Citizen Kane has officially lost its perfect 100% Fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes, 80 years after its release. The downgrade was due to an old review that resurfaced, critiquing the movie, making the score drop from 100% to 99%.
The review was published in 1942 in the Chicago Tribune by Mae Tinee, a collective pseudonym used by the paper at the time. The review said
…some experts may think it ‘The greatest movie ever made.’ I don’t”
The review was titled “Citizen Kane” Fails To Impress Critics As The Greatest Ever Filmed. The entire review can be read here.
Citizen Kane was released in 1941 and was directed and produced by Orson Welles. He also stars as the lead of the film. The story is about a wealthy newspaper publisher named Charles Foster Kane who dies and a news reporter who goes searching for answers about his life. Orson Welles, a famous screenplay writer, and director at the time is well known for directing and narrating a radio adaptation of H.G. Wells’s War Of The World. The radio show aired in 1938 and created panic, as many listeners actually believed that the world was under attack and was being invaded by extraterrestrial beings.
Although the movie won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 1941, it wasn’t the most beloved film. It failed to recoup the costs in the box office and it wasn’t until the 1950s that its true brilliance was understood.
The film Paddington 2 now outranks Citizen Kane on Rotten Tomatoes. Paddington 2, a film about a bear going on an adventure, was an immediate fan favorite with the younger generation. The movie currently has a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Although a 1% drop in the score doesn’t change much, people thought it was funny that an 80-year-old interview resurfacing could have such an impact on the rating today. People also found it amusing that a children’s movie about a bear, scores higher than Citizen Kane.
What are your thoughts on Citizen Kane losing its 100% rating? Were you a huge fan of the film yourself? Let us know in the comments below.