The One Film Roger Ebert Saw 75 Times Is This 99%-Rated Cult Classic: "More Than a Great Movie"

When asked about a favorite film, there are many possible answers. You could name the most intellectual work, or declare your love for a movie you've seen dozens of times.

For legendary film critic Roger Ebert, the choice was clear and personal. His heart forever belonged to a film he had seen at least 75 times, which he considered not just a masterpiece, but also a milestone in art history.

Roger Ebert Had Nothing But Praise for Orson Welles' 'Citizen Kane'

We're talking, of course, about Orson Welles's Citizen Kane – a work that defined the language of modern cinema.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ebert unhesitatingly named Citizen Kane his favorite film of all time. “I've seen it 75 times at least,” he said.

In his 1998 review, the critic praised the timeless work:

“It is one of the miracles of cinema that in 1941 a first-time director; a cynical, hard-drinking writer; an innovative cinematographer, and a group of New York stage and radio actors were given the keys to a studio and total control, and made a masterpiece.

Citizen Kane is more than a great movie; it is a gathering of all the lessons of the emerging era of sound.”

What Is 'Citizen Kane' About?

The movie tells the story of media mogul Charles Foster Kane's life and decline. Starting with his idealistic desire to serve society by reporting the truth, Kane gradually transforms into a lonely tyrant who uses his immense wealth and power to feed his ego.

The plot, which is built on a series of flashbacks, revolves around a journalist's investigation into the meaning of Kane's final word, the enigmatic "rosebud."

'Citizen Kane' Is One of the Greatest Movies Ever Made that Won Only One Oscar

The movie now considered the greatest of all time was created by 25-year-old wunderkind Orson Welles, who had virtually no prior film experience.

After achieving success in theater and radio, Welles took Hollywood by storm. RKO gave the young genius unprecedented creative freedom, which he used to change the visual language of cinema forever – popularizing deep framing, nonlinear storytelling, and bold camera angles.

Ironically, this absolute artistic and technical breakthrough was almost completely ignored by the Academy. Despite receiving nine nominations, Citizen Kane won only one statuette – for Best Original Screenplay.

All the major awards went to John Ford's traditional drama How Green Was My Valley. This oversight underscores the revolutionary nature of Welles' work – the industry was not yet ready to appreciate the scope of his innovations.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Citizen Kane'?

• Citizen Kane has 99% from critics and 90% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 8.2/10.

• On Letterboxd, Citizen Kane scored 4.2/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Citizen Kane'?

Citizen Kane is available to buy or rent on Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.