Citizen Kane (1941)
Runtime: 2 hrs 24 mins
Synopsis: CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement--and a landmark of cinema history. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castle-like refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a... CITIZEN KANE is Orson Welles's greatest achievement--and a landmark of cinema history. The story charts the rise and fall of a newspaper publisher whose wealth and power ultimately isolates him in his castle-like refuge. The film's protagonist, Charles Foster Kane, was based on a composite of Howard Hughes and William Randolph Hearst--so much so that Hearst tried to have the film suppressed. Every aspect of the production marked an advance in film language: the deep focus and deeply shadowed cinematography (from Gregg Toland); the discontinuous narrative, relying heavily on flashbacks and newsreel footage (propelled by a script largely written by Herman L. Mankiewicz); the innovative use of sound and score (sound by Bailey Fesler and James G. Stewart, music composed and conducted by Bernard Herrmann); and the ensemble acting forged in the fires of Welles's Mercury Theatre (featuring the film debuts of, among others, Joseph Cotten, Everett Sloane, and Agnes Moorehead). Every moment of the film, every shot, has been choreographed to perfection. The film is essential viewing, quite possibly the greatest film ever made and, along with THE BIRTH OF A NATION, certainly the most influential. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Agnes Moorehead, Everett Sloane, Dorothy Comingore
Screenwriter: Orson Welles, Herman J. Mankiewicz
Producer: Orson Welles
Composer: Bernard Herrmann
DVD Info
Release:
Nov 19, 2002
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Disc One: CITIZEN KANE
- Full Frame - 1.33
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Roger Ebert - Film Critic
- 2. Peter Bogdanovich - Biographer
- Additional Footage - 1. 1941 World Premiere Newsreel
- Trailers - 1. Original Theatrical Trailer
Interactive Features:
- Scene Access
- Interactive Menus
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Storyboards
- Publicity
- Stills/Photos - 1. Gallery of Rare Photos, Correspondence, etc.
- Disc Two: Supplementary Material
Additional Release Material:
- Documentary - 1. THE BATTLE OVER CITIZEN KANE
- Production Interviews - 1. Orson Welles - Director
- 2. Cast & Crew
- Additional Footage - 1. Rare Footage from Hearst's San Simeon Estate and Welles' Historic "War of the Worlds" Broadcast
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Biographies - 1. Orson Welles - Director
- 2. William Randolph Hearst - Subject
- Disc 3: RKO 281 - THE BATTLE OVER "CITIZEN KANE"
- Region 1
- Snap Case
- Pan & Scan - 1.33
- Single Side - Single Layer
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
- Dolby Digital Surround - English
- Dolby Digital Mono - Spanish
Interactive Features:
- Interactive Menus
Text/Photo Galleries:
- Biographies - Cast & Crew
Additional Products:
- Free Poster Offer: Original Theatrical One-Sheet Movie Poster (27"x40") Quantities are limited.
- Senitype Image from the Movie
- 35mm Film Frame
- Book:16 Page Commemorative Booklet
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The amazing depth of story and richness of composition make Citizen Kane a must-see for anyone who considers themselves a lover of films.
Welles has found the screen as effective for his unique showmanship as radio and the theatre.
It is still the best place I know of to start thinking about Welles -- or for that matter about movies in general.
With its spirit of visual and narrative innovation, and Welles's precocious, towering central performance, Citizen Kane almost lives up to its own reputation as the best of all time.
¿La mejor película jamás filmada? Ciertamente una de las mejores.
This is the inherent paradox of Welles' film: that its ending should be so equivocal, providing a satisfying resolution that simultaneously scoffs at such over-simplification.
Citizen Kane is no relic. Pop in the DVD and you'll find what you least expect - a really cool flick.
Welles not only inspired the bright young men with whom he collaborated, he shamed the Hollywood hacks into a realization of just how deeply they had betrayed their talent.
A cinematic perfect storm of technique and sophistication, widely hailed as the apotheosis of all the innovations and advancements of the sound era.
This Welles wunderkind classic deserves to be experienced on the big screen.
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.
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