Citizen Kane is a 1941 American drama film, directed by and starring Orson Welles. Many critics consider it the greatest American film of all time, especially for its innovative cinematography, music and narrative structure. Citizen Kane was Welles's first feature film. The film was nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories; it won an Academy Award for Best Writing by Herman Mankiewicz and Welles. It was released by RKO Pictures. The story is a film à clef that examines the life and legacy of Charles Foster Kane, played by Welles, a character based in part upon the American... newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst and Welles's own life. Upon its release, Hearst prohibited mention of the film in any of his newspapers. Kane's career in the publishing world is born of idealistic social service, but gradually evolves into a ruthless pursuit of power. Narrated principally through flashbacks, the story is revealed through the research of a newsreel reporter seeking to solve the mystery of the newspaper magnate's dying word: "Rosebud.
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