'' Citizen Kane '' is a 1941 American mystery drama film by Orson Welles , its producer , co-screenwriter , director and star . The picture was Welles 's first feature film . Nominated for Academy Awards in nine categories , it won an Academy Award for Best Writing ( Original Screenplay ) by Herman J. Mankiewicz and Welles . Considered by many critics , filmmakers , and fans to be the greatest film ever made , '' Citizen Kane '' was voted as such in five consecutive British Film Institute '' Sight & Sound '' polls of critics , and it topped the American Film Institute 's 100 Years ... 100 Movies list in 1998 , as well as its 2007 update . '' Citizen Kane '' is particularly praised for Gregg Toland 's cinematography , Robert Wise 's editing , Bernard Herrmann 's music , and its narrative structure , all of which have been considered innovative and precedent-setting
Academy Awards
14th Academy Awards
Citizen Kane