Citizen Kane tells the life story of newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane, charting his rise to power and wealth and his gradual isolation. Through flashbacks it shows how ambition, media control and personal choices interact to shape both an empire and a legacy.

Use in class

It can be used in leadership, business history and media management teaching. The film encourages discussion of power, hubris, succession, reputation and the social responsibilities of media owners, and contrasts material success with questions about fulfilment and purpose.

Trailer