure, visual innovation, writing, and performances.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Reporters interview people from Kane's past, and each account reveals a different version of his character.
The film is renowned for compositions that make multiple planes of action simultaneously important.
Kane's newspaper empire and the opening newsreel show how media turns a private life into a public myth.
Kane gathers wealth, influence, art, and grand possessions while his relationships deteriorate.
Films like Citizen Kane, and why
The Social Network
Shared rise-and-fall biography, media power, nonlinear investigation, and ambitious formal storytelling.
All the President's Men
Shared newspaper-world setting, investigative mystery, institutional power, and morally complex drama.
The Magnificent Ambersons
Shared sprawling American life story, retrospective structure, unreliable recollection, and themes of wealth and memory.
The Godfather
Shared psychologically layered portrait of a powerful man, innovative cinematography, and tragic personal isolation.
Movie Details
- Director
- Orson Welles
- Release Date
- 1941-04-17
- Runtime
- 119 min
- Rating
- 8.0 / 10 (6248)
Cast
- Orson Welles
- Joseph Cotten
- Dorothy Comingore
- Ray Collins
- George Coulouris
- Agnes Moorehead
- Paul Stewart
- Ruth Warrick
- Erskine Sanford
- William Alland
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Citizen Kane about?
- A probing mystery reconstructs the spectacular rise and lonely collapse of a newspaper magnate through the memories of those who knew him.
- What is Citizen Kane like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Citizen Kane as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Citizen Kane violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Citizen Kane.
- What did critics think of Citizen Kane?
- Critics overwhelmingly regard it as a landmark of American cinema, praising its daring structure, visual innovation, writing, and performances.
- Which films are like Citizen Kane?
- Films with a similar feel include The Social Network, All the President's Men, The Magnificent Ambersons, and The Godfather.
- How long is Citizen Kane?
- Citizen Kane runs 119 minutes.
- Where can I watch Citizen Kane?
- In United States, Citizen Kane is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
