Modern critics have given Citizen Kane an even more positive response. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 99% of 125 critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 9.70/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "Orson Welles's epic tale of a publishing tycoon's rise and fall is entertaining, poignant, and inventive in its storytelling, earning its reputation as a landmark achievement in film."[148] In April 2021, it was noted that the addition of an 80-year-old negative review from the Chicago Tribune reduced the film's rating from 100% to 99% on the site; Citizen Kane held its 100% rating until early 2021.[149] On Metacritic, however, the film still has a rare weighted average score of 100 out of 100 based on 19 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[150]
Accolades
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards[151] | Outstanding Motion Picture | Mercury | Nominated |
| Best Director | Orson Welles | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Best Original Screenplay | Herman J. Mankiewicz and Orson Welles | Won | |
| Best Art Direction–Interior Decoration – Black-and-White | Perry Ferguson, Van Nest Polglase, Al Fields and Darrell Silvera | Nominated | |
| Best Cinematography – Black-and-White | Gregg Toland | Nominated | |
| Best Film Editing | Robert Wise | Nominated | |
| Best Scoring of a Dramatic Picture | Bernard Herrmann | Nominated | |
| Best Sound Recording | John Aalberg | Nominated | |
| DVD Exclusive Awards | Best Audio Commentary | Roger Ebert | Won |
| National Board of Review Awards[152][153] | Best Film | Won | |
| Top Ten Films | Won | ||
| Best Acting | George Coulouris | Won | |
| Orson Welles | Won | ||
| National Film Preservation Board | National Film Registry | Inducted | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards[154] | Best Film | Won | |
| Best Director | Orson Welles | Nominated | |
| Best Actor | Nominated | ||
| Online Film & Television Association Awards | Hall of Fame – Motion Picture | Won | |
| Online Film Critics Society Awards | Best Overall DVD | Nominated | |
| Satellite Awards | Best Classic DVD | Citizen Kane: Ultimate Collector's Edition | Nominated |
| Saturn Awards | Best DVD/Blu-Ray Special Edition Release | Citizen Kane: 70th Anniversary Ultimate Collector's Edition | Nominated |
| Village Voice Film Poll | Best Film of the Century | Won |
It was widely believed the film would win most of its Academy Award nominations, but it received only the award for Best Original Screenplay. Variety reported that block voting by screen extras deprived Citizen Kane of Best Picture and Best Actor, and similar prejudices were likely to have been responsible for the film receiving no technical awards.[20]: 117 [155]
