--- title: "Citizen Kane: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/citizen-kane/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/citizen-kane" critics_score: 95 critics_reviews: 6 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Citizen Kane (1941): what the critics said Critics' score 95 from 6 reviews: 6 positive, 0 mixed, 0 negative. The consensus is emphatically positive, with praise clustering around Citizen Kane’s storytelling, photography and sound. Critics repeatedly single out the deep-focus images, overlapping dialogue and flashback structure, describing techniques that still feel modern rather than merely important to film history. Welles draws praise for his direction and performance, while the film’s wit, psychological depth and sympathy for its central character give the reviews more to discuss than technical invention alone. There is little disagreement and no substantial reservation in these accounts; the differences concern what each critic finds most compelling. The Times stresses the continuing relevance of the film’s treatment of power and hubris, while Slant Magazine gives more attention to its haunting, enigmatic characters and the use of recollections to build the narrative. The narrow spread of opinion reflects shared admiration for both the filmmaking and the complex life it reveals. ## The Times — Kate Muir Rating ★★★★★. 29 April 2016. The review highlights the film's modern structure, faux-documentary style, deep-focus cinematography and resonances with contemporary power and hubris. It notes Welles was only 25 when he made his debut, which was voted the greatest American movie in a BBC poll, and praises its timeless relevance. [Read the review](https://www.thetimes.com/world/us-world/article/classic-film-citizen-kane-1941-9clhppcmr) ## Time Out — Tom Huddleston Rating 5/5. 21 September 2024. The critic calls it the film that changed everything and praises its enduring wit, tragedy, uniqueness and fascination. They single out the groundbreaking combination of deep-focus photography, overlapping dialogue and labyrinthine flashback structure. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/citizen-kane) ## Empire Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 23 November 2006. The critic positions Citizen Kane as an undisputed cultural benchmark and the greatest film of all time, praising its modern feel, innovative techniques, intelligence, wit, and the way it realises the infinite possibilities of cinema despite its age. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/citizen-kane-review/) ## Total Film Fi1m's normalised score 95/100 (inferred from the text). 4 June 1999. The critic affirms that Citizen Kane remains unassailable as the granddaddy of cinema, highlighting its innovative flashback structure, bold sound design, deep-focus cinematography, and the astonishing achievement of the young Orson Welles across multiple roles. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/citizen-kane-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 30 August 2012. The review emphasizes the film's haunting depiction of power, psychological depth, and enigmatic figures, singling out its rich visual style, set pieces, and narrative structure built through recollections as standout elements. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/citizen-kane-6483/) ## The Guardian Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 12 October 1941. The critic calls it probably the most exciting film to come out of Hollywood in twenty-five years, if not the most exciting film from anywhere. It praises the innovative camera and microphone work, the directness of style, the economic storytelling that reveals the full life of the media magnate Kane, and the unfettered creativity of Welles, Toland and the Mercury Theatre players. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/1941/oct/12/derekmalcolmscenturyoffilm) ## RogerEbert.com — Roger Ebert 24 May 1998. Ebert calls the film a miracle and a masterpiece that gathers the lessons of the sound era. He singles out its innovative structure, deep-focus cinematography, and elliptical storytelling that reveals Kane through others' memories while preserving a human touch amid its technical brilliance. [Read the review](https://rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-citizen-kane-1941) ## The Hollywood Reporter — THR Staff 12 March 1941. The critic calls Citizen Kane a great motion picture, praising its innovative storytelling, technical achievements in photography and direction, low-budget ingenuity, and Orson Welles' astonishing performance across ages. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/citizen-kane-review-1941-movie-998891/) ## The New Yorker — John C. Mosher 26 April 1941. Mosher praises the film as something new and revolutionary in cinema, with fresh air sweeping through conventions via its elliptical method and original craftsmanship. He highlights Welles' direction and performance as the center of interest, noting its solid value, human touch, and ability to trace a complex life without losing sympathy for the character. [Read the review](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1941/05/03/citizen-kane-movie-review-orson-welles) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/citizen-kane.md